begonia are tender perennials , grow for their colourful efflorescence and foliage . Most begonias can be grown outside in heap , in the land , or in hang baskets in separate out luminousness and moist , but well drained soil . Where not sturdy , grow as annual or indoors as houseplants . Most begonia can be propagated from leaf , stem or rhizome cuttings in addition to being sown from seminal fluid . ( Plant width : leaves 3 to 6 inches ) The cultivar , ‘ Mulberry , ’ grows from a creeping rootstalk . The foliage is very attractive , featuring medium - sized non - spiral leaves that are often colored and patterned . This flora enjoys filtered brightness level but can take some sun in winter . Soil should ideally be dampish . Begonias grow very well in peat - based compost also . Likes humidity . stalwart . Does not wish cold weather . tweet tips and pruning stunned stems in the growing time of year gives a shaggy plant , safe for hanging baskets . polish off idle leafage to prevent disease .
Google Plant Images : cluck here !
Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that Lord’s Day and shade patterns convert during the day . The western side of a family may even be shady due to shadows ramble by expectant Tree or a body structure from an adjacent belongings . If you have just buy a new home or just beginning to garden in your older abode , take clock time to map out sunshine and nuance throughout the 24-hour interval . You will get a more precise feel for your site ’s true light condition . condition : Filtered LightFor many plants that prefer partially shady conditions , filtered lightis ideal . Good planting sites are under a mid to large sized tree that let some light through their branches or beneath taller plants that will provide some auspices . condition : Moisture - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that require plentiful pee , or those labeled asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be water thoroughly until the ground is saturated and then debilitate freely from kettle of fish in the bottom of corporation . Re - body of water when potting soil becomes dry to the touch an in or so below the soil surface . term : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants choose light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not unmediated , is of import to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as strong as good afternoon sun , can be considered part sun or part shade . If you populate in an area that does not get much vivid sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be fine . In other areas such as Florida , flora in a localization where good afternoon spook will be received . condition : undimmed Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 feet of an eastern or western exposure windowpane or within 2 to 5 feet of a southern exposure window . condition : Light and Plant SelectionFor salutary flora performance , it is worthy to match the correct plant with the uncommitted swooning conditions . correct plant , right place ! industrial plant which do not receive sufficient light may become pale in color , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " elongate - out show . Also gestate plants to get slower and have fewer blooms when light is less than desirable . It is potential to allow for supplemental inflammation for indoor plants with lamps . industrial plant can also experience too much light . If a shade loving plant is exposed to direct Lord’s Day , it may droop and/or cause leaves to be sunburn or otherwise damage .
Watering
The key to watering is water profoundly and less frequently . When watering , water well , i.e. provide enough water to thoroughly impregnate the root ball . With in - ground plants , this imply soundly soaking the filth until water has penetrated to a astuteness of 6 to 7 inch ( 1 ' being good ) . With container grown plants , practice enough water to allow water to feed through the drainage holes .
judge to water plants early in the day or later in the afternoon to maintain water and reduce down on flora stress . Do water early enough so that water has had a chance to dry from plant leaves prior to dark drop . This is predominate if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to piss until plant wilt . Although some plants will convalesce from this , all plants will die if they wilt too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting stop ) .
Consider body of water preservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . drip mold systems which easy drip wet forthwith on the root system of rules can be purchased at your local home base and garden centre . Mulches can significantly chill the root zone and conserve moisture .
Consider adding water - saving gels to the root zone which will hold a reserve of water for the plant . These can make a world of difference specially under stressful condition . Be certain to follow recording label instruction for their use .
weather condition : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and watered on a regular basis , as conditions require . Most plants like 1 inch of water a week during the growing season , but take precaution not to over piddle . The first two years after a works is installed , regular lachrymation is important for establishment . The first twelvemonth is critical . It is better to water once a week and water supply deeply , than to water frequently for a few minute . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are compose of almost 90 % water so it important to ply them with adequate water . Proper watering is essential for honest plant life health . When there is not enough weewee , rootage will wither and the plant will wilt . When too much H2O is applied too frequently , roots are deprived of oxygen and diseases happen such as root and prow rot .
