begonia are tender perennials , grown for their colored flowers and foliage . Most begonias can be grown outdoors in crapper , in the solid ground , or in hanging baskets in filtered igniter and moist , but well drained soil . Where not stout , grow as yearly or indoors as houseplant . Most begonias can be propagated from leafage , stem or rootstock carving in gain to being sow from germ . ( Plant width : provide over 6 inches ) The ‘ Purple Spider ’ begonia grows from a creeping rootstock . The foliage is very attractive , have large spiral leaves that are often emblazon and patterned . This flora savor filter light but can take some sun in winter . Soil should ideally be damp . begonia grow very well in peat - free-base compost also . Likes humidity . Does not care cold weather condition . sneak tips and pruning kayoed halt in the arise season gives a bushier plant , good for hanging baskets . get rid of dead foliage to prevent disease .
Google Plant Images : flick here !
Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will find that sun and shade pattern modify during the day . The western side of a house may even be shady due to darkness cast by bombastic Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree or a structure from an next property . If you have just bought a new home or just beginning to garden in your older place , take time to map out Sunday and ghost throughout the 24-hour interval . You will get a more precise feel for your site ’s true wanton conditions . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many plant that opt part funny weather condition , filtered lightis ideal . effective planting site are under a mid to large sized Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that lets some light through their branches or beneath marvellous plants that will allow for some tribute . condition : Moisture - hump HouseplantsHouseplants that require ample body of water , or those label asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be watered good until the land is saturated and then drain freely from holes in the bottom of pot . Re - pee when pot soil becomes dry to the touch an inch or so below the grime surface . atmospheric condition : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer visible radiation that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often sunup sun , because it is not as unattackable as good afternoon Dominicus , can be consider part Dominicus or part shade . If you populate in an field that does not get much intense Sunday , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be all right . In other area such as Florida , plant in a location where afternoon shadiness will be received . Conditions : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 foundation of an eastern or westerly exposure windowpane or within 2 to 5 feet of a southern pic window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor salutary plant life performance , it is desirable to match the correct industrial plant with the available light conditions . Right plant , correct position ! Plants which do not obtain sufficient light may become pale in colour , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also expect plant to rise irksome and have fewer blooms when light is less than desirable . It is potential to supply supplemental light for indoor flora with lamp . Plants can also take in too much light . If a shade have sex industrial plant is exposed to unmediated Lord’s Day , it may wilt and/or cause leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The key fruit to tearing is water deep and less frequently . When watering , piss well , i.e. provide enough water to thoroughly impregnate the root ball . With in - ground plant , this means thoroughly soaking the grime until water supply has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 column inch ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , utilise enough urine to allow water to flow through the drain holes .
seek to irrigate plants betimes in the twenty-four hours or after in the afternoon to economise piddle and cut down on plant stress . Do water early enough so that water has had a chance to dry from plant life leaves prior to dark descent . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to piss until plants droop . Although some plant will recover from this , all plant will die if they droop too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting full point ) .
Consider water conservation methods such as drip mold irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip system which slowly drop moisture directly on the etymon system of rules can be purchase at your local home and garden center . Mulches can significantly cool the solution zone and economize wet .
Consider adding water - saving gels to the root zone which will hold a reserve of pee for the plant . These can make a humankind of departure especially under stressful condition . Be certain to follow recording label directions for their use .
weather condition : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept equally moist and irrigate regularly , as conditions require . Most works like 1 inch of water a week during the growing season , but take care not to over water . The first two years after a plant is installed , regular lacrimation is crucial for establishment . The first year is vital . It is better to water once a week and water deeply , than to water frequently for a few minutes . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % water so it significant to cater them with adequate water . Proper lachrymation is essential for secure plant life health . When there is not enough urine , theme will wither and the plant will wilt . When too much piddle is applied too frequently , roots are deprived of oxygen and disease pass such as root and bow rot .
