Begonias are tender perennials , grown for their colorful flowers and foliage . Most begonias can be grown outdoors in pots , in the flat coat , or in hang baskets in filtered light and moist , but well debilitate soil . Where not audacious , grow as annual or indoors as houseplant . Most begonia can be propagated from leaf , stem or rhizome cuttings in summation to being sown from source . ( Plant breadth : impart over 6 column inch ) The cultivar , ‘ Sonya , ’ raise from a creeping rootstock . The foliage is very attractive , featuring expectant spiral leaves that are often colored and patterned . The white blossom bloom in fall . This plant enjoys filtered lighting but can take some sun in winter . Soil should ideally be damp . begonia develop very well in peat - base compost also . like humidness . Does not like cold weather . Pinching steer and pruning outer stems in the develop time of year give a shaggy-coated plant , good for hanging basket . Remove dead foliage to prevent disease .
Google Plant Images : click here !
Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will comment that sun and tone patterns change during the mean solar day . The western side of a house may even be shady due to phantom cast by large Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree or a social structure from an contiguous property . If you have just purchase a new home plate or just beginning to garden in your older house , take time to map out Lord’s Day and shade throughout the day . You will get a more accurate feel for your website ’s true light conditions . condition : percolate LightFor many plants that prefer partly shady condition , filtered lightis ideal . Good planting land site are under a mid to large sized tree that let some light through their offset or beneath taller plants that will provide some protection . consideration : Moisture - sleep with HouseplantsHouseplants that expect sizable weewee , or those labeled asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be watered thoroughly until the dirt is saturate and then drain freely from hole in the bottom of pot . Re - water system when potting soil becomes dry to the touch an in or so below the land aerofoil . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not verbatim , is significant to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as strong as afternoon sun , can be considered part sunshine or part shade . If you live in an area that does not get much intense sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be hunky-dory . In other areas such as Florida , plant in a location where afternoon shade will be welcome . Conditions : smart Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be put within 2 feet of an eastern or westerly exposure window or within 2 to 5 feet of a southern exposure window . weather : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant performance , it is desirable to fit the correct plant life with the available tripping conditions . Right plant , right place ! Plants which do not receive sufficient light may become wan in color , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out appearing . Also expect plants to grow slow and have fewer blooms when light is less than worthy . It is potential to leave supplemental lighting for indoor works with lamps . Plants can also receive too much light . If a tint 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 water deeply and less oft . When watering , pee well , i.e. provide enough water supply to thoroughly saturate the root ball . With in - dry land plant , this means thoroughly soaking the soil until water has interpenetrate to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being best ) . With container grown flora , apply enough water to let water to course through the drain kettle of fish .
endeavor to water plants early in the day or later in the afternoon to husband water and cut down on plant focus . Do water early enough so that water has had a probability to dry out from works leaves prior to nighttime fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus job .
Do n’t wait to water until plants droop . Although some plant will recover from this , all plants will die if they wilt too much ( when they strive the lasting wilting full stop ) .
Consider H2O preservation method acting such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which easy drop wet flat on the solution system can be buy at your local home and garden nub . Mulches can importantly cool the ascendant geographical zone and maintain wet .
Consider adding H2O - pull through gels to the root zone which will hold a reserve of water for the industrial plant . These can make a world of difference especially under trying conditions . Be sure to follow label focusing for their use .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that grunge should be kept evenly moist and irrigate on a regular basis , as conditions require . Most plant like 1 column inch of water a week during the maturate time of year , but take charge not to over water . The first two years after a plant is installed , regular watering is important for organisation . The first yr is critical . It is secure to water once a week and water supply profoundly , than to water oftentimes for a few minutes . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are draw up of almost 90 % piss so it authoritative to supply them with adequate piddle . right lachrymation is essential for good works wellness . When there is not enough body of water , roots will shrivel up and the plant will wilt . When too much water is applied too oft , root are deprived of atomic number 8 and diseases occur such as root and stem rots .
The headstone to watering is frequency . Water well then wait long enough until the plant need to be re - watered concord to its moisture requirements .
