Planting a balsam in the open field will allow you to admire both beautiful flowering giants and small decorative bushes all summer long. Although some varieties can grow up to two meters tall, all parts of the plant are fragile and delicate. Juicy shoots are easy to break with careless handling, seed pods burst with a slight touch, and flowers emit sweet tear-like droplets. Plant care is simple, the main thing is not to break the stems and processes.
Waller's balsam has a wide variety of colors: the petals have up to 20 shades, and the leaves are not only green, but also red or spotted.
Choosing a place for a flower garden
Balsam loves the light, but not the scorching midday rays. It is desirable to place the flower bed on open space, north of a tall tree, so that in the hottest hours the plants are protected by a shadow from the crown. To make the flowers decorate the garden longer, you can grow several bushes in portable flowerpots or hanging baskets and, with the advent of heat, take the containers to the site. The southern plant does not tolerate cold weather, in open ground it can only be planted in June.
For good development flowers need planting in fertile loose soil. If the flower garden is located on heavy soils, make a mound of equal parts of humus, garden soil and sand. To prevent plants from dying excess moisture soil, first fill the ground with expanded clay for drainage, and then make a hill for a flower bed from the prepared soil. Balsam is not capricious, it takes root well on any soil, it does not like only acidic soil. The addition of peat, lime or chalk will help make the Ph reaction neutral.
Think about what plants will inhabit the flower garden. You can use Waller's balsams alone, their half-meter bushes will decorate the flower bed even at a time when the plants do not bloom. Green, red and variegated leaves grow on thick spreading shoots, proper care will make their coloring bright and expressive. Then the buds open and flowers of various shades appear, smooth and double. The background can be the planting of iron-nosed balsam, reaching a height of two meters.
What to plant in the spring in a flower bed?
Waller's balsam is a perennial, but on outdoors it does not tolerate harsh winters and freezes. Take care of in autumn spring plantings: Dig up a bush with a clod of earth and plant it in a pot. Caring for a flower indoors does not take much time - only watering and good lighting. Tall varieties will have to be replanted every year. You can use 2 methods: sowing seeds and cuttings.
Cuttings can be harvested in any season. Choose a healthy, strong bush and cut off the tops of shoots up to 10 cm long with three leaves. You can buy at flower shop a pot of Waller's balsam, put it in dark place so that the shoots stretch out, and then cut several cuttings from one bush. Dip the sections in growth promoter and dip the bottom into water, soil, or wet sand. When the branches release roots, transplant them into separate containers for further development. Make sure the cups have good drainage holes and don't water the seedlings too much. Provide them with proper care, and in early summer they will grow into well-formed bushes.
ran out spring frosts, the planting of balsam in open ground begins. A few hours before transplanting, water the seedlings and cuttings so that the soil in the cups is well moistened. Make holes no closer than 30 cm from each other, put a little humus on the bottom and spill it with water. When planting, carefully straighten the roots of the seedlings, bury the holes and lightly tamp the soil. If you do not want to constantly loosen the soil and fight weeds, cover the surface of the flower bed with a layer of mulch at least 5 cm thick, and caring for the flower garden will become quite simple.
Growing seedlings from seeds
If you want to harvest the seeds, don't let them overripe. At the end of August, boxes appear in place of wilted flowers. Harvest them before the seeds dry out. Waller's balsam is not in vain received one of the names "touchy": its boxes burst at the slightest touch and scatter grains on the ground. Remove the seeds in a dry place and wait until they are fully ripe. When the box opens when touched - the seeds are ripe, put them in paper bags and put them in a cool, dry place
Small grains of Waller's balsam are very tenacious. If you still have last year's stocks, sow them without fear, with proper storage germination is not lost up to 8 years. Planting begins in January: first, the seed is etched for 10 minutes in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate, and then kept in a growth stimulator for several hours. Scatter the seeds over moistened soil for flower seedling, sprinkle lightly with sand on top. Close the container with glass or film and place in a warm place with a temperature not lower than +20⁰. Special care is not required for crops, just open them every day for a few minutes to ventilate and, if necessary, moisten the soil.