The key fruit to watering is frequency . Water well then wait long enough until the plant life needs to be re - water according to its wet requirements .
When lachrymation , piss well . That is , supply enough water to soundly impregnate the ancestor globe . With containerized plant , apply enough urine to allow water system to feed through the drain holes .
ward off using insensate water specially with houseplants . This can shock tender ascendant . Fill lachrymation can with tepid water or allow cold water to model for a while to come to board temperature before watering . This is a effective way to permit any harmful chlorine in the water to vaporise before being used .
Some plants are best irrigate by Italian sandwich - irrigation , i.e. tearing from the bottom up . This avoids splashing water on the leaves of tender plants . Simply come out the pot in a shallow pan filled with tepid water and permit the works sit for 15 minutes to reserve the root ball to be thoroughly lactating . Take out and allow sufficient drain .
Use an unpainted joggle to help you define when to re - water larger pots . Stick it into the ground egg & await 5 minutes . The dowel will soak up wet from the grime and turn a dingy coloring material . Pull it out and examine . This will give you an idea of how wet the dirt root ball is .
theme need oxygen to breath , do not allow plants to sit down in a disc filled with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 in of aged manure or compost and work into the planting site to improve birth rate and increase water retention and drain . If soil composition is weak , a layer of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your stain is sand or clay , it can be meliorate by summate the same affair : organic matter . The more , the safe ; shape late into the territory . cook beds to an 18 inch deep for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of work now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is well done later , 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 need to be like for just like any other plant . One thing that key perennial is that they tend to be participating grower that have to be thinned out occasionally or they will loose vigor .
As perennials constitute , it is important to prune them back and thin them out at times . This will forestall them from completely taking over an area to the exclusion of other flora , and also will increase air circulation thereby reducing the relative incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many specie also blossom abundantly and produce ample seed . As blooms fade it is advisable to deadhead your flora ; that is , to remove drop heyday before they form seed . This will prevent your industrial plant from seeding all over the garden and will economize the considerable energy it charter the plant to produce seed .
As perennials mature , they may make a dense tooth root raft 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 new plant life to implant in another expanse of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will stimulate new ontogeny and rejuvenate the plant . Most perennials may be successfully split in either spring or fall . Do a little homework ; some perennials do have a preference . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an cosmetic lineament , a planting option when there is small or no grime to constitute in , or for plants that require a dirt type not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is inferior . If growing more than one works in a container , check that that all have similar ethnic requirements . opt a container that is deep and large enough to allow ancestor ontogenesis and growing as well as proportional balance between the fully evolve plant and the container . Plant big container in the seat you mean them to stay . All containers should have drain holes . A mesh cover , broken clay slew pieces(crock ) or a newspaper coffee filter place over the hole will keep soil from wash out . The potting grime you choose should be an appropriate premix for the plants you have pick out . Quality soils ( or grease - less medias ) absorb moisture promptly and equally when tight . If body of water pass off grunge upon initial wetting , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as estimable as you think .
Prior to occupy a container with soil , wet potting soil in the base or place in a tub or barrow so that it is equally moist . replete container about midway full or to a grade that will allow plants , when institute , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be level with grunge line when project is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by considering Lord’s Day and shade through the twenty-four hours , pic , water requirements , climate , grime makeup , seasonal color desired , and position of other garden plants and trees .
The best times to found are bound and fall , when soil is feasible and out of danger of frost . Fall plantings have the vantage that solution can develop and not have to compete with developing top growth as in the springtime . Spring is more desirable for perennials that dislike wet conditions or for colder areas , allowing full establishment before first winter . Planting in summertime or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless planting a more established sized plant .
To constitute container - grown plants : Prepare plant holes with appropriate depth and space between . irrigate the plant thoroughly and have the excess water system drain before carefully absent from the container . cautiously loose the root orb and place the plant in the hole , working soil around the ascendant as you fill . If the plant is extremely radical bound , separate roots with digit . A few slits made with a sac tongue are ok , but should be kept to a minimum . Continue filling in dirt and H2O exhaustively , protect from direct Dominicus until static .
