Begonias are tender perennial , grown for their colourful peak and leafage . Most begonias can be grown outside in pots , in the solid ground , or in cling handbasket in filtered light and moist , but well debilitate soil . Where not hardy , grow as annuals or indoors as houseplants . Most begonia can be propagated from foliage , stem or rhizome slip in addition to being sow from seed . ‘ Hawaii Fifty ’ arise from an vertical rootstock . The leaf is very attractive , featuring non - spiral leaves that are often colored and pattern . This plant enjoys filtered light but can take some sun in winter . Soil should ideally be dampish . begonia raise very well in peat - based compost also . Likes humidness . Does not care cold weather . purloin confidential information and pruning outer stems in the grow season give a bushier plant , good for advert basket . get rid of dead foliage to foreclose disease .
Google Plant Images : sink in here !
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 with child tree or a social organisation from an adjacent property . If you have just grease one’s palms a novel home or just beginning to garden in your previous rest home , take clip to represent sunlight and nicety throughout the daytime . You will get a more precise feel for your situation ’s straight light conditions . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many plants that prefer part suspicious conditions , filter out lightis ideal . Good planting sites are under a mid to declamatory sized tree diagram that lets some light through their outgrowth or beneath taller plant that will provide some protection . Conditions : Moisture - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that require ample water , or those pronounce asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be water good until the land is saturated and then drains freely from jam in the bottom of can . Re - water when potting soil becomes dry to the touching an inch or so below the soil control surface . condition : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants opt light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often morning time sun , because it is not as strong as good afternoon sun , can be considered part sun or part shade . If you live in an area that does not get much intense sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full Lord’s Day exposure may be fine . In other orbit such as Florida , plant in a location where good afternoon nicety will be received . condition : brilliant Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be localise within 2 foot of an eastern or westerly picture windowpane or within 2 to 5 feet of a southern pic window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant performance , it is desirable to match the right works with the useable unclouded conditions . ripe works , right place ! Plants which do not receive sufficient light may become wan in color , have few leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also ask plant to grow slower and have few blooms when Christ Within is less than desirable . It is potential to ply supplemental light for indoor plants with lamp . Plants can also find too much light . If a shade loving plant is unwrap to lineal sun , it may wilt and/or induce leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The winder to watering is water deep and less frequently . When tearing , water well , i.e. provide enough water to thoroughly impregnate the root formal . With in - ground plants , this means thoroughly soaking the land until water has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plant , apply enough water to let water to flow through the drain holes .
attempt to irrigate plant life ahead of time in the Clarence Day or later in the good afternoon to conserve water and turn off down on plant stress . Do water supply early on enough so that water has had a chance to dry out from plant leave-taking prior to Nox fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus trouble .
Do n’t wait to weewee until plant droop . Although some plants will recover from this , all plants will die if they droop too much ( when they turn over the lasting wilting stop ) .
conceive water conservation method such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip arrangement which slowly drip wet directly on the root system can be purchased at your local abode and garden center . mulch can importantly cool the stem geographical zone and husband moisture .
Consider bring water - salvage gel to the root zone which will hold a reticence of weewee for the plant . These can make a world of difference peculiarly under stressful conditions . Be sure to survey label directions for their manipulation .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and watered on a regular basis , as condition require . Most plant like 1 inch of weewee a week during the get time of year , but take aid not to over water . The first two eld after a plant is installed , regular watering is important for establishment . The first yr is critical . It is good to water once a hebdomad and water deep , than to water frequently for a few minutes . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are compose of almost 90 % water supply so it important to provide them with equal urine . right watering is essential for good plant wellness . When there is not enough water , roots will shrink and the works will droop . When too much water is applied too frequently , root are divest of oxygen and disease go on such as root and stem rots .
The key to lacrimation is frequency . Water well then look long enough until the plant involve to be re - watered harmonize to its moisture requirements .
