The homeland of balsam is the tropical zones of Africa and Asia, since 1596 it has become widespread in Europe and America. Its flowers, simple or double, are arranged singly, have a bright palette of all kinds of shades, except for yellow and blue. After the flowering of the bud, the plant forms a fruit-box, which easily opens, releasing a large number of small seeds outside.
Impatiens is a high-growth perennial that blooms most of the year. When multiplying, in the third month after the emergence of shoots, the balsam gives the first flowering.
Also be sure to see How to Grow Aptenia at Home.
| Growth rate is high. |
| Blooms from early winter to early spring. |
| The plant is easy to grow. |
| It is a perennial plant. |
Description of the flower
Florists have up to 400 varieties of representatives of the family. They are perennial and annual, cultural and decorative. Of all the variety, it is worth highlighting garden balsam, since it can rightfully be called one of the most popular and demanded.
Important!
Officially, the flower is recognized as a perennial, but in fact it is difficult for it to cope with low temperatures and is planted as an annual decoration of the territory.
Garden balsam is a long-flowering plant that amazes with a variety of colors. According to your preferences, you can choose a bush with the shape of a ball or a pyramid.
Hybrid varieties of balsam
This group includes all plants that were obtained as a result of crossing Waller's balsam. The new hybrids are distinguished by a wide range of colors from white to maroon.
Fiesta
There are several popular varieties from this group - "Cand", "Fancifu Super", "Elfi" and "Wild Thin" with a simple flower shape. Semi-double and double flowers of various colors are distinguished by the varieties "Sparkler", "Fiest", "Lavender".
Rainforest-Exotic
And the real shock is the Blitz variety, whose flower size reaches more than five centimeters in diameter. And the bush itself grows above 30 cm. Unforgettable terry balsam, which has pure white flowers.
Types and varieties with photos
Of all the plant species that exist in nature, florists have identified 15 species that are most interesting for themselves, which are conditionally classified:
Classic (traditional) - bushes with rich green leaves and flowers of white, red, pink colors. The formed plant has spreading stems.
F1 - medium-sized hybrids that form compact bushes. Against the background of lush greenery, white, purple, pink, scarlet and orange buds are densely visible.
Hybrids New Guinea, or variegated.
Varieties and photos of a herbaceous plant
Of the 400 types of garden balsam, some varieties are especially popular.
Waller's flower
When blooming, Waller's balsam has almost no leaves, and inflorescences cover almost the entire surface of the plant... The most common varieties of this type of garden balsam: Stardust, Kandy, Duet, Symphony.
Perennial hybrid: New Guinea
New Guinea Balsam is a perennial hybrid resulting from the selection of certain species. So far, there are no seeds of this plant species in our country. But it also has its own varieties: Java, Macarena, Mini Gini, Jungle Rain.
Non-decorative plants of this species: Iron-footed, Common, Small-flowered, Balfura, Nyamniam.
Stunted
A low-growing type of balsam grows no higher than 15 cm... The dense flower assemblies are so abundant that they make the plant look like a single bouquet. It differs from its counterparts in a rich variety of shapes and colors. The undersized balsam blooms until the very autumn frosts.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with other types and varieties of such a beautiful plant as balsam. For you, we have prepared articles about wild, terry, ferruginous, ampelous balsam, as well as about the Tom Samb variety.
New Guinea Balsam
New Guinea Balsams are compact garden species, but they have strong stems, thick leaves, easy planting and easy maintenance. They are planted indoors and on flower beds as in the photo. You can see not only the buds of a wide variety of shades, but also incredible colors of the leaves, from rich green to intense yellow, bronze. On closer examination, it can be seen that closer to the center, the plate is yellow.
Interesting!
Flowers of New Guinea balsam sometimes reach up to 8-10 cm in diameter.
The hybrid is considered an annual, but it may well grow on windowsills for several years. The diameter of a blossoming bud can reach 8 cm. Florists prefer the plant for its large flowers, variegated appearance and continuous flowering.
general description
The stem of the balsam is fleshy, watery, erect, usually 40-50 cm high, spreading. The leaves are oblong, with a finely toothed edge, their color can be green or all shades of purple, with light pronounced veins.
Ampel balsam
The flowers of balsam are single, rather large, growing one at a time, of a wide variety of colors, can be either double or simple. The plant blooms for a long time, from June to October. The balsam fruit is a multi-seeded capsule, when touched, small seeds scatter. It is to this feature that the plant owes its second name - touch-me-not.
In indoor floriculture, balsam is grown because of its long, abundant and attractive flowering.
Camellia
When favorable conditions are created, the plant grows up to a meter. It harmoniously shapes the rear of the alpine slides or complements mixborders.
Provided that the seedlings do not damage the frost after planting and during care, the Camellia balsam bush will delight with long flowering and large double flowers, see the photo. It will stand out significantly from the rest of the garden plants.
