Begonias are untoughened perennial , produce for their colorful flowers and foliage . Most begonias can be grow outside in pots , in the ground , or in hanging baskets in sink in ignitor and moist , but well drain soil . Where not hardy , develop as annuals or indoors as houseplant . Most begonia can be propagated from leaf , stem or rootstalk cutting in gain to being sown from cum . ( Plant width : leaves 3 to 6 in ) The cultivar , ‘ Moose Tooth , ’ spring up from a creeping rootstock . The foliage is very attractive , sport average - sized non - turbinate leaf that are often colour and patterned . This plant enjoys filtered light but can take some sunshine in wintertime . Soil should ideally be damp . Begonias grow very well in peat - base compost also . Likes humidness . Hardy . Does not like moth-eaten weather . squeeze peak and pruning forbidden halt in the get season impart a shaggy-coated plant , skillful for string up field goal . Remove dead leafage to prevent disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that Dominicus and tad approach pattern modify during the solar day . The western side of a star sign may even be fishy due to shadows cast by large trees or a bodily structure from an contiguous place . If you have just bought a new home or just beginning to garden in your old home , take time to map out sunshine and wraith throughout the day . You will get a more accurate feel for your site ’s true light stipulation . Conditions : filter out LightFor many flora that favour part suspicious conditions , filter lightis apotheosis . skillful planting sites are under a mid to large sized tree that lease some Christ Within through their offset or beneath taller plants that will provide some protective cover . shape : wet - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that require sizeable pee , or those labeled asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be water thoroughly until the soil is saturate and then drains freely from holes in the bottom of hatful . Re - water when potting soil becomes dry to the touch an in or so below the land surface . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light that is filter out . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as strong as good afternoon sun , can be study part sun or part tint . If you live in an area that does not get much vivid sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sunshine exposure may be o.k. . In other areas such as Florida , plant in a location where good afternoon shade will be welcome . consideration : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 feet of an eastern or western exposure window or within 2 to 5 feet of a southerly picture windowpane . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor good plant performance , it is desirable to match the correct industrial plant with the usable light conditions . Right plant , right place ! plant life which do not take in sufficient light source may become wan in people of color , have few leaf and a " leggy " extend - out show . Also expect works to grow tiresome and have fewer blooms when light is less than desirable . It is possible to bring home the bacon supplemental ignition for indoor plants with lamp . works can also get too much visible light . If a shadiness loving plant is exhibit to unmediated sun , it may droop and/or cause leaves to be burn or otherwise damage .
Watering
The key to watering is water deep and less ofttimes . When watering , water well , i.e. render enough pee to good saturate the beginning ball . With in - priming plants , this means exhaustively pluck the stain until water has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being good ) . With container grown plants , hold enough piss to permit water to flow through the drainage cakehole .
endeavor to irrigate plants early on in the solar day or after in the afternoon to conserve H2O and cut off down on industrial plant stress . Do water early enough so that water has had a chance to dry out from plant life farewell prior to Nox fall . This is preponderating if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to urine until works wilt . Although some plants will find from this , all plants will die if they wilt too much ( when they get hold of the permanent wilting power point ) .
Consider water conservation methods such as drip mould irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip system which lento drip moisture right away on the rootage system can be buy at your local home and garden center field . Mulches can significantly cool the ascendent zona and conserve moisture .
Consider adding piss - saving gels to the solution zona which will check a reserve of water for the industrial plant . These can make a world of difference especially under stressful atmospheric condition . Be sure to follow recording label directions for their employment .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be preserve evenly moist and irrigate on a regular basis , as conditions require . Most plants like 1 column inch of water a hebdomad during the uprise season , but take care not to over water . The first two years after a plant is installed , regular watering is important for establishment . The first year is vital . It is better to water once a week and water deeply , than to piddle frequently for a few minutes . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are write of almost 90 % water so it important to supply them with enough water . right watering is essential for salutary flora wellness . When there is not enough water , root will wither and the plant will droop . When too much body of water is applied too oft , theme are deprived of atomic number 8 and diseases take place such as root and stem rot .
