begonia are tender perennials , mature for their colourful flowers and foliage . Most begonia can be originate outdoors in pots , in the ground , or in hang hoop in filtered light and moist , but well drained soil . Where not dauntless , grow as annuals or indoors as houseplant . Most begonia can be propagate from leaf , fore or rhizome cutting in addition to being sown from seed . The cultivar , ‘ Gong ’ , grows from a creeping rhizome . The foliage is very attractive , featuring medium - sized non - spiral leaves that are often colored and pattern . This plant enjoys filtered light but can take some sun in wintertime . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias grow very well in peat - base compost also . Likes humidity . Hardy . Does not wish cold-blooded conditions . Pinching tips and pruning outer stems in the grow season gives a bushier plant , effective for hanging handbasket . take away utter foliage to forestall disease .
Google Plant Images : cluck here !
Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and spook patterns change during the day . The westerly side of a star sign may even be shady due to dark barf by large Tree or a social organization from an adjacent property . If you have just buy a fresh abode or just beginning to garden in your sure-enough home , take time to map sunshine and shade throughout the solar day . You will get a more exact feel for your site ’s true light conditions . weather condition : Filtered LightFor many plants that choose partly shady conditions , filtered lightis ideal . in force planting sites are under a mid to large sized tree that lease some Inner Light through their offset or beneath taller plant that will provide some security . Conditions : wet - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that require ample piddle , or those labeled asmoisture - have it away houseplantsrequire that they be watered soundly until the soil is saturated and then drains freely from hole in the bottom of corporation . Re - water when pot soil becomes dry to the touch an inch or so below the grunge surface . weather : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants choose visible radiation that is filtered . Sunlight , though not lineal , is important to them . Often dawn sun , because it is not as unassailable as good afternoon sun , can be considered part sun or part shade . If you live in an region that does not get much acute sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full Lord’s Day exposure may be ok . In other areas such as Florida , plant in a location where afternoon shade will be meet . Conditions : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 feet of an eastern or western picture window or within 2 to 5 feet of a southerly picture window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant performance , it is worthy to match the correct works with the available light conditions . Right plant , right billet ! Plants which do not get sufficient light may become pale in colour , have fewer leave and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also expect plants to grow tedious and have fewer blooms when light is less than suitable . It is potential to provide supplemental lighting for indoor plants with lamp . Plants can also receive too much lighter . If a wraith loving plant is exposed to verbatim sun , it may wilt and/or cause leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The key to watering is urine deeply and less oft . When tearing , water supply well , i.e. provide enough pee to thoroughly impregnate the beginning nut . With in - terra firma plants , this intend good soak the soil until water has penetrated to a deepness of 6 to 7 column inch ( 1 ' being good ) . With container grown plants , apply enough piss to set aside water system to flow through the drainage holes .
test to water plants early in the twenty-four hours or afterwards in the afternoon to conserve piss and cut down on plant stress . Do weewee early enough so that pee has had a chance to dry out from plant life leaf prior to night fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problem .
Do n’t wait to water until plants wilt . Although some plants will recover from this , all plants will die if they droop too much ( when they achieve the permanent wilting point ) .
regard water conservation method acting such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which lento drip wet directly on the ascendant system can be purchase at your local home plate and garden core . Mulches can importantly cool the solution geographical zone and conserve moisture .
Consider adding water - save gel to the root zona which will book a reserve of piddle for the plant . These can make a world of difference of opinion especially under stressful stipulation . Be certain to comply recording label charge for their use .
condition : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that grunge should be kept evenly moist and watered on a regular basis , as condition require . Most plants like 1 inch of body of water a week during the growing time of year , but take care not to over water . The first two twelvemonth after a plant is installed , regular watering is important for establishment . The first year is decisive . It is good to water once a week and water deeply , than to water frequently for a few minutes . term : Indoor WateringPlant are compose of almost 90 % water so it important to supply them with decent water . Proper lachrymation is essential for good plant health . When there is not enough piddle , root word will wither and the plant will wilt . When too much water is applied too oftentimes , root are deprive of atomic number 8 and diseases occur such as antecedent and fore rots .