Balsam Carmelita
A versatile plant that can grow on windowsills and on open surfaces, in the shade or in the sun without affecting the vegetation. Garden balsams Carmelita do not require scrupulous care, they easily take root after planting, are not whimsical and can withstand heat and drought. The photo shows that they are not inferior in beauty to other species.
A medium-sized perennial includes many different hybrids, which tend to form 30 cm bushes. In flower beds and flower beds, growers plant the design element as an annual plant, either by seed or seedlings.
Propagation of balsam by cuttings
The easiest and fastest way to propagate balsam is by cutting the plant. For this purpose, in May-June, strong, healthy specimens of the flower are briefly placed in the shade. As soon as the bush gives a few elongated shoots, they are cut and rooted in the water.
Then they are planted in separate containers with a slightly acidic soil mixture. Thus, the flower can be propagated at any time of the year. A plant grown in summer blooms even in winter.
It is worth remembering that young plants need bright illumination, otherwise the sprouts will stretch strongly without gaining strength and color.
Balsam Fashionista
Experienced gardeners recommend starting planting seeds and caring for seedlings 100 days before planting in open ground. If sowing garden balsam Fashionista begins in February and until mid-March, you should take care of additional lighting to extend daylight hours.
Fashionista,
one of the most beautiful species of all balsams, with a bush height of up to 80 cm, see photo. Despite the fact that in the process of growth, the stems release a large number of shoots, the adult bush looks neat and compact. When planted in an apartment, the flower pleases with abundant flowering all year round.
general characteristics
In the people, balsam has several nicknames: touchy - because the seed pods burst from the slightest touch. Or Vanka is wet - because at the ends of the leaves after watering there are water droplets, which then seem to be sugar-coated. The flower was nicknamed the fire for its bright scarlet, red and pink flowers, which are characteristic of most varieties. The flower grows from small graceful bushes up to 50 cm, depending on the variety. It has a fleshy strong stem and similar leaves with wavy edges and a bronze or reddish tint. Flowers hide in the axils between leaves and delight with a variety of color spectrum - especially modern hybrid species. They are orange, white, purple, spotted, or striped. The bright color stands out favorably against the background of saturated dark leaves, and balsam can bloom all year round - it was not for nothing that it was nicknamed the eternal flower.
Balsam Tom Tamb
The plant is not tall, does not exceed 25 cm, but it tends to grow strongly. The flowers bloom quite large, up to 5 cm in diameter and have a delicate velvet dusting on the petals. Against the background of bright green, serrate, lanceolate leaves, red, purple, pink shades of buds look especially festive and solemn.
To make Tom Tamb's garden balsam bloom happy from spring until the onset of frost, sowing begins in March, planting in the ground and care after - in April. The variety is used to form flowerpots.
Popular varieties:
- Super Elfin is a twenty-centimeter bush with a wide variety of colors (13 shades);
- Rosette - pleases with a velvety surface of bright petals. The variety is represented by double and semi-double flowers;
- Fiesta is a terry perennial with an extensive color palette, and there are variegated varieties;
- Symphony is a compact, uniform bush that does not exceed 20 cm.
The garden balsam Elizabeth is considered especially beautiful. To get flowering as in the photo, it is necessary to plant on time and provide proper care.
Plant propagation
Reproduction of balsam can be done in two ways.
Balsam seeds
- Seeds. The plant has high germination characteristics. Sowing is best done in spring. In advance, balsam seeds are soaked in warm water for 10 minutes.
- By cuttings. Cut off the tops of the plant up to 5 cm long, immersed in water until the roots appear. They do this, like sowing with seeds, in the spring. The process is quick and easy. To improve the development of the bush, the cuttings should be pinched.
How to care for garden balsam
Garden balsam is unpretentious, but flowers feel most comfortable in sunny areas.
Advice!
For good acclimatization, planting seedlings should begin in early summer. Also, all processes of vegetation without damage occur in semi-shaded places.
Winter care for indoor balsams requires the use of additional lighting, since a short daylight hours deprive the plant of the ability to bloom. In order to facilitate further care when planting garden balsam and get a constantly flowering plant as in the photo, you need to adhere to some of the rules described below.
Compliance with the temperature regime is somewhat difficult, since sharp drops, which are detrimental to the plant, should be excluded. In summer, thermometer readings can vary between 18 - 25 degrees, and in winter, flowers are comfortable at 13 - 16.
In the hot season, the soil under the flowers should be constantly moist, which becomes unnecessary in the fall. When the temperature drops, watering is carried out as needed to exclude the development of decay.
Since the plant blooms continuously and richly in summer, it is necessary to apply top dressing once every two weeks. Also, mineral fertilizers are advisable to support flowering pots in the winter.
Planting and leaving
Breeding and grooming are not difficult, so novice gardeners can cope with them.