Before sowing, warm the soil in a double boiler and spill it with fungicides to destroy pathogens and pest larvae.
After two weeks, shoots will appear, and the container will need to be opened and placed in a well-lit place. When 2 true leaves develop, pick into cups with a diameter of no more than 10 cm. After the appearance of 7 leaves, pinch the top so that side shoots begin to develop. In May, seedlings need to start preparing for life on the street. In the daytime, take it out into the open air, after a while leave it there on warm nights. When the spring frosts pass, you can move the seedlings into open ground. Planting in a flower garden is carried out in the same way as when propagating by cuttings.
Flower garden care
Wanna see beautiful bloom- do not forget about proper care. Water the flower bed in a timely manner: in case of drought, the balsam will drop the buds, and you will admire only lush greenery. It is also undesirable to pour over: the roots can rot. Best time for this procedure - evening, after sunset. On a cool night, moisture will not actively evaporate and soak the soil well.
Bushes need good nutrition. 2 times a month it is necessary to carry out top dressing with complex fertilizer, in which nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium must be present. If you keep the dug bush in the winter on the windowsill, in cold season it is not necessary to feed it, only watering is included in the care of the plant. The only exception: if a flower in a pot has begun to release buds, fertilize it every 2 weeks.
If you did not pinch the top when growing in pots, do this when the balsam takes root and takes root in the flower bed. The shoots will not stretch up, the bush will become more lush, and root system develop better. Don't forget to prune dead blooms to encourage further flowering.
Problems in growing balsam
- whitefly;
- spider mite.
If you notice insects in time, you can do without chemicals struggle. Rinse the stems and leaves with a sponge dampened with a solution laundry soap, and sprinkle with infusions of wormwood, calendula, yarrow or garlic. For large lesions, you will have to use insecticides.
If you find brown spots or a gray coating on the leaves, the balsam has become infected with a gray rot fungus. Usually this disease occurs with excessive soil moisture, try not to overdo it with watering. Remove all diseased parts of the plant, cut the sections with chopped charcoal and spray the affected bush and all neighboring flowers with fungicides.
If the leaves change color, deform, crack, the bushes have become infected with the mosaic virus. Most often, the infection is carried by insects. For prevention, treat plants with insecticides, remove damaged leaves and provide flowers with good care. 
Do not ignore other balsam requests for help.
- The buds fall - the plant is hot, you need to shade it and spray it with water.
- Colored spots on variegated leaves lose their brightness - the flower lacks light.
- The shoots are drawn out, the leaves turn pale and become small, flowering is delayed - lack of nutrients, balsam needs to be fed.
- Bushes do not bloom - the soil is too dry, increase the intensity and frequency of watering.
- Buds do not appear for a long time - the soil is oversaturated with nitrogen, transplant the bush to another place and reduce feeding.
So, balsam is a perennial, but in the open field it dies in frosty winters. If autumn undersized varieties transplanted into pots and carried away to spend the winter in the apartment, it will not be necessary to grow new plants every year. It is most convenient to propagate a flower with cuttings, which need to be grown in cups and transplanted into open ground in the spring. You can grow seedlings from seeds, but this is a more labor-intensive method.
Caring for balsam in the open field includes timely watering and top dressing. The flower is unpretentious, afraid only of cold weather and extreme heat. Insects not only damage the bushes, but also serve as carriers of infection. ornamental plant asks you for quite a bit of attention, and in return will decorate all corners of the garden with bright inflorescences.
Balsam is one of the most popular indoor plants in many countries of the world. In Russia, it is often called capricious and Vanka wet, for the droplets of liquid that stand out along the edge of the leaves, and also touchy - for the property of seeds to scatter at the slightest touch. The British have a different name in use - “zealous Lisa”, for a long and abundant flowering bushes, and the inhabitants of Austria call the balsam "a beautiful wreath." The plant is very unpretentious, and any novice grower can grow it from seeds at home.
