Begonias are tender perennials , grown for their colorful flower and foliage . Most begonias can be grown out of doors in pots , in the terra firma , or in hanging basketful in filtered light and moist , but well drain soil . Where not sturdy , grow as yearbook or indoors as houseplants . Most begonias can be propagated from leaf , stem or rootstock cutting in addition to being sown from seed . ( Plant width : leave 3 to 6 inches ) The ‘ Red Imp ’ begonia originate from a creeping rhizome . The foliation is very attractive , have average - sized , liquid , lobate leaves . The flowers are pink . This plant enjoys filtered light but can take some sun in winter . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias grow very well in peat - based compost also . Likes humidity . Hardy . Does not like cold weather . Pinching tips and pruning outer stems in the growing season gives a shaggy plant life , good for hanging baskets . Remove idle leafage to prevent disease .
Google Plant Images : clack here !
Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that Lord’s Day and shade patterns change during the day . The western side of a sign of the zodiac may even be shady due to shadows swan by expectant trees or a structure from an next property . If you have just bought a new home or just beginning to garden in your older home , take prison term to map sun and wraith throughout the Clarence Day . You will get a more exact feel for your site ’s dead on target light conditions . condition : filtrate LightFor many plants that prefer partially fly-by-night conditions , filtered lightis apotheosis . Good planting sites are under a mid to tumid sized Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that let some light through their branches or beneath tall plant that will supply some auspices . Conditions : Moisture - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that expect ample pee , or those labeled asmoisture - lie with houseplantsrequire that they be irrigate good until the stain is saturate and then drains freely from holes in the bottom of stool . Re - piddle when pot soil becomes dry to the ghost an inch or so below the dirt surface . condition : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants favor lighting that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is crucial to them . Often dayspring sun , because it is not as strong as good afternoon sun , can be considered part sun or part shade . If you live in an area that does not get much vivid Lord’s Day , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be o.k. . In other area such as Florida , plant in a location where afternoon ghost will be encounter . Conditions : burnished Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be place within 2 feet of an easterly or western photo windowpane or within 2 to 5 feet of a southern picture window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor safe plant performance , it is worthy to play off the correct industrial plant with the useable light weather condition . Right works , right space ! Plants which do not receive sufficient light may become pale in color , have few leaves and a " leggy " stretch - out show . Also expect plants to grow slower and have fewer blooms when brightness is less than desirable . It is possible to provide supplemental firing for indoor plants with lamp . plant can also experience too much light . If a shade loving plant is exposed to direct sun , it may droop and/or have leaves to be sunburn or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The key to tearing is H2O deeply and less often . When watering , water well , i.e. provide enough urine to thoroughly impregnate the root ball . With in - flat coat works , this mean exhaustively surcharge the soil until water has penetrate to a astuteness of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being good ) . With container grown plants , apply enough pee to allow water to flow through the drain holes .
attempt to water plants early in the day or later in the good afternoon to husband urine and slew down on plant stress . Do water too soon enough so that urine has had a chance to dry from plant leave of absence prior to nighttime gloam . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t expect to water supply until plants wilt . Although some plant will retrieve from this , all plants will die if they droop too much ( when they attain the lasting wilting point ) .
count water supply preservation method acting such as drip mould irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which slowly dribble wet at once on the ancestor organization can be buy at your local dwelling and garden center . Mulches can importantly cool the root zone and preserve moisture .
Consider sum up water supply - economise gels to the base zona which will hold a reservation of water for the plant . These can make a universe of difference of opinion specially under stressful conditions . Be sure to observe recording label centering for their use .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept equally moist and irrigate on a regular basis , as conditions require . Most plants like 1 inch of water a calendar week during the growing season , but take care not to over water . The first two years after a flora is installed , unconstipated watering is important for establishment . The first year is vital . It is better to water once a week and water deeply , than to water often for a few minutes . condition : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % pee so it important to supply them with adequate pee . right watering is of the essence for good plant life wellness . When there is not enough water , roots will wither and the flora will droop . When too much water is utilize too ofttimes , roots are deprived of O and disease fall out such as root and root word decomposition .
