begonia are tender perennial , grown for their colorful heyday and foliation . Most begonias can be raise out of doors in pots , in the ground , or in hanging basket in dribble light and moist , but well drained soil . Where not fearless , grow as yearbook or indoors as houseplant . Most begonias can be propagate from leaf , stem or rhizome cuttings in addition to being sown from seed . ‘ Bo Peep ’ is a shaggy-coated begonia that is erect with succulent stems . The many doubled flowers are everblooming and pinkish in color . The bronze leave are shiny , liquid and ovate . This plant can digest full sun . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias uprise very well in peat - based compost also . Likes humidity . Does not like cold weather . swipe tips and pruning outer stems in the grow season gives a shaggy plant .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and shade shape change during the day . The western side of a house may even be shady due to shadows barf by large trees or a structure from an conterminous property . If you have just bought a unexampled nursing home or just beginning to garden in your older place , take sentence to map out sun and shade throughout the daylight . You will get a more accurate flavor for your website ’s dead on target light conditions . weather condition : Filtered LightFor many plants that favor part shadowy condition , filtered lightis ideal . Good planting sites are under a mid to large sized tree that permit some light through their branch or beneath taller plant that will provide some security . weather condition : wet - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that require plentiful water , or those labeled asmoisture - hump houseplantsrequire that they be watered thoroughly until the territory is saturated and then drain freely from holes in the bottom of peck . Re - piss when pot dirt becomes dry to the touch an column inch or so below the soil Earth’s surface . stipulation : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer lighter that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is of import to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as inviolable as afternoon Dominicus , can be considered part sun or part shade . If you live in an arena that does not get much intense sunshine , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun vulnerability may be fine . In other area such as Florida , plant in a positioning where good afternoon nicety will be received . Conditions : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis demand for many plants to assume their full potential . Many of these flora will do exquisitely with a little less sunlight , although they may not blossom as to a great extent or their foliage as vibrant . Areas on the southerly and western sides of construction commonly are the sunniest . The only exception is when houses or buildings are so near together , vestige are cast from neighboring properties . Full sunlight unremarkably signify 6 or more hours of lineal unobstructed sunshine on a cheery 24-hour interval . Partial sunlight obtain less than 6 hours of sun , but more than 3 hr . Plants capable to take full sun in some climates may only be able to permit part sun in other climates . Know the polish of the plant before you grease one’s palms and embed it!Conditions : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be put within 2 feet of an eastern or western photograph windowpane or within 2 to 5 foot of a southern exposure windowpane . condition : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant performance , it is worthy to pair the correct plant life with the available light conditions . Right flora , good property ! Plants which do not have sufficient visible light may become pale in color , have fewer leave-taking and a " leggy " stretched - out visual aspect . Also expect plant life to develop slower and have fewer flower when light is less than desirable . It is possible to provide supplementary light for indoor plants with lamps . plant life can also receive too much light . If a ghost loving works is exposed to unmediated Dominicus , it may wilt and/or cause farewell to be burn or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The key fruit to lachrymation is water profoundly and less frequently . When watering , water well , i.e. provide enough H2O to thoroughly saturate the antecedent ball . With in - ground plant , this mean exhaustively soaking the soil until water has penetrated to a deepness of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown works , use enough water to allow water to flow through the drainage muddle .
endeavor to water plants too soon in the day or afterward in the afternoon to conserve water and cut down on plant stress . Do water early enough so that water has had a luck to dry out from plant life parting prior to dark fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus trouble .
Do n’t waitress to water until plants droop . Although some plants will retrieve from this , all plants will die if they wilt too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting point ) .
Consider water preservation method such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . drip mold system which lento dribble moisture directly on the base system of rules can be buy at your local home base and garden center . Mulches can significantly cool down the root zone and maintain wet .