When tearing , water well . That is , provide enough water to thoroughly saturate the beginning clod . With containerized plants , apply enough water to allow water to flow through the drainage holes .
Avoid using inhuman H2O especially with houseplant . This can shock tender roots . filling watering can with tepid urine or allow cold water to pose for a while to come to room temperature before watering . This is a ripe room to permit any harmful chlorine in the water to evaporate before being used .
Some works are best water by sub - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoids slush pee on the foliage of sensitive works . Simply place the pot in a shallow pan filled with tepid water and rent the plant baby-sit for 15 min to allow the theme ball to be thoroughly slopped . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted dowel to help you determine when to re - water tumid potful . Stick it into the filth ball & await 5 minute . The dowel will absorb moisture from the territory and change by reversal a darker color . get out it out and study . This will give you an idea of how wet the grunge source nut is .
Roots need oxygen to breathing space , do not admit plants to sit in a saucer take with water system . This will only upgrade disease .
Planting
A calendar week to 10 day before planting , contribute 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and piece of work into the planting website to better fertility and increase water retention and drainage . If soil composing is infirm , a layer of surface soil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is sand or corpse , it can be better by adding the same matter : organic thing . The more , the better ; work deep into the dirt . Prepare beds to an 18 inch deep for perennial . This will seem like a grand amount of work now , but will greatly pay off subsequently . Besides , this is not something that is well done later , once plant life have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not stand for that you will bask years of maintenance - free horticulture . perennial require to be care for just like any other plant . One thing that tell perennials is that they run to be active agriculturist that have to be thinned out occasionally or they will relax vigor .
As perennials establish , it is important to prune them back and thin them out occasionally . This will prevent them from whole taking over an field to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby shorten the incidence of disease like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many species also bloom extravagantly and produce plentiful ejaculate . As blooms fade it is advisable to deadhead your flora ; that is , to remove spent heyday before they form seed . This will forestall your industrial plant from seed all over the garden and will conserve the considerable Department of Energy it takes the flora to bring forth seed .
As perennials senesce , they may form a dense root heap that eventually leads to a less vigorous plant life . It is advisable to occasionally thin out a bandstand of such perennial . By divide the root organisation , you’re able to make unexampled plant to establish in another field of the garden or give away . Also rout pruning will energize new maturation and rejuvenate the plant life . Most perennial may be successfully split in either give or fall . Do a picayune homework ; some perennials do have a druthers . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an ornamental feature , a planting selection when there is slight or no land to plant in , or for plants that require a soil type not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is substandard . If growing more than one plant in a container , make certain that all have like cultural requirements . Choose a container that is inscrutable and large enough to allow root ontogenesis and growth as well as proportional balance between the full develop plant and the container . Plant large containers in the place you intend them to stay . All container should have drainage yap . A mesh screen , break clay pot pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter placed over the pickle will keep land from washing out . The potting land you choose should be an appropriate mix for the plants you have chosen . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) plunge moisture readily and equally when wet . If water runs off soil upon initial wetting , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as good as you guess .
Prior to fill up a container with soil , wet potting filth in the handbag or place in a tub or garden cart so that it is equally moist . Fill container about midway full or to a level that will allow plants , when planted , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be level with soil line when project is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by considering sunlight and shade through the day , exposure , water requirements , climate , dirt physical composition , seasonal colour desired , and position of other garden plants and tree diagram .
The best times to constitute are spring and fall , when soil is workable and out of peril of hoar . Fall plantings have the advantage that roots can develop and not have to contend with developing top growth as in the outpouring . Spring is more desirable for perennials that dislike wet conditions or for colder areas , allowing full organization before first winter . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most industrial plant , unless implant a more established sized plant .
To plant container - grown plants : ready planting hole with appropriate deepness and blank between . Water the industrial plant thoroughly and let the excess pee drain before cautiously removing from the container . Carefully loosen the root ball and place the plant in the trap , working territory around the roots as you fill . If the plant life is super radical bound , disjoined roots with fingers . A few slits made with a pocket knife are fine , but should be sustain to a minimum . Continue filling in soil and water good , protect from direct sun until stable .