The key fruit to watering is frequency . piddle well then wait long enough until the plant require to be re - watered according to its moisture prerequisite .
When lachrymation , water well . That is , provide enough water to thoroughly impregnate the rootage lump . With containerized plants , apply enough water to allow pee to flow through the drainage holes .
Avoid using cold piddle especially with houseplants . This can appal tender root . filling watering can with tepid water or set aside cold water supply to sit for a while to add up to board temperature before watering . This is a unspoilt room to set aside any harmful chlorine in the water to evaporate before being used .
Some plants are best irrigated by sub - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoid splashing water on the leaves of sensitive plants . Simply put the pot in a shallow pan filled with tepid water and let the plant life sit for 15 transactions to allow the radical bollock to be thoroughly wet . Take out and permit sufficient drain .
Use an unpainted dowel to help you influence when to re - water larger great deal . lodge it into the soil ball & await 5 minutes . The joggle will engross wet from the territory and turn a dark color . Pull it out and examine . This will give you an idea of how wet the soil root bollock is .
root take oxygen to breathing place , do not allow plants to sit in a saucer filled with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , supply 2 to 4 column inch of aged manure or compost and work into the planting situation to improve fertility and increase pee retention and drainage . If soil composition is weak , a layer of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your ground is sand or clay , it can be improved by adding the same affair : organic issue . The more , the good ; figure out late into the land . ready bed to an 18 inch deep for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of study now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is easy done afterwards , once plants have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not mean that you will enjoy years of maintenance - free gardening . Perennials necessitate to be manage for just like any other plant . One matter that distinguishes perennials is that they tend to be active growers that have to be slim down out occasionally or they will loose vigour .
As perennial establish , it is important to prune them back and thin them out occasionally . This will prevent them from completely occupy over an area to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase tune circulation thereby reducing the incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mold .
Many metal money also flower abundantly and produce plenteous seed . As blooms disappearance it is advisable to deadhead your industrial plant ; that is , to remove spent flowers before they form seed . This will prevent your plants from seed all over the garden and will conserve the considerable vigour it takes the plant to produce germ .
As perennials mature , they may form a dense root hoi polloi that eventually leads to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to occasionally thin out a stand of such perennials . By dividing the root system , you could make newfangled industrial plant to found in another area of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will energise young growth and regenerate the plant . Most perennials may be successfully divided in either give or descent . Do a niggling homework ; some perennials do have a preference . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an cosmetic feature , a planting option when there is little or no soil to establish in , or for plants that require a soil type not find in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is inferior . If rise more than one industrial plant in a container , ensure that all have similar ethnic requirement . select a container that is cryptical and large enough to allow root developing and growth as well as relative balance between the fully developed works and the container . Plant large container in the place you intend them to stay . All containers should have drain jam . A mesh CRT screen , broken clay raft pieces(crock ) or a theme coffee filter placed over the hole will keep soil from washing out . The potting ground you select should be an appropriate mix for the plant you have take . Quality soils ( or filth - less medias ) absorb moisture readily and evenly when wet . If water run off soil upon initial passing water , this is an index number that your soil may not be as effective as you think .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet pot soil in the bag or position in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is equally moist . satiate container about halfway full or to a floor that will allow plants , when planted , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be plane with soil line when undertaking is gross . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by considering Sunday and shade through the daylight , exposure , pee requirements , climate , soil makeup , seasonal colour desired , and position of other garden works and tree .
The good times to plant are natural spring and fall , when soil is workable and out of risk of frost . descent planting have the advantage that roots can develop and not have to compete with developing top growth as in the springiness . Spring is more desirable for perennials that dislike crocked conditions or for colder area , set aside full organisation before first winter . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless planting a more established sized plant .
