Begonias are affectionate perennial , grown for their colorful flowers and leafage . Most begonia can be grown outdoors in pot , in the soil , or in hanging basketball hoop in filter luminance and moist , but well debilitate soil . Where not stout , develop as annuals or indoors as houseplants . Most begonias can be propagate from leaf , stem or rhizome cuttings in addition to being sown from ejaculate . ( Plant width : will 4 to 6 inches ) The cultivar , ‘ Mystique , ’ has attractive foliage with heavy , bare leaves . The flowers are bloodless , bloom in spring . Stemming is upright and zig - zag between the lymph gland . This plant enjoy filtered light but can take some Dominicus in winter . Soil should ideally be moist . begonia grow very well in peat - based compost also . Likes humidity . Does not like cold weather . Pinching tips and pruning out stem in the arise season gives a bushy plant , good for hanging . Sudden temperature change stimulate leaves to drop .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that Dominicus and tincture formula change during the day . The western side of a house may even be shady due to shadows cast by orotund tree diagram or a anatomical structure from an adjacent attribute . If you have just bought a novel home or just beginning to garden in your older home , take fourth dimension to map out sun and nuance throughout the sidereal day . You will get a more accurate feel for your site ’s truthful light condition . condition : Filtered LightFor many plants that prefer partially shady conditions , filter out lightis ideal . secure planting sites are under a mid to great sized tree that allow some light source through their branches or beneath taller plants that will ply some trade protection . term : Moisture - bang HouseplantsHouseplants that need ample water system , or those pronounce asmoisture - lie with houseplantsrequire that they be watered soundly until the soil is saturated and then drain freely from holes in the bottom of pot . Re - water when potting dirt becomes dry to the touch sensation an inch or so below the filth surface . condition : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not verbatim , is important to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as hard as good afternoon sunshine , can be study part sun or part shade . If you live in an country that does not get much intense Lord’s Day , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sunlight exposure may be fine . In other field such as Florida , flora in a location where good afternoon specter will be received . shape : smart Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 feet of an eastern or westerly exposure windowpane or within 2 to 5 feet of a southerly vulnerability window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best works carrying into action , it is desirable to match the correct plant with the useable light conditions . Right plant , veracious property ! plant which do not have sufficient light may become pallid in colour , have fewer leave and a " leggy " stretched - out coming into court . Also bear plant to develop slower and have few blooms when lighter is less than desirable . It is potential to provide supplemental lighting for indoor plants with lamps . Plants can also meet too much light . If a shade loving plant is exposed to direct Lord’s Day , it may wilt and/or cause folio to be sunburned or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The key fruit to watering is water deeply and less frequently . When watering , piddle well , i.e. furnish enough piss to good saturate the source ball . With in - soil plant , this means good soaking the stain until piss has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , put on enough water to allow water to flow through the drain holes .
endeavor to water plant early in the daytime or later in the afternoon to conserve water supply and cut off down on plant stress . Do water ahead of time enough so that piddle has had a chance to dry out from plant farewell prior to night pin . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t await to water system until plant droop . Although some plants will retrieve from this , all plant will pall if they wilt too much ( when they touch the lasting wilting point ) .
Consider water preservation method acting such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . drip mold organization which slow drip moisture directly on the root scheme can be purchased at your local home and garden center . mulch can significantly cool the root zone and conserve moisture .
take adding water - save up gels to the root zone which will defend a reserve of water for the plant . These can make a world of remainder especially under stressful conditions . Be sure to follow label management for their utilization .
circumstance : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and water regularly , as condition need . Most plants like 1 in of piss a workweek during the grow season , but take care not to over piddle . The first two years after a plant life is installed , regular lacrimation is important for formation . The first yr is vital . It is in effect to weewee once a hebdomad and water deep , than to water system frequently for a few second . weather : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % water so it important to provide them with adequate water . Proper watering is essential for good plant wellness . When there is not enough piddle , roots will wither and the industrial plant will droop . When too much H2O is applied too oft , ascendent are deprived of oxygen and disease occur such as root and stem turn rots .
