Balsam herbaceous plants for open ground. Garden balsam is a picturesque decoration for a summer cottage and an apartment (24 photos). What to do after flowering

Thanks to long blooming beautiful flowers and unpretentiousness, balsam has long been popular as indoor plant... Currently, the flower is widely used for growing outdoors, decorating front gardens, flower beds, flower beds and borders with its large flowers. Subject to all the requirements for planting and care, balsam can be grown from seeds and admire its flowering for a long time.

Garden balsam: photo, description, varieties

The plant is shrub with a height of 25 to 50 cm... On its rather large, fleshy leaves elongated in length, droplets form in the process of growth, which is why the balsam received the second name "Vanka wet".

At the base of the leaves, large flowers are formed, which can be of various shades. In nature, balsam blooms with purple and pink flowers. Hybrid garden plants can have plain or double flowers in a variety of shades other than blue and yellow. After the inflorescences open completely, spurs are formed in them. In the open field, flowering begins in late May - mid June and continues until the frost.

There are many types of balsams in nature. Breeders have bred special garden varieties , which include:

"Vanka wet" can be propagated in two ways:

1. Seeds.
2. Cuttings.

Seed reproduction at home

When growing balsam from seeds at home, you can get early flowering of the plant.

In February-early March, sowing is carried out in filled with special soil seedling containers... An earthen mixture is prepared from equal parts of garden soil, peat and coarse sand. It should be lightweight and breathable.

The seeds are laid out from each other at a distance of 3-4 cm. The plant loves light, so you can not sprinkle the seeds on top of the seeds. The soil is sprayed with warm water and covered with glass or polyethylene. The result is a mini greenhouse in which seedlings will grow together. The containers are placed in a warm place, the soil is ventilated daily.

As soon as the first shoots appear, the seedlings are exposed in a well-lit place. Caring for it consists in keeping the soil moist. When 2-3 true leaves appear, the plants dive into separate cups. The stems and roots of balsams are very fragile, so the transplant is done carefully. As soon as the bushes grow on them 6-8 leaves will appear, you can pinch them. In this case, the roots will become stronger, and the plant will become lush.

If you don't want to mess with seedlings, then you can grow balsam from seeds right away in the open field. Seeds are sown after the last frost in the prepared soil and covered with polyethylene or acrylic on top. The seedlings should emerge in about 5-7 days.

Propagation by cuttings

Balsamic bushes easy to cut, take root and grow into beautiful new plants. Cuttings can be carried out at any time of the year. This will require:

1. Cut the cuttings 5-6 cm long, each of which should have at least 3-5 leaves.
2. Remove the leaves from below, put the pieces in water and put them in a shaded place.
3. After about 7-10 days, the roots will appear, and the cuttings can be planted at home in pots or directly into the open ground.

Caring for cuttings after planting in the soil is to provide them with good lighting, temperatures within 20-22C and regular watering. It is worth noting that it is not necessary to be very zealous with moistening the soil, since the fleshy stems of balsams are prone to rotting.

Balsam: planting and care in the open field

It is best to grow "Vanka wet" on the western or eastern side of the garden plot. Under good natural light, the plant will quickly pick up buds and bloom for a long time. The bushes planted in the shade are tall, but they have about 50% reduction in the number of flowers... If the site for planting balsam is sunny, then in a hot period of time from the midday sun it must be shaded.

It can be placed with almost any plant, but it will grow and look best with verbena, fuchsia, begonia or ageratum.

Landing features

Home-grown seedlings will be ready for planting in the ground immediately after the last frost stops. It must be prepared for outdoor conditions in advance by taking containers with young plants to the balcony or garden for several hours.

The balsam planting holes should be apart at a distance of 25-30 cm... If the soil is not very nutritious, then peat, a little humus and sand are added to each hole.

Seedlings are carefully removed from the pots, rearranged into a depression, covered with an earthen mixture, watered and mulched. You can pinch the top of the balsam to get a wide bush.

Watering and feeding

Balsams love moist soils without stagnant water. The plant needs to be watered regularly and abundantly, otherwise its leaves will begin to curl up into a tube, fade, wither and crumble. Watering is done in the evening hours after sunset. On rainy days, the plant is not watered.

In order for the bushes of "Vanka wet" to be covered with flowers for a long time, withered and faded flowers must be regularly removed.

How to get garden balsam seeds?

You can dilute balsams from flowers grown in the garden from seeds collected by yourself. At the end of August, seeds ripen in juicy green boxes, which can be collected and stored until spring. Since a ripe boll can easily burst when touched, it is recommended to collect seeds from unripe flowers.

Until fully ripe, the boxes are laid out in a dry room. As soon as the seeds ripen and dry out, they are laid out in boxes or paper bags and stored at a temperature between 0- + 10C.

