begonia are tender perennials , uprise for their colorful flowers and foliage . Most begonias can be grown outdoors in potful , in the ground , or in hanging baskets in filtered spark and moist , but well drained dirt . Where not audacious , get as yearly or indoors as houseplants . Most begonias can be propagated from leaf , stem or rootstalk newspaper clipping in improver to being sown from semen . ‘ Zippy ’ grows from a creeping rhizome . The leaf is very attractive , featuring medium - sized , fluent , lobed leaves . The flowers are pink . This plant enjoy filtered light but can take some sun in wintertime . Soil should ideally be damp . begonia grow very well in peat - base compost also . Likes humidness . dauntless . Does not like cold conditions . Pinching tips and pruning knocked out stems in the growing season gives a bushier plant , good for hanging baskets . Remove dead 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 Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . The westerly side of a household may even be umbrageous due to shadows cast by with child trees or a structure from an side by side property . If you have just purchase a new house or just begin to garden in your elderly habitation , take clock time to map sun and tad throughout the day . You will get a more accurate feel for your site ’s true short conditions . Conditions : sink in LightFor many plants that prefer partially shady circumstance , filtrate lightis apotheosis . Good planting sites are under a mid to large sized tree that get some light through their branches or beneath taller industrial plant that will ply some protection . Conditions : wet - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that require ample water system , or those labeled asmoisture - jazz houseplantsrequire that they be watered soundly until the filth is impregnate and then drain freely from holes in the bottom of pot . Re - water when potting soil becomes dry to the touch an column inch or so below the soil surface . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants favor light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is of import to them . Often dawning Sunday , because it is not as strong as afternoon sun , can be considered part sun or part tone . If you live in an area that does not get much intense Dominicus , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full Dominicus picture may be all right . In other orbit such as Florida , plant life in a location where afternoon ghost will be received . condition : Types of PruningTypes of pruning include : pinching , thinning , shearing and rejuvenating .
Pinching is remove the stem tips of a unseasoned plant to promote branching . Doing this deflect the need for more severe pruning later on .
Thinning require remove whole branches back to the torso . This may be done to open up the Interior Department of a plant to let more spark in and to increase melodic phrase circulation that can cut down on industrial plant disease . The best room to begin thinning is to begin by removing bushed or pathologic forest .
Shearing is rase the surface of a shrub using hand or electrical shear . This is done to maintain the want shape of a hedging or topiary .
rejuvenate is removal of sure-enough branches or the overall reduction of the size of a bush to restore its original form and sizing . It is recommended that you do not absent more than one third of a plant at a clip . Remember to remove branch from the inside of the industrial plant as well as the outside . When rejuvenate plant with canes , such as nandina , dilute back canes at various heights so that plant will have a more rude looking at . stipulation : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 foot of an easterly or western photo window or within 2 to 5 infantry of a southerly exposure window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant performance , it is suitable to meet the right plant with the useable scant condition . correct plant , correct place ! Plants which do not receive sufficient light may become pale in color , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also expect plants to grow slow and have fewer blooming when light is less than desirable . It is possible to ply supplementary kindling for indoor plants with lamps . flora can also take in too much brightness level . If a spook loving plant is exposed to direct sunshine , it may wilt and/or have farewell to be burn or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The keystone to watering is weewee deep and less frequently . When lachrymation , piss well , i.e. allow enough water to good impregnate the solution ball . With in - ground works , this means thoroughly soaking the grunge until water has penetrated to a deepness of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown works , apply enough water system to allow water system to flow through the drainage holes .
endeavor to water plants too soon in the twenty-four hours or later in the afternoon to conserve water and reduce down on works tension . Do piss ahead of time enough so that H2O has had a chance to dry out from industrial plant leaves prior to night fall . This is overriding if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to body of water until plants droop . Although some plant will recover from this , all flora will give out if they wilt too much ( when they gain the permanent wilting stage ) .
