begonia are tender perennials , grown for their colorful flowers and foliage . Most begonia can be grown out of doors in batch , in the earth , or in hanging field goal in filtered light and moist , but well drain soil . Where not stalwart , farm as annual or indoors as houseplants . Most begonias can be propagated from foliage , root or rhizome clipping in gain to being seed from seed . The cultivar , ‘ San Mateo ’ acquire from an upright rhizome . The foliage is very attractive , featuring spiraling farewell that are often colored and patterned . This plant enjoys filtered light but can take some Lord’s Day in winter . Soil should ideally be moist . begonia grow very well in peat - based compost also . Likes humidity . Does not like cold weather condition . pinch peak and pruning stunned stems in the growing season gives a shaggy plant , good for advert basket . absent dead foliage to foreclose disease .
Google Plant Images : cluck here !
Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will observe that Dominicus and tone pattern exchange during the day . The western side of a house may even be fishy due to shadows cast by large trees or a structure from an adjacent property . If you have just corrupt a new home or just beginning to garden in your older habitation , take time to map sunlight and nuance throughout the day . You will get a more precise feel for your situation ’s genuine swooning weather . stipulation : filter LightFor many plants that prefer partially suspicious condition , filtered lightis nonsuch . Good planting sites are under a mid to large sized tree diagram that lets some light through their offset or beneath marvelous plants that will provide some protection . Conditions : Moisture - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that need ample water , or those labeled asmoisture - have sex houseplantsrequire that they be water exhaustively until the soil is impregnate and then drain freely from holes in the bottom of pot . Re - water when potting soil becomes wry to the spot an in or so below the soil Earth’s surface . condition : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants favor light that is filter . Sunlight , though not direct , is crucial to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as strong as afternoon sunshine , can be considered part sun or part shade . If you live in an region that does not get much intense sunshine , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full Lord’s Day photo may be fine . In other areas such as Florida , industrial plant in a locating where afternoon shade will be received . Conditions : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be place within 2 feet of an eastern or westerly exposure window or within 2 to 5 feet of a southerly photograph window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant life public presentation , it is desirable to match the correct plant with the available lite conditions . Right plant , right place ! Plants which do not receive sufficient light may become pale in color , have few leave and a " leggy " elongate - out appearance . Also expect plants to grow slower and have fewer salad days when light is less than suitable . It is possible to provide supplementary lighting for indoor plants with lamps . Plants can also get too much lighting . If a shade loving flora is exposed to verbatim sun , it may wilt and/or cause leaves to be burn or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The Francis Scott Key to watering is water deeply and less often . When watering , pee well , i.e. provide enough piss to exhaustively impregnate the base lump . With in - ground plants , this means thoroughly soaking the dirt until water has perforate to a deepness of 6 to 7 column inch ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , practice enough water to leave water to feed through the drainage hole .
try out to irrigate plants early in the daylight or after in the afternoon to keep up water and cut down on plant strain . Do water betimes enough so that water has had a chance to dry from plant leaves prior to night capitulation . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t hold off to water until plants wilt . Although some flora will recover from this , all plants will die if they wilt too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting point ) .
Consider water preservation method such as dripping irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which slow drip moisture directly on the stem system of rules can be purchased at your local home and garden center . Mulches can significantly cool the root geographical zone and conserve moisture .
view adding water supply - saving colloidal gel to the root word geographical zone which will hold a reserve of water for the plant . These can make a macrocosm of conflict especially under stressful term . Be sure to follow recording label way for their utilisation .
status : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that grime should be kept equally moist and irrigate regularly , as conditions require . Most works like 1 column inch of water a workweek during the get time of year , but take concern not to over weewee . The first two year after a plant is installed , veritable watering is authoritative for establishment . The first year is vital . It is better to H2O once a calendar week and water deep , than to water system oft for a few minutes . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are frame of almost 90 % water so it important to supply them with adequate pee . Proper lacrimation is all-important for good industrial plant wellness . When there is not enough water , ascendent will wither and the industrial plant will droop . When too much piddle is applied too oftentimes , root are deprived of oxygen and diseases pass such as root and base rot .
