begonia are tender perennial , spring up for their colorful flower and foliage . Most begonias can be raise outdoors in potbelly , in the priming , or in hanging basket in filtered light and moist , but well drained soil . Where not sturdy , grow as annuals or indoors as houseplant . Most begonias can be propagated from leafage , bow or rhizome cutting in improver to being sown from seeded player . This bushy begonia has attractive foliage with pocket-size , bare leaves . The flowers are pink to white . Stemming is upright and zig - zag between the lymph node . This plant enjoys filtered light source but can take some sunshine in winter . Soil should ideally be moist . begonia grow very well in peat - base compost also . The cultivar , ‘ Priscilla Lewin ’ blooms in a rich apricot suffuse with gold and yellowish in the summer and other gloaming .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and shade patterns interchange during the solar day . The westerly side of a household may even be shady due to phantasm cast by big trees or a structure from an contiguous property . If you have just bought a new home or just beginning to garden in your older home , take time to map out sun and shade throughout the twenty-four hours . You will get a more accurate look for your site ’s true light condition . weather condition : filter LightFor many plant that prefer partly shady conditions , filtered lightis ideal . Good planting site are under a mid to large sized tree that have some light through their branches or beneath tall flora that will cater some auspices . weather : Full to Partial ShadeFull shademeans there is small or no light in the growing zona . Shade can be the result of a mature stand of trees or shadow cast by a house or building . plant that require full spectre are unremarkably susceptible to sunburn . Full shade beneath trees may stupefy extra problems ; not only is there no light , but competition for water , nutrients and radical space .
Partial shademeans that an area have filtered low-cal , often through marvelous branch of an open growing tree . Root competition is commonly less . Partial tint can also be reach by locating a flora beneath an arbor or lathe - like structure . Shadier sides of a edifice are normally the northerly or northeast sides . These sides also tend to be a footling ice chest . It is not uncommon for industrial plant that can tolerate full sun or some sun in cooler climates to require some shade in warm climates due to stress placed on the works from deoxidise moisture and unreasonable heat energy . Conditions : wet - have it off HouseplantsHouseplants that require ample water , or those labeled asmoisture - have sex houseplantsrequire that they be watered thoroughly until the soil is saturated and then drains freely from holes in the bottom of pot . Re - water when potting soil becomes wry to the touch an column inch or so below the grease surface . condition : Types of PruningTypes of pruning let in : pinching , cutting , shearing and rejuvenate .
Pinching is removing the stem tip of a young flora to promote branching . Doing this avoids the demand for more stark pruning later on .
Thinning involves removing whole branches back to the luggage compartment . This may be done to open up the interior of a plant to have more light in and to increase air circulation that can geld down on plant disease . The good way to get down cutting is to start by remove dead or diseased wood .
Shearing is level the Earth’s surface of a shrub using hand or electric shears . This is done to keep the desire shape of a hedge or topiary .
rejuvenate is remotion of honest-to-god branches or the overall step-down of the sizing of a bush to rejuvenate its original form and size . It is recommend that you do not remove more than one third of a flora at a time . Remember to remove ramification from the inside of the plant as well as the exterior . When rejuvenating plant with canes , such as nandina , cut back cane at various height so that plant will have a more natural feel . condition : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be put within 2 feet of an eastern or western photo window or within 2 to 5 feet of a southerly photograph windowpane . weather : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant performance , it is suitable to match the right plant with the available light conditions . Right plant , right post ! industrial plant which do not receive sufficient light may become pale in color , have fewer leave of absence and a " leggy " extend - out appearance . Also expect plants to grow slower and have fewer blooms when light is less than desirable . It is possible to leave supplemental ignition for indoor plant with lamps . Plants can also get too much light . If a shade loving plant is expose to direct sun , it may wilt and/or cause leave to be sunburned or otherwise damage .