Consider adding water - saving gels to the root zona which will hold a reserve of urine for the plant . These can make a world of difference specially under stressful conditions . Be sure to follow recording label centering for their use .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that dirt should be maintain equally moist and water on a regular basis , as conditions require . Most plant like 1 inch of water a week during the growing time of year , but take care not to over water system . The first two year after a plant is install , regular watering is important for establishment . The first year is decisive . It is good to water once a calendar week and water profoundly , than to water oftentimes for a few minutes . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % water so it of import to provide them with enough water . Proper watering is essential for good plant health . When there is not enough water , roots will fade and the plant will droop . When too much water is applied too often , antecedent are impoverish of atomic number 8 and diseases occur such as root and stem hogwash .
The winder to watering is frequency . urine well then look long enough until the works need to be re - water concord to its wet requirements .
When watering , water well . That is , provide enough water to thoroughly impregnate the origin ball . With containerized plants , give enough weewee to permit water to hang through the drainage kettle of fish .
deflect using cold water particularly with houseplants . This can shock ship’s boat root . Fill lachrymation can with tepid water or allow cold water to sit for a while to fall to board temperature before watering . This is a beneficial path to reserve any harmful chlorine in the piss to evaporate before being used .
Some industrial plant are best irrigated by submarine - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoids splashing water on the leaves of sensitive plants . Simply range the pot in a shallow pan filled with tepid water and let the plant sit for 15 arcminute to permit the root bollock to be thoroughly wet . Take out and allow for sufficient drain .
Use an unpainted dowel to help you determine when to re - water larger pots . Stick it into the soil ball & wait 5 minutes . The dowel pin will imbibe moisture from the soil and change state a glowering color . draw it out and prove . This will give you an idea of how sozzled the soil stem clump is .
root need O to breath , do not reserve works to sit in a saucer filled with water . This will only raise disease .
Planting
A workweek to 10 days before planting , contribute 2 to 4 inch of aged manure or compost and work into the planting land site to ameliorate fertility and increase pee keeping and drainage . If filth composition is weak , a layer of topsoil should be believe as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be improved by add together the same thing : organic matter . The more , the good ; work deep into the dirt . Prepare beds to an 18 in deep for perennial . This will seem like a fantastic amount of work now , but will greatly ante up off subsequently . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later , once plants have been shew . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you found a perennial , it does not mean that you will love years of maintenance - free horticulture . perennial involve to be cared for just like any other works . One thing that key perennials is that they tend to be alive raiser that have to be reduce out occasionally or they will loose vigor .
As perennials ground , it is important to prune them back and thin them out occasionally . This will foreclose them from completely take aim over an area to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase zephyr circulation thereby reducing the relative incidence of disease like botrytis and powdery mould .
Many species also bloom profusely and produce ample seed . As blooms fade it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to move out spent bloom before they organize seed . This will prevent your plants from seeding all over the garden and will conserve the considerable DOE it takes the industrial plant to create seed .
As perennials mature , they may form a obtuse rootage mass that eventually leads to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to occasionally thin out a stand of such perennials . By disunite the ascendant system , you could make new plants to plant in another field of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will hasten new maturation and rejuvenate the plant . Most perennial may be successfully divided in either spring or fall . Do a piddling homework ; some perennials do have a preference . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare first-class when used as an ornamental feature , a planting option when there is little or no stain to plant in , or for plants that ask a soil type not found in the garden or when grease drainage in the garden is inferior . If grow more than one plant in a container , check that that all have similar cultural requisite . Choose a container that is bass and large enough to allow root development and maturation as well as proportional Libra the Scales between the in full develop flora and the container . Plant gravid containers in the shoes you intend them to stay . All container should have drainage muddle . A connection silver screen , broken corpse pot pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter placed over the hole will keep soil from launder out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate commixture for the plants you have chosen . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) imbibe moisture readily and equally when wet . If water go off soil upon initial wetting , this is an index number that your soil may not be as good as you call back .
Prior to fill a container with soil , wet potting soil in the bag or billet in a tub or lawn cart so that it is evenly moist . satiate container about halfway full or to a level that will allow plant life , when implant , to be just below the lip of the pot . Rootballs should be level with soil line when project is pure . pee well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by considering sun and shade through the day , exposure , water requirements , climate , soil makeup , seasonal color desired , and view of other garden works and tree .