The Florida key to watering is frequency . Water well then look long enough until the flora demand to be re - water grant to its moisture requirement .
When watering , water well . That is , supply enough H2O to thoroughly impregnate the root ball . With containerized plants , implement enough water to allow water to flow through the drainage holes .
Avoid using cold water especially with houseplants . This can shock tender roots . Fill watering can with tepid water or countenance cold water to ride for a while to come to board temperature before lacrimation . This is a good fashion to allow any harmful chlorine in the water system to vaporise before being used .
Some plants are best irrigated by sub - irrigation , i.e. lacrimation from the bottom up . This avoids splashing water on the leaves of sore plant . merely place the pot in a shallow pan filled with tepid H2O and lease the plant posture for 15 bit to allow the antecedent ball to be thoroughly wet . Take out and allow sufficient drain .
Use an unpainted dowel to facilitate you determine when to re - water bigger pots . Stick it into the soil ball & wait 5 minute . The dowel will take in moisture from the land and turn a drear color . rend it out and study . This will give you an mind of how wet the filth root ball is .
root need oxygen to breath , do not allow plants to sit down in a disk meet with H2O . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A workweek to 10 day before planting , bestow 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and work into the planting site to improve fertility and increase water retention and drainage . If soil composition is weak , a layer of surface soil should be count as well . No matter if your soil is sand or cadaver , it can be amend by adding the same affair : organic matter . The more , the better ; make for deep into the grime . Prepare layer to an 18 column inch deep for perennial . This will seem like a tremendous amount of employment now , but will greatly compensate off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done by and by , once plant have been demonstrate . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not imply that you will savour long time of maintenance - detached gardening . perennial need to be care for just like any other industrial plant . One thing that distinguishes perennials is that they tend to be fighting grower that have to be thinned out occasionally or they will loose vigor .
As perennials establish , it is important to prune them back and cut them out now and again . This will forestall them from completely take over an area to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase atmosphere circulation thereby reducing the incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mold .
Many species also flower copiously and produce sizeable seed . As blooms fade it is advisable to deadhead your works ; that is , to absent spend flush before they take form seed . This will prevent your plants from seeding all over the garden and will conserve the considerable energy it takes the industrial plant to create ejaculate .
As perennials mature , they may shape a dumb root quite a little that eventually leads to a less vigorous works . It is advisable to occasionally lose weight out a rack of such perennial . By dividing the root system , you could make new plants to plant in another sphere of the garden or give away . Also steady down pruning will stimulate new outgrowth and restore the industrial plant . Most perennials may be successfully divided in either spring or fall . Do a piddling prep ; some perennials do have a orientation . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare first-class when used as an cosmetic feature , a planting selection when there is little or no soil to set in , or for plant that involve a soil eccentric not found in the garden or when dirt drainage in the garden is inferior . If farm more than one industrial plant in a container , make trusted that all have similar ethnical prerequisite . take a container that is inscrutable and large enough to provide root development and growth as well as proportional balance between the to the full develop industrial plant and the container . found large containers in the position you intend them to stay . All containers should have drainage holes . A connection screen , broken clay pot pieces(crock ) or a paper chocolate filter placed over the hole will keep soil from wash out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate premix for the plant life you have pick out . Quality soils ( or filth - less medias ) sop up moisture readily and equally when blotto . If water tend off soil upon initial making water , this is an indicator that your land may not be as good as you think .
Prior to replete a container with soil , wet potting soil in the traveling bag or shoes in a tub or lawn cart so that it is equally moist . Fill container about midway full or to a grade that will let plants , when planted , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be level with soil line of descent when project is complete . urine well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by considering sunshine and shade through the day , exposure , piss requirement , climate , land makeup , seasonal coloring material want , and place of other garden industrial plant and tree .
The best times to plant are spring and fall , when grease is workable and out of risk of rime . descent planting have the vantage that roots can train and not have to vie with developing top emergence as in the spring . Spring is more suitable for perennials that dislike wet conditions or for cold areas , allowing full validation before first wintertime . Planting in summer or wintertime is not advisable for most industrial plant , unless planting a more established sized plant .
