The plant commonly referred to as balsam belongs to the Balsaminaceae family, genus Impátiens (Latin for touchy). It has long been loved by flower growers because of its decorative effect, bright beautiful flowers, almost year-round flowering, unpretentious care. We often call it Vanka wet because of the droplets protruding along the edges of the leaves, and in England - the zealous Lisa because of the almost continuous flowering. Another unofficial name for the plant is the light, because its flowers are always bright colors.
In nature, this plant is common in the temperate zone and the tropics of all continents except Australia and South America. It was brought to Europe at the end of the 16th century. Several hundred types of balsam are known. Some of its varieties will be discussed in the article.
Description
What does a balsam flower look like? Indoor perennial 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, diverting the attention of insects that are not involved in pollination from flowers. The flowers are zygomorphic, that is, they have only one axis of symmetry, solitary or collected in inflorescences, brightly colored. Flower buds are in leaf axils, and flowers, growing on peduncles, are under the leaves. This contributes to their protection in nature from rain.
Balsam flowers can have very different colors: orange, red, white, pink, purple … They may have dots or spots of other shades. Many hybrid varieties have double flowers. These plants are also called evergreens, because balsams bloom almost all year round if the conditions are right indoors. Planting and caring for them will be described in our article.
Containment conditions
In room conditions, balsam prefers a temperature in the range of + 20 … 22 degrees Celsius. It is highly undesirable for the temperature in the room to drop below +15 degrees. For balconies and gardens, breeders have developed frost-resistant varieties that can be left in the air until frost. In hot weather, the room should be regularly ventilated by first protecting the flowers from drafts or moving them to another room.
Don't put the balsam in a dark place. Under such conditions, hewill stretch out a lot, and flowering will be less abundant. It is best to keep it on windows facing south or west. With sufficient lighting and a suitable air temperature, indoor balsam flower will bloom (photo can be seen below) 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 shade of bushes or trees. It is necessary to protect the balsam from direct sunlight, which adversely affects the plant. Gives a visual representation of how the balsam flower looks in this case, photo. A house or garden plant under such conditions may lose some of its leaves and even die. Diffused bright light is just what you need for these colors.
Air humidity and watering
Balsam flower, indoor or garden, it is better to water a little more abundantly than to dry. However, it is also not worth abusing soil moisture. Experienced flower growers recommend watering the balsam flower (photo can be seen below) so that the root neck does not get wet (at 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 an indoor balsam flower, it is necessary to focus on its condition. If waterthere is a lot, watering should be reduced. It is important to find a middle ground here, since the roots can rot when water stagnates in a pot. It is important not to allow the earthen coma to dry out, otherwise the plant will simply wither. In winter, naturally, watering should be reduced - up to 2-3 times a week.
When using hard water, limescale may appear on the soil in the pot. When watering balsam through a pallet, according to flower growers, this can be avoided. It is desirable to use settled water.
It is necessary to moisten the plant at temperatures above 22 degrees Celsius. To do this, use a spray gun. Avoid getting water on the flowers.
Reproduction
Balsam after flowering forms a box with seeds, which bursts at the slightest touch. Thanks to this, the plant has another nickname - touchy. In nature, balsam can be pollinated by birds, and the seeds thrown out of the box are carried by animals over long distances. You can use both methods, although, according to flower growers, propagation of indoor balsam varieties by cuttings is more effective.
When using seeds, they are sown in February in moist soil and must be covered with a film to retain moisture and provide a greenhouse effect. They germinate in about two weeks. Young plants will bloom in 3-4 months. Garden varieties of balsam reproduce perfectly by self-sowing. Seeds remain viable for at least 6 years.
For propagation by cuttings, strong, he althy shoots 8-10 cm long are used, which are carefully cut from the plant. On thethey should be 5-6 leaves. You can root the cuttings in water, but they must be deeply immersed in it. You can also plant them in wet sand. Roots appear after 7-10 days, and the plant can be immediately planted in the ground. Flowering occurs on average in 2-3 months.
To increase the decorative effect, flower growers are advised to plant two cuttings of different varieties in a small pot. A unique combination of flowers will create a beautiful bouquet on the windowsill. The tips of young plants should be pinched regularly for better branching.
Transplanting 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 not be expected soon. You can repot it every year if necessary.
Soil should be used light, for flowering plants. The ideal option is turf and leafy soil, peat, sand and humus in equal parts. Heavy soil saturated with mineral s alts, an excess of nitrogen in it will lead to the fact that the balsam flower will only increase the green mass. Planting and care (photo can be seen below) will not bring proper results if the wrong land is chosen.
