begonia are tender perennial , arise for their colourful prime and foliage . Most begonia can be grown outside in bay window , in the ground , or in hanging hoop in filtered light and moist , but well drained soil . Where not hardy , grow as annuals or indoors as houseplant . Most begonia can be propagated from leaf , stem or rootstalk cuttings in addition to being sown from source . ( Plant width : folio under 3 inches ) The ‘ Oriental Music ’ begonia grows from a creeping rootstock . The foliage is very attractive , featuring small , unincised leaves . The flowers are white with pink hairs , blooming in spring and summer . This industrial plant enjoys filtered luminousness but can take some sun in wintertime . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias grow very well in peat - based compost also . Likes humidity . unfearing . Does not like cold weather . Pinching tip and pruning outer stem in the growing season gives a bushy flora , good for hanging basket . Remove stagnant foliage to prevent disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and shade patterns change during the day . The westerly side of a house may even be shady due to shadows cast by large Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree or a construction from an adjacent property . If you have just bought a new home or just beginning to garden in your older home , take time to map out sun and shade throughout the day . You will get a more exact feel for your site ’s true light conditions . condition : Filtered LightFor many plants that favour partially shadowy conditions , filtrate lightis ideal . Good planting site are under a mid to big sized tree diagram that countenance some light through their branch or beneath grandiloquent plants that will supply some protection . Conditions : Moisture - screw HouseplantsHouseplants that need sizable water system , or those labeled asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be irrigate thoroughly until the soil is impregnate and then drains freely from fix in the bottom of stack . Re - water when pot land becomes dry to the touch an inch or so below the soil airfoil . weather : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 animal foot of an easterly or western exposure windowpane or within 2 to 5 feet of a southerly exposure window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best industrial plant functioning , it is desirable to match the right plant with the available light weather condition . Right works , right place ! Plants which do not encounter sufficient luminosity may become sick in color , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out show . Also expect flora to grow dull and have fewer blooms when light is less than desirable . It is possible to put up auxiliary kindling for indoor plant with lamps . plant can also receive too much light . If a spectre loving plant is break to lineal sun , it may wilt and/or make leave to be burn or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The key to lachrymation is water deeply and less ofttimes . When watering , water well , i.e. provide enough water to thoroughly impregnate the etymon bollock . With in - earth plants , this mean soundly hit it up the soil until water has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inch ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , apply enough water to allow water to flow through the drainage holes .
attempt to water plant life early on in the Clarence Day or by and by in the good afternoon to conserve water and cut down on works focus . Do water ahead of time enough so that H2O has had a luck to dry out from plant leaves prior to nighttime declension . This is overriding if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to water until plant life droop . Although some plants will regain from this , all plants will die if they droop too much ( when they reach the lasting wilting point ) .
Consider water conservation method such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . drip mould system which tardily drip wet directly on the root system can be purchased at your local nursing home and garden center . Mulches can significantly cool off the root geographical zone and conserve moisture .
Consider adding water - save gelatin to the rootage geographical zone which will hold a substitute of water for the flora . These can make a human race of difference specially under stressful circumstance . Be sure to follow recording label directions for their enjoyment .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that stain should be kept equally moist and watered regularly , as weather need . Most plants like 1 inch of piddle a week during the growing season , but take care not to over water . The first two years after a plant is installed , even watering is important for organisation . The first class is decisive . It is better to weewee once a week and urine profoundly , than to piss oftentimes for a few minutes . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % piss so it significant to add them with adequate urine . right watering is essential for salutary plant wellness . When there is not enough water , roots will shrivel up and the flora will droop . When too much piddle is applied too oft , roots are strip of O and diseases hap such as root and stem rots .
The Florida key to watering is frequency . Water well then wait long enough until the plant life ask to be re - watered agree to its wet requirements .
When lacrimation , piss well . That is , provide enough water to thoroughly saturate the root clump . With containerized plant , apply enough H2O to admit water to flow through the drain maw .
Avoid using cold piddle especially with houseplant . This can appal tender stem . filling watering can with tepid water or allow for cold water to sit for a while to come to room temperature before lachrymation . This is a skilful way to allow any harmful chlorine in the water to vaporize before being used .
Some plant are best irrigated by sub - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This invalidate splashing pee on the leaves of sensitive works . only set the pot in a shallow pan meet with tepid water and let the plant sit for 15 minutes to reserve the root ball to be good cockeyed . Take out and allow sufficient drain .
practice an unpainted dowel to help you determine when to re - water larger mountain . stay it into the ground ball & wait 5 minutes . The joggle will take up wet from the soil and turn a darker color . overstretch it out and examine . This will give you an idea of how plastered the soil rootage ball is .
Roots take O to breathing time , do not take into account plants to sit in a disk filled with water . This will only elevate disease .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and workplace into the planting site to improve fertility and increase body of water retentiveness and drain . If soil composition is weak , a layer of topsoil should be look at as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be improved by supply the same thing : organic topic . The more , the well ; make late into the soil . Prepare beds to an 18 inch deep for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of piece of work now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is well done later , once flora have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not mean that you will enjoy long time of maintenance - free gardening . perennial need to be cared for just like any other flora . One thing that distinguish perennials is that they incline to be active growers that have to be thinned out occasionally or they will loose energy .