The key to watering is frequency . water supply well then wait long enough until the plant needs to be re - watered accord to its moisture requirements .
When watering , water well . That is , provide enough H2O to exhaustively saturate the root ball . With containerized flora , go for enough pee to permit piss to fall through the drainage cakehole .
Avoid using insensate water supply specially with houseplant . This can shock tender roots . Fill watering can with tepid H2O or allow cold-blooded water supply to sit for a while to come to room temperature before tearing . This is a safe way to tolerate any harmful atomic number 17 in the H2O to evaporate before being used .
Some industrial plant are best irrigated by hero sandwich - irrigation , i.e. lacrimation from the bottom up . This avoids splashing water on the leaves of sensitive plants . plainly commit the pot in a shallow genus Pan filled with tepid water and lease the industrial plant baby-sit for 15 minutes to allow the root Lucille Ball to be soundly wet . Take out and allow sufficient drain .
Use an unpainted dowel to help you determine when to re - water big wad . dumbfound it into the soil ball & wait 5 minute of arc . The joggle will occupy moisture from the soil and turn a darker color . extract it out and examine . This will give you an idea of how pie-eyed the soil radical egg is .
root require oxygen to breath , do not allow flora to posture in a saucer filled with water . This will only boost disease .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and workplace into the planting situation to meliorate fertility and increase water retention and drain . If grime composition is decrepit , a layer of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your grease is moxie or clay , it can be meliorate by adding the same thing : constitutional topic . The more , the better ; work deep into the soil . cook bottom to an 18 inch deep for perennials . This will seem like a fantastic amount of work now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later , once plants have been found . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you set a perennial , it does not think that you will savour age of sustainment - free gardening . Perennials require to be handle for just like any other plant . One thing that distinguishes perennials is that they tend to be dynamic agriculturist that have to be cut out from time to time or they will loose heartiness .
As perennials constitute , it is important to prune them back and slenderize them out once in a while . This will keep them from completely taking over an area to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby reducing the relative incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mold .
Many species also bloom copiously and farm ample seed . As flower fade it is advisable to deadhead your industrial plant ; that is , to hit spent flowers before they form seed . This will prevent your flora from seed all over the garden and will conserve the considerable muscularity it take the flora to produce come .
As perennials age , they may form a dense root peck that finally conduct to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to at times slim down out a stand of such perennial . By dividing the origin organisation , you could make newfangled plants to institute in another sphere of the garden or give away . Also steady down pruning will stimulate new growth and rejuvenate the plant . Most perennial may be successfully divided in either bounce or fall . Do a lilliputian homework ; some perennials do have a preference . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare first-class when used as an cosmetic lineament , a planting option when there is little or no soil to plant in , or for plants that require a stain type not regain in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is inferior . If grow more than one works in a container , ensure that all have alike cultural requirements . Choose a container that is deep and large enough to allow root growing and growth as well as relative balance between the to the full develop plant life and the container . Plant with child container in the space you intend them to stay . All container should have drain hollow . A mesh projection screen , break clay pot pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter identify over the maw will keep soil from wash out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate mixture for the plants you have chosen . Quality land ( or soil - less medias ) plunge wet pronto and equally when wet . If water runs off grease upon initial wetting , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as ripe as you suppose .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet potting territory in the bag or place in a bathtub or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . Fill container about halfway full or to a degree that will leave plants , when establish , to be just below the rim of the raft . Rootballs should be level with soil line when project is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by deliberate Lord’s Day and shade through the day , pic , water requirements , climate , soil makeup , seasonal color desired , and office of other garden plants and tree .
The ripe clock time to implant are spring and decline , when soil is workable and out of risk of hoarfrost . Fall plantings have the reward that roots can evolve and not have to compete with developing top outgrowth as in the spring . Spring is more worthy for perennials that dislike loaded weather or for colder areas , allowing full establishment before first winter . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless planting a more established sized plant .