The key to watering is frequency . Water well then expect long enough until the works needs to be re - watered accord to its moisture requirements .
When watering , water well . That is , provide enough water system to good impregnate the rootage ball . With containerized plants , apply enough body of water to countenance water to menstruate through the drainage holes .
Avoid using cold water specially with houseplants . This can outrage tender roots . filling watering can with tepid water or take into account cold pee to model for a while to get to room temperature before watering . This is a unspoiled fashion to allow for any harmful Cl in the body of water to evaporate before being used .
Some plants are well irrigated by U-boat - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoids splashing piddle on the leaves of sensitive works . plainly place the slew in a shallow genus Pan fill up with tepid piddle and let the plant sit down for 15 minutes to admit the ascendant ball to be thoroughly wet . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted dowel to facilitate you determine when to re - water large pots . Stick it into the soil ball & await 5 minutes . The dowel will absorb moisture from the soil and turn a darker people of colour . Pull it out and examine . This will give you an estimate of how wet the grunge root chunk is .
Roots involve atomic number 8 to breath , do not give up plants to posture in a saucer fill with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , sum up 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and work into the planting site to ameliorate fertility rate and increase water retention and drainage . If grease physical composition is imperfect , a layer of surface soil should be moot as well . No matter if your dirt is sand or corpse , it can be improved by add the same thing : organic topic . The more , the better ; work out deep into the stain . groom bed to an 18 inch deep for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of body of work now , but will greatly bear off afterwards . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later , once plants have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you implant a perennial , it does not mean that you will enjoy years of maintenance - barren horticulture . Perennials need to be care for just like any other plant . One matter that distinguishes perennials is that they tend to be active growers that have to be thinned out now and again or they will loose vigor .
As perennial establish , it is important to prune them back and thin them out occasionally . This will prevent them from completely taking over an area to the exclusion of other works , and also will increase air circulation thereby reducing the incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many species also bloom abundantly and produce sizable seed . As blooms slice it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove spend blossom before they mould seed . This will preclude your plants from seed all over the garden and will economise the considerable vigour it takes the plant to produce seed .
As perennials maturate , they may mold a dense rootage mass that eventually direct to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to now and then thin out a base of such perennial . By dividing the root system , you could make new plants to plant in another arena of the garden or give away . Also settle pruning will stimulate newfangled increase and rejuvenate the plant . Most perennials may be successfully divided in either spring or fall . Do a piffling homework ; some perennial do have a taste . How - to : get up ContainersContainersare splendid when used as an cosmetic feature , a planting option when there is little or no grease to plant in , or for plants that require a soil character not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is substandard . If grow more than one plant in a container , make certain that all have standardized ethnic requirements . Choose a container that is inscrutable and bombastic enough to allow root development and outgrowth as well as relative balance between the full developed flora and the container . establish large containers in the place you intend them to stay put . All containers should have drainage holes . A internet screen , broken clay pot pieces(crock ) or a newspaper coffee filter placed over the fix will keep soil from lave out . The potting soil you choose should be an appropriate mix for the plants you have chosen . Quality soils ( or filth - less medias ) immerse moisture pronto and equally when wet . If water run off soil upon initial leak , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as adept as you retrieve .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet pot soil in the bag or position in a bathing tub or barrow so that it is evenly moist . fill up container about midway full or to a level that will allow plants , when planted , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be level with soil line when project is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by considering sun and shade through the mean solar day , photograph , water requirements , clime , soil makeup , seasonal color hope , and position of other garden plants and trees .
The best times to plant are spring and dip , when soil is executable and out of danger of frost . Fall plantings have the advantage that ancestor can grow and not have to contend with train top emergence as in the fountain . Spring is more desirable for perennial that dislike wet conditions or for colder areas , allowing full establishment before first wintertime . Planting in summertime or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless found a more established sized plant .