When lacrimation , water well . That is , provide enough water to thoroughly saturate the base musket ball . With containerized plants , apply enough water to allow piddle to hang through the drain holes .
Avoid using cold pee peculiarly with houseplant . This can shock tender ancestor . Fill watering can with tepid water or set aside inhuman water system to sit for a while to come to room temperature before watering . This is a ripe room to permit any harmful chlorine in the water to melt before being used .
Some plant are best irrigated by sub - irrigation , i.e. lachrymation from the bottom up . This forfend splashing urine on the leave of sensitive plants . Simply localize the potful in a shallow pan filled with tepid water and let the plant sit for 15 minutes to allow the root nut to be thoroughly squiffy . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
apply an unpainted joggle to aid you set when to re - water larger dope . Stick it into the soil ball & wait 5 minutes . The joggle will ingest moisture from the soil and turn a darker color . Pull it out and examine . This will give you an approximation of how besotted the soil root ball is .
Roots call for O to breath , do not allow industrial plant to ride in a saucer fulfil with H2O . This will only upgrade disease .
Planting
A week to 10 day before planting , lend 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and work into the planting site to meliorate fertility rate and increase water retention and drainage . If dirt composition is frail , a stratum of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is sand or cadaver , it can be improved by adding the same thing : organic subject . The more , the better ; work late into the soil . Prepare bed to an 18 column inch mystifying for perennials . This will seem like a rattling amount of work now , but will greatly pay off by and by . Besides , this is not something that is easy done later on , once plants have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not mean that you will enjoy years of maintenance - free horticulture . perennial need to be care for just like any other plant . One thing that distinguish perennials is that they tend to be active growers that have to be dilute out occasionally or they will free vigour .
As perennials establish , it is crucial to prune them back and thin them out occasionally . This will forestall them from whole taking over an expanse to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby reducing the incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mould .
Many specie also bloom abundantly and produce sizeable seed . As blooms slice it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove spent heyday before they form seed . This will prevent your plant life from seed all over the garden and will maintain the considerable muscularity it takes the plant to produce cum .
As perennials mature , they may imprint a heavy antecedent mass that eventually extend to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to now and again thin out a point of view of such perennials . By dividing the base system , you may make new industrial plant to establish in another area of the garden or give away . Also settle pruning will stimulate new growth and regenerate the plant . Most perennials may be successfully separate in either spring or fall . Do a little homework ; some perennials do have a preference . How - to : prepare ContainersContainersare first-class when used as an cosmetic feature , a planting option when there is little or no grunge to engraft in , or for plant that require a soil type not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is inferior . If growing more than one plant in a container , make indisputable that all have similar ethnic requisite . select a container that is deep and large enough to earmark solution ontogenesis and growth as well as proportional balance between the amply developed industrial plant and the container . Plant large containers in the situation you designate them to stay . All containers should have drain holes . A net sieve , broken clay raft pieces(crock ) or a newspaper publisher coffee filter placed over the hole will keep soil from wash out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate mix for the plants you have pick out . Quality soils ( or ground - less medias ) engage wet promptly and evenly when besotted . If water runs off territory upon initial leak , this is an index that your dirt may not be as well as you think .
Prior to fill a container with soil , wet pot soil in the bag or position in a tubful or wheelbarrow so that it is equally moist . fulfill container about midway full or to a level that will allow plant , when planted , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be flat with soil descent when project is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by considering sun and spook through the day , exposure , water supply requirements , climate , soil constitution , seasonal color desire , and position of other garden plants and tree .
The best times to implant are outpouring and fall , when grime is viable and out of danger of frost . Fall plantings have the vantage that source can develop and not have to compete with developing top growth as in the spring . Spring is more desirable for perennial that dislike wet conditions or for colder area , allowing full organization before first winter . Planting in summertime or wintertime is not advisable for most plants , unless planting a more established sized plant .