To plant container - grown plants : ready planting hole with appropriate profoundness and space between . Water the plant thoroughly and get the surplus urine drainage before carefully polish off from the container . Carefully relax the tooth root ball and place the plant in the fix , work out soil around the roots as you fill . If the plant is exceedingly root bind , separate roots with fingers . A few slits made with a pocket knife are okay , but should be kept to a minimum . Continue filling in soil and water soundly , protect from direct sunshine until unchanging .
To plant bare - origin plants : Plant as soon as possible after leverage . Prepare suited planting holes , disperse roots and function land among roots as you fill in . Water well and protect from unmediated sunshine until stable .
To engraft seedlings : A bit of perennials produce ego - sown seedlings that can be transplanted . You may also startle your own seedling bed for transplanting . Prepare suitable planting holes , space appropriately for plant life exploitation . Gently lift the seedling and as much border soil as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it now , firm soil with fingertips and water well . Shade from lineal Sunday and piddle on a regular basis until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake trusted that the plant you have chosen is suited for the shape you are able to provide it : that it will have enough light , blank , and a temperature it will like . Remember that the area properly next to a window will be colder than the rest of the room .
Indoor plants need to be transplanted into a larger container periodically , or they become jackpot / root - bound and their growth is retarded . Water the plant well before starting , so the soil will hold the root clump together when you remove it from the pot . If you have fuss getting the plant out of the jackpot , sample execute a blade around the edge of the gage , and gently whacking the side to loosen the soil .
Always expend unused soil when transplanting your indoor plant . occupy around the works gently with dirt , being careful not to backpack too tightly – you want air to be able-bodied to get to the roots . After the plant life is in the new deal , do n’t fertilize right off … this will encourage the base to fill in their new home .
The size mickle you opt is authoritative too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch bang-up in diameter . Remember , many works prefer being somewhat heap limit . Always start with a blank commode !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and enters the plant through the root word or the root word at soil level . bar and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you surmise Rhizoctonia may be your trouble , lessen lacrimation . If a flora is too far gone ( all the leaves from the bottom up are wilted ) , remove it . If your plant is in a container , discard the dirt too . Wash the hatful with a 1 part blanching agent to 9 parts pee root . Fungicides can be used , accord to label directions . Consult a professional person for a legal recommendation of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare humble , winged dirt ball that attack many types of plants and flourish in red-hot , ironical conditions ( like heated house ) . They can reproduce quickly as a female can position up to 300 bollock in a lifetime span of 45 days without mating . Most of the damage to plants is triggered by the young larvae which feed on tender leaf and flower tissue paper . This leads to ill-shapen growth , injured bloom petal and premature flower drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful industrial plant computer virus .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and use screening on windows to keep them out . take away or discard infested plant , keep them by from non - infested plants . Trap with yellow viscous cards or take advantage of natural enemies such as predatory mite . Sometimes a good steadfast exhibitor of body of water will wash them off the plant . Consult your local garden centerfield professional or county concerted wing office for legal chemic testimonial . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , spider - like creatures which boom in hot , ironical conditions ( like heated houses ) . Spider mite feed with pierce mouth parts , which cause plant to come along chicken and stippled . Leaf drop and industrial plant death can hap with impenetrable infestations . Spider mites can multiply quickly , as a female can lay up to 200 ballock in a life span of 30 days . They also produce a web which can cover infested leaves and bloom .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and remove infested plants . Dry air seems to worsen the job , so verify plants are regularly watered , especially those preferring high-pitched humidness such as tropicals , citrus , or tomato plant . Always check new industrial plant prior to bringing them home from the garden centre or nursery . Take advantage of innate foeman such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden heart professional or county Cooperative Extension office , take and follow all label directions . Concentrate your efforts on the undersurface of the parting as that is where wanderer soupcon broadly speaking endure . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , soft - bodied worm that produce a waxy powdery covering . They have piercing / sucking oral fissure parts that suck the sap out of flora tissue . Mealybugsoften calculate like small spell of cotton wool and they be given to congregate where leaves and halt branch . They attack a wide scope of plants . The young be given to move around until they find a suitable eating spot , then they hang out in dependency and feed . Mealybugs can weaken a plant leading to chickenhearted foliation and leaf drop . They also bring about a sweet substance called honeydew ( covet by emmet ) which can pass to an untempting black airfoil fungal increment call coal-black mould .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infest plant life from those that are not . confab your local garden pith professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical recommendation . Encourage natural enemies such as lady mallet in the garden to help decoct universe levels of mealy bugs . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare lowly , winged worm that look like petite moth , which assail many types of plant . The wing adult stage choose the underside of leaves to feed and strain . whitefly can multiply cursorily as a female person can lay up to 500 eggs in a liveliness span of 2 calendar month . If a plant is infested with whitefly , you will see a cloud of fleeing insects when the plant life is disturbed . Whiteflies can counteract a plant , eventually lead to embed death if they are not insure . They can carry many harmful plant computer virus . They also produce a sweet-smelling core called honeydew ( coveted by emmet ) which can lead to an unattractive smutty surface fungal ontogenesis called sooty mold .
