Begonias are raw perennials , grown for their colorful flowers and foliage . Most begonias can be grown out of doors in pots , in the land , or in hanging baskets in filter brightness level and moist , but well drain territory . Where not hardy , originate as annual or indoors as houseplants . Most begonias can be propagated from leaf , stem or rhizome cutting in addition to being sow from seed . ‘ Claudia ’ has many everblooming carmine exclusive flower that flower advantageously in wintertime . The leave are green to brown in color . This plant love filtered visible radiation but call for direct sun in winter for best blooming . Soil should ideally be moist . begonia grow very well in peat - based compost also . Likes humidity . Does not like dusty weather . Needs good light in winter . Pinching crown and pruning out stem in the growing time of year establish a shaggy plant life , good for hanging basket . Remove dead foliage to foreclose disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will detect that sun and shade patterns shift during the day . The westerly side of a menage may even be shady due to shadows cast by big trees or a construction from an adjacent property . If you have just bought a raw house or just beginning to garden in your older home plate , take time to map out Sunday and nuance throughout the twenty-four hour period . You will get a more exact spirit for your website ’s true abstemious conditions . circumstance : Filtered LightFor many plant that favor partly suspect conditions , filtered lightis nonpareil . Good planting site are under a mid to large sized tree diagram that lets some light through their limb or beneath tall plants that will provide some protection . status : Moderate Light for HouseplantsPlace houseplants that requiremoderate lightwithin 5 feet of an eastern or westerly exposure windowpane . condition : Full to Partial ShadeFull shademeans there is small or no light in the grow zone . Shade can be the result of a mature stall of trees or shadows sick by a menage or construction . Plants that require full shade are usually susceptible to sunburn . Full shade beneath tree may puzzle additional problem ; not only is there no light , but contention for water , food and ascendent space .
fond shademeans that an area receives filtered light , often through tall branches of an opened growing tree . Root rivalry is normally less . Partial spectre can also be achieve by locating a plant beneath an mandrel or lathe - like anatomical structure . Shadier sides of a building are normally the northern or northeast sides . These sides also lean to be a little ice chest . It is not uncommon for plants that can tolerate full sunlight or some sun in cooler climates to require some shade in warmer climates due to stress placed on the plant from trim wet and undue heat . Conditions : wet - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that require plenteous water , or those labeled asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be watered thoroughly until the stain is saturated and then drain freely from hole in the bottom of pot . Re - water when potting ground becomes dry to the touch an inch or so below the soil airfoil . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants opt light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not lineal , is important to them . Often dawn sunlight , because it is not as strong as good afternoon sun , can be count part sunshine or part shade . If you live in an orbit that does not get much intense Dominicus , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be okay . In other field such as Florida , works in a localisation where afternoon shade will be received . condition : Types of PruningTypes of pruning include : pinching , cutting , shearing and rejuvenate .
Pinching is hit the stem tips of a young plant to upgrade branching . Doing this avoids the need for more severe pruning later on .
Thinning involves removing whole subdivision back to the trunk . This may be done to open up the interior of a plant life to get more light in and to increase aura circulation that can cut down on flora disease . The best elbow room to start thinning is to begin by bump off deadened or diseased woodwind .
Shearing is leveling the surface of a bush using hand or galvanic shears . This is done to maintain the want flesh of a hedging or topiary .
Rejuvenating is removal of old branches or the overall reducing of the size of it of a shrub to restore its original form and size . It is recommended that you do not take more than one third of a plant at a time . recall to remove branches from the inside of the plant as well as the exterior . When rejuvenating plants with canes , such as nandina , cut back cane at various heights so that plant will have a more natural flavor . Conditions : burnished Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 feet of an eastern or western photo window or within 2 to 5 feet of a southerly exposure window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant life functioning , it is desirable to match the right plant with the uncommitted clean conditions . correct plant , right-hand place ! Plants which do not receive sufficient brightness level may become pale in color , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " extend - out appearance . Also bear plants to grow slower and have fewer blooms when light is less than desirable . It is potential to bring home the bacon supplemental inflammation for indoor plant with lamps . plant can also receive too much light . If a shade loving works is exposed to direct sun , it may droop and/or cause leaves to be burn or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The tonality to watering is piddle deep and less frequently . When lacrimation , water well , i.e. provide enough water to thoroughly impregnate the root ball . With in - ground flora , this mean soundly douse the soil until water has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , give enough piddle to allow pee to flow through the drain holes .
essay to irrigate plants early in the 24-hour interval or by and by in the good afternoon to conserve water and cut down on industrial plant stress . Do water too soon enough so that urine has had a luck to dry from industrial plant leaves prior to night fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problem .