Diseases and pests of balsam

Like every plant grown outdoors, balsams are susceptible to some diseases and pest attacks:

On garden plots balsams look best in group plantings. Single plants very effective in pots and containers... With their help, you can decorate even a "not inhabited" area, a boring balcony or a large loggia. Since planting and caring for balsam does not take much time, it will not be difficult to turn an ordinary flower bed into a constantly blooming multi-colored flower garden.

Garden balsam

Often in the gardens you can find a rather bright, attractive plant that is called touchy. It is eagerly grown not only by domestic gardeners, its popularity in Europe and America can be envied. Each nation gave the plant its own name, noting its fragility (touchy, capricious), drops of sugar dew gathering on the tips of the leaves (wet vanka), constant active flowering (Prosperous Lizzie). Biologists call this plant garden balsam; the features of its reproduction and cultivation will be discussed in this article.

Types of garden balsams

Balsam has a lot of relatives, about four hundred, this herbaceous plants, annual or perennial. Until recently, only one species, touch-sensitive, was used as a garden culture, which, in fact, was called garden balsam. The plant is quite large, about 0.7 m high, branched, with irregularly shaped flowers.

An attractive moment is the long flowering period, from June to the onset of frost. The plant is also afraid spring frosts, is planted in the ground in early June. Breeders are not particularly interested in this species, several varieties are bred in Europe, in our flower shops they are sold under the name "Garden balsam".

Much more interest among breeders and gardeners is the bright, extremely colorful flowering of the summer plant, which bears the name Waller's Balzamin, or Waller. Its hybrids and varieties appear systematically, they are systematized according to the height of the plant, the range of shades or the shape of flowers. Note that flowers can have varying degrees of doubleness. Concerning colors - then it has 17 shades of red, white and lilac flowers, the flowers of some varieties are two-colored.

New Guinea balsams are larger; in an apartment, it can bloom all year round. It enters the retail network in containers, as adult plant, usually without specifying the variety. It can be recognized by the very bright color of the leaves and the rather large flowers of white, purple, pink and red.

Balsams are very popular among the creators of the garden landscape today:

• series of Harmony, characterized by variegated, very bright leaves.
• mini Gini series, attractive with abundant flowering, the flowers themselves are small, with a dark green color of the leaves,
• the Java series, with amazingly bright flowers and shiny bronze or green leaves,
• jang Rain series, with delicate, pastel shades of flowers,
• Rainforest Exotic, attractive two-tone colors,
• Macarena, with orange, luminescent flowers and bronze leaves.

Of the non-decorative, the following varieties should be mentioned:

iron-bone

common, which is classified as a medicinal plant

small-flowered, which is considered a weed in agriculture.

Of the rare, exotic varieties, the most popular should be called:

himalayan balsam Balfour, a rare plant, the seeds are almost impossible to get,

beloved by Europeans, Nyamniam balsam, or African, its flowers are inconspicuous. but the sepal is elongated, large and rather bright, in the shape of a jug.

• super high grade Efrican Orchids and miniature Jungle Jewels,
• surprisingly bright, first grade that has yellow flower - Blondie.

About the amazingly beautiful balsam plant, about its different varieties - in the video:

Garden balsam: planting, reproduction

There are several ways to reproduce balsam; in practice, cultivation from seeds and cuttings are more often used. The seeds make it possible to breed new varieties and hybrids that are particularly attractive. If we are talking about the mass planting of plants, then sometimes it is more advisable to get seedlings by cuttings of existing plants.

We watch the video about breeding and growing balsams:

balsam garden cultivation from seeds

To see the summer flowering of balsams, you need to prepare seeds for seedlings. One hundred days before the planned planting (about March), the seeds are placed in a container with earth.

At this time of daylight for good growth and development will be enough for them. Those wishing to observe flowering balsams a little earlier than usual - sowing should be organized even earlier and do not forget about providing plants with additional lighting.

For planting, you should prepare a special soil with a pH of 6.0-6.4. To create such a pH, it is necessary to mix vermiculite, compost, peat and sand in approximately the same proportions. To prevent the appearance of fungal formations, the container and the prepared soil are pre-treated with any composition in which a fungicide is present.

Immediately before planting the seeds in the soil, they must be dipped in a solution of potassium permanganate for 10 minutes, and then rinsed thoroughly in warm water. This procedure should be carried out only in cases where the manufacturer has not carried out any seed treatment. Information on this issue can be found either on the packaging or ask the seller.

After processing, the seeds are placed on the surface of the prepared and processed soil mixture, pressing them a little or sprinkling them with sand, it is impossible to cover them with soil!

For good and high-quality germination, certain conditions are needed: a temperature regime from 23 to 25 degrees, a minimum supply of nutrients, and a sufficiently moist soil.

Particular attention should be paid to moisture. For fast germination of seeds, it must be high. You can create it as follows: either place a container with seeds in a plastic bag, or cover it with glass.