To plant container - grown plants : Prepare plant jam with appropriate depth and distance between . Water the plant thoroughly and let the excess water drain before carefully removing from the container . Carefully loosen the stem ball and commit the plant in the cakehole , working soil around the roots as you fill . If the plant is extremely root bind , separate roots with fingers . A few slits made with a pocket tongue are all right , but should be kept to a lower limit . preserve occupy in dirt and water good , protect from verbatim sun until static .
To establish au naturel - ancestor plants : Plant as before long as potential after leverage . develop suitable planting cakehole , circularize etymon and work out soil among roots as you fill in . water system well and protect from lineal sun until stable .
To plant seedlings : A number of perennials produce ego - sown seedling that can be graft . You may also start your own seedling layer for transplant . Prepare suitable planting hole , space appropriately for industrial plant exploitation . Gently revoke the seedling and as much environ soil as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it straight off , firming grime with fingertips and water well . Shade from direct sun and pee regularly until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the flora you have choose is worthy for the experimental condition you are able to allow for it : that it will have enough light , distance , and a temperature it will wish . think back that the area aright next to a window will be colder than the rest of the room .
Indoor plant life require to be transplanted into a large container periodically , or they become grass / root - bound and their growth is decelerate . Water the flora well before pop out , so the soil will admit the stem ball together when you remove it from the mass . If you have fuss grow the industrial plant out of the pot , judge running a blade around the edge of the pot , and mildly whacking the side to loosen the soil .
Always use fresh ground when transfer your indoor industrial plant . sate around the plant lightly with soil , being careful not to pack too tightly – you want air to be capable to get to the antecedent . After the plant is in the new pot , do n’t fertilize right aside … this will promote the roots to take in their new abode .
The size pot you opt is significant too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch greater in diameter . think back , many plants prefer being somewhat pot tie . Always get with a clean stack !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is find oneself in most soils and inscribe the plant through the roots or the fore at soil story . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you distrust Rhizoctonia may be your job , lessen lachrymation . If a plant is too far gone ( all the foliage from the bottom up are wilt ) , remove it . If your plant is in a container , discard the soil too . lave the pot with a 1 part blanching agent to 9 percentage water solvent . Fungicides can be used , according to label directions . Consult a professional for a legal recommendation of what fungicide to expend . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , winged insects that attack many types of plant and fly high in live , dry experimental condition ( like heated mansion ) . They can multiply apace as a female person can lay up to 300 eggs in a living span of 45 days without mating . Most of the damage to plant is induce by the young larvae which bung on tender folio and flower tissue paper . This moderate to distorted ontogenesis , hurt bloom petals and premature flower dip . Thrips also can transmit many harmful flora virus .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and expend screening on windows to keep them out . take away or discard infest plants , keep them away from non - infested flora . Trap with yellow sticky calling card or take advantage of natural enemies such as predatory mites . Sometimes a good steady exhibitor of body of water will wash them off the plant life . confer your local garden midpoint professional or county accommodative extension position for sound chemic recommendation . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , wanderer - comparable beast which thrive in hot , dry condition ( like heated up houses ) . Spider mites flow with piercing back talk character , which cause plant life to appear icteric and stippled . Leaf drop and plant death can occur with heavy infestations . Spider mites can multiply quickly , as a female person can lie in up to 200 eggs in a life span of 30 days . They also bring about a internet which can handle infested leaves and prime .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and take away infested plants . wry air seems to worsen the problem , so ensure works are regularly water , specially those prefer high humidness such as tropicals , citrus , or tomato . Always check unexampled plants prior to bring them home from the garden centre or nursery . Take vantage of natural foe such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is commend by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension place , read and surveil all label guidance . rivet your efforts on the bottom of the foliage as that is where spider mites more often than not live . pestis : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , voiced - bodied insects that produce a waxy powdery covering . They have piercing / suck oral cavity parts that suck up the sap out of plant tissue . Mealybugsoften look like modest pieces of cotton and they lean to congregate where leaves and stems limb . They attack a wide range of plant . The young run to move around until they regain a suitable feeding spot , then they hang out in colony and feed . mealybug can weaken a plant leading to jaundiced foliage and leaf driblet . They also produce a angelic meaning called honeydew ( coveted by emmet ) which can lead to an untempting black-market open fungal growth call jet cast .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infest works from those that are not . confer with your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension situation in your county for a effectual insecticide / chemical substance recommendation . Encourage lifelike enemy such as lady beetle in the garden to help reduce population degree of mealy bugs . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , winged insects that look like diminutive moth , which set on many types of plants . The fly adult stage prefers the bottom of leaves to give and breed . whitefly can manifold chop-chop as a female can lay up to 500 orchis in a life straddle of 2 months . If a plant is infested with whitefly , you will see a cloud of flee insects when the works is touch . whitefly can step down a plant , eventually leading to implant death if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful plant virus . They also bring forth a honeyed substance called honeydew ( covet by ant ) which can head to an untempting fateful surface fungous development called sooty mould .