Do n’t wait to water system until industrial plant droop . Although some plants will recover from this , all plants will choke if they droop too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting full stop ) .
Consider water conservation method such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which slowly drop wet now on the root system can be purchased at your local home and garden center . Mulches can importantly chill the etymon geographical zone and economize wet .
think add piss - saving gel to the root zona which will hold a reserve of urine for the flora . These can make a world of difference of opinion especially under stressful conditions . Be sure to follow label counseling for their use .
condition : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept equally moist and water on a regular basis , as conditions require . Most works like 1 inch of water a week during the growing season , but take care not to over water system . The first two years after a plant life is set up , even lacrimation is important for establishment . The first class is critical . It is better to water system once a workweek and H2O deep , than to water frequently for a few minutes . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are compose of almost 90 % water so it important to provide them with adequate weewee . Proper tearing is essential for good plant wellness . When there is not enough water , roots will shrivel up and the plant will droop . When too much water is applied too oftentimes , roots are deprived of oxygen and disease go on such as radical and base rots .
The key to watering is frequency . Water well then look long enough until the flora need to be re - watered according to its moisture requirements .
When lachrymation , water supply well . That is , furnish enough weewee to thoroughly impregnate the root orb . With containerized plants , apply enough water to reserve weewee to flux through the drainage trap .
forfend using cold H2O especially with houseplants . This can shock tender roots . filling lacrimation can with tepid water or take into account dusty body of water to sit for a while to come to room temperature before lacrimation . This is a honorable way to leave any harmful chlorine in the piss to evaporate before being used .
Some plants are better irrigate by submarine - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoids splashing water on the folio of sensitive plant . Simply place the pot in a shallow pan filled with tepid water supply and have the plant model for 15 minutes to earmark the root ball to be thoroughly blotto . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
employ an unpainted dowel to help you determine when to re - water larger heap . Stick it into the soil nut & waitress 5 minute . The dowel will absorb wet from the soil and twist a dour color . displume it out and examine . This will give you an approximation of how wet the soil root orb is .
tooth root take O to breath , do not allow plants to sit down in a dish antenna fulfil with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A week to 10 day before planting , add together 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and employment into the planting site to improve fertility and increase water retentivity and drain . If land composition is weak , a layer of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is guts or clay , it can be better by adding the same matter : organic matter . The more , the better ; bring deep into the territory . devise beds to an 18 inch abstruse for perennials . This will seem like a enormous amount of work now , but will greatly give off later . Besides , this is not something that is well done later , once plant have been establish . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not mean that you will enjoy eld of maintenance - complimentary gardening . perennial need to be cared for just like any other works . One thing that distinguishes perennials is that they tend to be active growers that have to be thinned out occasionally or they will loose dynamism .
As perennial establish , it is important to prune them back and thin them out at times . This will prevent them from altogether ingest over an country to the ejection of other plants , and also will increase aviation circulation thereby slim down the incidence of disease like botrytis and powdery mould .
Many species also flower extravagantly and produce ample seed . As efflorescence slicing it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove spent flower before they form seed . This will prevent your plants from seed all over the garden and will conserve the considerable vim it bring the flora to produce seed .
As perennials senesce , they may forge a dumb root mass that eventually leads to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to at times thin out a stand of such perennial . By dissever the root system , you’re able to make new flora to institute in another arena of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will cause new growth and rejuvenate the plant life . Most perennials may be successfully divided in either saltation or fall . Do a little homework ; some perennial do have a preference . How - to : fix ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an ornamental feature , a planting alternative when there is small or no soil to plant in , or for plant that require a soil type not found in the garden or when territory drainage in the garden is substandard . If growing more than one works in a container , ensure that all have similar cultural requirement . Choose a container that is cryptic and turgid enough to allow root development and maturation as well as proportional balance between the to the full developed flora and the container . Plant turgid containers in the place you intend them to stay . All containers should have drainage hole . A meshwork sieve , break the Great Compromiser mint pieces(crock ) or a composition coffee filter position over the cakehole will keep soil from washing out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate mix for the plant you have pick out . Quality soils ( or territory - less medias ) absorb wet pronto and evenly when stiff . If water runs off dirt upon initial wetting , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as undecomposed as you think .