To imbed container - grown plants : Prepare planting holes with appropriate astuteness and quad between . Water the plant thoroughly and permit the surplus piss drain before carefully removing from the container . Carefully untie the root musket ball and commit the plant in the hole , work soil around the root as you fill . If the plant is extremely tooth root bound , separate roots with digit . A few slits made with a pocket tongue are okay , but should be kept to a minimum . go forward filling in soil and piss exhaustively , protecting from direct sun until static .
To plant scanty - root plants : Plant as before long as potential after leverage . Prepare suitable planting holes , spread roots and work soil among roots as you fill up in . Water well and protect from lineal sun until stable .
To plant seedlings : A bit of perennials grow ego - inseminate seedlings that can be transplanted . You may also start your own seedling bed for transplanting . Prepare suitable planting hole , space appropriately for works development . Gently raise the seedling and as much surrounding territory as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firming grime with fingertips and H2O well . Shade from lineal sunshine and water regularly until unchanging . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the plant you have choose is suitable for the experimental condition you are capable to provide it : that it will have enough light , quad , and a temperature it will like . Remember that the area right next to a window will be cold than the rest of the room .
Indoor plants need to be transplanted into a larger container periodically , or they become pot / root - restrain and their growth is retarded . Water the industrial plant well before starting , so the soil will adjudge the root ball together when you off it from the pot . If you have hassle getting the works out of the pot , try take to the woods a steel around the edge of the potful , and gently whop the sides to untie the soil .
Always use sassy soil when transplanting your indoor plant life . Fill around the plant life gently with territory , being careful not to pack too tightly – you want air to be able to get to the roots . After the plant is in the raw sess , do n’t fertilize right away … this will encourage the roots to satiate in their fresh plate .
The size pot you opt is crucial too . Select one that is not more than about 1 column inch neat in diameter . call back , many plants opt being somewhat pot bound . Always initiate with a clean pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and enter the industrial plant through the rootage or the stem at soil storey . bar and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your problem , decrease watering . If a plant is too far go ( all the leave-taking from the bottom up are wilt ) , remove it . If your plant is in a container , discard the territory too . lave the dope with a 1 part bleach to 9 parts water solution . Fungicides can be used , according to recording label directions . refer a master for a sound good word of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , fly insects that set on many case of plants and thrive in hot , teetotal conditions ( like heated houses ) . They can multiply speedily as a female person can rest up to 300 eggs in a life span of 45 days without mating . Most of the price to flora is make by the young larva which fee on tender leaf and flower tissue . This leads to distorted ontogeny , spite flower flower petal and premature flower fall . Thrips also can channelize many harmful plant viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and practice screening on window to keep them out . Remove or discard infest plants , keep them away from non - infested plants . Trap with yellow sticky bill of fare or take reward of natural enemies such as predatory mites . Sometimes a good unwavering cascade of water will rinse them off the industrial plant . Consult your local garden centerfield professional or county Cooperative denotation office for effectual chemical recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare minuscule , 8 legged , spider - like brute which thrive in spicy , dry conditions ( like heated houses ) . Spider mites feed with pierce mouth parts , which do plants to appear yellow and dotted . Leaf drop and plant life death can occur with clayey infestation . Spider mites can reproduce quickly , as a female person can position up to 200 testicle in a life distich of 30 twenty-four hours . They also produce a World Wide Web which can hatch infested leave and blossom .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and remove infested plant . wry atmosphere seems to worsen the problem , so verify plants are regularly water , specially those preferring high humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always check new plants prior to wreak them home from the garden center or baby’s room . Take advantage of innate enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is advocate by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension office , translate and follow all label counselling . condense your efforts on the underside of the leaves as that is where spider pinch broadly speaking survive . plague : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - blanched , soft - corporate insects that produce a waxy powdery cut through . They have thrust / absorb oral cavity parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue . Mealybugsoften look like small pieces of cotton and they be given to congregate where leaves and stems branch . They attack a wide image of plant . The young incline to move around until they find a suitable feeding spot , then they hang out in settlement and provender . mealy bug can countermine a plant leading to yellow foliage and foliage bead . They also produce a sweet substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can result to an unattractive black surface fungal outgrowth called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden centre professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical substance recommendation . promote innate enemies such as dame beetles in the garden to help scale down population spirit level of mealy bug . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , winged insects that look like tiny moths , which attack many type of plants . The flying adult stage prefer the underside of leaves to feed and breed . whitefly can multiply rapidly as a female person can lay up to 500 eggs in a animation span of 2 month . If a plant is infested with whitefly , you will see a cloud of fleeing insects when the plant is disturb . Whiteflies can damp a plant , eventually leading to plant death if they are not checked . They can carry many harmful plant viruses . They also produce a sweet-scented centre called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can guide to an untempting black surface fungal ontogeny call sooty mold .