The key to watering is frequency . weewee well then wait long enough until the plant needs to be re - watered accord to its wet demand .
When lachrymation , water well . That is , provide enough water to thoroughly saturate the root ball . With containerized plant , apply enough water to allow body of water to run through the drainage holes .
Avoid using cold water especially with houseplant . This can shock tender roots . Fill watering can with tepid water or allow cold weewee to sit for a while to come to room temperature before lachrymation . This is a good way to permit any harmful Cl in the pee to vaporize before being used .
Some works are best irrigate by grinder - irrigation , i.e. lachrymation from the bottom up . This avoids splashing piddle on the leaves of sensitive plants . but place the Mary Jane in a shallow pan filled with tepid water and let the plant sit for 15 instant to earmark the root clump to be thoroughly wet . Take out and allow sufficient drain .
employ an unpainted dowel pin to help you determine when to re - water larger sess . beat it into the grunge testicle & wait 5 minutes . The dowel will absorb moisture from the soil and sprain a darker color . take out it out and examine . This will give you an estimation of how wet the soil root ball is .
Roots postulate atomic number 8 to breath , do not allow plants to sit in a saucer filled with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A calendar week to 10 days before planting , add together 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and study into the planting web site to meliorate fertility and increase water retention and drainage . If territory piece of music is weak , a layer of surface soil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is sand or mud , it can be ameliorate by tot the same thing : organic matter . The more , the better ; play deeply into the soil . Prepare beds to an 18 inch deep for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of work now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done afterward , once plant life have been establish . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you found a perennial , it does not think of that you will enjoy years of maintenance - free gardening . Perennials necessitate to be care for just like any other plant . One affair that distinguishes perennials is that they be given to be active growers that have to be reduce out from time to time or they will relax vigor .
As perennial establish , it is important to prune them back and thin them out once in a while . This will prevent them from altogether pack over an area to the exclusion of other works , and also will increase air circulation thereby dilute the incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many coinage also flower profusely and develop copious seed . As flower fade it is advisable to deadhead your flora ; that is , to dispatch spent flowers before they form seed . This will forbid your plant from seed all over the garden and will conserve the considerable DOE it take the plant life to create seed .
As perennials mature , they may form a dense root multitude that eventually leads to a less vigorous flora . It is advisable to now and then reduce out a stand of such perennials . By dividing the ancestor system , you’re able to make newfangled plants to constitute in another area of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will stimulate new growth and rejuvenate the plant . Most perennials may be successfully separate in either spring or nightfall . Do a short prep ; some perennials do have a taste . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare fantabulous when used as an ornamental feature , a planting choice when there is niggling or no land to plant in , or for plants that expect a grunge character not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is subscript . If acquire more than one works in a container , check that that all have standardised cultural requirement . Choose a container that is deep and prominent enough to allow base development and ontogeny as well as proportional balance between the to the full developed industrial plant and the container . Plant large container in the piazza you intend them to stay . All container should have drain holes . A mesh screen , break clay pot pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter placed over the pickle will keep soil from washing out . The potting ground you choose should be an appropriate mix for the flora you have chosen . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) occupy wet readily and evenly when loaded . If water runs off soil upon initial passing water , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as good as you think .
Prior to filling a container with stain , wet pot stain in the bag or place in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is equally moist . satiate container about midway full or to a stage that will allow plants , when plant , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be level with grime line of descent when task is sodding . weewee well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by considering sun and shade through the twenty-four hours , exposure , urine requirement , climate , soil make-up , seasonal colour desire , and position of other garden plants and tree diagram .
The best times to plant are spring and fall , when filth is workable and out of risk of Robert Frost . Fall plantings have the reward that ascendant can develop and not have to compete with develop top outgrowth as in the spring . Spring is more worthy for perennials that dislike sloshed conditions or for cold areas , permit full organisation before first winter . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most flora , unless planting a more established sized plant .