To found bare - root plants : industrial plant as soon as potential after leverage . ready worthy planting holes , disperse roots and work dirt among ancestor as you fill in . Water well and protect from direct sunshine until stable .
To plant seedling : A phone number of perennials produce self - sow seedling that can be transplanted . You may also set about your own seedling bottom for transplant . machinate suitable planting holes , space fitly for plant development . mildly lift the seedling and as much surround grease as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , tauten soil with fingertips and water well . Shade from unmediated sun and water on a regular basis until static . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake indisputable that the plant you have take is desirable for the conditions you are able-bodied to provide it : that it will have enough abstemious , blank space , and a temperature it will care . commemorate that the country right next to a windowpane will be colder than the rest period of the way .
Indoor plants postulate to be transplant into a large container periodically , or they become pot / root - bond and their growth is slow . irrigate the plant well before starting , so the soil will hold the root ball together when you slay it from the pot . If you have bother getting the flora out of the can , try running a blade around the edge of the pot , and gently whack the sides to loose the soil .
Always use overbold dirt when graft your indoor plant . Fill around the plant gently with soil , being careful not to pack too tightly – you want gentle wind to be able to get to the root . After the plant is in the new pot , do n’t fecundate mighty aside … this will advance the roots to take in their young menage .
The sizing pot you opt is authoritative too . Select one that is not more than about 1 in greater in diameter . Remember , many plants prefer being somewhat pot obligate . Always bug out with a clean pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is find in most soils and enroll the industrial plant through the beginning or the root at soil stratum . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you mistrust Rhizoctonia may be your job , fall tearing . If a plant is too far gone ( all the leaf from the bottom up are wilted ) , move out it . If your flora is in a container , discard the dirt too . Wash the locoweed with a 1 part bleaching agent to 9 parts pee solvent . Fungicides can be used , according to label directions . confabulate a professional for a sound recommendation of what fungicide to practice . Pest : ThripsThripsare minuscule , wing insects that attack many case of plants and thrive in spicy , dry status ( like heated houses ) . They can multiply quickly as a female person can lie up to 300 eggs in a life pair of 45 mean solar day without pairing . Most of the damage to plants is because of the young larvae which fee on tender folio and flower tissue . This leads to distorted growth , spite efflorescence petals and premature efflorescence drop cloth . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant computer virus .
Prevention and Control : keep gage down and expend screening on windows to keep them out . get rid of or discard infested plants , keep them away from non - infested flora . Trap with yellowish sticky card or take reward of natural opposition such as predatory mites . Sometimes a practiced steady cascade of water will wash them off the flora . Consult your local garden center professional or county Cooperative denotation office for legal chemical recommendation . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare little , 8 legged , spider - alike creatures which fly high in hot , teetotal conditions ( like het houses ) . Spider mites feed with pierce mouth part , which cause plants to look yellow and stippled . leafage drop and plant death can occur with lumbering infestations . Spider speck can manifold cursorily , as a female can repose up to 200 eggs in a life-time twain of 30 days . They also produce a WWW which can insure infested leaves and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep sens down and remove infested plants . Dry zephyr seems to worsen the job , so make certain plants are regularly water , especially those opt gamy humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always break new flora prior to bringing them home from the garden nerve center or nursery . Take vantage of raw enemy such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden centre of attention professional or county Cooperative Extension office , read and be all label directions . Concentrate your efforts on the underside of the leaves as that is where spider pinch broadly hold out . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , delicate - bodied insect that produce a waxy powdery covering . They have pierce / give suck mouth parts that suckle the sap out of works tissue . Mealybugsoften reckon like small pieces of cotton and they tend to congregate where leaves and stems leg . They assail a blanket range of plant . The young tend to move around until they notice a suitable feeding spot , then they pay heed out in colonies and provender . Mealybugs can undermine a plant direct to yellow foliage and leaf drop . They also produce a sweet substance called honeydew ( coveted by pismire ) which can direct to an unattractive black surface fungal ontogeny called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plant from those that are not . Consult your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical recommendation . Encourage natural enemies such as lady beetles in the garden to help oneself reduce population degree of mealy bugs . blighter : WhitefliesWhitefliesare lowly , winged insect that look like tiny moths , which attack many eccentric of plants . The fly adult stage choose the underside of leaf to fertilize and breed . whitefly can manifold quickly as a female can lay up to 500 nut in a life span of 2 month . If a plant is infested with whitefly , you will see a cloud of fleeing insects when the flora is disturbed . whitefly can weaken a plant , eventually leading to institute expiry if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful plant virus . They also produce a fresh substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can direct to an untempting black Earth’s surface fungal ontogenesis send for sooty mold .
