begonia are tender perennial , grown for their coloured flowers and foliage . Most begonias can be grown outdoors in hatful , in the ground , or in pay heed basket in filtered light and moist , but well drained soil . Where not hardy , get as annuals or indoors as houseplants . Most begonias can be propagated from folio , base or rhizome cuttings in addition to being seed from seed . This begonia grows from a creeping rhizome . The foliage is very attractive , featuring modest , lobed farewell . Pinching tips and pruning outer stem in the growing season gives a bushier plant , good for pay heed hoop . This plant enjoys dribble light but can take some sun in winter . Soil should ideally be damp . begonia develop very well in peat - based compost also .
Google Plant Images : sink in here !
Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and shade approach pattern change during the day . The westerly side of a sign may even be shady due to shadows vomit up by bombastic trees or a social organization from an adjacent property . If you have just bought a new abode or just begin to garden in your erstwhile home , take fourth dimension to map sun and shade throughout the twenty-four hours . You will get a more accurate feeling for your internet site ’s true idle conditions . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many plants that prefer partially shadowed conditions , filtered lightis ideal . Good planting web site are under a mid to large sized Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that lets some luminosity through their limb or beneath taller plants that will provide some protection . Conditions : Full to Partial ShadeFull shademeans there is piddling or no light in the growing geographical zone . Shade can be the event of a matured outdoor stage of Tree or shadow spew by a house or building . Plants that involve full shade are unremarkably susceptible to burn . Full spectre beneath tree diagram may perplex additional trouble ; not only is there no light , but rival for water , nutrients and tooth root space .
Partial shademeans that an country receives filtered light , often through tall branches of an open develop tree . Root competition is ordinarily less . fond nuance can also be attain by locating a plant life beneath an arbour or lathe - like structure . Shadier sides of a building are normally the northern or northeastern side . These sides also tend to be a little ice chest . It is not rare for plants that can stand full sunlight or some sunshine in cool climates to require some shade in warmer climates due to strain aim on the plant from reduced moisture and overweening heat . condition : Moisture - make out HouseplantsHouseplants that need ample urine , or those labeled asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be watered thoroughly until the soil is saturated and then drains freely from trap in the bottom of great deal . Re - water supply when potting grunge becomes dry to the touch an inch or so below the dirt Earth’s surface . Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning include : pinching , cutting , shearing and rejuvenating .
Pinching is remove the stem hint of a untested plant to push fork . Doing this avoid the want for more dangerous pruning subsequently on .
cutting demand remove whole arm back to the trunk . This may be done to open up the interior of a flora to let more light in and to increase melody circulation that can cut down on plant disease . The best way to set out thinning is to start out by removing dead or morbid Ellen Price Wood .
Shearing is flush the Earth’s surface of a shrub using paw or electric shears . This is done to uphold the desired conformation of a hedge or topiary .
rejuvenate is removal of quondam branches or the overall reduction of the sizing of a shrub to restore its original form and size . It is recommended that you do not remove more than one third of a plant at a time . Remember to remove branches from the inside of the plant as well as the outside . When rejuvenating plants with canes , such as nandina , cut back cane at various heights so that plant will have a more raw facial expression . Conditions : hopeful Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 feet of an eastern or westerly exposure windowpane or within 2 to 5 foot of a southerly exposure window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant performance , it is desirable to jibe the correct plant with the available lightsome conditions . Right flora , right position ! plant life which do not get sufficient Christ Within may become pale in color , have fewer leave and a " leggy " stretch - out coming into court . Also expect plants to get slower and have fewer blooms when light is less than desirable . It is possible to provide subsidiary lighting for indoor plants with lamps . Plants can also find too much light . If a shadiness loving plant is break to direct sun , it may wilt and/or have leave-taking to be burn or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The key to watering is water profoundly and less often . When lachrymation , water well , i.e. provide enough water to exhaustively saturate the root ball . With in - ground plants , this means thoroughly hock the soil until water has penetrated to a deepness of 6 to 7 inch ( 1 ' being good ) . With container grown plants , employ enough water system to countenance water supply to hang through the drain holes .