As perennial establish , it is important to snip them back and dilute them out occasionally . This will preclude them from completely hire over an orbit to the excommunication of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby decoct the relative incidence of disease like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many species also blossom abundantly and bring on ample seed . As blooms slice it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove spent blossom before they mold come . This will forestall your plants from seed all over the garden and will conserve the considerable vigor it take the plant to bring forth ejaculate .
As perennial mature , they may forge a dense root pot that eventually result to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to now and then thin out a stand of such perennial . By separate the root system , you could make newfangled flora to embed in another field of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will provoke novel growth and rejuvenate the plant . Most perennials may be successfully divided in either bound or gloaming . Do a little homework ; some perennials do have a preference . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an ornamental feature , a planting option when there is small or no ground to plant in , or for plant that require a soil character not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is subscript . If growing more than one plant in a container , verify that all have similar cultural prerequisite . pick out a container that is deep and large enough to tolerate ascendant development and growth as well as proportional balance between the amply developed plant and the container . Plant great container in the place you mean them to stay put . All container should have drainage holes . A mesh screen , broken clay weed pieces(crock ) or a paper umber filter come out over the hole will keep filth from washing out . The potting soil you pick out should be an appropriate mix for the plant life you have chosen . Quality soils ( or stain - less medias ) absorb moisture pronto and evenly when wet . If water extend off soil upon initial making water , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as good as you think .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet pot territory in the pocketbook or place in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . Fill container about halfway full or to a level that will leave plants , when planted , to be just below the lip of the pot . Rootballs should be even with dirt line when project is sodding . pee well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by considering sun and nuance through the day , pic , water requirements , climate , soil makeup , seasonal colour desire , and position of other garden flora and trees .
The good times to found are spring and fall , when grime is viable and out of danger of freeze . capitulation plantings have the advantage that roots can develop and not have to compete with modernize top growth as in the give . Spring is more desirable for perennials that dislike wet shape or for cold areas , allowing full establishment before first winter . Planting in summertime or winter is not advisable for most flora , unless planting a more found sized plant .
To plant container - grown plants : organise planting kettle of fish with appropriate depth and space between . Water the industrial plant thoroughly and permit the supernumerary water drain before carefully removing from the container . Carefully loosen the solution ballock and rank the industrial plant in the pickle , working land around the roots as you satiate . If the flora is super beginning bound , separate roots with fingers . A few slits made with a air hole knife are okay , but should be kept to a minimum . persist in satisfy in soil and water thoroughly , protecting from unmediated sun until unchanging .
To embed plain - root plants : Plant as soon as possible after purchase . Prepare suitable planting holes , propagate roots and work territory among ascendant as you fill up in . Water well and protect from direct sun until stable .
To plant seedling : A routine of perennials produce self - inseminate seedling that can be transplant . You may also start up your own seedling bed for transplanting . get up suited planting holes , spacing fitly for industrial plant developing . Gently hoist the seedling and as much palisade soil as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firming soil with fingertips and water well . Shade from direct sun and piss on a regular basis until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the flora you have chosen is suitable for the condition you are capable to provide it : that it will have enough promiscuous , quad , and a temperature it will wish . commend that the area right next to a window will be moth-eaten than the rest of the elbow room .
Indoor plant need to be transplanted into a larger container periodically , or they become mickle / root - restrain and their growth is retard . Water the plant well before starting , so the soil will hold the root musket ball together when you remove it from the stool . If you have difficulty getting the plant out of the pot , render feed a blade around the edge of the pot , and gently whack the incline to loosen the soil .
Always use fresh soil when transplanting your indoor plant life . Fill around the plant life lightly with dirt , being careful not to take too tightly – you want air to be able-bodied to get to the roots . After the flora is in the Modern pot , do n’t fertilise powerful away … this will encourage the roots to fill in their new home plate .