This plant is a branching shrub from 25 cm to 1 m tall. Some annual species reach two meters in height and are grown in open ground. The stems of the balsam are juicy, very fleshy, light green in color. The leaves are dark green, lanceolate, may be entire or with a serrated edge. Balsam is valued for its flowers, which can be simple and double, rose-shaped, with the shape of a carnation or camellia. The most common color of the petals is from rich red to soft pink and lilac, there are also varieties with white flowers and two-tone.
This houseplant is warm time year feels great outdoors, and many grow it in the summer, not only in flowerpots, but also in flower beds.
AT good conditions balsam is able to bloom profusely all year round, forming many single flowers or loose inflorescences, depending on the variety. This culture is very photophilous, but prolonged exposure to direct sunlight affects it detrimentally. Optimal location for vases with flowers are window sills on the western and eastern sides. When landing on a flower bed, it is necessary to select a site that is in the shade from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It can also be planted in partial shade, but always in a place protected from the wind.
Growing a flower from seed
Selection of planting material
There are a huge number of varieties and hybrids of balsam, and when choosing seeds it is very difficult to stop at just one. To avoid disappointment, remember a few simple rules:
- to decorate a balcony or flower bed in summer time annual balsams are more suitable for growing in room conditions you need to choose perennials;
- if you plan to further propagate flowers from own seeds, do not buy hybrid varieties;
- to get plants with flowers of the desired shape and color, you should not purchase a mixture of varieties, buy only separately;
- when buying, pay attention to the timing of the collection of seeds. Seeds remain viable for 7-8 years, but the fresher they are, the better.
Sowing preparation
When growing balsam at home, planting dates of great importance they don’t, but if you plan to decorate a balcony with flowers in the summer, you need to sow in mid-February. Seeds must first be disinfected. For this in warm water dilute potassium permanganate to a light purple color and lower the seeds for about 10 minutes. Then the potassium permanganate solution is drained, and the seeds are poured with clean warm water and leave for a day.
Can be taken purchased soil for indoor plants or make the soil mixture yourself:
- 1 part of garden land;
- 2 parts of peat;
- 1 part vermiculite;
- 1 part coarse sand.
You can take only peat and vermiculite in equal parts, if it is not possible to collect garden soil.
The finished substrate must be warmed up in the oven for a couple of hours to destroy everything harmful microorganisms. It also does not hurt to disinfect the purchased soil by adding a little sand for greater friability. After that, the earth is shed with a solution of "Fitosporin", intended to improve the microflora. In addition, this solution reduces the risk of blackleg development in seedlings.
Seeding process
Step 1. For seedlings, you will need a wide pot or box about 7-8 cm high. Expanded clay or fine gravel is poured on the bottom for drainage at least 2 cm thick. Then the container is filled with prepared soil.
Step 2 Spread the swollen seeds over the surface, being careful not to sow too thickly. Since they are very small, it is most convenient to do this with the tip of a toothpick. Each seed should be lightly pressed to the soil, but not immersed deeply.
You can plant balsam in peat tablets
Step 3 Using a spray gun, the surface of the substrate with the spread out seeds is well moistened, after which the box is placed in a transparent plastic bag. The bag does not need to be pressed too tightly, let some air remain in it.
Step 4 The packed container is placed on the windowsill so that the surface is well lit, but protected from direct rays. The room temperature must be maintained within +22 ... +25 °C.
Growing seedlings
The first sprouts are shown after 17-20 days, subject to constant temperature and humidity. As soon as single shoots appear, the bag is slightly opened for ventilation, the accumulated condensate is gently shaken off so that moisture does not get on the sprouts. This must be done daily in the morning and evening, otherwise the seedlings will be affected by the fungus from excess moisture.