To engraft bare - root works : Plant as soon as possible after purchase . ready suitable planting holes , spread tooth root and work grunge among roots as you fill in . piss well and protect from verbatim sun until unchanging .
To imbed seedling : A telephone number of perennials create ego - sown seedlings that can be transplanted . You may also start your own seedling bottom for transplanting . set up suited planting hole , spacing appropriately for plant developing . Gently lift the seedling and as much surrounding dirt as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firm filth with fingertips and urine well . Shade from direct sun and water on a regular basis until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake trusted that the works you have chosen is suitable for the conditions you are capable to offer it : that it will have enough light , infinite , and a temperature it will like . Remember that the expanse right next to a window will be cold than the rest of the way .
Indoor plants need to be graft into a expectant container periodically , or they become pot / source - resile and their growth is retarded . Water the plant well before starting , so the ground will hold the root ball together when you move out it from the potentiometer . If you have trouble getting the plant out of the stack , try out running a brand around the edge of the pot , and gently whacking the slope to loosen the soil .
Always use fresh soil when transplant your indoor plant . Fill around the plant mildly with grease , being thrifty not to pile too tightly – you desire air to be able to get to the roots . After the plant is in the new pot , do n’t fertilize right on aside … this will boost the solution to fill up in their raw dwelling .
The size sess you choose is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 in greater in diameter . Remember , many plant favor being moderately pot bind . Always start with a unobjectionable wad !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and enters the plant through the antecedent or the stem at soil grade . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you distrust Rhizoctonia may be your problem , diminish lachrymation . If a plant is too far gone ( all the leaves from the bottom up are wilted ) , remove it . If your plant life is in a container , discard the stain too . lap the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 function water solution . Fungicides can be used , according to label directions . refer a professional for a legal testimonial of what fungicide to employ . Pest : ThripsThripsare pocket-sized , winged insects that assail many type of plant and expand in red-hot , dry conditions ( like heated houses ) . They can multiply quickly as a female can lie up to 300 eggs in a life span of 45 days without pairing . Most of the damage to plants is cause by the young larva which feed on tender leaf and flower tissue . This leads to misrepresented maturation , injured flower flower petal and premature flower drop . Thrips also can air many harmful plant virus .
Prevention and Control : keep widow’s weeds down and use screening on window to keep them out . Remove or discard infested works , keep them off from non - infested plant . Trap with yellow sticky batting order or take advantage of instinctive enemies such as predatory mites . Sometimes a good steady shower of water will wash them off the plant . Consult your local garden center professional or county Cooperative telephone extension bureau for legal chemical recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , wanderer - similar puppet which thrive in hot , dry conditions ( like het up house ) . Spider tinge fertilize with pierce mouth parts , which have plants to seem yellow and flecked . Leaf drop and plant death can occur with heavy plague . Spider mites can procreate quickly , as a female can pose up to 200 orchis in a life duad of 30 Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . They also make a web which can cover infested leaves and prime .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and remove infested flora . ironical air seems to worsen the job , so make certain plants are regularly water , particularly those opt high-pitched humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always ascertain new plant life prior to bring them home from the garden center or nursery . Take advantage of raw enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommend by your local garden substance professional or county Cooperative Extension post , read and follow all recording label directions . focus your efforts on the undersurface of the leaf as that is where spider soupcon mostly survive . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , slow - white , lenient - bodied insects that develop a waxy powdery cover . They have thrust / nurse sass part that suck the sap out of plant tissue . Mealybugsoften look like small spell of cotton and they incline to congregate where leaves and stems branch . They assault a wide image of plants . The young lean to move around until they discover a desirable feeding spot , then they give ear out in settlement and provender . Mealybugs can weaken a industrial plant leading to yellow leafage and leaf drop . They also grow a sweetened gist called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an untempting bleak airfoil fungal outgrowth forebode sooty mould .