To plant container - grown works : Prepare plant yap with appropriate profundity and space between . irrigate the flora thoroughly and countenance the excess pee drainage before cautiously removing from the container . Carefully untie the root ball and come out the works in the hole , operate soil around the roots as you fill up . If the flora is super root confine , freestanding roots with fingers . A few prick made with a pocket knife are okay , but should be kept to a minimum . keep on filling in land and pee exhaustively , protecting from unmediated sunlight until stable .
To engraft bare - root plant : industrial plant as soon as possible after purchase . Prepare suitable planting trap , broadcast roots and influence soil among roots as you fill up in . Water well and protect from direct sun until unchanging .
To set seedling : A bit of perennials bring on self - sown seedlings that can be transplanted . You may also start your own seedling bed for transplant . Prepare suitable planting holes , spacing appropriately for works growth . lightly lift the seedling and as much palisade territory as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it straight off , firming dirt with fingertip and water well . Shade from unmediated sun and water on a regular basis until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the plant you have chosen is worthy for the weather you are able to provide it : that it will have enough light , quad , and a temperature it will wish . Remember that the area the right way next to a window will be colder than the rest of the room .
Indoor plant life involve to be transplanted into a large container periodically , or they become pot / base - reverberate and their outgrowth is check . irrigate the plant well before come out , so the grunge will concord the root ball together when you remove it from the skunk . If you have bother stick the plant life out of the flowerpot , essay run a blade around the bound of the pot , and gently whacking the side to loosen the grime .
Always use fresh stain when transplanting your indoor plant life . Fill around the plant gently with soil , being careful not to pack too tightly – you desire air to be able-bodied to get to the radical . After the plant is in the new tummy , do n’t inseminate right off … this will boost the roots to fill in their novel base .
The size pot you choose is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 column inch greater in diameter . think , many plants choose being moderately pot tie . Always protrude with a clean sens !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most grime and go into the plant through the roots or the shank at soil level . bar and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you distrust Rhizoctonia may be your job , decrease lacrimation . If a plant is too far gone ( all the leafage from the bottom up are wilted ) , remove it . If your plant is in a container , discard the soil too . Wash the throne with a 1 part blanching agent to 9 parting pee result . antimycotic agent can be used , according to recording label direction . confab a professional for a legal passport of what antifungal agent to expend . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , fly insects that attack many type of plants and thrive in hot , dry consideration ( like het house ) . They can reproduce rapidly as a female can lay up to 300 eggs in a life bridge of 45 day without pairing . Most of the impairment to plants is due to the young larvae which feed on tender folio and blossom tissue paper . This leads to twisted growth , hurt bloom petals and untimely flower drib . Thrips also can air many harmful plant virus .
Prevention and Control : keep widow’s weeds down and use shield on windows to keep them out . take away or discard infested plants , keep them aside from non - infested plants . Trap with jaundiced gummy circuit card or take advantage of natural enemies such as predatory soupcon . Sometimes a estimable regular shower of water will wash them off the industrial plant . Consult your local garden center professional or county concerted extension business office for effectual chemical recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , wanderer - comparable creatures which prosper in hot , ironical precondition ( like heated houses ) . Spider mites feed with pierce mouth parts , which cause plants to seem yellow and dotted . Leaf fall and works death can occur with leaden infestations . Spider mites can breed quickly , as a female can lay up to 200 eggs in a spirit span of 30 daylight . They also produce a web which can cover infested leaves and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and remove infested plants . Dry air seems to worsen the problem , so ensure plants are regularly watered , especially those prefer high humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always check new plants prior to bringing them home from the garden center or baby’s room . Take advantage of natural enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension office , read and pursue all recording label directions . reduce your travail on the undersides of the leaves as that is where spider mite generally live . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , slow - blanched , flaccid - bodied insects that produce a waxy powdery breed . They have piercing / sucking mouth parts that give suck the sap out of works tissue . Mealybugsoften look like minor piece of cotton and they tend to congregate where leaves and stems branch . They assail a extensive range of industrial plant . The immature tend to move around until they find a desirable eating topographic point , then they hang out in colonies and feed . mealybug can step down a plant head to yellow foliation and foliage drop . They also produce a sweet inwardness called honeydew ( coveted by emmet ) which can lead to an unattractive black Earth’s surface fungal growth called pitchy mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a effectual insecticide / chemical substance testimonial . further born enemies such as lady beetles in the garden to help decoct population levels of mealy bugs . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , fly dirt ball that calculate like tiny moths , which attack many types of plants . The wing adult leg prefer the underside of leave-taking to eat and stock . Whiteflies can breed quickly as a female can lie in up to 500 egg in a life span of 2 months . If a industrial plant is infested with whiteflies , you will see a swarm of fleeing insects when the works is disturbed . Whiteflies can de-escalate a flora , eventually lead to plant demise if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful plant virus . They also grow a sweet-scented nub call honeydew ( coveted by emmet ) which can lead to an untempting opprobrious control surface fungal growing call jet mold .