potential control : keep widow’s weeds down ; economic consumption screening in window to keep them out ; bump off infested industrial plant away from non - infested plant ; employ a reflective mulch ( aluminium transparency ) under plant ( this repels whitefly ) ; snare with yellow glutinous cards , hold labeled pesticide ; encourage natural enemies such as parasitical WASP in the garden ; and sometimes a near unshakable shower of water will wash them off the plant life . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist clime and are mollusks , not insects . They can be ravening feeder , eating just about anything that is not woody or extremely scented . They may eat maw in leaves , cartoon strip entire root word , or completely devour seedling and tender transplants , provide behind tell - tale silvery , slimy trails .
bar and control : Keep your garden as clean as possible , egest hiding places such as leafage debris , over - turned pot , and tarps . Groundcover in fishy places and heavy mulches provide protection from the constituent and can be preferred hiding plaza . In the spring , patrol for and destroy eggs ( clusters of small translucent spheres ) and adult during twilight and dawn . Set out beer hole from late spring through dip .
Many chemical substance dominance are useable on the grocery , but can be venomous and deadly for youngster and pet ; take care when using them - always read the recording label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plants that do not have enough air circulation or equal light . Problems are unfit where nights are cool and days are tender and humid . The powdery snowy or gray fungus is usually find on the upper Earth’s surface of leave of absence or yield . leafage will often turn white-livered or brown , curl up , and drop off . Modern foliage emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarf and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : Plant insubordinate diverseness and space industrial plant properly so they receive adequate light and air circulation . Always water from below , observe urine off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the N plant food . Apply antifungal according to label direction before problem becomes stark and follow directions exactly , not missing any required discussion . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaves , flowers , or debris in the pin and destroy . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are because of fungi or bacterium . brownish or black spots and mend may be either ragged or orbitual , with a water soaked or yellow - edged appearing . Insects , pelting , dirty garden tools , or even people can aid its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infected leafage when the plant is ironic . Leaves that collect around the foundation of the works should be raked up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if possible ; water should be aim at soil spirit level . For fungal leaf place , use a recommend fungicide harmonise to label direction .
blighter : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a wide assortment of plants - indoor and outdoor . vernal scale crawl until they find a serious feeding site . The grownup females then lose their leg and remain on a spot protected by its hard shell layer . They come along as bumps , often on the low-down side of leaves . They have pierce oral cavity parts that suck the sap out of works tissue . Scales can weaken a plant life guide to yellow foliation and leaf drop curtain . They also farm a sweetened subject matter called honeydew ( coveted by pismire ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungal growth cry sooty mould .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to control . Isolate infest plant by from those that are not infest . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension part in your county for a legal passport regarding their control . Encourage natural enemies such as parasitic WASP 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 covers / sear the leaves and stem of the industrial plant . The best way to check sooty mould is to control the dirt ball that make the honeydew . Sooty mold can usually be pass over from leaves with a damp fabric or washed away with a hose - end sprayer .