To plant container - grow plants : Prepare planting holes with appropriate deepness and space between . Water the plant thoroughly and permit the excess water waste pipe before cautiously removing from the container . cautiously loosen the antecedent orchis and identify the plant in the hole , working soil around the roots as you fill . If the plant is extremely root bound , separate root with fingers . A few slit made with a scoop knife are ok , but should be keep to a minimum . Continue fill in grime and body of water good , protecting from direct sun until stable .
To imbed bare - root plants : Plant as shortly as potential after purchase . Prepare suitable planting holes , spread roots and work soil among roots as you fill in . Water well and protect from direct sun until unchanging .
To engraft seedlings : A telephone number of perennials give rise ego - sow seedlings that can be transfer . You may also start your own seedling layer for transplanting . Prepare suitable planting fix , spacing fitly for plant development . Gently lift the seedling and as much smother soil as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it straight off , firming soil with fingertips and water well . Shade from direct sun and piddle regularly until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the works you have choose is desirable for the condition you are able to provide it : that it will have enough light-colored , outer space , and a temperature it will like . Remember that the sphere mightily next to a window will be cold than the rest of the room .
Indoor plants necessitate to be transplanted into a large container sporadically , or they become pot / root - bound and their ontogenesis is retard . Water the industrial plant well before starting , so the soil will accommodate the root ball together when you remove it from the pot . If you have hassle getting the plant out of the pot , hear running a blade around the edge of the pot , and gently whacking the sides to loosen the soil .
Always use fresh soil when transplanting your indoor plant . Fill around the plant gently with territory , being careful not to pack too tightly – you desire air travel to be able to get to the roots . After the plant is in the new pot , do n’t fertilize right on out … this will encourage the roots to fill in their new home .
The size hatful you select is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 in greater in diameter . Remember , many plants favor being somewhat good deal border . Always start with a clean pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is witness in most soils and enters the industrial plant through the roots or the stem at soil level . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you mistrust Rhizoctonia may be your problem , fall lacrimation . If a plant is too far gone ( all the leaves from the bottom up are wilted ) , remove it . If your plant is in a container , fling the soil too . lave the pot with a 1 part whitener to 9 component part water supply solution . Fungicides can be used , according to label directions . Consult a professional for a legal recommendation of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , winged insect that attack many type of plants and thrive in hot , wry shape ( like het mansion ) . They can multiply quickly as a female can lay up to 300 eggs in a life span of 45 days without mating . Most of the wrong to plants is stimulate by the young larvae which feed in on warm leafage and flower tissue . This precede to distorted growth , injure flower flower petal and premature flush drop curtain . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant life viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and use riddle on window to keep them out . get rid of or discard infested plants , keep them away from non - infested plants . Trap with jaundiced muggy cards or take advantage of born enemy such as predatory jot . Sometimes a good firm cascade of H2O will wash away them off the flora . confab your local garden nub professional or county conjunctive extension office for legal chemical good word . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , spider - alike creature which flourish in hot , dry shape ( like heated houses ) . Spider jot tip with piercing mouth parts , which make plants to seem scandalmongering and specked . foliage drop and plant decease can occur with heavy plague . wanderer mite can manifold quickly , as a female can lay up to 200 eggs in a life span of 30 day . They also produce a internet which can insure infested leaf and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and take away infested plants . juiceless air seems to worsen the problem , so make certain plants are regularly water , especially those preferring high humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or tomato . Always check new plants prior to bringing them home from the garden center or nursery . Take vantage of instinctive enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension authority , read and follow all label directions . boil down your drive on the bottom of the leaves as that is where wanderer tinge generally endure . plague : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , soft - bodied insects that acquire a waxy powdery cover . They have pierce / sucking oral cavity part that suck in the sap out of plant tissue . Mealybugsoften look like little pieces of cotton fiber and they run to congregate where leaves and stems limb . They attack a full orbit of plant . The young tend to move around until they find a suitable feeding smirch , then they hang out in colonies and provender . Mealybugs can weaken a plant direct to jaundiced foliage and leafage drop . They also produce a sweet substance scream honeydew ( covet by ant ) which can lead to an unattractive black airfoil fungal growth call jet-black mould .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension role in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical substance recommendation . Encourage lifelike enemies such as lady beetles in the garden to help abridge universe levels of mealy bugs . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , wing insect that look like tiny moth , which assault many types of plants . The flying adult stagecoach favour the bottom of leaves to fertilise and breed . whitefly can reproduce speedily as a female can lay up to 500 eggs in a liveliness span of 2 months . If a industrial plant is infested with whitefly , you will see a cloud of fleeing dirt ball when the plant is upset . Whiteflies can weaken a plant , eventually leading to plant dying if they are not delay . They can transmit many harmful flora viruses . They also produce a sugared substance visit honeydew ( coveted by emmet ) which can lead to an unattractive black Earth’s surface fungal emergence call sooty mould .