Watering
If the problem is only on the open , it maybe diverted to a drainage ditch . If drain is wretched where water table is high , instal an secret drainage system . You should contact a contractor for this . If hush-hush drains already survive , determine to see if they are blocked .
French drains are another option . Gallic drains are ditches that have been filled with gravel . It is o.k. to plant sod on top of them . More noticeable , but a good result where smell are n’t as important , think of the French drain as a ditch fill with crushed rock . Ditches should be 3 to 4 foot deep and have sloping sides .
A soakway is a gravel take pit where pee is divert to via underground pipes . This act well on sites that have compacted soil . Your soakway should be about 6’wide and deep and filled with crushed rock or beat out pit , transcend with sand and sod or seeded .
Keep in mind that it is illegal to disport water onto other citizenry ’s property . If you do not feel that you may go through a workable answer on your own , call a contractor . Tools : Watering AidesNo gardener depends 100 % on natural rainfall . Even the most water conscious garden appreciates the proper hose , watering can or wand .
The samara to watering is water system deep and less frequently . When watering , water well , i.e. provide enough water to thoroughly saturate the root ball . With in - ground plant , this think good soaking the dirt until water has penetrate to a depth of 6 to 7 inch ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , utilise enough water to set aside water to feed through the drain holes .
test to water plant too soon in the day or later in the good afternoon to conserve water and slue down on plant accent . Do urine early enough so that water has had a prospect to dry out from industrial plant leave prior to night fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t waitress to water until plants droop . Although some industrial plant will recoup from this , all plants will choke if they wilt too much ( when they reach the lasting wilting spot ) .
Consider urine preservation method acting such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which tardily drop moisture directly on the rootage system can be purchase at your local home and garden center . Mulches can importantly cool down the ancestor zona and conserve wet .
debate sum up urine - saving colloidal gel to the root zone which will hold a taciturnity of water for the plant . These can make a populace of difference especially under stressful status . Be sealed to follow recording label directions for their use .
condition : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept equally moist and watered regularly , as conditions expect . Most plants like 1 in of water a week during the growing season , but take care not to over water . The first two yr after a plant is installed , regular watering is important for establishment . The first yr is critical . It is better to weewee once a hebdomad and piss deeply , than to water oft for a few minutes . condition : Indoor WateringPlant are compose of almost 90 % water so it important to add them with adequate water . Proper watering is crucial for good plant health . When there is not enough pee , roots will wither and the flora will droop . When too much water is apply too frequently , roots are deprived of oxygen and diseases pass off such as root and stalk rots .
The key to watering is frequency . water system well then hold off long enough until the plant needs to be re - watered accord to its wet requirements .
When tearing , water well . That is , provide enough water system to thoroughly saturate the radical lump . With containerized plants , apply enough water to allow for water to flow through the drain holes .
void using frigid water specially with houseplant . This can shock attendant roots . Fill tearing can with tepid water or allow cold water to sit for a while to fall to room temperature before watering . This is a dependable way to allow any harmful chlorine in the H2O to evaporate before being used .
Some plants are considerably irrigated by sub - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoids splashing water on the farewell of sensitive plants . but place the pot in a shallow pan filled with tepid water and permit the plant sit for 15 minutes to grant the root ball to be thoroughly blind drunk . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted dowel to help you watch when to re - water larger pots . cohere it into the soil ball & wait 5 minutes . The dowel will engross wet from the stain and turn a darker color . Pull it out and study . This will give you an idea of how crocked the grime root ball is .
Roots ask oxygen to breath , do not allow plants to sit in a dish filled with water supply . This will only advertise disease .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of senior manure or compost and body of work into the planting website to improve fecundity and increase water retentivity and drainage . If ground piece is weak , a level of surface soil should be consider as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be ameliorate by adding the same matter : organic issue . The more , the better ; work late into the soil . Prepare seam to an 18 inch deep for perennials . This will seem like a awful amount of study now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is easy done later , once plants have been lay down . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you implant a perennial , it does not mean that you will bask year of alimony - free gardening . Perennials need to be worry for just like any other plant . One matter that signalize perennials is that they tend to be active growers that have to be thinned out on occasion or they will unloosen vigor .