After 5-6 days, when all the seeds sprout, the bag is completely removed from the box, and the soil is moistened with a spray gun. In the morning and evening hours, as well as in cloudy weather, you need to turn on the fitolamp and illuminate the seedlings, otherwise their development will be disturbed. Periodically, you will have to pour a wet substrate on the roots emerging from the soil. When watering, it is best to pour water into the pan so that the root collars of the sprouts remain dry and do not rot.
Picking seedlings
Seedlings one and a half centimeters high and with two real leaves can already be dived into separate cups. The soil is taken the same as at the beginning, be sure to pour drainage to the bottom. Elongated plants, when picking, are buried in the substrate a little more than the rest. After transplanting, the seedlings quickly adapt and begin to grow vigorously, but with sufficient light, humidity and heat. A week after picking, you should pinch the tops - this will cause the formation of additional shoots, which will subsequently affect the decorativeness of the bush.
Transplanting into flowerpots
Plants are planted in flowerpots or containers for permanent cultivation after they form a small bush, and their roots will braid the entire earthen clod.
The containers must be taken spacious enough so that the balsam can freely grow in them for several years. The soil substrate is prepared in the same way as for seedlings, but the drainage layer is made a little thicker - from 3 to 5 cm. After transplantation, it is no longer necessary to illuminate the plants, the main thing is to regularly water and spray the bushes. Balsam can be taken out into the open air at the end of May, when it is warm. Already in June it will be possible to admire the first flowers.
Balsam care at home
Caring for mature plants is not at all difficult. Balsam tolerates heat well, and if it is shaded from the sun in a timely manner, the bush develops actively and blooms profusely almost without interruption. Temperature regime should not change too abruptly, therefore, with the onset of autumn, flowerpots must be brought into the house without waiting for a cold snap. In winter, plants grow normally at a lower temperature, but it is desirable that it does not fall below 12 degrees. The balsam does not have a dormant period, and from October to March it needs additional lighting. Without this, the bush will not bloom.
Fertilizing the plant with complex fertilizers is of great importance. For the first time, the bushes are fed after planting in permanent pots, and then fertilizers are applied regularly every two weeks until October. It is recommended to use a half dose of fertilizer. With an overabundance nutrients the stems grow, become more brittle, and the formation of buds stops.
It is desirable to water the balsam with settled water at room temperature. In the warm season, plants are watered more often and more abundantly, in winter only as the soil dries. If the air in the house is very dry, spraying the leaves is additionally required.
The bush needs to be pruned annually to encourage the growth of new shoots. When the roots become crowded, the plant is transplanted into a larger flowerpot or the bush is divided. Optimal timing for this - the middle of spring. To propagate the flower you like, you can cut cuttings up to 6 cm long from the tops of the stems and root them in water. This method is considered the fastest and most convenient.
Balsam is susceptible to fungal diseases, rot and bacteriosis. The main reason for their development is excessive watering, lack of air and lighting, thickening of the bush. In addition, aphids and whiteflies attack the plants, and the spider mite is considered the main pest. The treatment of bushes with protective preparations, for example, Alirin, Gliocladin and others, helps to get rid of these problems.
How to collect seeds yourself
Reproduction of balsam by seeds requires more time and patience than rooting cuttings, however, many gardeners prefer this particular method. In order for the seeds to ripen on the plant, the flowers need pollination. The easiest way is to put the bushes in the open air, where bright flowers will immediately attract insects. In room conditions, pollination is carried out artificially, using a thin brush for painting. With a brush, they carefully collect pollen and spread it with light strokes over the pistils of flowers.
After some time, a small green fruit will form in place of the flower, which, as it ripens, will begin to turn into a dry translucent box. Ripe boxes burst even at the slightest touch, and the seeds scatter in all directions. Experienced flower growers it is recommended to lightly spray the bush with water in the evening, and in the morning, while the boxes are still a little wet, gently pick them from the stems. After that, the seeds are dried and poured into storage in a paper bag.