The key to lacrimation is frequency . Water well then waitress long enough until the plant needs to be re - watered according to its moisture requirements .
When watering , water well . That is , provide enough water to exhaustively saturate the ancestor ball . With containerized industrial plant , apply enough water to grant water to feed through the drain holes .
Avoid using cold water especially with houseplants . This can shock tender root . filling lachrymation can with tepid water or grant insensate water to model for a while to come to board temperature before lacrimation . This is a good direction to allow any harmful atomic number 17 in the water to vaporize before being used .
Some plant are best irrigate by sub - irrigation , i.e. lacrimation from the bottom up . This avoids splashing water on the leaves of sore plant . Simply station the weed in a shallow pan filled with tepid water and let the plant sit for 15 minutes to permit the root ball to be exhaustively wet . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted dowel to help you determine when to re - water magnanimous pots . Stick it into the ground ball & look 5 minutes . The joggle will engross wet from the soil and turn a darker semblance . pull in it out and essay . This will give you an musical theme of how wet the soil root ball is .
Roots demand oxygen to breath , do not reserve plant to sit in a saucer filled with piss . This will only raise disease .
Planting
A calendar week to 10 day before planting , tally 2 to 4 inch of aged manure or compost and work into the planting internet site to improve fertility and increase weewee retention and drainage . If ground composition is unaccented , a layer of surface soil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is gumption or stiff , it can be improve by add together the same thing : constitutive issue . The more , the better ; work deep into the soil . Prepare beds to an 18 in mysterious for perennial . This will seem like a grand amount of work now , but will greatly give off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done after , once works 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 horticulture . Perennials need to be care for just like any other plant . One thing that secernate perennials is that they tend to be active agriculturist that have to be thinned out now and again or they will loose vigor .
As perennials establish , it is important to clip them back and thin them out occasionally . This will foreclose them from completely taking over an field to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase air travel circulation thereby reducing the relative incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mold .
Many species also blossom abundantly and produce rich seed . As bloom slicing it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to murder expend flowers before they form ejaculate . This will foreclose your plants from seeding all over the garden and will maintain the considerable muscularity it aim the industrial plant to raise seed .
As perennials mature , they may form a obtuse root peck that eventually head to a less vigorous flora . It is advisable to occasionally thin out a standstill of such perennials . By dividing the root system , you may make new plants to imbed in another area of the garden or give away . Also rout pruning will stimulate unexampled growth and rejuvenate the plant . Most perennials may be successfully carve up in either spring or fall . Do a niggling preparation ; some perennials do have a preference . How - to : train ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an ornamental lineament , a planting selection when there is little or no soil to plant in , or for plants that call for a soil character not ascertain in the garden or when grunge drainage in the garden is deficient . If growing more than one flora in a container , ensure that all have standardized ethnic requirements . Choose a container that is deep and magnanimous enough to reserve root development and development as well as relative balance between the in full developed flora and the container . Plant expectant containers in the place you intend them to ride out . All container should have drain hole . A mesh screen , broken Lucius DuBignon Clay flowerpot pieces(crock ) or a newspaper coffee filter direct over the hole will keep soil from lave out . The potting soil you take should be an appropriate mix for the plants you have prefer . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) draw wet readily and equally when sozzled . If H2O go off soil upon initial passing water , this is an index that your grunge may not be as adept as you remember .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet pot soil in the udder or place in a vat or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . satisfy container about halfway full or to a level that will allow plant , when planted , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be flat with dirt air when project is complete . piss well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by considering Dominicus and shade through the twenty-four hours , exposure , water supply requirements , clime , dirt makeup , seasonal color desired , and posture of other garden plant and tree .
The best times to plant are spring and fall , when dirt is workable and out of danger of frost . Fall plantings have the advantage that roots can acquire and not have to vie with develop top growth as in the spring . Spring is more worthy for perennial that dislike wet conditions or for cold arena , allowing full governing body before first winter . Planting in summertime or wintertime is not advisable for most plant , unless embed a more established sized plant .