In the garden, planting of seedlings begins in spring at the end of May, beginning of June, when the danger of frost passes, at a distance of 35 cm from each other.
You can add a handful of peat and the same amount of sand to the prepared hole. Spill with a solution of any remedy for diseases, according to the instructions.
Place the sprout in the designated place and sprinkle. Further grooming consists in maintaining the soil in a moist state - periodic watering, loosening and removing weeds.
Top dressing should be done every 14 days with humic or other complex fertilizers throughout the entire growth period.
It is important to limit the use of nitrogen, this contributes to an increase in the growth of green mass and a decrease in flowering.
To enlarge the peduncles, it is recommended to pinch the apical and lateral branches.
When to plant balsam for seedlings
In order to enjoy the bright colors from the beginning of summer until frost, the seeds are laid in the ground at the end of March, until the first days of April. The timing is influenced by the climatic features of the region.
Advice!
To make the seedlings strong, you should take into account the length of daylight hours. In February, flowers need additional lighting.
In greenhouses, hotbeds and greenhouses, sowing blanks are planted in the middle of spring, and for ampel varieties, the beginning of April is considered the best period.
When the temperature of the air and soil has stabilized, the covering materials are removed.
Balsams - photo
A beautiful decorative balsam is good everywhere and in any conditions: in flowerpots on the windowsill, in a green home corner, in garden seedlings or in a greenhouse. Just take a look at these pictures!
Growing balsam from seeds at home
To accelerate the growth of flowers in spring and for early flowering of bushes, garden balsam begin planting and subsequent care at home. To grow seedlings of both the Camellia variety and all the others, you must perform the following steps:
- pick up a wide container with holes in the bottom;
- the bottom layer is lined with expanded clay or fine vermiculite;
- seeds are introduced into the soil a few mm and slightly crushed.
Important!
It is not recommended to lay the material deep into the ground, since seedlings may not appear or be weak.
Shrub propagation
Balsam is propagated in several ways:
- seeds;
- cuttings.
It is not difficult to grow it yourself for early flowering in a flower bed or in a pot. You can sow seeds from the end of winter, in a special container for seedlings. But first you need to prepare the ground. To do this, mix ordinary earth, peat, coarse sand in equal proportions. Such a mixture should be airy and perfectly air-permeable. Seeds are placed at a distance of 3-4 centimeters from each other.
Balsam is a light-loving plant, therefore you should not cover it with earth on top of the seeds. The soil should be irrigated with water at room temperature and covered with foil or glass. The container must be left in a warm place and the soil must be ventilated every day.
All this contributes to a faster germination of seeds. After the first shoots have appeared, the seedlings must be placed in a lighted place. Further, all care comes down to regularly irrigating the land with water. When two or three leaves have formed, it is advisable to dive the root and transplant it into separate cups.
You just need to do this very carefully, since the roots and stems are very fragile, you can easily break it. After germination of a few more leaves, flower seedlings dive again. This strengthens the roots of the plants themselves, and the top becomes more luxuriant. For those who do not have time to grow seedlings, you can grow balsam right in the seed bed. This should be done in very early spring. The ground then needs to be covered with acrylic or plastic wrap. After 5-7 days, the first shoots of the plant should appear. Propagated by cuttings at any time of the year. For this you need:
- prepare cuttings 5-6 centimeters long, so that they have 3-5 leaves;
- then you need to remove the lower leaves, lower them into water and leave them in a dark place;
- after 7-10 days, cuttings with formed roots can be planted in the ground in a flower bed or in pots.
After planting, the cuttings need good lighting. It is also important to ensure that the soil does not dry out and the temperature does not drop below 20-22 degrees Celsius. The shrub also does not like waterlogged soil, because it promotes rotting of the stems.
Landing in open ground
When spring frosts are left behind, garden balsam can be planted on open surfaces. Before starting work, you should choose a sunny area with light shading. The lack of light leads to wilting, the formation of small, scarce flowers. The bushes also lose their presentability from the heat.
Algorithm of actions:
- Pits are prepared at a distance of 20 - 60 cm.
- Complex fertilizer is poured into each groove.
- Potted seedlings are poured with water to facilitate extraction and maintain the integrity of the root system.
- It is recommended to transfer the seedling together with an earthen clod, but if it is not removed, the roots are well straightened.
- The flower is immersed in the hole until the cotyledon leaves.
- Fall asleep with a substrate and trample down a little.
- Upon completion of the work, the flower is watered.
- The surface is mulched.
Mulching contributes to a more comfortable wintering of perennials.
How to grow from seeds
To obtain sprouts through sowing seeds, you must:
- pick up flower soil in a plastic container, mixing with vermiculite or sand;
- compact a little and sprinkle the contents from a spray bottle;
- evenly distribute small seeds over a wet surface;
- and only lightly sprinkle with soil.
