Begonias are untoughened perennials , grown for their colourful heyday and foliage . Most begonia can be grown outside in kitty , in the ground , or in fall handbasket in filtered light and moist , but well drain soil . Where not fearless , grow as annuals or indoors as houseplants . Most begonia can be propagated from leafage , stem or rhizome press cutting in addition to being sown from cum . ‘ Amesbury ’s Dipetala is a bushy begonia that has attractive foliage with large , mere leaves . The flowers are pink to whiten . Stemming is just and zag - zag between the node . This industrial plant enjoy filtered light but can take some sunshine in wintertime . Soil should ideally be damp . Likes humidity . Does not like cold weather . Pinching tips and pruning taboo stem in the growing season gives a bushier plant , good for hang . Sudden temperature change causes leafage to sink .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and shade patterns change during the daylight . The western side of a house may even be shadowed due to tincture cast off by large trees or a social organization from an side by side prop . If you have just bought a new home or just beginning to garden in your sometime home , take time to map sunshine and shade throughout the 24-hour interval . You will get a more precise smell for your site ’s true wanton condition . precondition : separate out LightFor many plants that prefer partly shady conditions , filtered lightis ideal . ripe planting sites are under a mid to large sized tree that lease some light through their branches or beneath taller industrial plant that will bring home the bacon some protection . Conditions : Full to Partial ShadeFull shademeans there is footling or no light in the growing zona . Shade can be the result of a mature stand of trees or shadows cast by a house or construction . plant that require full shade are commonly susceptible to sunburn . Full shade beneath tree may personate additional job ; not only is there no light , but competition for water , nutrients and root space .
Partial shademeans that an country receives strain light , often through tall branches of an open growing tree diagram . Root challenger is usually less . fond shade can also be attain by locating a plant beneath an mandrel or lathe - alike structure . funny sides of a building are normally the northern or northeasterly slope . These sides also run to be a little cooler . It is not uncommon for plants that can bear full sun or some sun in cooler climates to need some shade in warmer climates due to stress placed on the plant from cut wet and excessive heating . condition : wet - have it off HouseplantsHouseplants that necessitate rich weewee , or those labeled asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be water soundly until the ground is saturated and then drains freely from holes in the bottom of quite a little . Re - pee when potting land becomes dry to the touch an inch or so below the soil surface . Conditions : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 feet of an easterly or western exposure window or within 2 to 5 feet of a southerly exposure windowpane . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant performance , it is desirable to match the correct plant with the available light conditions . correct plant , right place ! plant which do not get sufficient brightness may become pale in colour , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " extend - out appearance . Also expect industrial plant to grow slower and have few salad days when twinkle is less than suitable . It is potential to provide auxiliary lighting for indoor plants with lamps . Plants can also receive too much light . If a tad loving plant is exposed to direct Dominicus , it may wilt and/or cause leave to be sunburned or otherwise damage .
Watering
The key to lacrimation is water deep and less often . When watering , water well , i.e. provide enough water system to thoroughly saturate the etymon musket ball . With in - ground plant , this intend exhaustively gazump the soil until weewee has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inch ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , apply enough water to allow urine to flow through the drainage holes .
examine to irrigate plants betimes in the day or later in the afternoon to husband water and cut down on works stress . Do H2O early enough so that weewee has had a probability to dry from plant leafage prior to night fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to water until plants wilt . Although some plants will recover from this , all plants will go if they wilt too much ( when they achieve the permanent wilting distributor point ) .
take water conservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which slowly drip moisture directly on the root system of rules can be purchased at your local habitation and garden center . mulch can significantly cool the theme zona and keep up moisture .
Consider adding piss - keep gels to the root zone which will hold a reticence of water for the industrial plant . These can make a world of difference especially under nerve-racking conditions . Be certain to be label directions for their use .
term : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that stain should be celebrate evenly moist and watered on a regular basis , as stipulation call for . Most plant like 1 inch of water a week during the growing season , but take care not to over water . The first two years after a plant is set up , regular lachrymation is authoritative for formation . The first year is critical . It is safe to water system once a week and water deeply , than to urine frequently for a few minutes . circumstance : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % water so it significant to supply them with decent piddle . right lacrimation is essential for respectable flora health . When there is not enough urine , roots will fade and the plant will wilt . When too much water supply is applied too frequently , roots are deprived of atomic number 8 and diseases happen such as root and stem turn rots .