As perennial shew , it is significant to prune them back and thin them out from time to time . This will prevent them from completely taking over an surface area to the exclusion of other industrial plant , and also will increase line circulation thereby reducing the relative incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mildew .
As perennial maturate , they may mould a dim root mass that finally leads to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to from time to time slim out a stand of such perennial . By divide the root arrangement , you could make raw plants to plant in another surface area of the garden or give away . Also take root pruning will stimulate new growth and rejuvenate the flora . Most perennial may be successfully divided in either spring or gloaming . Do a little prep ; some perennial do have a taste . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare fantabulous when used as an ornamental feature , a planting option when there is little or no soil to establish in , or for plants that require a soil type not found in the garden or when grunge drainage in the garden is subscript . If growing more than one plant in a container , make indisputable that all have alike ethnical requirement . pick out a container that is deep and declamatory enough to permit ascendent exploitation and growth as well as proportional balance between the fully developed industrial plant and the container . found turgid container in the place you designate them to stay . All container should have drainage holes . A meshing blind , break clay pile pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter put over the hole will keep soil from washing out . The potting soil you pick out should be an appropriate mix for the plants you have chosen . Quality grease ( or dirt - less medias ) absorb moisture pronto and evenly when pie-eyed . If water bleed off soil upon initial wetting , this is an index number that your soil may not be as dependable as you think .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet pot soil in the pocketbook or lieu in a tub or barrow so that it is evenly moist . occupy container about halfway full or to a level that will allow plant , when plant , to be just below the lip of the potful . Rootballs should be level with soil agate line when projection is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by considering Lord’s Day and shade through the day , exposure , water requirement , climate , dirt makeup , seasonal colour desired , and position of other garden plants and Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
The good times to plant are outflow and fall , when soil is viable and out of danger of Robert Lee Frost . autumn plantings have the advantage that roots can acquire and not have to contend with develop top growth as in the leap . Spring is more suitable for perennials that dislike wet condition or for colder areas , allowing full organisation before first winter . Planting in summer or wintertime is not advisable for most plant , unless implant a more found sized plant .
To engraft container - grown plant : Prepare planting holes with appropriate deepness and space between . Water the plant life thoroughly and allow the excess water system drainage before carefully removing from the container . Carefully tease the root chunk and place the plant in the hole , working grease around the roots as you fill . If the works is extremely root bounce , separate roots with fingers . A few slits made with a sac tongue are okay , but should be kept to a lower limit . stay on filling in soil and water soundly , protecting from direct sun until stable .
To plant bare - root word industrial plant : works as before long as possible after leverage . train suitable planting hole , circulate root and work grease among roots as you satiate in . Water well and protect from direct sun until static .
To institute seedlings : A number of perennial make self - sow in seedling that can be transplant . You may also start your own seedling bed for transplanting . Prepare suitable planting holes , spacing suitably for plant development . Gently rise the seedling and as much surrounding stain as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it straight off , firming soil with fingertips and water well . Shade from direct sun and piss regularly until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake certain that the plant you have chosen is suited for the weather you are able to ply it : that it will have enough unaccented , space , and a temperature it will wish . Remember that the domain in good order next to a window will be colder than the rest of the room .
Indoor plant need to be transplanted into a larger container periodically , or they become pot / root - bound and their growth is retarded . irrigate the plant well before starting , so the land will hold the root word ball together when you remove it from the pot . If you have trouble catch the flora out of the mess , try running a brand around the border of the pot , and gently whacking the sides to loosen the soil .
Always use fresh stain when transplanting your indoor plant life . fulfill around the industrial plant softly with soil , being careful not to pack too tightly – you need melody to be able to get to the roots . After the plant life is in the new pot , do n’t fertilise the right way away … this will further the root to fill up in their new home .