Prior to fill up a container with ground , wet potting land in the bag or place in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is equally moist . Fill container about halfway full or to a level that will allow industrial plant , when planted , to be just below the rim of the crapper . Rootballs should be level with soil personal credit line when projection is sodding . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by considering sun and shade through the day , exposure , water requirements , climate , soil makeup , seasonal color desire , and position of other garden industrial plant and trees .
The best time to plant are leaping and fall , when grease is workable and out of danger of Robert Lee Frost . Fall plantings have the advantage that roots can acquire and not have to contend with modernise top outgrowth as in the spring . Spring is more desirable for perennials that dislike pie-eyed consideration or for stale areas , grant full establishment before first wintertime . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless found a more give sized industrial plant .
To plant container - grown plant : Prepare plant yap with appropriate depth and space between . Water the flora good and let the superfluous pee waste pipe before cautiously removing from the container . Carefully relax the root ball and place the plant in the maw , run dirt around the tooth root as you fill up . If the flora is extremely root bound , separate roots with fingers . A few dent made with a pocket tongue are o.k. , but should be kept to a minimum . Continue filling in soil and water supply thoroughly , protecting from direct sun until unchanging .
To plant mere - root works : Plant as soon as possible after purchase . organise suitable planting hole , propagate roots and work land among roots as you fill in . Water well and protect from direct sun until stable .
To plant seedlings : A figure of perennials produce self - sown seedlings that can be transplanted . You may also begin your own seedling bottom for transplant . cook suitable planting kettle of fish , space fitly for works maturation . mildly airlift the seedling and as much circumvent land as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it instantly , firming filth with fingertip and water well . Shade from direct sun and H2O on a regular basis until static . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake certain that the plant you have choose is suitable for the conditions you are able to provide it : that it will have enough light , space , and a temperature it will wish . call up that the area right next to a window will be cold than the residue of the room .
Indoor plants need to be transpose into a expectant container periodically , or they become pot / root - recoil and their growth is slow up . irrigate the plant well before starting , so the grime will hold the root musket ball together when you remove it from the pot . If you have trouble getting the plant out of the pot , try running a sword around the edge of the pot , and gently wallop the side to untie the soil .
Always habituate fresh soil when transplanting your indoor plant life . Fill around the plant life gently with territory , being careful not to pack too tightly – you want melody to be able to get to the root . After the flora is in the novel tidy sum , do n’t fertilize right on away … this will encourage the roots to fill in their new home .
The size pot you choose is of import too . Select one that is not more than about 1 in greater in diam . Remember , many plant opt being somewhat pot stick to . Always get down with a uninfected potentiometer !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soil and infix the industrial plant through the roots or the stem at soil stage . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you surmise Rhizoctonia may be your trouble , decrease lacrimation . If a industrial plant is too far gone ( all the leave-taking from the bottom up are wilt ) , remove it . If your plant life is in a container , discard the dirt too . Wash the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 section water solution . Fungicides can be used , harmonize to label directions . confer a professional for a legal recommendation of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , winged insect that snipe many types of plants and prosper in red-hot , teetotal conditions ( like het up planetary house ) . They can manifold quickly as a female person can lay up to 300 eggs in a life span of 45 days without mating . Most of the damage to plants is make by the young larvae which course on tender leaf and prime tissue paper . This leads to distorted increment , injured bloom petals and premature blossom drop . Thrips also can transport many harmful industrial plant viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep gage down and use screening on windows to keep them out . transfer or discard infested plant , keep them away from non - infested plant . Trap with xanthous sticky cards or take reward of instinctive enemies such as predatory soupcon . Sometimes a good steady exhibitioner of water will lap them off the plant . Consult your local garden center professional or county Cooperative extension power for effectual chemical recommendation . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , wanderer - corresponding creatures which thrive in blistering , dry weather condition ( like heated houses ) . Spider mites flow with pierce rima oris parts , which make plant to come out icteric and stippled . Leaf fall and plant life death can occur with heavy plague . Spider soupcon can breed quickly , as a female person can put up to 200 egg in a life dyad of 30 day . They also bring forth a web which can cover infested leaves and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep weed down and transfer infested plants . Dry aviation seems to worsen the job , so verify flora are regularly watered , particularly those preferring high humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or Lycopersicon esculentum . Always check Modern plants prior to work them home from the garden center or glasshouse . Take advantage of natural enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension office , read and follow all recording label direction . boil down your efforts on the undersides of the leaves as that is where spider mites generally last . plague : MealybugsSmall , wingless , irksome - white , soft - corporate insects that produce a waxy powdery covering . They have thrust / sucking mouth parts that suck the sap out of flora tissue . Mealybugsoften look like small pieces of cotton wool and they tend to congregate where leaves and stem leg . They aggress a wide range of plant . The unseasoned incline to move around until they find a worthy feeding spot , then they give ear out in colonies and provender . mealy bug can weaken a industrial plant leading to yellow leaf and leaf dip . They also create a sweet-smelling substance bid honeydew ( covet by pismire ) which can lead to an unattractive bleak surface fungal growth called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate overrun plant from those that are not . confer with your local garden centre professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical good word . Encourage born enemies such as lady mallet in the garden to help oneself reduce universe layer of mealy bugs . plague : WhitefliesWhitefliesare little , winged louse that count like midget moth , which attack many types of plant . The flying adult degree opt the underside of leaves to feed in and breed . Whiteflies can multiply cursorily as a female person can lie up to 500 eggs in a living duo of 2 months . If a industrial plant is infest with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of fleeing insect when the plant is disturbed . whitefly can weaken a plant , finally leading to establish end if they are not checked . They can channelise many harmful plant virus . They also produce a sweet nitty-gritty called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungal increment hollo jet-black mold .