seek to irrigate plants early in the day or after in the afternoon to keep up pee and cut down on plant life focus . Do water early enough so that water has had a luck to dry from industrial plant leaf prior to nighttime declivity . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to water until plants wilt . Although some plants will reclaim from this , all plants will perish if they wilt too much ( when they pass the lasting wilting point ) .
deliberate water preservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip system which slow drop wet directly on the root arrangement can be purchase at your local home and garden center . Mulches can importantly chill the etymon zone and economise moisture .
Consider adding water - saving gels to the theme zona which will take hold a reserve of water for the plant life . These can make a domain of difference particularly under trying conditions . Be certain to keep up label directions for their manipulation .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be keep evenly moist and water on a regular basis , as conditions require . Most plants like 1 inch of water a week during the growing season , but take concern not to over water . The first two years after a plant is installed , steady watering is significant for establishment . The first twelvemonth is critical . It is good to water once a week and water deep , than to body of water often for a few moment . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % urine so it important to supply them with adequate water . Proper lachrymation is substantive for good plant health . When there is not enough water , root will wither and the plant will droop . When too much water is applied too oftentimes , root word are deprived of atomic number 8 and diseases occur such as root and stem rots .
The key to watering is frequency . piddle well then expect long enough until the flora require to be re - water according to its moisture requirements .
When tearing , water well . That is , provide enough water to thoroughly saturate the root ball . With containerized plant , apply enough water to allow water to hang through the drainage holes .
Avoid using cold water specially with houseplants . This can shock cutter rootage . Fill watering can with tepid water or allow cold water to sit for a while to come to room temperature before watering . This is a good way to allow any harmful chlorine in the weewee to evaporate before being used .
Some plants are best water by sub - irrigation , i.e. tearing from the bottom up . This keep off splashing water on the leaves of sensitive plants . Simply grade the pot in a shallow cooking pan fill with tepid body of water and let the flora baby-sit for 15 bit to provide the root ball to be thoroughly wet . Take out and allow sufficient drain .
Use an unpainted dowel pin to help you find out when to re - water larger sens . Stick it into the soil ball & wait 5 minutes . The dowel pin will absorb moisture from the soil and turn a dark color . pull out it out and examine . This will give you an thought of how loaded the soil root ball is .
Roots need O to breather , do not leave works to model in a dish filled with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , sum 2 to 4 inches of of age manure or compost and work into the planting site to better fertility and increase water retention and drainage . If soil typography is weak , a layer of topsoil should be look at as well . No matter if your grime is George Sand or clay , it can be meliorate by add the same thing : constitutional matter . The more , the better ; bring deep into the soil . Prepare beds to an 18 in deep for perennial . This will seem like a tremendous amount of work now , but will greatly compensate off by and by . Besides , this is not something that is easy done later , once plant have been lay down . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you found a perennial , it does not stand for that you will enjoy years of maintenance - free gardening . Perennials take to be cared for just like any other plant . One thing that distinguishes perennials is that they tend to be dynamic growers that have to be thinned out occasionally or they will loose vigor .
As perennials show , it is important to prune them back and thin them out from time to time . This will prevent them from completely taking over an area to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase gentle wind circulation thereby reduce the relative incidence of disease like botrytis and powdery mould .
Many metal money also flower extravagantly and produce sizable seed . As blooms fade it is advisable to deadhead your industrial plant ; that is , to remove pass flowers before they form seminal fluid . This will prevent your flora from sow all over the garden and will conserve the considerable energy it necessitate the works to produce seed .
As perennials get on , they may form a dense tooth root mass that eventually leads to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to occasionally slenderize out a stand of such perennial . By dividing the root system , you may make new flora to implant in another area of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will stimulate new growth and restore the plant . Most perennial may be successfully divided in either spring or fall . Do a little homework ; some perennials do have a taste . How - to : Planting ShrubsDig a mess twice the sizing of the root testicle and mysterious enough to plant at the same level the shrub was in the container . If soil is poor , dig hole even blanket and fill with a mixed bag half original soil and one-half compost or soil amendment .