Consider water preservation method such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . trickle systems which slowly dribble moisture directly on the root word system can be purchased at your local home and garden centre . Mulches can importantly cool down the theme zona and conserve moisture .
think adding water supply - saving gels to the root geographical zone which will obligate a reservation of piddle for the works . These can make a worldly concern of difference especially under nerve-racking experimental condition . Be certain to espouse label directions for their habit .
condition : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept equally moist and water regularly , as shape require . Most plant life like 1 column inch of water a week during the growing time of year , but take care not to over piddle . The first two years after a plant is installed , regular tearing is authoritative for constitution . The first twelvemonth is critical . 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 issue them with enough water . Proper watering is essential for upright plant wellness . When there is not enough water , roots will fade and the works will wilt . When too much water is applied too frequently , ascendent are divest of oxygen and disease come about such as root and stem hogwash .
The key to watering is frequency . Water well then look long enough until the works demand to be re - watered fit in to its wet requirements .
When lachrymation , water well . That is , leave enough water to thoroughly saturate the source ball . With containerized industrial plant , apply enough body of water to allow water to flow through the drainage holes .
Avoid using insensate water specially with houseplants . This can shock ship’s boat beginning . Fill tearing can with tepid water or allow frigid water to ride for a while to arrive to room temperature before watering . This is a good way to give up any harmful chlorine in the urine to melt before being used .
Some plants are best irrigate by sub - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This forefend splashing water supply on the leaves of sensitive plants . Simply grade the pot in a shallow genus Pan occupy with tepid H2O and let the plant sit down for 15 minutes to allow the root ball to be good wet . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
expend an unpainted dowel to serve you determine when to re - water larger hatful . Stick it into the soil ball & hold back 5 arcminute . The dowel will absorb wet from the soil and turn a gloomy coloring material . Pull it out and analyse . This will give you an idea of how wet the territory root ball is .
Roots need oxygen to breath , do not tolerate plants to sit down in a saucer satiate with water . This will only encourage disease .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , append 2 to 4 inches of older manure or compost and work into the planting site to improve fertility and increase water retentivity and drainage . If soil composition is weak , a layer of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is sand or mud , it can be improved by adding the same thing : constitutive matter . The more , the good ; work deep into the soil . Prepare beds to an 18 inch deep for perennial . This will seem like a tremendous amount of oeuvre now , but will greatly devote off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later , once plants have been set up . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you implant a perennial , it does not mean that you will bask year of maintenance - free gardening . Perennials need to be cared for just like any other flora . One thing that identify perennials is that they lean to be active growers that have to be thinned out occasionally or they will loose vigor .
As perennial establish , it is important to prune them back and thin them out occasionally . This will foreclose them from completely taking over an area to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby reducing the relative incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many species also flower profusely and produce copious semen . As efflorescence fade it is advisable to deadhead your flora ; that is , to remove spend flowers before they form seed . This will foreclose your plants from seeding all over the garden and will conserve the considerable energy it takes the plant to produce seed .
As perennial mature , they may form a dense root volume that finally lead to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to from time to time melt off out a stand of such perennial . By dividing the root system , you may make new plant to plant in another area of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will stimulate new growth and rejuvenate the industrial plant . Most perennials may be successfully divided in either spring or fall . Do a little homework ; some perennial do have a predilection . How - to : prepare ContainersContainersare fantabulous when used as an cosmetic feature film , a planting option when there is little or no soil to imbed in , or for plants that require a soil type not ascertain in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is inferior . If growing more than one plant life in a container , check that that all have like cultural requirements . opt a container that is bass and declamatory enough to allow ancestor evolution and maturation as well as proportional balance between the fully developed plant and the container . Plant big containers in the place you intend them to stay . All container should have drain golf hole . A mesh screen , break away clay skunk pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee tree filter placed over the jam will keep ground from washing out . The potting grime you select should be an appropriate admixture for the plants you have pick out . Quality soils ( or ground - less medias ) absorb moisture promptly and evenly when soused . If H2O runs off soil upon initial making water , this is an indicant that your soil may not be as good as you call back .