The container with seeds must be placed in a bright place. Consequently, condensation will form under the film or glass. It must be removed daily, that is, the cover must be removed for a while. Also at this time the seeds will receive the necessary fresh air.

After the shoots appear, you should not stop airing. The soil should be moistened if necessary. The time spent under cover of seedlings should be gradually reduced and come to naught.

After the first true leaf appears, the daytime temperature must be reduced to 20 degrees and the container must not be left in direct sunlight. When three leaves appear on the seedlings, they can be transplanted into pots.

Watering the seedlings should be done regularly and the soil should not dry out. Every ten days, you need to remember to feed with liquid fertilizer specially designed for this.

Adequate lighting and long daylight hours will have a positive effect on the timing of the first bloom. To avoid stretching the plant, the pots should be placed at some distance from each other.

Landing in open ground can be done only after the disappearance of the threat of a significant drop in temperature.

balsam flower we propagate with our own seeds

As an experiment, you can try to grow a plant of this type from self-collected seeds. 1 gram of seeds can contain a different number of pieces (from 100 to 2000). They remain suitable for sowing for eight years. But, experts advise planting seeds throughout the year after collection.

Sowing the largest seeds is usually done. Less often, they are planted in different containers and do not dive. Hybrid varieties of balsam have very few seeds. Collecting seeds from such plants can be done only in cases where plants of the same variety grew on the flower bed. Different varieties growing in close proximity can be pollinated by the same insects. What exactly will germinate after planting remains a mystery. Of course, the result of such a planting can become very original and new, or it may not germinate at all.

With regards to the pollination of indoor flowers, it is produced artificially with a brush. It collects pollen and applies it to the pistils. Collecting seeds can only be done after the boxes with them become almost transparent. Fully ripe seeds should be dark in color. It is better to remove the seed boxes in the morning, and this should be done as carefully as possible. The collected material is carefully packed in a paper bag and left there until completely dry.

propagation by cuttings

Favorite balsam bush can be propagated by cuttings. This vegetative breeding option is considered the safest. Reproduction by cuttings occurs without any particular difficulty and occurs in the same temperature regime as propagation by seeds.

The plant from which you plan to cut the cuttings must be healthy. Only the tops of the youngest branches are to be cut. The length of the part to be cut should be approximately 8 centimeters. The lower leaves of the cut are to be removed, the upper ones (at the crown) are left intact. The lower part of the cuttings is immersed in a container filled with water so that the remaining leaves do not come into contact with water. The container with cuttings is placed in a well-lit place.

After about a week, the root system will begin to form. At this time, the cuttings can be transplanted into pots. After two months, the appearance of buds can be observed.

Cutting balsams can be done in another way. Place one third of the cut cuttings in a container of soil. The formation of the root system will occur from internodes, in place of the removed leaves.

Immediately before planting, to accelerate the appearance of roots, cuttings are treated with a composition called Kornevin or another similar in composition. Then a transparent plastic bag of a suitable size is put on a container with cuttings and the whole structure is placed on a well-lit windowsill. The bag will maintain the required moisture concentration. Watering is carried out only with settled water, it is recommended to pour it along the edges of the flowerpot, without soaking the plant itself.

Cutting cuttings is best done in summer or spring. If there is a specially equipped lighting in the room, then cuttings can be made in the winter. Pruning of branches for such cuttings is carried out in the middle of autumn. Experienced growers claim that such branches take root well and throw out the buds.

If necessary, with the arrival of spring, cuttings can be cut from them again. Balsams propagated by cuttings begin flowering much earlier than those grown from seeds.

Breeding with any of the options described is interesting and exciting. If desired, such a hobby can be made financially profitable.

Read more about the propagation of balsams by cuttings - in the video:

How to keep garden balsam in winter

Under properly organized conditions, the flowering of balsam can be observed in winter period... This will require a phytolamp, proper watering and an appropriate temperature. In addition, the flower will need strength to bloom. Top dressing will help to solve this problem. But here you need to know when to stop: feeding can be done no more than 1 time per month.

Preserving such a whimsical plant as balsam in the winter period of active life, including flowering, is difficult. Even making everyone necessary conditions may not give expected results. It will be better for the plant if the owner allows it to overwinter at rest.

With the arrival of autumn and a decrease in the number of light hours, the balsam leaves gradually crumble. During this period, it is important to maintain a temperature of 15 - 16 degrees. Water the plant and spray it periodically.

There are situations when all the conditions described above are exactly met, and the plant begins to die. Experts advise not to take special measures to save it, but to derive a kind of benefit from the current situation: let it be grafted.

The capricious balsam plant often does not survive the winter well. Some owners do the following: with the arrival of autumn, parts are cut off from old plants for propagation by cuttings, and in the spring they are planted and young, healthy seedlings are obtained.