Video - Balsam: growing from seeds at home
Video - Balsam: cultivation and care
Video - Balsam Care
Balsam garden - a plant of the Balsam family. Its most common names are “Vanka wet” and “Touchless”. The second is due to the fact that during maturation, even from a light touch, the plant bursts and scatters the seeds. In the middle latitudes of Russia, garden balsam is grown simultaneously as an annual and perennial plant. The birthplace of balsam is China. Planting and care, according to some gardeners, is a rather burdensome business. The plant requires special attention. Balsam is used in folk medicine although it is considered poisonous. It has gained particular popularity in landscape design.
Garden balsam: types, varieties and photos
In horticulture, approximately 400 varieties of both annual and perennial balsams are known. They are classified as cultivated and ornamental plants.
- Balsam garden- the most famous type. In fact, this is a perennial plant, but because of its frost resistance, it is grown outdoors as an annual. It has sharp-nosed petals, the color of which includes almost all color palette. No wonder this plant is called "light". In apartments and other enclosed spaces, it can grow for more than 2 years. There are not very many varieties of balsam: Camellia Flowered, Baby Bush and That Thumb.
- Balsam Waller- a bright plant that grows all year round. It has a memorable color of flowers that cover the entire surface of the balsam. Flowering occurs from June until frost. Before frost, it is desirable to transfer it to the house. The most common varieties are noted - Stardust, Frosty, Symphony and many others.
- New Guinean- perennial, a hybrid obtained as a result of selection of Hawker's balsam with some species. It has a full stem, and its height reaches half a meter. Among the varieties of this type of balsam, "Harmony", "Divaro", "Mini Jini", "Java", "Jungle Rain", "Macarena" and "RainforestExotic" are distinguished.
Balsam Planting
It is possible to plant a plant both in a pot and in open ground. It is carried out mainly by seeds. Although you can buy an already adult plant.
Advice. Balsams prefer slightly acidic soil, so add peat before planting in a pot.
Germination of the plant is high quality. Planting is carried out one seed in a separate pot.
- Within 3 weeks after planting, the plant must be kept at home.
- After the emergence of seedlings, the balsam must be transferred to a cool place, for example, to a loggia.
- When the plant reaches 5 cm in height, it should be transplanted into a separate pot or open ground.
- The root should be pinched off a little. This is done to stimulate root development.
- Balsam is planted in shallow pits, slightly crushing the soil.
- Loosen the soil around the plant. In order for the plant to be lush and grow better, the top of the head should be cut off.
Care for the "touchy"
All types of balsams are sun-loving plants. In the summer, they are planted in open ground.
Planting is carried out no earlier than June, so that the plant can acclimatize.
Advice. Most the best option for balsam in open ground - partial shade.
AT winter time perennial needs additional lighting. With its lack or absence, balsams cease to bloom.
The main problem in plant care is the need to comply with the temperature regime. The optimum temperature for it in summer is from 18 to 25 degrees Celsius, in winter from 13 to 16. Frequent drops negatively affect the plant.
In the summer, watering the balsam should be plentiful, and in the autumn-winter - infrequent. When watering, it is important to remember the balance: the plant should not be dry or too wet, as this leads to root rot.
Fertilizers are used exclusively in summer 1 time in 14 days. AT winter period perennial is fertilized only under the condition of flowering. In this case, mineral fertilizers are suitable.
Plant propagation
Reproduction of balsam can be done in two ways.
- Seeds. The plant is different high performance germination. Sowing is best done in the spring. Balsam seeds are soaked in advance in warm water for 10 minutes.
- cuttings. The cut tops of the plant up to 5 cm long are lowered into the water until the roots appear. Do this, like sowing seeds, in the spring. The process is fast and effortless. To improve the development of the bush, the cuttings should be pinched.
Dangers: diseases and pests
Like many representatives of the flora, balsam is susceptible to disease and insect attack.
- Rot is a consequence of abundant watering in the cold season. To prevent the appearance of rot, water should not be allowed to stagnate in the soil or pot.
- The spider mite is a serious enemy for the touchy. Modern chemicals will help to exterminate the pest.