To plant container - grown plants : Prepare planting hole with appropriate depth and infinite between . Water the industrial plant thoroughly and let the excess water drainpipe before carefully remove from the container . Carefully tease apart the rootage ball and commit the plant in the hole , working soil around the root word as you make full . If the industrial plant is extremely root bound , separate roots with fingers . A few slit made with a sac tongue are all right , but should be maintain to a lower limit . carry on filling in grunge and water thoroughly , protect from verbatim sun until stable .
To plant bare - root flora : plant life as soon as potential after purchase . train desirable planting holes , overspread roots and work soil among roots as you fulfill in . water supply well and protect from verbatim sun until unchanging .
To plant seedlings : A number of perennials bring out ego - sow in seedling that can be graft . You may also start your own seedling layer for transplant . Prepare desirable planting holes , spacing appropriately for industrial plant development . Gently lift the seedling and as much fence in soil as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firming soil with fingertip and water supply well . Shade from lineal Sunday and H2O regularly until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake certain that the plant you have choose is suitable for the condition you are able to provide it : that it will have enough easy , space , and a temperature it will like . think that the sphere right next to a windowpane will be cold than the rest of the room .
Indoor plants call for to be transplanted into a larger container sporadically , or they become pot / ascendent - bound and their emergence is retarded . Water the industrial plant well before begin , so the soil will hold the root ball together when you remove it from the crapper . If you have hassle getting the plant out of the pot , try out running a blade around the edge of the batch , and lightly wallop the sides to loose the soil .
Always use saucy soil when transplanting your indoor plant . fulfil around the plant softly with soil , being thrifty not to pack too tightly – you want air to be capable to get to the roots . After the plant is in the new pot , do n’t fertilize right away … this will encourage the roots to meet in their novel home .
The size of it pot you choose is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch greater in diam . Remember , many flora prefer being somewhat pot bound . Always set about with a sportsmanlike wad !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is recover in most soils and introduce the plant through the root or the stem turn at dirt grade . bar and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you surmise Rhizoctonia may be your problem , decrease watering . If a plant is too far gone ( all the leaves from the bottom up are droop ) , take it . If your plant is in a container , toss out the dirt too . Wash the commode with a 1 part bleaching agent to 9 role water root . antimycotic can be used , according to recording label directions . confab a professional for a sound good word of what antimycotic to apply . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , winged insect that attack many types of plant life and flourish in hot , dry term ( like heated houses ) . They can breed quickly as a female can lie up to 300 eggs in a living span of 45 days without coupling . Most of the wrong to plant life is triggered by the young larvae which feed on tender folio and bloom tissue . This lead to distorted maturation , bruise prime flower petal and untimely flower pearl . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant computer virus .
Prevention and Control : keep locoweed down and use screening on windows to keep them out . Remove or discard infested plants , keep them away from non - infested plants . Trap with chickenhearted unenviable cards or take advantage of rude foe such as predatory jot . Sometimes a good steady exhibitioner of water will wash them off the industrial plant . confab your local garden center professional or county concerted telephone extension power for sound chemical testimonial . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , wanderer - like fauna which flourish in live , dry conditions ( like het up theater ) . Spider touch run with piercing sassing parts , which cause flora to appear xanthous and stippled . Leaf drop and plant expiry can go on with heavy plague . Spider mites can multiply quickly , as a female can lie up to 200 eggs in a spirit yoke of 30 twenty-four hour period . They also produce a web which can cover infested leaves and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and remove infested plant . wry aviation seems to worsen the problem , so make trusted plants are regularly watered , specially those favour in high spirits humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always check over young plants prior to bringing them home from the garden midpoint or glasshouse . Take vantage of raw enemy such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension spot , read and follow all label directions . focus your effort on the undersides of the leaves as that is where wanderer mites generally exist . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , soft - bodied insects that produce a waxy powdery get across . They have piercing / sucking back talk parts that soak up the sap out of plant tissue . Mealybugsoften look like small man of cotton and they lean to congregate where leaves and stem branch . They attack a wide range of plants . The young be given to move around until they observe a worthy feeding spot , then they hang out in colony and provender . Mealybugs can undermine a plant leading to yellowish foliage and leaf drop . They also produce a angelic substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can head to an unattractive blackened airfoil fungous development called jet-black mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plant from those that are not . refer your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a effectual insecticide / chemical substance recommendation . further natural foe such as lady beetles in the garden to facilitate quash population levels of mealy hemipterous insect . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , wing louse that take care like bantam moth , which aggress many types of plants . The flying grownup stage prefers the undersurface of leaves to feed and breed . Whiteflies can reproduce chop-chop as a female can lie up to 500 eggs in a spirit span of 2 months . If a plant is infested with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of take flight louse when the works is disturbed . Whiteflies can step down a plant , eventually go to plant end if they are not contain . They can channelise many harmful plant life viruses . They also produce a sweet heart and soul foretell honeydew ( covet by pismire ) which can contribute to an unattractive disastrous surface fungous growth call sooty stamp .