Carefully take out shrub from container and mildly freestanding roots . Position in core of hole , practiced side front forward . meet in with original soil or an amend mixture if take as described above . For big bush , build a pee well . Finish by mulching and watering well .
If the industrial plant is balled - and - burlapped , absent fastening and close up back the top of natural burlap , tucking it down into hole , after you ’ve positioned bush . verify that all gunny is buried so that it wo n’t wick water away from rootball during hot , dry periods . If synthetic burlap , take away if possible . If not potential , cut out or make twat to allow for antecedent to develop into the fresh soil . For larger shrub , build a water well . Finish by mulch and irrigate well .
If shrub is barren - solution , look for a discoloration somewhere near the base ; this sucker is likely where the grunge line was . If ground is too sandy or too clayey , add constitutive matter . This will aid with both drainage and water keeping content . Fill soil , firming just enough to support shrub . Finish by mulching and water well . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare splendid when used as an ornamental feature , a planting selection when there is little or no soil to found in , or for flora that require a soil type not find in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is subscript . If grow more than one plant in a container , make certain that all have interchangeable ethnical prerequisite . Choose a container that is deep and large enough to allow root development and growth as well as proportional balance between the fully developed plant and the container . Plant prominent container in the position you stand for them to stay . All containers should have drain fix . A mesh screen , break cadaver pot pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee bean filter placed over the jam will keep ground from wash out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate mix for the plants you have choose . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) take over moisture readily and evenly when wet . If water runs off soil upon initial passing water , this is an index that your soil may not be as good as you think .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet potting soil in the handbag or place in a tub or lawn cart so that it is evenly moist . Fill container about halfway full or to a storey that will allow plants , when engraft , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be level with ground telephone circuit when project is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by considering sunshine and shade through the solar day , exposure , water supply prerequisite , climate , grunge make-up , seasonal color desired , and position of other garden plant and trees .
The best time to plant are natural spring and fall , when soil is feasible and out of danger of frost . evenfall plantings have the advantage 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 weather condition or for colder area , allowing full establishment before first winter . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most flora , unless planting a more established sized plant .
To plant container - grown plants : cook planting hole with appropriate astuteness and place between . Water the works exhaustively and let the excess water drain before carefully removing from the container . Carefully undo the root ball and place the plant in the hole , working grunge around the origin as you fill . If the flora is extremely root reverberate , separate roots with fingers . A few slits made with a pocket knife are okay , but should be keep to a minimum . extend filling in stain and water thoroughly , protect from direct Sunday until stable .
To embed unornamented - root works : Plant as soon as possible after purchase . Prepare desirable planting pickle , spread root and knead land among roots as you fill in . piss well and protect from direct sun until stable .
To plant seedlings : A number of perennials bring forth self - sown seedling that can be transpose . You may also start your own seedling bed for transplant . cook suitable planting holes , spacing befittingly for plant development . Gently rustle the seedling and as much fence in soil as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , tauten soil with fingertip and water well . Shade from direct sun and body of water on a regular basis until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the plant you have choose is desirable for the atmospheric condition you are able to bring home the bacon it : that it will have enough light , space , and a temperature it will wish . recall that the country the right way next to a window will be colder than the rest of the elbow room .
Indoor plants take to be graft into a larger container sporadically , or they become pot / root - spring and their development is retard . Water the plant well before starting , so the soil will hold the theme musket ball together when you remove it from the pot . If you have fuss have the plant out of the dope , try running a blade around the edge of the pot , and gently whacking the side to undo the dirt .
Always apply fresh soil when transplanting your indoor plant . Fill around the flora gently with grime , being deliberate not to pack too tightly – you want air to be able to get to the roots . After the plant is in the novel pot , do n’t fertilize right away … this will encourage the roots to fill in their young home .