- The whitefly is also a nasty pest. Leaf fall is the result of her work. The fight against this unpleasant insect takes place with the help of some chemicals.
Floral arrangements or combinations with plants
Gardeners prefer to plant balsam in group plantings. It goes great with begonias and bluebells. Someone likes the composition of balsam with violets. Balsam looks interesting in company with boxwood.
"Roly wet" is widely used in landscape design. It is used for decorating alpine slides, flower beds. Garden balsam is also used to decorate borders and create mixboxers.
Garden balsam is an annual that, with careful care, can become perennial plant. It can be grown both indoors and outdoors. Planting, propagating and caring for a plant may seem rather difficult for some. But the beauty of the annual and its fabulous flowers-lights compensate for everything in full.
Growing garden balsam: video
Balsam garden: photo
Balsam is a garden perennial flower, which is a flowering plant that tolerates shade well. The balsam has a juicy straight stem that grows up to 50 cm, oval leaves up to 12 cm in length. Balsam is great for creating beauty in the shade of the garden. You can grow a flower both in a flower garden on the site, and at home on the windowsill. The vast majority of balsams like to be outdoors in the summer, with the onset of winter they need to be transplanted into pots and brought indoors.
Planting garden balsam in open ground
You can plant a flower in the garden with the final onset of heat. If, after the transfer of plants to the street, frosts return, then it is likely that they will die. Planting is carried out mainly by seeds, although if there is no desire to wait, you can buy already adult flowers.
For planting, dig holes in advance and add compost and fertilizer to them. So that the seedlings can be easily removed from the pots, they are pre-watered. The flower must be planted at the same depth at which it grew in a pot, the remaining space must be filled with a substrate and well crushed. In order for the flower to take root, it must be well watered and the soil loosened.
Lighting and temperature
For balsam, indirect sunlight is needed; during especially hot sunny days, the flower must be shaded. If it is exposed to direct bright rays for a long time, then moisture will evaporate from the plant, it will exude bad smell and wither. Balsam is best planted in the western or eastern side of the site. In the summer when the flower grows outside optimum temperature for him it will be about 21 ° C, in winter, when the flower was transferred to the room, the temperature should not fall below 13 ° C.
What should be the soil
Balsam, especially if grown indoors, needs light, loose, moderately nutritious soil. An excess of nutrients in the soil will lead to increased growth of green mass, which adversely affects flowering. Very loose soil will also not be useful, the flower will not be able to stably gain a foothold in it. Slightly acid soil works best. Compost, humus, perlite and soddy soil can be added to the composition of such soil in equal parts. You can also mix sand and peat with two parts leaf ground, it will be an adequate replacement.
How to plant a flower
Balsam is a garden flower, and appropriate care is needed for it. In the summer, you can plant balsam in open ground. Planting should be done no earlier than mid-June, otherwise the plant that has not yet acclimatized will simply die.
Important! The landing site should be semi-shaded.
The houseplant perfectly adapts to new conditions and blooms well from June to September. In autumn, the flower must be dug up and the apical cuttings prepared for rooting.
In winter, balsam needs additional lighting, because it does not have a dormant period. If you take good care of it, the plant will delight you with its flowering.
Did you know? There is certain types balsam, which bloom only in the summer.
Balsam can be grown in two ways:
- With the help of seeds. To do this, pour the earth into a pot, compact and moisten it. Place the seeds at a distance of 2 cm from each other, sprinkle with earth. Cover the pot with a plastic bag, put it in a bright place. When the seedlings are up and blooming, transplant them into the garden. good seedling will grow in 4 months.
- Everyone knows that balsam is a touchy garden. In order to grow such a handsome man, you can use cuttings. Only perennial flowers are propagated by cuttings. Choose young shoots that are firm and strong. Cut them off, the length of the cutting should be about 7 cm. Plant the cutting in a pot with earth, compact the earth around it. Place the pot in a warm place and water the flower. You can cover the shoot with a plastic cup to create a greenhouse effect.