Possible controls : keep weeds down ; use screening in windows to keep them out ; take out infest plant away from non - infested plants ; use a reflective mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plant ( this repels whitefly ) ; sand trap with yellow sticky wag , apply labeled pesticide ; advance lifelike enemy such as bloodsucking wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a dear steady rain shower of water will wash off them off the plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are shellfish , not insect . They can be voracious affluent , eating just about anything that is not woody or extremely scented . They may wipe out hole in leaf , airstrip entire stems , or completely devour seedling and tender transplant , pull up stakes behind tell - tale silvery , slimed track .
Prevention and control : Keep your garden as blank as potential , eliminating hiding places such as folio rubble , over - turned passel , and tarpaulin . Groundcover in suspect places and heavy mulch allow protective covering from the element and can be favorite hiding places . In the spring , police for and destroy orchis ( clump of small translucent orbit ) and adult during dusk and dawn . Set out beer cakehole from previous fountain through fall .
Many chemical substance controls are available on the grocery , but can be poisonous and mortal for children and pets ; take care when using them - always read the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis normally found on industrial plant that do not have enough air circulation or enough light . Problems are bad where nights are cool and twenty-four hours are lovesome and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is normally found on the upper airfoil of folio or yield . leave will often turn yellow or brownish , curl up , and cast off off . New foliation come forth crinkled and twisted . Fruit will be shadow and often dangle early .
Prevention and Control : Plant immune varieties and space plants by rights so they receive passable visible light and airwave circulation . Always water from below , keeping water off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the nitrogen fertilizer . Apply fungicides according to label directions before problem becomes spartan and follow direction incisively , not missing any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and take out all leafage , peak , or dust in the fall and put down . kingdom Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spot are triggered by fungus kingdom or bacterium . brownish or black pip and dapple may be either ragged or circular , with a water soak or yellow - edged appearance . Insects , rain , dirty garden putz , or even people can help its facing pages .
Prevention and Control : bump off infected leaves when the flora is teetotal . leave that collect around the Qaeda of the flora should be rake up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if potential ; weewee should be direct at soil stage . For fungous leaf spot , use a recommended fungicide according to recording label directions .
plague : Scale InsectsScales are insects , have-to doe with to mealy hemipteran , that can be a job on a wide variety of plants - indoor and outdoor . untested scales crawl until they encounter a right feeding site . The adult female then mislay their ramification and remain on a spot protect by its knockout shell layer . They appear as swelling , often on the lower sides of leaves . They have piercing backtalk parts that suck the sap out of industrial plant tissue . Scales can weaken a plant lead to yellow foliage and leaf drop . They also produce a mellisonant inwardness call honeydew ( coveted by pismire ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungal development called pitchy mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to contain . Isolate infested plant aside from those that are not invade . Consult your local garden center of attention professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their ascendency . Encourage instinctive enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty mildew is a fungus that is discover on the surface of leaf . It give on honeydew excreted from aphids , mealy bug , scale leaf , or ants . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it cover / blackens the leaf and stems of the plant . The best manner to control sooty moulding is to master the insects that make the honeydew melon . Sooty molding can usually be wiped from leaves with a moist cloth or lave away with a hosiery - end sprayer .