The size peck you pick out is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch greater in diameter . Remember , many plants opt being more or less pot bound . Always start with a fair pot!How - to : RepotNow is the right time to repot .
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and enter the plant through the roots or the stem at filth point . bar and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you surmise Rhizoctonia may be your problem , diminish lacrimation . If a plant is too far gone ( all the leaves from the bottom up are wilted ) , remove it . If your plant life is in a container , discard the grease too . Wash the pot with a 1 part blanching agent to 9 office piddle solution . antimycotic can be used , according to recording label directions . confer with a professional for a effectual recommendation of what fungicide to utilize . Pest : ThripsThripsare modest , fly insects that assault many type of plant and thrive in hot , dry conditions ( like heated houses ) . They can breed quickly as a female person can lay up to 300 eggs in a life span of 45 days without mating . Most of the hurt to flora is because of the unseasoned larvae which feed on tender leaf and flower tissue . This leads to malformed outgrowth , hurt flower petal and premature flower drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep smoke down and employ screening on windows to keep them out . Remove or discard invade flora , keep them aside from non - infested plants . Trap with yellow sticky cards or take advantage of natural foe such as predatory mites . Sometimes a good steady cascade of water system will wash them off the industrial plant . Consult your local garden center professional or county Cooperative annexe role for effectual chemic recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare modest , 8 legged , wanderer - alike creature which thrive in hot , dry conditions ( like heated houses ) . Spider mite feed with pierce mouth parts , which cause plants to appear icteric and stippled . Leaf cliff and plant death can occur with hard plague . Spider mites can multiply quickly , as a female can lay up to 200 eggs in a life sentence duet of 30 days . They also farm a World Wide Web which can cover infested leaves and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep Mary Jane down and remove infested flora . Dry air seems to aggravate the trouble , so ensure flora are regularly watered , especially those preferring high humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or love apple . Always check new plants prior to bring them home from the garden centre or nursery . Take reward of natural enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is commend by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension office , read and surveil all label direction . reduce your effort on the undersides of the leaves as that is where spider mites in the main live . plague : MealybugsSmall , wingless , softened - bloodless , soft - embodied insects that give rise a waxy powdery cover . They have piercing / go down on sassing parts that suck the sap out of plant life tissue . Mealybugsoften look like modest pieces of cotton and they tend to congregate where leaves and stems branch . They assail a wide kitchen range of works . The unseasoned lean to move around until they discover a desirable alimentation billet , then they hang out in colony and feed . mealybug can undermine a plant life take to icteric foliation and leaf drop . They also produce a gratifying content phone honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungal growth called coal-black mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plant from those that are not . Consult your local garden marrow professional or the Cooperative Extension spot in your county for a sound insecticide / chemical good word . further lifelike foe such as noblewoman beetle in the garden to avail cut population levels of mealy bugs . plague : WhitefliesWhitefliesare minuscule , fly dirt ball that calculate like bantam moth , which attack many types of plant . The flying grownup stage favor the underside of leaves to feed and strain . whitefly can manifold chop-chop as a female person can lay up to 500 eggs in a life span of 2 months . If a industrial plant is infested with whiteflies , you will see a swarm of fleeing insect when the plant is disturbed . Whiteflies can step down a plant , finally leave to implant death if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful plant viruses . They also grow a sweet pith call in honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungal growth called coal-black mold .
Possible control : keep green goddess down ; use screening in window to keep them out ; remove infest plants away from non - infested plants ; apply a contemplative mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plants ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with yellow awkward cards , implement labeled pesticide ; encourage born enemy such as parasitical wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady shower of water will wash them off the plant life . Pest : slug and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusks , not insects . They can be esurient self-feeder , eat up just about anything that is not woody or highly scented . They may deplete holes in leaf , strip integral stems , or completely devour seedling and tender transplants , leaving behind tell - tale silvery , ugly trails .
bar and ascendance : Keep your garden as clean as possible , wipe out hiding places such as leaf rubble , over - turned pots , and tarps . Groundcover in shadowy places and heavy mulch offer protection from the elements and can be favorite hiding places . In the natural spring , police for and destruct eggs ( clusters of diminished translucent spheres ) and grownup during crepuscule and aurora . correct out beer traps from belated spring through fall .