The balsam flower is easy to grow, and you should not have any problems with how to care for it.
Humidity and watering the plant
Among the people at the balsam interesting name- Vanka is wet. This name was given to him for his love for abundant watering and high humidity. But you can’t just fill the flower, because of this you can cause the development of root rot. At proper watering balsam soil will not be overdried, it will always remain moist. In winter, the amount of water must be reduced. The water must be soft.
Did you know? In order for the water to become soft, it needs to be infused for several days.
When do you need top dressing balsam
Flowers such as balsam, which grow in the garden area, need good nutrition during their flowering and growth. It is necessary to fertilize the flower well in the period from April to November; in winter, you can either not fertilize at all, or significantly reduce the amount of fertilizer. It is recommended to feed the flower once every 2 weeks.
Balsam pruning
During the long winter, the balsam grows strongly, so closer to spring it needs to be cut off, leaving only half of the length of the shoots, then the growth of new, stronger shoots is stimulated in the flower. If a flower develops many shoots, then its flowering will be magnificent. Throughout the year, watch how the balsam grows, flower care allows pruning of thickening and weak branches, due to which the flower reproduces well.
Balsam transplant rules
Optimal time for transplanting balsam - spring. But if there is such a need, then you can transplant a flower in the summer. It is important to understand that good flowering directly depends on the size of the pot. During transplantation, you need to get rid of old plants so that the young ones have the opportunity to sprout. young plant needs to be repotted every year. If the flower is already an adult (not older than 3 years), then it can be updated (by rooting the apical cuttings) or transplanted.
Reproduction of balsam
In order to grow balsam yourself, you first need to prepare seedlings. cook necessary soil, add a fungicide to it, which will protect the plant from the appearance of harmful fungi.
Where to get and how to grow seeds
Sowing balsam begins with the acquisition of seeds. Before sowing, they must be disinfected. To do this, prepare a warm solution of light purple potassium permanganate and dip the seeds in it for 10 minutes. Then drain the solution, and fill the seeds with warm clean water. Let them sit for a day. After that, sow the flower seeds in moist soil and lightly sprinkle with earth, create a greenhouse. After 3 weeks, the first shoots will appear.
The plant has a wide variety of species that differ in the shape and color of flowers, leaves, height (up to two meters). All of them are characterized by fragility and juiciness of shoots. Some types of balsam have medicinal properties.
Balsam has about five hundred species. The most popular in breeding include the following.
Waller's Balsam (Waller's Balsam)
This type earned popularity for the variety of colors of flowers that allow you to create in garden conditions magnificent flower beds and even vertical gardening.
When grown in the garden, it refers to annual plants, as it dies at the slightest frost, so you need to prepare and root cuttings in time for planting next year.
Waller's balsam grows up to fifty centimeters in height and has thick, juicy and sprawling shoots. The small, egg-shaped leaves can be green, red, or variegated. Flowers of a simple, double and semi-double form have about twenty shades.
If you want to know how to properly plant a purslane and care for it, read about it in.
Balsam garden (Impatience balsamic)
Balsam garden is a low annual (up to seventy centimeters). Flowers can be white, pink, red and even blue. Long flowering begins in June and ends in late autumn. With the help of this type of balsam, borders are often made out.
This species in garden conditions is an annual. Differs in high decorativeness of leaves. They have a white-yellow center with reddish veins and green edges. big flowers usually bright pink or red.
Iron-bearing balsam is very different from other varieties. This is a plant with a thick, juicy trunk that can reach two meters in height.
Long and thin peduncles crowned with flowers with two petals and a calyx. Their color varies from white to lilac shade. This species is well adapted to growing on summer cottages, usually used to decorate flower beds. Flowering lasts until frost.
Admire the photos most popular species balsam:
Landing
Location selection
Balsam loves light, so well-lit areas are best suited for it. But at the same time, it should not be constantly under straight lines. sunbeams, which leads to burns of foliage and flowers.