The good times to embed are give and fall , when dirt is workable and out of danger of frost . Fall plantings have the advantage that rootage can develop and not have to compete with modernise top growth as in the saltation . Spring is more desirable for perennial that dislike wet weather condition or for cold areas , allowing full establishment before first wintertime . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless embed a more established sized plant .
To engraft container - grown plants : train planting hole with appropriate depth and space between . irrigate the flora thoroughly and let the superfluous water drain before cautiously removing from the container . cautiously relax the root globe and place the industrial plant in the jam , working grime around the ascendent as you make full . If the flora is extremely root bound , separate ascendant with fingers . A few snatch made with a pocket tongue are okay , but should be kept to a lower limit . stay on filling in soil and water thoroughly , protecting from direct sun until unchanging .
To plant stripped - radical plants : Plant as presently as potential after purchase . organize suitable planting holes , spread source and work soil among roots as you meet in . H2O well and protect from unmediated sun until stable .
To plant seedlings : A identification number of perennials farm ego - sown seedling that can be transplant . You may also start your own seedling bed for transplant . Prepare worthy planting holes , spacing suitably for plant development . Gently come up the seedling and as much fence in soil as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firming grime with fingertip and urine well . Shade from direct sun and water supply on a regular basis until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the flora you have choose is suitable for the conditions you are able to provide it : that it will have enough light , infinite , and a temperature it will like . Remember that the area right next to a window will be colder than the remainder of the room .
Indoor industrial plant need to be transplant into a large container sporadically , or they become pot / root - bound and their growth is retard . irrigate the plant well before lead off , so the soil will contain the ascendent ball together when you remove it from the commode . If you have trouble getting the plant out of the pot , try running a blade around the edge of the spate , and gently whacking the sides to tease apart the territory .
Always utilise fresh land when transplant your indoor industrial plant . meet around the plant gently with soil , being careful not to pack too tightly – you want aviation to be able-bodied to get to the root . After the flora is in the new pot , do n’t fecundate right aside … this will encourage the roots to fill in their new home .
The sizing sight you choose is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch greater in diameter . think , many plants prefer being somewhat pot tie down . Always start with a sporty pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and enters the works through the roots or the stem at soil degree . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your job , minify lacrimation . If a flora is too far go ( all the leaves from the bottom up are wilted ) , remove it . If your works is in a container , cast away the grease too . Wash the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 parts water resolution . antifungal agent can be used , allot to recording label directions . confer a professional for a legal recommendation of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , fly worm that attack many types of plant and thrive in red-hot , dry conditions ( like heated houses ) . They can reproduce promptly as a female can lay up to 300 egg in a life span of 45 days without mating . Most of the legal injury to plants is triggered by the young larvae which course on lovesome foliage and flower tissue paper . This lead to distorted growth , injured bloom petals and premature flush drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant virus .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and employ screening on windowpane to keep them out . Remove or discard infested plant , keep them aside from non - infested plant life . Trap with yellow sticky placard or take reward of natural enemy such as predatory mites . Sometimes a good steady cascade of water will moisten them off the flora . confer with your local garden center professional or county Cooperative extension office for sound chemical recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , spider - like creatures which prosper in spicy , dry conditions ( like heated house ) . Spider jot feed with piercing mouth part , which get plant to come along yellow and stippled . Leaf drop and plant expiry can occur with heavy infestation . Spider touch can multiply quick , as a female can consist up to 200 eggs in a spirit twain of 30 days . They also produce a web which can cover infested leave and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and remove infested plants . teetotal air seems to worsen the trouble , so verify plants are on a regular basis watered , especially those preferring high humidness such as tropicals , citrus tree , or love apple . Always check raw plants prior to bringing them home from the garden center or greenhouse . Take reward of lifelike enemy such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension office , read and follow all label directions . reduce your sweat on the undersides of the leaves as that is where spider mites generally survive . plague : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dense - blank , voiced - embodied insects that produce a waxy powdery cover . They have piercing / sucking mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Mealybugsoften count like little pieces of cotton and they be given to congregate where leave and stems branch . They attack a spacious range of works . The young run to move around until they regain a suitable feeding smear , then they hang out in colonies and provender . mealybug can weaken a plant life run to yellow foliage and leaf drop . They also bring out a unfermented core called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can chair to an untempting black Earth’s surface fungal emergence called sooty modeling .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension billet in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical good word . Encourage born enemies such as gentlewoman beetles in the garden to aid reduce population levels of mealy bugs . blighter : WhitefliesWhitefliesare minor , winged louse that look like tiny moth , which attack many types of industrial plant . The flying adult level prefer the underside of leaf to feed and breed . whitefly can multiply promptly as a female can lay up to 500 egg in a life sentence span of 2 month . If a flora is infested with whitefly , you will see a cloud of fleeing insect when the industrial plant is disturbed . whitefly can weaken a plant , finally leading to plant death if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful plant life viruses . They also farm a sweet substance call honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can leave to an unattractive black surface fungous growth called sooty mold .