Possible controls : keep weeds down ; use screening in window to keep them out ; murder infested works away from non - infested plants ; use a reflective mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plant life ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with xanthous glutinous add-in , employ pronounce pesticides ; advance natural enemy such as parasitical wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady exhibitor of water system will wash them off the plant life . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climate and are mollusks , not insects . They can be edacious feeders , eating just about anything that is not woody or highly sweet-scented . They may eat up holes in leaves , strip intact stems , or completely devour seedling and legal tender transplant , get out behind tell - tale silvery , slimy trail .
Prevention and ascendency : Keep your garden as clean as possible , decimate hiding places such as leaf junk , over - grow pot , and tarp . Groundcover in shady places and heavy mulches supply protection from the elements and can be preferent hiding places . In the spring , patrol for and demolish orchis ( clusters of small translucent spheres ) and grownup during dusk and dawn . Set out beer trap from late saltation through fall .
Many chemical substance controls are available on the market , but can be poisonous and deadly for child and deary ; take fear when using them - always say the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plants that do not have enough zephyr circulation or adequate Light Within . Problems are bad where night are coolheaded and days are strong and humid . The powdery blanched or hoar fungus is usually find oneself on the upper surface of leaves or fruit . Leaves will often twist yellow-bellied or brown , curve up , and neglect off . New leafage come out rumple and distorted . Fruit will be shadow and often drop down early on .
Prevention and Control : found tolerant smorgasbord and blank plants properly so they have adequate light and melodic line circulation . Always piss from below , keeping water off the foliage . This is predominate for rose wine . Go slow on the N fertilizer . utilise antifungal accord to label directions before job becomes severe and follow directions exactly , not missing any required treatment . Sanitation is a must - scavenge up and take out all leaves , flowers , or debris in the fall and destroy . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are because of fungi or bacterium . Brown or calamitous spots and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a water soaked or yellow - edged coming into court . Insects , rain , dirty garden tools , or even masses can aid its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infected leaves when the plant is dry . leaf that hoard around the alkali of the plant should be rake up and disposed of . nullify overhead irrigation if potential ; water should be directed at stain floor . For fungous foliage bit , expend a recommend fungicide according to recording label instruction .
pestilence : Scale InsectsScales are worm , touch on to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a wide variety of plant - indoor and outdoor . Young scale crawl until they get a good feeding site . The grownup females then lose their stage and remain on a spot protected by its concentrated eggshell stratum . They appear as bumps , often on the lowly sides of foliage . They have piercing mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Scales can break a industrial plant leading to yellow foliage and leaf fall . They also develop a sugared heart and soul called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive sinister control surface fungal growth called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to control . Isolate infest plant life away from those that are not overrun . Consult your local garden midpoint professional or Cooperative Extension business office in your county for a sound recommendation regarding their mastery . Encourage innate opposition such as epenthetic WASP in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty cast is a fungus that is found on the aerofoil of farewell . It feeds on honeydew melon excreted from aphids , mealy bug , scale , or ants . Though not serious , it is untempting when it covers / sear the leave and staunch of the works . The serious way of life to control sooty mould is to control the worm that make the honeydew . Sooty cast can usually be pass over from leaves with a dampish cloth or wash away with a hose - death sprayer .
