The plant, which is usually called balsam, belongs to the family Balsaminaceae, the genus Impátiens (lat. - not touched). Flower growers have long been fond of it because of its decorative effect, bright beautiful flowers, almost year-round flowering, and unpretentiousness in care. We often call him Vanka wet because of droplets protruding at the edges of the leaves, and in England - zealous Lisa because of the almost continuous flowering. Another unofficial name for the plant is the light, because its colors are always inherent in bright colors.
In nature, this plant is common in the temperate zone and tropics of all continents except Australia and South America. It was introduced to Europe at the end of the 16th century. Several hundred types of balsam are known. Some of its varieties will be described in the article.
Description
What does a balsam flower look like ? A perennial indoor plant has a height of 15 cm to half a meter, depending on the variety (garden and balcony varieties are usually annuals). Its stems are juicy. The leaves are simple, fleshy, have a green color, in some varieties - with a reddish tint, 8-12 cm in length, oval or lanceolate. They are glossy, shiny, with small denticles along the edges. It is on them that droplets of sweet juice act, distracting the attention of insects not participating in pollination from flowers. The flowers are zygomorphic, that is, they have only one axis of symmetry, single or collected in inflorescences, bright colors. Flower buds are in the leaf sinuses, and flowers, growing on peduncles, are under the leaves. This contributes to their protection in nature from rain.
Balsam flowers can have a variety of colors: orange, red, white, pink, purple ... They may contain dots or spots of other shades. Many hybrid varieties have double flowers. These plants are also called eternal flowers, because almost all year round, in the presence of suitable conditions in the premises, balsamins bloom. Landing and caring for them will be described in our article.
Conditions of detention
In room conditions, balsam prefers a temperature within + 20 ... 22 degrees of heat. It is highly undesirable for the room temperature to drop below +15 degrees. For balconies and gardens, breeders have bred frost-resistant varieties that can be left in the air until frost. In hot weather, the room should be regularly ventilated, previously protecting the flowers from drafts or moving them to another room.
Do not put balsam in a dark place. Under such conditions, it will stretch out a lot, and flowering will be less plentiful. It is best to keep it on windows facing south or west. With sufficient lighting and a suitable air temperature, the indoor balsam flower (photo can be seen below) will bloom for at least 6-8 months a year.
In the garden, the plant should be planted in a place protected from drafts, in the scattered shadow of bushes or trees. It is necessary to protect balsam from direct sunlight, which adversely affect the plant. Gives a visual representation of what the balsam flower looks like in this case, photo. A house or garden plant in such conditions can lose part of the leaves and even die. The diffused bright light is just what you need for these colors.
Humidity and watering
Balsam flower, indoor or garden, it is better to water a little more abundant than to dry. However, abusing soil moisture is also not worth it. Experienced flower growers recommend watering the balsam flower (the photo can be seen below) so that the root neck does not get wet (in room conditions - along the edge of the pot).
As for the water in the pan of the pot, opinions are divided here. Some owners claim that the water from the pan should be drained, others - that, on the contrary, the water should remain in the pan, and we will not be there the next day - the flower will “drink” it all. Be that as it may, when caring for a flower with balsamic indoor, you need to focus on its condition. If there is a lot of water left, watering should be reduced. It is important to find a middle ground, since the roots can stagnate when stagnant water in the pot. It is important not to allow the earthen coma to dry out, otherwise the plant will simply wither. In winter, of course, watering should be reduced - up to 2-3 times a week.
When using hard water on the soil in the pot, limescale may appear. When watering balsam through the pan, as growers say, this can be avoided. It is advisable to use water that has been protected.
Moisturize the plant at a temperature above 22 degrees. To do this, use a spray gun. Avoid getting water on the flowers.
Breeding
After flowering, balsam forms a seed box that breaks at the slightest touch. Thanks to this, the plant has another nickname - Touch. In nature, balsam can be pollinated by birds, and seeds thrown from the box are carried by animals over long distances. Both methods can be used, although, according to gardeners, the propagation of indoor varieties of balsam by cuttings is more efficient.
When using seeds, they are sown in February in moist soil and must be covered with a film to preserve moisture and provide a greenhouse effect. They germinate for about two weeks. Young plants will bloom in 3-4 months. Garden varieties of balsam are perfectly propagated by self-sowing. Seeds remain viable for at least 6 years.
For propagation by cuttings, strong, healthy shoots 8-10 cm long are used, which are carefully cut from the plant. They should have 5-6 leaves. You can root the cuttings in water, but they must be deeply immersed in it. You can also drop them in wet sand. Roots appear after 7-10 days, and the plant can immediately be planted in the ground. Flowering occurs on average after 2-3 months.
To increase the decorativeness, flower growers are advised to plant two cuttings of different varieties in a small pot. The unique combination of colors will create a beautiful bouquet on the windowsill. The tips of young plants should be nipped regularly for better branching.
Transplant and soil requirements
When transplanting balsam, it should be borne in mind that the new pot should not be too large, otherwise the plant will spend all its strength on growth and tillering, and flowering can be expected soon. You can transplant it every year, if necessary.
Soil should be used light for flowering plants. Ideal - turf and leafy land, peat, sand and humus in equal parts. Heavy soil saturated with mineral salts, an excess of nitrogen in it will lead to the fact that it will only increase the green mass of the balsam flower. Landing and care (photo can be seen below) will not bring proper results if the wrong land is chosen.
Top dressing
From spring to autumn, balsam is fed with fertilizer for flowering plants according to the instructions. Fertilizer must be applied once every two weeks. Keep in mind the harmful effects of large amounts of nitrogen on the appearance of the plant. Fertilizers with nitrogen are good only for young, actively growing plants. For flowering, potassium and phosphorus are required.