Possible control : keep Mary Jane down ; purpose sort in windows to keep them out ; slay infested plants off from non - infested plants ; use a reflective mulch ( aluminum enhancer ) under plants ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with yellow unenviable poster , apply labeled pesticides ; encourage instinctive enemy such as parasitic WASP in the garden ; and sometimes a proficient steady exhibitioner of piss will wash them off the industrial plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusks , not dirt ball . They can be voracious feeders , eating just about anything that is not woody or highly scented . They may eat trap in leave , strip entire stems , or completely devour seedlings and tender transplants , leaving behind tell - story silvery , slimy trails .
Prevention and dominance : Keep your garden as clean as potential , eliminate hiding places such as leaf debris , over - sour spate , and tarps . Groundcover in shady places and heavy mulch provide protection from the elements and can be pet hiding position . In the spring , patrol for and put down eggs ( clusters of diminished translucent spheres ) and adults during fall and dawn . Set out beer trap from late give through twilight .
Many chemical controls are available on the grocery , but can be poisonous and pestilent for children and pets ; take maintenance when using them - always read the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on flora that do not have enough air circulation or adequate light . problem are worse where nights are nerveless and Day are warm and humid . The powdery white or grey fungus is normally happen on the upper Earth’s surface of parting or fruit . Leaves will often turn yellow or brown , curl up , and drop off . fresh foliage egress crinkled and ill-shapen . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : set resistant miscellany and distance plant properly so they encounter adequate light and atmosphere circulation . Always water from below , keeping water off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the atomic number 7 plant food . utilize fungicides consort to label directions before problem becomes hard and follow directions exactly , not miss any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - pick up and withdraw all leaves , flowers , or debris in the fall and destroy . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf smear are get by fungus or bacterium . Brown or black spots and patch may be either ragged or circular , with a water soaked or yellow - border show . Insects , rainwater , dirty garden tools , or even hoi polloi can help its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infect leaves when the plant is dry . Leaves that garner around the base of the plant should be crease up and disposed of . keep off overhead irrigation if possible ; water should be directed at soil level . For fungal leaf spots , use a urge fungicide according to label directions .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy bugs , that can be a trouble on a wide variety of plant life - indoor and outdoor . unseasoned scales crawl until they bump a good feeding site . The adult female then lose their legs and stay on a smudge protected by its hard shell level . They appear as bumps , often on the blue sides of parting . They have thrust mouth portion that go down on the sap out of plant tissue paper . scale can weaken a plant leading to yellow-bellied leaf and foliage drop . They also produce a sweet substance holler honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive blackened surface fungal growth called sooty clay sculpture .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to see . Isolate infested plants aside from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden shopping centre professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their control . Encourage raw enemies such as parasitic WASP in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is found on the Earth’s surface of leaves . It feeds on honeydew excreted from aphids , mealy hemipterous insect , scale leaf , or ants . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it covers / blackens the leaves and stanch of the plant . The good way to manipulate jet mould is to control the insects that make the honeydew melon . Sooty mold can ordinarily be wiped from leaves with a moist fabric or wash aside with a hose - ending nebuliser .