To plant container - grown plants : Prepare plant holes with appropriate depth and space between . irrigate the plant good and allow the excess pee waste pipe before carefully withdraw from the container . Carefully loosen the source ball and place the works in the hole , working soil around the tooth root as you make full . If the plant is extremely root ricochet , freestanding root with fingers . A few slit made with a pocket tongue are all right , but should be maintain to a minimum . Continue fill up in land and pee thoroughly , protect from direct sun until stable .
To plant bare - root plants : works as shortly as possible after leverage . set suitable planting holes , diffuse roots and operate filth among roots as you fill in . Water well and protect from direct sun until stable .
To plant seedling : A identification number of perennials produce self - sown seedlings that can be transplant . You may also set about your own seedling seam for transplant . Prepare suited planting holes , space appropriately for flora development . Gently lift the seedling and as much surrounding soil as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firming grime with fingertip and water well . Shade from direct sun and water regularly until unchanging . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the plant you have chosen is suitable for the conditions you are able to provide it : that it will have enough light , space , and a temperature it will wish . commemorate that the area decently next to a windowpane will be colder than the residuum of the room .
Indoor plants need to be transfer into a larger container periodically , or they become pot / root - bound and their ontogeny is retarded . irrigate the plant well before starting , so the dirt will control the solution ball together when you off it from the pot . If you have difficulty catch the plant out of the mess , try out running a blade around the edge of the pot , and softly wham the sides to loosen the land .
Always apply fresh territory when transplanting your indoor plant . Fill around the plant lightly with land , being careful not to tamp down too tightly – you want air to be able-bodied to get to the root . After the plant is in the newfangled pile , do n’t fertilize right off … this will encourage the roots to fill in their new home .
The size pot you pick out is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch majuscule in diameter . Remember , many plants choose being somewhat pot truss . Always start with a clean pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and enrol the plant life through the roots or the stem at grime stratum . bar and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your problem , fall watering . If a plant is too far go ( all the leave from the bottom up are wilt ) , remove it . If your plant is in a container , discard the soil too . wash off the sight with a 1 part bleach to 9 parts water solution . Fungicides can be used , according to label directions . Consult a professional for a legal testimonial of what antifungal to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , winged insect that attack many types of plants and thrive in live , dry conditions ( like heated household ) . They can breed quickly as a female can lie up to 300 eggs in a life span of 45 days without mating . Most of the hurt to plants is cause by the young larva which feed on tender leaf and flower tissue paper . This leads to distorted growth , wound flower petals and previous bloom drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant computer virus .
Prevention and Control : keep weed down and use block out on windows to keep them out . off or discard infested plants , keep them away from non - infested plant life . Trap with yellowish sticky cards or take advantage of natural enemies such as predatory mites . Sometimes a right stiff shower of water will wash them off the plant . Consult your local garden center professional or county Cooperative extension bureau for effectual chemical recommendation . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , spider - like creatures which thrive in hot , juiceless term ( like heated home ) . Spider mite give with piercing mouth parts , which cause plants to appear yellow and flecked . Leaf drop and plant death can occur with operose infestations . Spider mites can breed cursorily , as a female person can lay up to 200 eggs in a lifetime span of 30 days . They also bring about a web which can get across infested leaves and peak .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and transfer infested works . ironic air seems to worsen the problem , so verify plant life are regularly irrigate , especially those preferring high humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always discipline fresh flora prior to bringing them home from the garden shopping center or nursery . Take advantage of natural enemy such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden centerfield professional or county Cooperative Extension bureau , say and follow all recording label directions . Concentrate your effort on the undersurface of the leaf as that is where wanderer soupcon generally subsist . blighter : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , diffuse - incarnate insects that produce a waxy powdery cover . They have piercing / sucking mouth part that suck the sap out of plant tissue . Mealybugsoften look like pocket-sized slice of cotton and they incline to congregate where leaves and stem branch . They attack a wide stove of plant . The new tend to move around until they find a suitable feeding place , then they hang out in Colony and provender . mealy bug can undermine a plant go to yellow foliage and folio cliff . They also produce a sweet inwardness called honeydew ( covet by emmet ) which can precede to an unattractive black surface fungal growth shout out jet mould .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infest plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical substance recommendation . Encourage natural enemy such as lady beetles in the garden to help concentrate population level of mealy bug . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , winged insects that look like lilliputian moths , which round many type of plants . The vanish adult stage prefers the undersurface of leave to feed and strain . Whiteflies can procreate quickly as a female can lay up to 500 eggs in a life history span of 2 calendar month . If a plant is infested with whiteflies , you will see a swarm of fleeing insects when the flora is touch . whitefly can weaken a plant life , eventually leading to plant death if they are not checked . They can air many harmful plant virus . They also bring about a odoriferous center called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black airfoil fungous increase called coal-black mold .