potential controls : keep weeds down ; use screen in windows to keep them out ; remove infest plants aside from non - infested plant ; use a reflective mulch ( aluminum transparency ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with yellowed sticky card , apply labeled pesticides ; further raw enemy such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good unfluctuating shower of water system will lap them off the works . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusks , not dirt ball . They can be voracious affluent , eat up just about anything that is not woody or extremely sweet-smelling . They may eat on hole in leaves , cartoon strip intact stems , or completely devour seedlings and supply ship transplants , impart behind tell - narrative silvery , ugly trails .
bar and control : Keep your garden as clear as possible , eliminating hiding places such as leaf rubble , over - reverse pots , and tarps . Groundcover in shady places and heavy mulches provide protection from the elements and can be best-loved hiding places . In the spring , police for and destroy egg ( clusters of small semitransparent spheres ) and adults during crepuscle and dawn . Set out beer traps from tardy springiness through free fall .
Many chemical controls are useable on the marketplace , but can be poisonous and deadly for children and pets ; take guardianship when using them - always read the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis ordinarily found on plant that do not have enough air circulation or adequate light . problem are worse where night are cool and sidereal day are warm and humid . The powdery clean or gray fungus is unremarkably found on the upper surface of leaf or fruit . Leaves will often turn yellow or brown , curl up , and drop off . New foliage issue crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarf and often drops early on .
Prevention and Control : Plant insubordinate varieties and space flora by rights so they experience equal light and air circulation . Always water from below , keeping water off the foliation . This is paramount for roses . Go slowly on the N fertiliser . Apply fungicides allot to label directions before problem becomes serious and abide by directions incisively , not miss any required treatment . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaves , flowers , or dust in the fall and destroy . fungus : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are cause by kingdom Fungi or bacteria . Brown or calamitous spots and spell may be either ragged or round , with a water supply overcharge or yellow - edged coming into court . insect , rain , unclean garden tool , or even people can help oneself its spread .
Prevention and Control : withdraw infected parting when the plant is ironic . Leaves that accumulate around the base of the plant should be raked up and disposed of . void overhead irrigation if potential ; water should be direct at soil level . For fungal folio spots , apply a recommended fungicide according to recording label directions .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy bug , that can be a problem on a wide form of plant - indoor and outdoor . Young scales Australian crawl until they find a good feeding site . The grownup female then lose their legs and remain on a spot protected by its hard eggshell level . They appear as extrusion , often on the low sides of leaves . They have pierce mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant life tissue paper . Scales can weaken a works leading to yellow foliage and leaf drop curtain . They also bring forth a sweet inwardness promise honeydew ( covet by emmet ) which can lead to an untempting opprobrious surface fungous growth called sooty clay sculpture .
Prevention and Control : Once found they are hard to control . Isolate infested plants away from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden centre professional or Cooperative Extension authority in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their ascendancy . advance natural enemies such as parasitic WASP in the garden . fungus kingdom : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is regain on the surface of leaves . It feed on honeydew excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , scale , or emmet . Though not serious , it is untempting when it encompass / blackens the leaves and staunch of the plant . The best way to control sooty mold is to command the insects that make the honeydew . Sooty mould can usually be wipe from leaves with a damp cloth or wash away with a hose - end spray .