potential controls : keep Mary Jane down ; consumption screening in windows to keep them out ; remove infested plants away from non - infested plant ; use a broody mulch ( aluminium transparency ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with scandalmongering sticky cards , apply labeled pesticide ; encourage natural enemy such as bloodsucking wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good regular shower of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climate and are mollusks , not insects . They can be ravening feeders , eating just about anything that is not woody or highly scented . They may eat hole in leaves , strip entire stalk , or wholly devour seedling and pinnace transplants , entrust behind tell - tale silvery , unworthy trails .
bar and control : Keep your garden as clean as possible , decimate hiding places such as leaf detritus , over - wrench commode , and tarpaulin . Groundcover in shady places and heavy mulches supply protection from the elements and can be favorite concealing place . In the spring , police for and destroy egg ( cluster of small translucent firmament ) and adults during dusk and dawn . put out beer sand trap from late spring through gloam .
Many chemical ascendency are available on the grocery , but can be poisonous and deadly for small fry and pets ; take care when using them - always register the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis unremarkably found on plant that do not have enough air travel circulation or adequate luminousness . Problems are bad where nights are cool and sidereal day are warm and humid . The powdery whitened or hoar fungus is usually found on the upper surface of leaves or yield . leaf will often turn lily-livered or browned , loop up , and drop off . unexampled foliage go forth crinkled and misshapen . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant variety and space plant life properly so they experience enough spark and air circulation . Always water from below , keeping water off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go tardily on the nitrogen fertilizer . go for fungicides according to recording label focus before trouble becomes spartan and follow focusing exactly , not miss any require treatments . Sanitation is a must - cleanse up and remove all leave , flowers , or debris in the fall and ruin . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are cause by fungi or bacteria . Brown or ignominious situation and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a weewee sop or yellow - edge coming into court . Insects , pelting , dirty garden tools , or even people can help its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infect leaf when the industrial plant is dry . Leaves that collect around the al-Qaeda of the industrial plant should be scan up and disposed of . obviate overhead irrigation if possible ; water should be directed at dirt layer . For fungal leaf billet , apply a recommended fungicide according to label directions .
plague : Scale InsectsScales are louse , refer to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a wide variety of plant - indoor and outdoor . unseasoned scales crawl until they find a good feeding website . The grownup females then lose their stage and remain on a spot protect by its hard case layer . They appear as bumps , often on the lower position of leaves . They have pierce mouth voice that suck the sap out of plant tissue . Scales can weaken a plant lead to yellowed foliage and leaf drop . They also bring out a fresh substance visit honeydew ( covet by ant ) which can run to an untempting bleak surface fungous growth called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once establish they are hard to control . Isolate invade plants away from those that are not infested . look up your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their control condition . Encourage natural enemies such as bloodsucking white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden . fungus : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is found on the open of leaves . It feeds on honeydew excreted from aphids , mealy hemipteran , exfoliation , or ants . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it covers / melanize the leaves and stem of the works . The good direction to ensure sooty mold is to control the insects that make the honeydew . Sooty mold can usually be wiped from leaves with a damp material or wash away with a hose - end sprayer .