To wait for the germination of the sprouts, the container must be placed in a plastic bag to create a small greenhouse. Place in a warm, bright place, out of direct sunlight. Germination occurs at t 21 C after 15 days.
Advice. Air the crops daily and keep the earthen lump moist.
After germination, the shelter can be removed. When two true leaves appear, the seedlings dive - they are carefully transplanted into small 50-60 ml cups filled with soil substrate.
Growing from seeds allows you to have the largest amount of planting material.
Summer flower care
Summer is a fertile time when all living things grow, including grass. After abundant watering, weeds should be cut off under the flowers, the soil should be loosened, to ensure the breathing of the rhizome.If it is not possible to pay attention to maintenance often, mulching the surface can reduce the concentration of growing grass and moisture evaporation.
Water is a source of vitality for garden balsam, therefore, it is better to use soft, settled water to saturate the soil.
Advice!
Since the plant blooms continuously, you should not use nitrogen-containing fertilizers. At this stage, the best solution would be to add potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.
Garden balsam is a real decoration of the site. If you want to enjoy blooming in winter, just transfer the plant to a pot and place it at home.
Possible growing difficulties
Balsam is not an easy plant; some problems may arise during its cultivation. We will tell you how to deal with the difficulties that arise.
- With a lack of nutrients in the soil, or when the flowerpot becomes too small or in poor lighting, the stems become too long, and the flowers, on the contrary, become smaller and lose their brightness.
In addition to all this, balsam has the property of rapid "wear" (the stems become bare, as a result of which external attractiveness is lost). The reason is that the air temperature is too high (more than 22 degrees Celsius).We recommend: in the spring, cut and root several cuttings in one pot to update the garden.
- The stems turn brown and soften, and the curled leaves fall off abruptly. Here the reason lies in dampness and cold. Save the plant from these unpleasant factors.
Leaves begin to dry out and curl - check the air temperature. Surely, it is too high, and the air itself is dry. This can happen in winter, if a flowerpot with a flower is near heating appliances, or in summer in dry weather.
The most optimal solution to this problem is to place the plant in a cool place on the floor and spray the leaves periodically.- Recently, bright leaves began to lose their saturation - most likely, the flower is on the north side, put the pot in a brighter place.
- Insufficient or no flowering at all - this problem may be hidden in a lack of light or fertilizer. Sometimes feeding, on the contrary, is too much or it is not suitable.
- A sharp drop of flowers - can be caused by a sharp cold snap, overdrying of the soil, moving to a too spacious pot or untimely transplanting (it cannot be carried out during flowering or bud formation).
Diseases and pests
Like many garden plants, balsam can be attacked by aphids, whiteflies and spider mites.
- If the air is dry and hot, then pink spots may appear on the leaves - traces of the vital activity of a spider mite. In the initial stages, it is effective to use a solution of laundry soap, but for a more reliable result, it is better to use insecticides.
- For aphids, experienced florists recommend using tobacco solutions or dust.
- Placing stickies and irrigating bushes with drugs are effective methods of dealing with whitefly.
- Flowers should not be flooded with water, as excess moisture is a favorable environment for the development of gray rot. The smell of rot and traces of damage do not make the flower bed attractive, moreover, the entire bush should be removed to prevent the spread of the disease.
- No less dangerous is the defeat of viral infections: mosaic, bacteriosis, powdery mildew. To stop the disease at the initial stages, it is worth having Bordeaux liquid in your arsenal.
Important!
Preventive measures allow you to exclude the appearance of many unpleasant moments that require serious human participation.
Helpful advice from experienced gardeners
In order not to make mistakes out of ignorance, it is worth listening to the advice of experienced florists. Many years of experience is invaluable and allows you to eliminate mistakes:
- for the summer period, it is worth worrying about drip irrigation, so as not to irrigate the leaves and deliver water directly to the root;
- flowering plants need to be fed twice a month;
- if you cut off the tops of the bushes, the branches will begin to throw out shoots - flower stalks;
- to prevent the appearance of aphids and whiteflies, flowers should be treated with protective preparations monthly.
Garden balsam is a worthy, attention-grabbing decoration of a personal plot. Having devoted a little time to growing in spring, you can enjoy luxurious splendor until the first autumn frosts.
What does the balsam flower look like and where does it grow?
Annual and perennial herbaceous species with simple leaves and glands located at the base. Flowers are zygomorphic, single or collected in inflorescences, which are most often white or pink. The fruits of the impatiens are represented by a juicy capsule that opens with five noticeable curling leaves or a berry-shaped capsule.
The culture is grown as an indoor flower or an outdoor ornamental crop. Representatives of the family are widespread in temperate and tropical zones in Asia, Europe, North America and Africa.
Balsam is a popular annual or perennial herb belonging to the Balsamin family