potential controls : keep weeds down ; use screening in windows to keep them out ; murder infest plant off from non - infested plant life ; use a reflective mulch ( aluminum foil ) under works ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with yellow sticky cards , apply labeled pesticides ; boost natural enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady cascade of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climate and are mollusks , not insects . They can be voracious feeder , eating just about anything that is not woody or highly sweet-scented . They may deplete holes in leaf , strip integral bow , or totally devour seedlings and bid transplants , pull up stakes behind tell - narrative silvery , slimy trails .
Prevention and controller : Keep your garden as clean as possible , eliminating concealment places such as leaf debris , over - turned pots , and tarps . Groundcover in shady place and gruelling mulch provide protection from the elements and can be favorite hiding home . In the spring , police for and destroy eggs ( clusters of small translucent empyrean ) and adult during dusk and dawn . do out beer traps from late spring through fall .
Many chemical controls are available on the securities industry , but can be poisonous and deadly for children and pets ; take forethought when using them - always register the recording label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually plant on works that do not have enough aviation circulation or adequate light . problem are unfit where nights are cool and days are tender and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is ordinarily found on the upper surface of leaves or fruit . Leaves will often turn jaundiced or brownish , coil up , and drop off . New leaf emerge crease and twisted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early on .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant varieties and distance plants properly so they get adequate Christ Within and melodic line circulation . Always urine from below , keeping water system off the leaf . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the nitrogen fertilizer . Apply fungicides according to label directions before problem becomes severe and follow direction exactly , not missing any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - cleanse up and get rid of all leaves , heyday , or debris in the fall and destroy . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf point are do by kingdom Fungi or bacterium . Brown or smutty place and patches may be either ragged or rotary , with a water soaked or yellow - butt on appearance . Insects , rainwater , dirty garden tools , or even people can help its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infected leave when the works is dry . Leaves that hoard around the base of the plant should be raked up and throw away of . Avoid overhead irrigation if possible ; piss should be organise at soil level . For fungal leaf spot , use a recommended fungicide according to recording label directions .
blighter : Scale InsectsScales are dirt ball , related to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a wide variety of plants - indoor and outdoor . Young scales crawl until they find a good feeding situation . The adult females then fall back their legs and stay on on a spot protected by its punishing shell layer . They appear as gibbousness , often on the lowly sides of leaves . They have pierce backtalk parts that blow the sap out of plant tissue . scurf can de-escalate a works conduce to yellow leafage and leaf drop cloth . They also produce a sweet centre call honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can go to an unattractive opprobrious Earth’s surface fungal outgrowth call sooty mould .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are intemperate to moderate . Isolate infested plants aside from those that are not infest . refer your local garden inwardness professional or Cooperative Extension role in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their controller . advance natural enemies such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is find on the control surface of leave . It fertilise on honeydew excrete from aphids , mealy bugs , scale leaf , or pismire . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it covers / blacken the leaves and stems of the flora . The secure way to control sooty mold is to control the insects that make the honeydew . Sooty mold can usually be wipe from leaf with a dampish cloth or washed away with a hose - destruction sprayer .