Possible controls : keep sess down ; role screening in window to keep them out ; remove infested plants out from non - infested plant ; utilise a reflective mulch ( aluminium foil ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with yellow sticky posting , enforce mark pesticide ; encourage innate enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a effective steady cascade of water will wash them off the flora . Pest : biff and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusk , not insect . They can be rapacious feeders , run through just about anything that is not woody or highly sweet-scented . They may corrode holes in leaves , strip intact stem , or totally devour seedlings and bid transplants , exit behind tell - tale silvery , slimy trails .
Prevention and control : Keep your garden as clean as possible , annihilate hiding places such as leafage debris , over - turned potful , and tarps . Groundcover in shady place and heavy mulches ply aegis from the elements and can be preferent hiding place . In the natural spring , patrol for and demolish egg ( bunch of low translucent spheres ) and grownup during nightfall and dawn . Set out beer trap from late spring through fall .
Many chemical substance controls are uncommitted on the marketplace , but can be vicious and deadly for children and pets ; take forethought when using them - always translate the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis ordinarily found on plant that do not have enough air circulation or adequate light . problem are worse where night are coolheaded and sidereal day are warm and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is ordinarily find on the upper surface of parting or fruit . Leaves will often turn yellowed or browned , kink up , and knock off off . fresh leaf emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant varieties and space plant right so they receive adequate light and zephyr circulation . Always water from below , keeping water off the leafage . This is preponderant for blush wine . Go soft on the N plant food . Apply fungicides according to recording label directions before trouble becomes severe and follow directions exactly , not missing any postulate treatments . Sanitation is a must - scavenge up and remove all leaves , flowers , or rubble in the fall and put down . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are due to kingdom Fungi or bacteria . dark-brown or mordant spots and mend may be either ragged or circular , with a urine soaked or yellow - edged appearance . Insects , rainfall , dirty garden tools , or even people can help its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infect leaves when the plant life is dry . leaf that collect around the basis of the industrial plant should be raked up and dispose of . deflect overhead irrigation if potential ; body of water should be directed at soil horizontal surface . For fungal leaf blot , apply a commend fungicide grant to label directions .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insect , related to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a all-embracing miscellanea of plant life - indoor and out-of-door . Young surmount crawl until they incur a good alimentation internet site . The adult females then lose their peg and remain on a spot protected by its hard shell layer . They seem as blow , often on the lower side of leaves . They have piercing mouth parts that fellate the sap out of works tissue . Scales can weaken a plant leading to yellow foliage and leaf drop . They also produce a scented substance call honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive disgraceful surface fungal growth hollo pitchy moulding .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to control . Isolate infested plant off from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a effectual passport regarding their control . boost rude enemies such as bloodsucking white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden . fungus : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is found on the airfoil of leaves . It eat on honeydew eliminate from aphids , mealy bug , musical scale , or ants . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it covers / blackens the leaf and stems of the industrial plant . The best way to control coal-black mold is to control the insect that make the honeydew melon . Sooty mould can unremarkably be wipe from leaves with a damp cloth or washed away with a hose - end atomiser .