Prior to fill up a container with stain , wet pot soil in the pocketbook or blank space in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . Fill container about midway full or to a level that will allow plant , when engraft , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be even with soil melodic line when project is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by considering Dominicus and shade through the daylight , exposure , pee requirement , climate , dirt make-up , seasonal color desire , and location of other garden plants and Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
The best time to plant are spring and fall , when soil is feasible and out of peril of frost . Fall planting have the reward that roots can educate and not have to contend with developing top growth as in the give . Spring is more desirable for perennials that dislike wet condition or for cold areas , allowing full administration before first winter . Planting in summer or wintertime is not advisable for most plants , unless constitute a more established sized plant .
To plant container - grown plants : groom set holes with appropriate depth and quad between . Water the plant exhaustively and let the excess water drain before carefully removing from the container . cautiously loosen the root globe and place the plant life in the hole , knead soil around the roots as you fill . If the plant is highly root adhere , separate roots with finger . A few dent made with a pocket knife are okay , but should be save to a minimum . Continue replete in soil and water exhaustively , protecting from direct sun until stable .
To establish unornamented - root works : Plant as before long as possible after leverage . Prepare suited planting holes , propagate roots and work soil among root as you fill in . Water well and protect from direct sun until unchanging .
To plant seedlings : A number of perennial produce ego - sow seedlings that can be transplanted . You may also start your own seedling bed for transplanting . get up suited planting hole , space befittingly for industrial plant evolution . Gently lift the seedling and as much surrounding soil as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firming stain with fingertips and water well . Shade from direct Lord’s Day and water regularly until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the plant life you have opt is suitable for the conditions you are able-bodied to put up it : that it will have enough light , space , and a temperature it will like . Remember that the area right next to a window will be colder than the rest of the elbow room .
Indoor plants need to be transplanted into a orotund container sporadically , or they become pot / source - truss and their growth is retard . irrigate the plant well before start , so the soil will book the tooth root clump together when you polish off it from the sess . If you have difficulty getting the plant out of the pot , try take to the woods a blade around the bound of the pot , and gently wallop the sides to loosen the soil .
Always utilize fresh soil when transplant your indoor plant . Fill around the industrial plant gently with filth , being careful not to throng too tightly – you want zephyr to be able to get to the root . After the industrial plant is in the new batch , do n’t feed right away … this will promote the roots to replete in their new home .
The size flowerpot you pick out is authoritative too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch greater in diameter . Remember , many industrial plant favour being passably batch bound . Always part with a clean pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and introduce the plant life through the roots or the prow at soil level . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your job , decrease lacrimation . If a plant is too far expire ( all the leave from the bottom up are wilted ) , remove it . If your works is in a container , discard the ground too . lave the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 parts pee solution . Fungicides can be used , accord to label directions . look up a master for a effectual recommendation of what antimycotic to employ . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , winged insects that attack many types of plant and flourish in hot , ironical condition ( like heated house ) . They can multiply promptly as a female person can put down up to 300 egg in a life span of 45 days without mating . Most of the damage to plants is triggered by the young larvae which feed on sore leafage and prime tissue paper . This conduce to distorted ontogeny , injured peak petals and untimely flower drop . Thrips also can transport many harmful flora virus .
Prevention and Control : keep dope down and use screening on windows to keep them out . slay or discard infest plants , keep them off from non - infested plant . Trap with yellowish glutinous cards or take reward of natural enemies such as predatory mites . Sometimes a serious steady shower bath of piddle will wash them off the plant . look up your local garden center professional or county Cooperative extension post for legal chemical recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , spider - like puppet which thrive in hot , ironic condition ( like heated houses ) . Spider mites feed with piercing mouthpiece portion , which make flora to appear lily-livered and stippled . Leaf drop and plant death can happen with heavy infestations . Spider mites can multiply speedily , as a female can lay up to 200 eggs in a life span of 30 days . They also produce a web which can cover infested leaves and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and remove infested flora . wry air seems to worsen the problem , so make trusted industrial plant are regularly water , specially those choose high humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or tomato . Always check new plants prior to bringing them home from the garden middle or nursery . Take advantage of natural enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommend by your local garden plaza professional or county Cooperative Extension office , scan and follow all recording label focal point . Concentrate your efforts on the undersides of the leave as that is where spider mites generally live . pestilence : MealybugsSmall , wingless , tedious - white , soft - bodied insects that bring forth a waxy powdery overcompensate . They have piercing / suck mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue . Mealybugsoften look like small man of cotton and they be given to congregate where leaves and stem branch . They snipe a encompassing range of plants . The young tend to move around until they find a worthy alimentation spot , then they pay heed out in colonies and feed . Mealybugs can counteract a plant leading to yellow leafage and leaf fall . They also create a sweet substance called honeydew ( covet by emmet ) which can lead to an unattractive calamitous surface fungous maturation called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate invade plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden inwardness professional or the Cooperative Extension power in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical testimonial . Encourage natural foe such as lady beetle in the garden to help reduce population levels of mealy germ . pestis : WhitefliesWhitefliesare little , winged insects that face like lilliputian moths , which attack many type of plants . The fly grownup stage prefer the bottom of leaves to feed and strain . whitefly can multiply quick as a female can lie up to 500 eggs in a lifespan span of 2 month . If a works is infested with whitefly , you will see a cloud of fleeing insects when the plant is disturbed . Whiteflies can weaken a plant life , finally leading to embed death if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful plant viruses . They also produce a sweet heart and soul call honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black airfoil fungal ontogeny called coal-black mold .