Possible controls : keep weeds down ; use screen out in windows to keep them out ; remove infest industrial plant away from non - infested plants ; use a pondering mulch ( aluminum transparency ) under plant ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with yellow pasty cards , utilise labeled pesticides ; further innate enemies such as parasitical wasp in the garden ; and sometimes a good unshakable shower bath of H2O will lave them off the plant . Pest : punch and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusc , not insect . They can be voracious feeders , rust just about anything that is not woody or highly scented . They may eat holes in leaves , strip entire stem , or completely devour seedlings and tender transplantation , pull up stakes behind tell - tale silvery , unworthy trail .
Prevention and control : Keep your garden as clean as potential , eliminating concealing position such as foliage detritus , over - turned batch , and tarps . Groundcover in shady places and heavy mulches supply protection from the elements and can be favorite concealment places . In the bounce , patrol for and destroy egg ( clusters of small translucent welkin ) and grownup during dusk and dawn . Set out beer traps from late leaping through fall .
Many chemical substance controls are uncommitted on the market place , but can be poisonous and deadly for children and pet ; take fear when using them - always read the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis normally notice on plant that do not have enough air circulation or adequate light source . Problems are bad where dark are cool and day are tender and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is usually found on the upper surface of leaf or fruit . Leaves will often turn yellowish or brown , curl up , and drop off . raw foliage emerges crinkled and misshapen . Fruit will be dwarf and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : Plant immune variety and space plants properly so they receive adequate light and airwave circulation . Always water from below , keeping water off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the atomic number 7 fertilizer . Apply fungicides grant to recording label directions before trouble becomes life-threatening and follow directions just , not missing any need discussion . Sanitation is a must - pick up and remove all leave of absence , flowers , or debris in the twilight and ruin . fungus : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are get by fungus kingdom or bacterium . Brown or black spots and spell may be either ragged or circular , with a piddle dowse or yellow - edged visual aspect . Insects , rain , muddy garden instrument , or even mass can help oneself its spread .
Prevention and Control : dispatch infected leaves when the works is dry . Leaves that collect around the base of the industrial plant should be rake up and dispose of . Avoid overhead irrigation if possible ; piss should be directed at soil level . For fungal foliage spots , apply a commend fungicide according to recording label directions .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are worm , related to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a encompassing variety of plants - indoor and outdoor . unseasoned scales front crawl until they happen a good feeding land site . The adult female person then miss their legs and rest on a spot protect by its hard shell layer . They appear as bumps , often on the low sides of leaves . They have pierce mouth part that draw the sap out of plant tissue . Scales can subvert a flora head to icteric foliage and leaf drop . They also bring forth a sweet meat called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can pass to an unattractive smuggled surface fungal ontogenesis called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once plant they are surd to control . Isolate infested industrial plant aside from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a effectual testimonial regarding their command . Encourage rude enemy such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden . kingdom Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is found on the Earth’s surface of leaves . It feed on honeydew excrete from aphids , mealy bug , exfoliation , or ants . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it covers / blackens the leaves and stem of the plant . The dear way to command pitchy mold is to control the insects that make the honeydew melon . Sooty mold can commonly be wiped from leaves with a damp cloth or washed off with a hosiery - end atomiser .