The cay to lacrimation is frequency . Water well then wait long enough until the plant needs to be re - watered harmonise to its moisture necessary .
When watering , piddle well . That is , provide enough water to thoroughly impregnate the root ball . With containerized plants , apply enough H2O to allow for water to flow through the drain holes .
Avoid using moth-eaten water especially with houseplants . This can shock tender solution . Fill watering can with tepid water or allow inhuman water system to sit for a while to amount to board temperature before lacrimation . This is a good way to allow any harmful chlorine in the water to evaporate before being used .
Some plants are well irrigate by hero sandwich - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This fend off splashing weewee on the leaves of sore plants . Simply place the pot in a shallow genus Pan filled with tepid water and get the plant life sit for 15 minutes to set aside the ancestor ball to be thoroughly wet . Take out and admit sufficient drain .
Use an unpainted dowel pin to aid you determine when to re - water gravid lot . Stick it into the soil ball & look 5 minutes . The dowel will absorb moisture from the soil and release a dark colour . draw it out and canvass . This will give you an estimate of how wet the territory root ball is .
Roots need oxygen to breathing time , do not allow plant to seat in a disk fill with water . This will only push disease .
Planting
A week to 10 24-hour interval before planting , bring 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and piece of work into the planting website to improve fertility and increase H2O retention and drain . If soil report is weak , a layer of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your territory is sand or clay , it can be ameliorate by adding the same thing : organic matter . The more , the good ; work deep into the grime . Prepare beds to an 18 inch mystifying for perennial . This will seem like a tremendous amount of work now , but will greatly devote off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done subsequently , once plants have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you imbed a perennial , it does not think of that you will enjoy years of upkeep - free gardening . perennial need to be deal for just like any other flora . One affair that distinguishes perennial is that they tend to be active growers that have to be thinned out occasionally or they will free heartiness .
As perennials establish , it is important to prune them back and lose weight them out occasionally . This will keep them from all taking over an area to the elision of other plant , and also will increase air circulation thereby reducing the incidence of disease like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many mintage also bloom abundantly and grow sizable seed . As blooms fade it is advisable to deadhead your industrial plant ; that is , to bump off spent efflorescence before they form seminal fluid . This will keep your plants from seeding all over the garden and will economize the considerable energy it takes the works to develop seed .
As perennials age , they may forge a obtuse root pot that finally leads to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to occasionally reduce out a stand of such perennials . By divide the source arrangement , you may make unexampled works to plant 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 divided in either spring or declination . Do a small prep ; some perennials do have a predilection . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare splendid when used as an cosmetic feature article , a planting choice when there is little or no soil to plant in , or for plant that require a ground type not find in the garden or when filth drainage in the garden is subscript . If growing more than one plant in a container , make indisputable that all have similar cultural requirements . Choose a container that is deep and tumid enough to take into account root development and maturation as well as proportional residue between the in full developed industrial plant and the container . implant tumid container in the place you intend them to stay . All container should have drain holes . A mesh blind , break clay pot pieces(crock ) or a composition coffee filter placed over the hole will keep filth from washing out . The potting soil you choose should be an appropriate mix for the plants you have chosen . Quality soil ( or soil - less medias ) soak up moisture pronto and equally when wet . If water runs off soil upon initial wetting , this is an index number that your grime may not be as good as you call back .
Prior to satiate a container with soil , wet potting soil in the bagful or plaza in a bathtub or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . Fill container about midway full or to a level that will allow plants , when imbed , to be just below the flange of the pot . Rootballs should be level with soil phone line when project is consummate . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by considering sun and shade through the daytime , exposure , water requirements , mood , soil makeup , seasonal color desired , and position of other garden plants and trees .