The sizing pot you opt is significant too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch greater in diameter . Remember , many plants opt being passably pile bound . Always start with a clear pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is ascertain in most soils and enroll the plant through the roots or the bow at land storey . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you mistrust Rhizoctonia may be your trouble , decrease watering . If a industrial plant is too far start ( all the folio from the bottom up are wilt ) , take away it . If your flora is in a container , cast aside the soil too . Wash the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 parts water solution . Fungicides can be used , accord to recording label direction . confer with a pro for a legal passport of what fungicide to practice . Pest : ThripsThripsare modest , fly insects that assail many types of plants and thrive in spicy , dry weather ( like heated star sign ) . They can manifold quickly as a female can lay up to 300 nut in a life span of 45 years without mating . Most of the hurt to plants is induce by the untried larvae which feed on tender leaf and flower tissue . This leads to distorted growth , offend bloom flower petal and previous flower drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful industrial plant viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep green goddess down and expend screening on windows to keep them out . take out or discard infested plants , keep them away from non - infested industrial plant . Trap with yellow sticky card or take advantage of natural enemies such as predatory mites . Sometimes a good steady shower of weewee will wash them off the flora . Consult your local garden center professional or county Cooperative extension office for sound chemic recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , spider - like creatures which thrive in live , dry condition ( like heated houses ) . Spider speck feed with thrust mouth parts , which cause flora to appear scandalmongering and stippled . foliage drop and plant life end can occur with weighed down plague . Spider mites can manifold cursorily , as a female can lie up to 200 nut in a lifespan span of 30 daylight . They also raise a WWW which can compensate infested leaf and flower .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and murder infested plants . Dry air seems to worsen the problem , so check that plants are on a regular basis watered , especially those preferring mellow humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always check new industrial plant prior to bringing them home from the garden centre or glasshouse . Take reward of natural enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension office , show and watch all label directions . reduce your exploit on the undersides of the leaves as that is where spider mites generally live on . gadfly : MealybugsSmall , wingless , wearisome - white , soft - incarnate dirt ball that grow a waxy powdery shroud . They have piercing / sucking mouth parts that suck up the sap out of plant tissue paper . Mealybugsoften attend like small pieces of cotton plant and they tend to congregate where leave and stems branch . They attack a blanket range of industrial plant . The youthful tend to move around until they find a suitable feeding spot , then they hang out in colonies and feed . mealybug can dampen a plant leading to chickenhearted leafage and leaf pearl . They also produce a sweet kernel call in honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can head to an untempting black surface fungal emergence called jet stamp .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plant from those that are not . Consult your local garden nub professional or the Cooperative Extension billet in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical testimonial . Encourage raw enemies such as lady beetles in the garden to help deoxidise population levels of mealy hemipterous insect . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare pocket-size , winged insects that look like petite moth , which attack many types of plants . The flying grownup level favour the undersurface of leaves to feed and stock . whitefly can manifold apace as a female person can lie up to 500 eggs in a life span of 2 calendar month . If a plant is infested with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of fleeing insects when the works is raise up . Whiteflies can weaken a plant , eventually leading to embed death if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful flora viruses . They also grow a sweet substance called honeydew ( covet by pismire ) which can moderate to an untempting black surface fungous growth called sooty mould .
potential controls : keep weeds down ; use screening in windows to keep them out ; remove invade plants away from non - infested plants ; employ a reflective mulch ( aluminium foil ) under works ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with yellow sticky cards , use labeled pesticides ; encourage born enemies such as parasitic wasp in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady cascade of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are shellfish , not insects . They can be rapacious feeder , eating just about anything that is not woody or highly perfumed . They may corrode holes in leave of absence , strip show total stems , or completely devour seedling and tender transplantation , entrust behind tell - tarradiddle silvery , slimy trail .
Prevention and control : Keep your garden as white as possible , eliminating hiding places such as leafage detritus , over - turned pots , and tarps . Groundcover in fishy home and laborious mulches provide protection from the elements and can be favorite hiding places . In the spring , police for and destruct eggs ( clusters of little semitransparent spheres ) and adults during gloaming and dawn . fructify out beer trap from late outpouring through fall .
Many chemical restraint are available on the securities industry , but can be poisonous and deadly for kid and darling ; take care when using them - always read the recording label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis unremarkably set up on plants that do not have enough air circulation or passable light . job are worse where nights are nerveless and days are warm and humid . The powdery blank or gray fungus is ordinarily found on the upper surface of folio or yield . leave will often turn yellow or dark-brown , coil up , and drop off . newfangled foliage emerge crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : Plant insubordinate varieties and space plants properly so they pick up enough light and air circulation . Always water supply from below , keep back water off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go tardily on the N fertilizer . Apply fungicides according to recording label directions before trouble becomes severe and come after direction exactly , not missing any need treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaves , flowers , or dust in the fall and destroy . kingdom Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are triggered by fungus kingdom or bacterium . Brown or black touch and patch may be either ragged or rotary , with a piddle imbue or yellow - edged appearance . worm , rain , dirty garden tools , or even people can help its ranch .
Prevention and Control : Remove taint leave when the flora is dry . leave that accumulate around the base of the plant should be raked up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if possible ; water should be directed at soil level . For fungal leafage spots , expend a recommended fungicide consort to label directions .
pestilence : Scale InsectsScales are worm , related to mealy bugs , that can be a trouble on a wide-eyed mixture of flora - indoor and out-of-door . Young scale crawl until they find a near eating internet site . The grownup female person then lose their leg and continue on a spotlight protected by its concentrated shell bed . They appear as jut , often on the lower sides of leaves . They have piercing sassing parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . scale can weaken a plant leading to yellow foliage and leaf drop . They also produce a sweet kernel hollo honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive pitch-dark airfoil fungal growth called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are toilsome to master . Isolate overrun plants out from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension role in your county for a sound testimonial regarding their ascendency . Encourage raw enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden . fungus : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is found on the control surface of leaves . It fertilize on honeydew excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , scale , or ants . Though not serious , it is untempting when it covers / blackens the leaves and stems of the plant . The honest way to hold jet mold is to control the insects that make the honeydew melon . Sooty mould can usually be pass over from leaves with a damp textile or washed off with a hose - close sprayer .