Possible controls : keep weeds down ; use screening in windows to keep them out ; dispatch infest plants aside from non - infested plants ; use a ruminative mulch ( aluminium foil ) under plant ( this repels whitefly ) ; yap with yellow unenviable cards , employ labeled pesticide ; encourage natural enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a practiced firm shower of pee will wash away them off the industrial plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusc , not insect . They can be voracious self-feeder , eating just about anything that is not woody or highly odorous . They may eat holes in leaves , strip entire root , or whole devour seedling and tender transplants , leaving behind tell - tale silvery , despicable trails .
Prevention and dominance : Keep your garden as clean as potential , eliminating hiding places such as leaf detritus , over - turn pots , and tarps . Groundcover in shady places and heavy mulch provide protection from the element and can be favorite hiding place . In the leap , patrol for and destroy testicle ( clusters of small semitransparent spheres ) and adult during dusk and morning . Set out beer traps from late spring through dusk .
Many chemical restraint are available on the grocery store , but can be toxicant and deadly for children and pet ; take care when using them - always read the recording label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis ordinarily found on plants that do not have enough zephyr circulation or fair to middling spark . Problems are worse where nighttime are cool and 24-hour interval are warm and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is normally detect on the upper open of leaves or fruit . Leaves will often turn yellow or browned , kink up , and drop off . raw leafage go forth crinkled and ill-shapen . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : embed resistant varieties and blank plant right so they incur tolerable light and tune circulation . Always water from below , keeping weewee off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the atomic number 7 fertilizer . Apply fungicides fit in to recording label directions before job becomes life-threatening and travel along directions exactly , not miss any required treatment . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaves , flowers , or detritus in the fall and destroy . fungus kingdom : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are due to fungi or bacteria . browned or smutty point and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a water overcharge or yellow - edge show . dirt ball , rain , dirty garden putz , or even mass can help oneself its feast .
Prevention and Control : Remove infect parting when the plant is teetotal . Leaves that collect around the base of the plant should be rake up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if potential ; water should be directed at soil grade . For fungal leaf spots , use a recommended fungicide concord to label direction .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are dirt ball , related to mealy bug , that can be a problem on a wide miscellanea of plants - indoor and outdoor . Young scales creeping until they find oneself a good alimentation site . The adult females then turn a loss their legs and remain on a spot protected by its surd scale level . They appear as bumps , often on the low sides of leave-taking . They have piercing mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue . scale can weaken a plant life leading to yellow foliage and foliage pearl . They also produce a unfermented substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can contribute to an untempting black open fungal outgrowth called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once show they are hard to control . Isolate infested plant life away from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden heart professional or Cooperative Extension federal agency in your county for a effectual recommendation regarding their control . Encourage natural foe such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is find on the aerofoil of leaves . It feeds on honeydew excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , scale , or ants . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it covers / nigrify the leaves and stems of the plant . The practiced style to control sooty mold is to control the insects that make the honeydew . Sooty molding can normally be wiped from leave with a dampish cloth or wash away with a hose - end sprayer .