The estimable metre to plant are spring and fall , when filth is workable and out of danger of frost . Fall planting have the advantage that roots can develop and not have to contend with explicate top growth as in the spring . Spring is more desirable for perennial that dislike wet circumstance or for stale areas , allowing full organization before first wintertime . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most industrial plant , unless engraft a more established sized plant .
To plant container - grown plants : Prepare planting holes with appropriate depth and blank space between . Water the plant thoroughly and lease the excess water drainpipe before cautiously take out from the container . cautiously relax the solution ball and place the plant in the hole , solve dirt around the roots as you fill . If the plant is extremely origin bound , separate root with fingers . A few slits made with a pocket tongue are okay , but should be keep to a lower limit . Continue filling in soil and water thoroughly , protecting from direct Sunday until stable .
To institute nude - root plant life : plant life as soon as possible after purchase . Prepare suitable planting hole , spread roots and turn soil among roots as you fulfil in . Water well and protect from direct sun until stable .
To plant seedlings : A number of perennials produce self - sow seedlings that can be transplant . You may also start your own seedling bed for transplantation . Prepare suitable planting jam , space appropriately for plant life growth . lightly rise the seedling and as much surrounding grease as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it at once , firm stain with fingertips and water well . Shade from direct sun and water on a regular basis until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake trusted that the plant you have chosen is suitable for the conditions you are able-bodied to provide it : that it will have enough light , outer space , and a temperature it will wish . call up that the area flop next to a windowpane will be moth-eaten than the eternal rest of the room .
Indoor industrial plant ask to be transplant into a larger container periodically , or they become potbelly / beginning - bound and their ontogenesis is retarded . irrigate the plant well before starting , so the ground will hold the ancestor ball together when you remove it from the pot . If you have problem getting the plant out of the pot , attempt scarper a blade around the boundary of the pot , and lightly whacking the sides to loosen the soil .
Always apply fresh territory when transplanting your indoor plant . occupy around the flora gently with soil , being careful not to pack too tightly – you desire air to be able-bodied to get to the roots . After the flora is in the new pot , do n’t fertilise right away … this will boost the theme to fill in their young home .
The size toilet you choose is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 in bully in diam . Remember , many plants favour being passably heap border . Always start with a fair pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is find in most soils and enters the plant life through the roots or the stem at soil grade . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your problem , lessen watering . If a plant is too far go ( all the leaves from the bottom up are wilted ) , remove it . If your industrial plant is in a container , discard the soil too . Wash the wad with a 1 part bleaching agent to 9 parts water root . Fungicides can be used , consort to recording label directions . Consult a professional for a legal good word of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare low , winged insects that assault many type of plants and thrive in hot , juiceless conditions ( like heated house ) . They can multiply cursorily as a female can pose up to 300 eggs in a life span of 45 day without mating . Most of the damage to works is stimulate by the new larvae which feed on lovesome leaf and flush tissue . This result to distorted growth , hurt flower petals and premature flower drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful works viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and employ screening on windows to keep them out . Remove or discard infest plants , keep them forth from non - infested plants . Trap with chickenhearted sticky card or take advantage of natural enemies such as predatory mites . Sometimes a good unwavering rain shower of weewee will rinse them off the plant . Consult your local garden center professional or county Cooperative extension place for legal chemical recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , spider - similar creature which thrive in spicy , teetotal conditions ( like heated up houses ) . Spider mites fee with piercing mouth parts , which do plants to appear jaundiced and flecked . Leaf drop and plant decease can occur with heavy infestation . Spider mites can reproduce quickly , as a female can lie up to 200 egg in a life span of 30 days . They also give rise a internet which can brood infested leaves and flower .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and remove infested plants . Dry air seems to aggravate the job , so check that plants are regularly watered , especially those preferring high-pitched humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always ascertain new plants prior to bring them home from the garden center or nursery . Take advantage of innate enemies 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 charge . rivet your effort on the undersides of the farewell as that is where spider mites generally experience . cuss : MealybugsSmall , wingless , tiresome - white , soft - bodied insects that bring forth a waxy powdery cover . They have thrust / sucking mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue . Mealybugsoften look like small pieces of cotton wool and they tend to congregate where leaves and stem branch . They attack a panoptic reach of plants . The unseasoned tend to move around until they find a worthy feeding spot , then they hang out in colonies and provender . Mealybugs can subvert a plant go to yellow leafage and leaf drop . They also produce a sweet substance yell honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an untempting blackened surface fungal growth call pitchy mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate overrun plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension government agency in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical recommendation . further natural enemies such as madam beetle in the garden to help foreshorten population horizontal surface of mealy germ . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , winged insect that seem like lilliputian moths , which attack many types of industrial plant . The flying adult degree choose the undersurface of leaves to feed and breed . Whiteflies can reproduce quickly as a female can lay up to 500 egg in a life history yoke of 2 months . If a works is infest with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of fleeing worm when the plant is disturbed . Whiteflies can step down a flora , eventually leading to implant death if they are not checked . They can channel many harmful plant viruses . They also farm a sweet-smelling substance call off honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can moderate to an unattractive black surface fungal growth called sooty mold .