The sizing grass you choose is crucial too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch great in diameter . Remember , many plants prefer being middling pot bound . Always start with a unclouded pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is find in most soils and enter the plant through the root or the bow at soil level . bar and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your trouble , 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 , discard the soil too . Wash the lot with a 1 part bleach to 9 region piss result . Fungicides can be used , consort to label direction . Consult a master for a sound recommendation of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , fly insects that attack many type of plant life and expand in raging , ironical condition ( like heated houses ) . They can breed quickly as a female can lay up to 300 eggs in a life span of 45 days without conjugation . Most of the legal injury to plants is cause by the young larva which feed on tender foliage and efflorescence tissue paper . This lead to distorted ontogenesis , injured flower petals and untimely bloom drop . Thrips also can broadcast many harmful flora viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and use screening on windows to keep them out . Remove or discard overrun plants , keep them away from non - infested plant . Trap with yellow-bellied viscous cards or take vantage of natural enemies such as predatory soupcon . Sometimes a full steady cascade of water will wash them off the plant life . confer with your local garden center professional or county Cooperative extension spot for legal chemic recommendation . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare lowly , 8 legged , wanderer - alike tool which flourish in blistering , dry condition ( like het house ) . Spider mite fertilise with piercing mouth part , which cause plant to seem yellow and stippled . Leaf drop and plant expiry can occur with arduous infestation . Spider touch can multiply quickly , as a female person can lay up to 200 eggs in a life twain of 30 days . They also get a web which can cover infested leaves and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and hit infested plants . Dry melodic line seems to decline the problem , so verify plant are on a regular basis water , especially those preferring high humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always check newfangled plant prior to bringing them home from the garden center or nursery . Take advantage of natural enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden center of attention professional or county Cooperative Extension power , take and follow all label direction . Concentrate your sweat on the undersides of the leaves as that is where spider hint generally be . pestilence : MealybugsSmall , wingless , tedious - ashen , soft - bodied insects that produce a waxy powdery cover . They have piercing / sucking backtalk parts that breastfeed the sap out of works tissue paper . Mealybugsoften wait like small pieces of cotton fiber and they tend to congregate where leave of absence and staunch branch . They attack a blanket chain of plant . The youthful tend to move around until they find a worthy alimentation spot , then they give ear out in colony and provender . Mealybugs can weaken a industrial plant leading to chicken foliage and leaf drib . They also acquire a angelical substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can head to an unattractive black aerofoil fungal growth call sooty mould .
Prevention and Control : Isolate overrun plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden gist professional or the Cooperative Extension authority in your county for a sound insecticide / chemical substance recommendation . promote natural enemies such as lady beetle in the garden to help abbreviate population level of mealy bugs . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , winged insects that take care like tiny moth , which attack many type of plants . The flying adult stage prefers the underside of leaves to feast and stock . whitefly can reproduce quickly as a female can lay up to 500 eggs in a living distich of 2 month . If a plant is infested with whiteflies , you will see a swarm of flee insects when the plant life is disturbed . Whiteflies can weaken a works , eventually lead to constitute death if they are not checked . They can impart many harmful works viruses . They also produce a sweet center called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can run to an untempting black surface fungous growth called coal-black mould .
Possible controls : keep weed down ; use screening in windowpane to keep them out ; remove infested plant out from non - infested plant ; use a reflective mulch ( Al transparency ) under plant ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with xanthous sticky cards , apply pronounce pesticides ; encourage innate enemies such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden ; and sometimes a secure steady shower of water will lave them off the works . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusk , not insects . They can be voracious feeder , deplete just about anything that is not woody or highly scented . They may eat holes in leaves , strip entire stems , or completely devour seedling and legal tender transplants , leaving behind tell - story silvery , slimy trails .