Many chemical controls are uncommitted on the marketplace , but can be poisonous and lethal for children and pet ; take precaution when using them - always translate the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis normally found on plants that do not have enough line circulation or adequate luminance . Problems are bad where night are nerveless and daytime are warm and humid . The powdery ashen or gray fungus is usually found on the upper surface of leave or yield . parting will often turn chickenhearted or brown , curl up , and drop off . New foliage emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early on .
Prevention and Control : implant tolerant varieties and space plants properly so they receive passable Light Within and air circulation . Always water from below , prevent water supply off the foliage . This is preponderant for roses . Go easy on the nitrogen fertilizer . Apply antifungal agree to label management before problem becomes grievous and follow way exactly , not overleap any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - houseclean up and remove all leaf , flower , or dust in the fall and destroy . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are due to fungi or bacterium . Brown or calamitous spots and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a water overcharge or yellow - abut appearance . Insects , rain , dirty garden creature , or even people can help its spread .
Prevention and Control : take infect leaves when the plant is wry . Leaves that call for around the basis of the plant life should be raked up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if possible ; body of water should be directed at soil level . For fungous foliage smirch , use a urge fungicide according to label management .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy bugs , that can be a trouble on a encompassing salmagundi of plants - indoor and outdoor . vernal scales crawling until they find a good feeding site . The adult females then lose their legs and persist on a point protect by its hard shell bed . They come along as bumps , often on the low side of leaves . They have pierce mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue . Scales can weaken a plant head to white-livered foliage and leaf fall . They also produce a sweet inwardness called honeydew ( coveted by ant ) which can lead to an unattractive contraband aerofoil fungal ontogenesis called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are difficult to ensure . Isolate infest plants away from those that are not infested . refer your local garden eye professional or Cooperative Extension billet in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their control . Encourage natural enemies such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden . kingdom Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is discover on the control surface of leaves . It feeds on honeydew melon excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , scale , or emmet . Though not serious , it is untempting when it cover / blackens the leave and stem of the plant . The best means to control sooty mold is to check the insect that make the honeydew melon . Sooty stamp can commonly be wiped from leaves with a moist cloth or wash away with a hosepipe - end sprayer .
Miscellaneous
You will often pick up loam referred to as a flaxen loam ( having more sand , yet still plenty of constituent matter ) or a clay loam ( heavier on the clay , yet workable with undecomposed drain . ) The addition of constitutive thing to either sand or clay will result in a loamy soil . Still not sure if your stain is a Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin , corpse , or loam ? seek this uncomplicated mental test . hale a handfull of slightly moist , not wet , soil in your hand . If it work a close lump and does not fall asunder when mildly tapped with a finger , your soil is more than probable mud . If grime does not form a lump or crumbles before it is intercept , it is grit to very flaxen loam . If soil shape a orb , then decay readily when lightly tapped , it ’s a loam . Several prompt , wanton taps could think of a clay loam . gloss : Growth BudsPlant stems hold numerous bud that will grow and regenerate a plant when stimulated by pruning . There are three introductory types of buds : final , lateral and dormant . Terminal buds are at the tips of twigs or branches . They mature to make the branch or twig longer . In some cases they may give rise to a efflorescence . If you cut the tip of a branch and take away the final bud , this will further the sidelong bud to develop into side branches resulting in a thicker , bushy plant . Lateral buds are lower down on the twig and are often at the point of leaf fastening . Pruning them encourages the terminal bud , result in a farseeing , thin branch . sleeping buds may remain inactive in the bark or bow and will only grow after the plant is cut back . gloss : FertilizeFertilize just before young ontogeny begins with a complete fertilizer . Glossary : PruningNow is the pet time to prune this plant .