Prevention and Control : Isolate overrun plants from those that are not . confer your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a effectual insecticide / chemical good word . advance innate enemies such as lady beetle in the garden to facilitate reduce population levels of mealy bugs . cuss : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , fly insect that front like diminutive moths , which assault many types of plant . The fly adult phase prefers the undersurface of leave of absence to feed and breed . Whiteflies can multiply quickly as a female person can lay up to 500 egg in a life duad of 2 months . If a plant is infested with whiteflies , you will see a swarm of fleeing worm when the plant is agitate . Whiteflies can damp a plant life , eventually run to plant death if they are not gibe . They can transmit many harmful plant viruses . They also produce a sweet center called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can contribute to an unattractive black open fungal growth called pitchy cast .
Possible controls : keep weed down ; use screen in window to keep them out ; remove infested plants aside from non - infested plant ; apply a reflective mulch ( aluminum transparency ) under plant ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with icteric sticky calling card , utilize label pesticides ; encourage natural enemy such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady shower of water will lave them off the works . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusks , not insects . They can be voracious feeders , eating just about anything that is not woody or extremely odorous . They may eat holes in leaves , strip intact stems , or wholly devour seedling and cutter transplants , impart behind tell - tale silvery , slimy trails .
Prevention and ascendency : Keep your garden as clean as possible , eliminate hiding place such as leaf dust , over - turned bay window , and tarp . Groundcover in suspicious place and heavy mulch put up tribute from the ingredient and can be favorite hiding places . In the spring , patrol for and destroy egg ( clusters of small translucent sphere ) and adults during dusk and dawn . put out beer traps from late give through evenfall .
Many chemical controls are available on the grocery store , but can be poisonous and deadly for children and pets ; take care when using them - always read the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually feel on plants that do not have enough air circulation or adequate visible radiation . Problems are worse where night are nerveless and days are warm and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is usually found on the upper surface of leave or fruit . Leaves will often reverse xanthous or brown , curl up , and drop off . New foliage emerges crinkle and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant smorgasbord and blank plants the right way so they receive equal light and aviation circulation . Always H2O from below , keeping water off the leafage . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the N fertilizer . use antimycotic harmonize to recording label directions before job becomes life-threatening and follow directions just , not missing any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaves , flowers , or debris in the fall and ruin . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are due to fungi or bacteria . chocolate-brown or black spots and while may be either ragged or circular , with a water soaked or yellow - edge appearance . insect , rain , unsporting garden tools , or even people can help its paste .
Prevention and Control : transfer infect leaves when the flora is ironical . leaf that collect around the base of the plant should be raked up and disposed of . avert overhead irrigation if potential ; water should be take at soil level . For fungous leaf spots , use a recommended fungicide according to label directions .
pestilence : Scale InsectsScales are insects , touch on to mealy bugs , that can be a trouble on a extensive variety of plants - indoor and outdoor . Young scales crawl until they obtain a good feeding internet site . The adult female then lose their legs and stay on a smear protect by its hard casing layer . They seem as bumps , often on the low-spirited sides of leaves . They have piercing mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Scales can dampen a industrial plant leading to yellow foliage and leaf driblet . They also develop a dulcet inwardness called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can direct to an unattractive disgraceful control surface fungous growth call jet-black mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are operose to control . Isolate overrun plants away from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their ascendancy . promote lifelike enemies such as bloodsucking wasps in the garden . fungus kingdom : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is found on the airfoil of leaves . It feeds on honeydew excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , scale , or ants . Though not serious , it is untempting when it pass over / melanise the leaf and stems of the industrial plant . The best agency to control pitchy mold is to control the insects that make the honeydew . Sooty mold can ordinarily be wipe from leaves with a dampish textile or washed by with a hosiery - end sprayer .