For him, the northwestern or northeastern side of the site is suitable. It can also be placed under trees or shrubs with a rare crown.
Timing
On the garden plots balsam can be placed in flowerpots or hanging baskets. AT this case it is grown in advance and with the onset suitable conditions take out to the garden.
If planting is carried out in open ground, then this should be done no earlier than June to avoid the death of a heat-loving plant from spring frosts.
Acclimatization is usually quick and painless even for flowering plants. Before the onset of frost, you need to transplant the balsam into a pot or root young cuttings as planting material for next season.
Soil preparation
The soil for planting balsam should be light, loose and fertile with neutral acidity. A mixture that includes sod land, humus and sand in equal proportions.
Care
Balsam is very moisture-loving, but certain rules must be observed when watering. With severe waterlogging, rotting of the root system can begin, which leads to a number of diseases and even death of the plant. And strong overdrying can cause the buds to drop.
Fertilizing plants is carried out regularly during the entire period of growth and flowering once every two weeks with the use of complex mineral fertilizers.
To prolong the flowering period and maintain the decorativeness of the balsam, it is necessary to remove faded peduncles and pinch the shoots.
You will learn more about planting and caring for balsam from the video:
reproduction
Balsam is propagated by both seeds and cuttings.
seeds
Balsam seeds are very small, their germination lasts up to eight years. In order for the balsam to bloom in early summer, you need to sow seeds for seedlings in January. Seeds should be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate (ten minutes), and then placed in a growth stimulator solution for several hours.
For landing, you can take ready soil mix for seedlings or peat and sand in equal quantities. Seeds are evenly distributed over the ground, lightly sprinkled with sand and moistened. Boxes with plantings are covered with polyethylene film or glass and placed in a room with a temperature of at least twenty degrees. Shelter is removed daily for airing and watering.
Shoots usually appear two weeks after planting. After the appearance of two true sheets, the seedlings are picked into separate small pots (up to ten centimeters in diameter). Pinching is done when the seventh leaf appears, so that the plants are more lush and decorative.
In early May, seedlings should be taken outside during the day for hardening. This will help the plant to quickly acclimatize after planting. Landing in open ground is carried out in the absence of a threat of frost. The distance between landings should be at least thirty centimeters.
Flowering of plants grown from seeds begins three to four months after sowing.
cuttings
For cuttings, shoots of healthy, well-developed plants are used. Reproduction is underway apical cuttings no more than ten centimeters long. This can be done at any time of the year, using soil, sand or water.
After full rooting occurs, the cuttings are transplanted into individual pots with properly selected soil.
Pest and disease control
Most often, balsams are affected spider mite, aphids and whiteflies. If pests are found, all parts of the plant should be washed with a solution of laundry soap and treated with an insecticide. If the defeat is not too strong, you can use folk remedies: tincture of garlic, calendula, yarrow or wormwood.
With excessive watering, balsam is affected by gray rot. Infection with this fungal disease can be detected by brown spots and gray bloom on the leaves. Without proper treatment, flowers quickly die. The affected areas must be removed and the sections treated with crushed charcoal. Then the whole plant is sprayed with fungicides ( blue vitriol, Barrier, Barrier and others).
To learn how to grow Kuril tea, click here.Problems in growing balsam
When growing balsam, you may encounter the following difficulties:
- Balsam drops buds when too high temperature air. It is necessary to shade the plant and spray the foliage.
- Severe overdrying of the soil can lead to a lack of flowering.
- Lack of light discolors the leaves of variegated balsam species. It can also lead to leaf drop and delayed flowering.
- The lack of top dressing leads to stretching of shoots, crushing and pallor of foliage, lack of flowering.
- An excess of nitrogen in the soil can also inhibit bud set.
Application in landscape design
Balsam is perfect for planting along solid fences, decorating borders, flower beds. It can also be placed in containers, flowerpots and hanging baskets. He feels good under the crowns of trees and shrubs, while decorating them with his bright flowering. It can be included in various mixborders.
Elena Timoshchuk