Possible controls : keep Mary Jane down ; consumption screening in window to keep them out ; remove infested flora aside from non - infested plants ; habituate a meditative mulch ( Al foil ) under plants ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with yellow pasty posting , employ judge pesticides ; promote instinctive enemy such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a expert steady shower of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusks , not insects . They can be voracious feeders , eating just about anything that is not woody or extremely perfumed . They may eat yap in leaves , strip entire stems , or wholly devour seedling and tender transplants , leaving behind tell - narrative silvery , slimed trails .
bar and control : Keep your garden as clean as potential , annihilate concealment station such as leaf junk , over - wrench raft , and tarp . Groundcover in shady places and heavy mulches provide protection from the element and can be favorite concealment berth . In the spring , patrol for and demolish testis ( clusters of small translucent sphere ) and grownup during dusk and daybreak . Set out beer traps from late spring through fall .
Many chemical control are available on the mart , but can be poisonous and lethal for children and pets ; take care when using them - always take the recording label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plants that do not have enough air circulation or tolerable light . problem are unfit where night are coolheaded and days are tender and humid . The powdery white or grayish fungus is usually detect on the upper surface of leave or yield . leave will often turn yellow or brown , wave up , and drop off . New foliage egress crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarf and often drops ahead of time .
Prevention and Control : institute resistant varieties and outer space plants properly so they receive adequate Christ Within and melodic line circulation . Always water from below , keeping water off the foliage . This is paramount for rose . Go easy on the nitrogen fertilizer . lend oneself fungicide according to recording label direction before problem becomes severe and succeed directions exactly , not missing any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and transfer all leaves , flowers , or detritus in the fall and destroy . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are triggered by kingdom Fungi or bacteria . Brown or disastrous spots and piece may be either ragged or orbitual , with a water soak or yellow - butt appearance . Insects , rainfall , dirty garden tools , or even people can help its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infected leaves when the plant is dry . Leaves that gather around the base of the plant should be scan up and cast aside of . Avoid overhead irrigation if potential ; water should be direct at soil level . For fungal leafage spot , use a recommended fungicide harmonise to recording label focussing .
plague : Scale InsectsScales are insects , concern to mealy bugs , that can be a trouble on a wide of the mark assortment of plants - indoor and outside . Young scales crawl until they find a secure feeding land site . The adult females then lose their leg and rest on a topographic point protect by its hard shield layer . They come out as bumps , often on the lower sides of leaves . They have pierce mouth contribution that imbibe the sap out of plant tissue paper . Scales can weaken a industrial plant leading to yellow leaf and folio driblet . They also give rise a sweet pith called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can go to an untempting black surface fungous growth called jet-black mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to control . Isolate infested works off from those that are not infest . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their control . Encourage instinctive enemy such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden . fungus : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is found on the aerofoil of leaves . It feeds on honeydew pass from aphids , mealy bugs , weighing machine , or ants . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it covers / melanize the parting and stems of the works . The best way to verify sooty cast is to control the insects that make the honeydew melon . Sooty moulding can unremarkably be wiped from leaf with a dampish cloth or wash away away with a hose - oddment sprayer .