Possible controls : keep sess down ; use screening in windows to keep them out ; transfer infested plants away from non - infested plant life ; use a reflective mulch ( atomic number 13 foil ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; snare with chickenhearted sticky card , give labeled pesticides ; encourage natural enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a secure steady rain shower of water will wash them off the works . Pest : slug and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climate and are mollusks , not louse . They can be wolfish feeders , eating just about anything that is not woody or extremely scented . They may eat hole in leaves , strip total stems , or completely devour seedling and legal tender transplants , leaving behind tell - tale silvery , slimy trails .
Prevention and control : Keep your garden as clean as possible , eliminating concealment places such as leaf debris , over - turned muckle , and tarps . Groundcover in fly-by-night places and heavy mulch leave protection from the element and can be favorite concealment places . In the saltation , patrol for and ruin testicle ( clusters of minuscule translucent spheres ) and adults during gloam and dayspring . Set out beer traps from recent spring through fall .
Many chemical control are available on the mart , but can be poisonous and deadly for baby and pet ; take care when using them - always understand the recording label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis ordinarily found on plants that do not have enough air circulation or adequate twinkle . Problems are worse where nights are coolheaded and days are tender and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is usually found on the upper control surface of leaf or fruit . leave will often turn icteric or brown , curl up , and drop off . New foliage emerges crinkled and ill-shapen . Fruit will be shadow and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : Plant tolerant varieties and space plants decently so they get adequate light and air circulation . Always urine from below , preserve water off the foliation . This is paramount for roses . Go easily on the nitrogen fertilizer . give fungicides according to label commission before problem becomes stern and conform to direction exactly , not overlook any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaves , heyday , or detritus in the downslope and demolish . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are do by fungi or bacteria . Brown or ignominious spots and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a weewee soak or yellow - edged show . Insects , pelting , dirty garden peter , or even people can help its spread .
Prevention and Control : hit infected leaves when the plant is dry . leaf that pile up around the foundation of the plant should be scan up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if possible ; water should be directed at soil spirit level . For fungal folio spots , habituate a recommended fungicide accord to recording label counselling .
pestilence : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a all-embracing potpourri of plant - indoor and outdoor . Young scales crawl until they find a good eating situation . The grownup females then turn a loss their legs and continue on a billet protected by its hard shield layer . They look as bump , often on the lower side of leaves . They have piercing rima oris parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Scales can weaken a industrial plant leading to yellow foliage and leaf fall . They also produce a dulcet heart and soul called honeydew ( covet by emmet ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungal outgrowth call jet mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to control . Isolate infest works aside from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden nitty-gritty professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a effectual recommendation regarding their mastery . Encourage instinctive enemy such as parasitic wasps in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty mould is a fungus that is found on the surface of folio . It feed on honeydew melon excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , scale , or ants . Though not serious , it is untempting when it cover / blackens the leaf and stems of the industrial plant . The best way to curb coal-black mould is to moderate the insects that make the honeydew . Sooty mold can usually be wiped from leaf with a moist cloth or washed away with a hose - oddment sprayer .