Growing difficulties
With a problem such as wilting and falling of leaves, gardeners can encounter with insufficient watering of the plant or a drop in temperature indicators.
The elongated stems of the plant, as mentioned above, may indicate a lack of light. She is one of the possible causes of falling flowers. Other factors are dry air and soil, damage by a spider mite.
The flowering of balsam may be weak due to lack of light, the use of inappropriate soil mixture, stimulating growth rather than flowering, as well as lower temperatures and unsuccessful transplantation. As already mentioned, balsam for abundant flowering should grow in a pot, which is a bit crowded. Otherwise, after transplanting, flowering may stop.
Pests
These flowers are not resistant enough to diseases and pests. Because of one damaged shoot, the whole plant can soon die. Demonstrates how the diseased balsam flower looks, photo. Caring for it provides daily inspection of the plant for the timely detection of pests and diseases.
With excessive watering of the plant in the ground, scyarides - small midges can start. This happens more often in winter than in summer. Dangerous are not the midges themselves, but their larvae, which can damage the root system of the balsam flower. How to care for a diseased plant? Florists recommend treating it with an insecticide called "Fly-eater". The mice will die within 2-3 days. If there are a lot of larvae, and they are visible to the naked eye, then the plant should be washed and transplanted into fresh soil.
In warm and dry weather, the plant can infect a spider mite. His leaves at the same time change color, become spotty. Whitefly and aphids, which adversely affect its appearance, are also dangerous for balsamine. Insects suck juice from the leaves, after which they turn yellow and fall off. To combat these pests, it is recommended to use preparations based on permethrin (Iskra, etc.).
Species and varietal diversity
Below will be briefly described some types and varieties of balsam flower. It should be noted that in their names, as flower growers indicate, there is a long-standing confusion. But in general, three main groups of these plants can be distinguished.
The first is the old, the so-called traditional species, with spreading stems, green leaves and white, pink or red flowers. The second group - numerous hybrids of the first generation (F1), extremely abundant and variegated blooming - so that because of the flowers you can not see the stems. They are compact, have small stature. The third group is the so-called New Guinean hybrids, whose leaves are mottled.
Waller, or Waller (Impatiens walleriana)
The traditional look, the founder of many modern hybrid forms. I.holstii, I.sultani, I.petersiana are also included in this group. The first two names have green leaves, the last - red. They can have two-tone color (variegata). Under appropriate temperature conditions, plants from this group bloom year-round. Their stems are directed in different directions, the leaves are ovoid in shape.
First Generation Hybrid Forms (F1)
The Waller balsam hybrid line called Accent is distinguished by elliptical or ovoid pointed leaves. Forms spherical bushes up to 20 cm in diameter. The flowers have a rich color of red, purple or coral shades. May have a spot or strip in the central part.
Super Elfin is a hybrid line of plants with non-double flowers, usually plain, pastel or white (sometimes with a white center). Has small pointed leaves of an oval shape, dull green or saturated green. Bushes are densely branched, grow up to 20 cm in height.
Blitz is a hybrid form of Impatiens walleriana. This line has large simple flowers, in diameter from 4-5 to 6.5 cm, having various shades of red. The plant is an annual, forms a bush of a hemispherical shape - dense, about 25 cm high.
New Guinean Hybrids
This series is radically different from the rest. Its leaves most often have a variegated color. They are narrow, with denticles along the edges, pointed, shiny. Flowers can be either simple or double, of different colors, two-tone (with a peephole or asterisk in the center) or one-color. Their diameter is 6-8 cm, and fringe is sometimes present at the edges. Plants of different varieties form bushes with a height of 20 to 50 cm. Simple flowers have varieties Big Top (white), Antiqua (orange), Spectra Mixed (eight shades, from pink to orange including two-tone ones), Star Dancer (blue-violet ), Tango (light orange), Java Mixture (plain - white, salmon, or two-tone, with a dark stripe in the middle). Terry flowers can boast varieties of Apple Blossom (pale pink), Double Salmon (salmon color, with fringe), Damask Rose (red).
Balsam garden
This type of balsam also has many decorative varieties. Tom Tamb is one of them. It is an annual herbaceous variety with delicate lanceolate leaves. It forms spherical bushes of small height - up to 20 cm. It differs in lush flowering. Its numerous terry flowers can be of the most diverse color, from white to red.
A hybrid series of garden species called Camellia forms dense bushes about half a meter high. Its large double flowers, up to 5 cm in diameter, can have a variety of shades - cream, pink, red, purple - and can be either plain or variegated. They resemble camellias, which is why the series got its name.
Double Ice is a garden-type series, an annual herbaceous plant. Forms bushes up to 70 cm high, lush and dense. Numerous terry flowers are pink, purple, red in color, variegated (with splashes or stains), up to 5 cm in diameter.
Hybrids of the Exotic Dwarf line were bred specifically for growing on loggias and balconies. They reach a height of only 20 cm. The flowers have a color from pale pink to purple.
These series belong to the species Impatiens balsamina (balsamic balsamine, or garden). But successfully grown in open ground and balsamins of the Waller group (Waller).
Iron-bearing balsam
This is the third species, in addition to garden and indoor, which can be used in landscaping. Differs in the sizes and a special form of flowers. A popular variety is Candida with snow-white fragrant flowers. This is an annual plant with a thick succulent stem up to two meters high, blooming right up to the frosts.
Instead of a conclusion
The balsam flower, the care of which was described in the article, has many varieties and is successfully grown by many gardeners and gardeners both in the open ground and on balconies and indoors. If you properly tear out suitable varieties and carry out thorough care for them, observing all the rules, this grateful plant will certainly delight you with lush flowering and become a real decoration of your home or garden.