Feeding
From spring to autumn, balsam is fed with fertilizer for flowering plants according to the instructions. Fertilizer needs to be applied once every two weeks. Be aware of the harmful effectsa large amount of nitrogen on the appearance of the plant. Fertilizers with nitrogen are good only for young, actively growing plants. Flowering requires potassium and phosphorus.
Difficulties in growing
With such a problem as wilting and falling leaves, flower growers may encounter insufficient watering of the plant or a drop in temperature.
Elongated plant stems, as mentioned above, may indicate a lack of light. It is also one of the possible causes of falling flowers. Other factors are dry air and soil, spider mite damage.
Balsamin blooms can be poor due to lack of light, use of unsuitable potting mix that stimulates growth rather than flowering, as well as lower temperatures and unsuccessful transplanting. As already mentioned, balsam for abundant flowering should grow in a pot that is a little cramped for him. Otherwise, after transplantation, flowering may stop.
Pests
These flowers are not resistant enough to diseases and pests. Due to one damaged shoot, the entire plant may soon die. It clearly demonstrates what a diseased balsam flower looks like, photo. Caring for it involves daily inspection of the plant for timely detection of pests and diseases.
With excessive watering of the plant in the ground, sciarids, small midges, can start. This happens more often in winter than in summer. It is not the midges themselves that are dangerous, but their larvae, which can damage the root system of the balsam flower. How to care fordiseased plant? Flower growers recommend treating it with an insecticide called "Flycat". The midges will die within 2-3 days. If there are a lot of their 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 the spider mite. At the same time, its leaves change color, become spotty. Whiteflies and aphids also pose a danger to balsam, which adversely affect its appearance. Insects suck the 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, some types and varieties of balsam flower will be briefly described. It should be noted that in their names, as flower growers indicate, there is a long-term confusion. But in general, three main groups of these plants can be distinguished.
First - old, 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 the stems are not visible because of the flowers. They are compact and small in stature. The third group is the so-called New Guinean hybrids, whose leaves are variegated.
Waller, or Waller (Impatiens walleriana)
Traditional look, the ancestor of many modern hybrid forms. This group also includes I.holstii, I.sultani, I.petersiana. The first two names have green leaves,the last one is red. They can also have a 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 egg-shaped.
First generation hybrid forms (F1)
Waller's hybrid line of balsam called Accent features elliptical or ovoid pointed leaves. Forms bushes of spherical shape up to 20 cm in diameter. The flowers have a rich color of red, purple or coral hues. May have a spot or stripe in the center.
Super Elfin is a hybrid line of plants with non-double flowers, usually solid, pastel or white (sometimes with a white center). It has small pointed oval-shaped leaves, dull green or rich green. The bushes are densely branched, grow to a height of up to 20 cm.
Blitz is a hybrid form of Impatiens walleriana. This line has large simple flowers, 4-5 to 6.5 cm in diameter, with various shades of red. The plant is an annual, forms hemispherical bushes - dense, about 25 cm high.
New Guinea hybrids
This series is radically different from the rest. Its leaves are most often variegated. They are narrow, with teeth along the edges, pointed, shiny. Flowers can be either simple or double, of different colors, two-color (with an eye or an asterisk in the center) or one-color. Their diameter is 6-8 cm, and sometimes along the edgesfringe is present. 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), Star Dancer (blue-violet), Tango (light orange), Java Mixture (plain - white, salmon, or two-tone, with a dark stripe in the middle). Apple Blossom (pale pink), Double Salmon (salmon-colored, fringed), Damask Rose (red) can boast double flowers.
Garden balsam
This type of balsam also has many ornamental varieties. Tom Thumb is one of them. It is an annual herbaceous variety with delicate lanceolate leaves. Forms spherical bushes of small height - up to 20 cm. It is distinguished by lush flowering. Its numerous double flowers come in a variety of colors, from white to red.
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 are both plain and variegated. They resemble camellias, which is how the series got its name.
Double Ice is a series of horticultural species, an annual herbaceous plant. Forms bushes up to 70 cm high, lush and dense. Numerous double flowers are pink, purple, red, variegated (with splashes or stains), up to 5 cm in diameter.
The 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 are pale pink to purple.
These series belong to the species Impatiens balsamina (balsamic or garden balsam). But balsams of the Waller (Waller) group are also successfully grown in open ground conditions.
Iron balsam
This is the third type, in addition to garden and indoor, which can be used in landscaping. It differs in size and special shape of flowers. A popular variety is Candida with snow-white fragrant flowers. This is an annual plant with a thick, juicy stem up to two meters high, blooming until the very 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 flower growers and gardeners both in open ground and on balconies, and indoors. If you correctly tear out suitable varieties and carry out careful care for them, observing all the rules, this grateful plant will certainly please you with lush flowering and will become a real decoration for your home or garden.