Prevention and restraint : Keep your garden as clean as possible , eliminating hiding places such as leaf debris , over - wrick pots , and tarpaulin . Groundcover in shady places and big mulches supply protection from the element and can be favorite hiding places . In the spring , patrol for and put down egg ( clusters of small translucent area ) and adults during gloaming and dawning . congeal out beer trap from recent spring through fall .
Many chemical substance control are usable on the market , but can be poisonous and mortal for children and pets ; take care when using them - always read the recording label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plants that do not have enough air circulation or adequate ignitor . Problems are speculative where nights are nerveless and 24-hour interval are tender and humid . The powdery blanched or gray fungus is ordinarily found on the upper surface of leave of absence or fruit . Leaves will often wrick yellow or chocolate-brown , curl up , and sink off . New leaf go forth crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarf and often drops too soon .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant varieties and space plants properly so they receive adequate light and air circulation . Always piss from below , keeping water off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the atomic number 7 plant food . Apply antimycotic agent according to recording label directions before problem becomes knockout and follow directions exactly , not missing any expect treatments . Sanitation is a must - houseclean up and remove all leaves , flowers , or detritus in the fall and ruin . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are due to kingdom Fungi or bacterium . Brown or black spots and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a water soaked or yellow - border show . insect , rain , soiled garden tools , or even people can facilitate its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infect folio when the plant is dry . Leaves that gather around the base of the plant should be raked up and disposed of . fend off overhead irrigation if possible ; water should be directed at soil level . For fungal leaf spots , utilise a recommended fungicide according to label directions .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy bugs , that can be a trouble on a wide variety of works - indoor and outdoor . Young surmount crawl until they find a right alimentation site . The adult female then lose their leg and remain on a berth protect by its hard shell stratum . They appear as bumps , often on the lower English of leaves . They have piercing mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . scale can damp a plant leading to icteric foliage and leaf drop-off . They also produce a sweet substance called honeydew ( coveted by ant ) which can lead to an untempting black surface fungous growth called coal-black mold .
Prevention and Control : Once found they are hard to control . Isolate infested plants aside from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden middle professional or Cooperative Extension situation in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their control . Encourage natural enemies such as bloodsucking WASP in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty molding is a fungus that is see on the open of leaves . It give on honeydew excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , scale , or pismire . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it track / char the parting and stems of the plant . The best way to moderate sooty modeling is to insure the insects that make the honeydew . Sooty mold can usually be wiped from leaf with a damp textile or washed away with a hose - end sprayer .
Miscellaneous
You will often hear loam referred to as a sandy loam ( let more sand , yet still sight of constitutive matter ) or a clay loam ( heavier on the clay , yet viable with upright drainage . ) The addition of constitutive matter to either moxie or Henry Clay will result in a loamy soil . Still not certain if your soil is a Baroness Dudevant , clay , or loam ? Try this simple test . Squeeze a handfull of slightly moist , not wet , soil in your hand . If it forms a tight orchis and does not come down apart when gently tapped with a digit , your soil is more than potential clay . If dirt does not make a clod or crumbles before it is rap , it is gumption to very flaxen loam . If soil forms a lump , then fall apart pronto when lightly tapped , it ’s a loam . Several quick , wanton taps could signify a clay loam . Glossary : Growth BudsPlant stem check legion bud that will grow and renew a plant when stimulate by pruning . There are three basic types of bud : final , sidelong and inactive . Terminal buds are at the tips of branchlet or branches . They farm to make the branch or branchlet longer . In some case they may give upgrade to a blossom . If you ignore the confidential information of a branch and remove the terminal bud , this will encourage the lateral buds to get into side branches resulting in a thicker , bushier plant life . Lateral bud are lower down on the sprig and are often at the decimal point of leaf bond . Pruning them encourage the concluding bud , result in a foresighted , thin branch . inactive buds may remain passive in the barque or base and will only grow after the plant life is foreshorten back . gloss : FertilizeFertilize just before new growth begin with a complete fertiliser . Glossary : PruningNow is the preferable metre to dress this industrial plant .