Balsam in landscape design

Balsams - plants that are often used for landscaping adjoining territories and when creating a landscaped garden. An attractive moment is the possibility of planting plants in the shade and partial shade, but on condition. that it will be possible to maintain high soil moisture. Even when grown in shaded areas, the plants will bloom, it is possible that their flowers will be brighter.

Usually balsams are used to create mixborders, flower beds and borders. A variety of shades of flowers allows you to create original patterns with a contrasting or smooth color transition.

Waller's balsam is often grown in garden vases, ordinary flowerpots or containers, hanging baskets, it is used to decorate verandas and balconies and terraces.

The use of special technologies allows the use of Waller's balsam for vertical gardening.

It is quite simple to create a vertical flowering screen of balsam bushes:

• on 4 pegs deeply driven into the ground, a plastic mesh with a large mesh should be fixed, connected to a black film,
• the resulting space should be filled with soil, you get a container for planting plants,
• when assembling the container, do not forget to insert the tubes into it for comfortable watering of the plants,
• further in the film, you will need to make cuts of the appropriate size, plant balsam bushes in them.

Actively growing young bushes, as they grow, will fill the entire space with their branches, you get a beautiful, bright screen of leaves and flowers. If experience allows, you can create an original panel using multi-colored varieties.

If you place them on a slightly shaded area, then they will delight the eye with their flowering throughout the summer.

But growing balsams in an open-air garden involves:

• planting in a soil mixture containing peat,
• systematic watering and feeding,
• placement in shaded plots protected from strong winds - remember that the plants are quite fragile.

Sometimes Waller's balsam is used as a ground cover plant.

Balsams are now rightfully included in the list of the most popular, attractive and long-lasting flowering plants that grow successfully in the home and garden.

Among several types of balsam that are often used in indoor floriculture and landscape design, Waller's or Waller's balsam (Impatiens walleriana) is very popular among flower growers. By its nature, it is a very thermophilic perennial, and in regions with cold winters, it is grown as an annual.

Modern selection of balsamines demanded by flower growers works wonders - a great many varieties and hybrids of Waller's balsam have been created with a variety of flower colors (simple, semi-double or double). This encourages fans of this plant to collect an extensive collection of balsams.

Dwarf varieties and hybrids of Waller's balsam are about 15-20 cm in height, and in medium-sized plants the height is 30-35 cm. Compact plants have a lush bush with rich green leaves and succulent shoots, the tops of which are abundantly covered with charming flowers of one-color or two-color color.

I will share with the readers of Gardenia.ru my experience of growing Waller's balsam from seeds and using this plant to decorate the garden.

About seed propagation of Waller's balsam

It is often believed that it is rather difficult to grow Waller's balsam seedlings from seeds on their own. I do not share it.

Garden balsam Planting and care Growing from seeds at home

Although, indeed, many flower growers say with chagrin that they did not manage to get Waller's balsam seedlings.
However, many years of experience (mine and many other balsam lovers) show: with proper sowing of high-quality, unexpired seeds, balsams germinate well and develop remarkably.
For the assumption about the possible germination of purchased balsam seeds, it is especially important when the bag does not indicate the deadline for their sale (as many Russian companies now indicate), but the harvest year of the seeds. It is the date of seed production in combination with the expiration date of their expiration date that is most often indicated on the bags with imported seeds, which is very convenient for the grower.

I really liked Waller's new balsams with large flowers (up to 5 cm in diameter), which I grew from seeds last year (2013) - a variety series from a famous German company.

I was especially impressed by the beautiful plants of the Advantage variety series with very bright flowers, as well as the Tempo Butterfly series with flowers of gentle pastel colors and a contrasting "eye". These wonderful balsams bloomed for several months in a row in our garden - in hanging planters, in a long flower box and outdoors. Some balsams from the listed variety series are shown in the photo in this article. For spectacular varieties of various colors included in these series, a lush, dense bush and rather rapid growth are characteristic - about 8-10 weeks pass from emergence to the beginning of flowering.
Although the prices for imported seeds of Waller's balsam varieties and unique hybrid plants are high, the seedlings grown from them are much cheaper compared to expensive purchased seedlings.

In order to have blooming Waller's balsams in the garden already at the beginning of summer, sowing seeds for seedlings must be done no later than mid-March.

In the photo: Waller's blooming balsams in the open field

Sowing Waller's balsam seeds and caring for the seedlings

I sow Waller's balsam seeds in a bowl on the surface of a wet, leveled substrate.
In some floriculture literature, it is advised to sprinkle the sown balsam seeds with a thin layer of sand. From my practice, I concluded that this should not be done: under a layer of sand it is difficult to control the degree of soil moisture (after all, sand on the surface dries quickly even with sufficiently moist soil), and seedlings with this method of sowing always turned out worse for me. Therefore, I now prefer to add sand directly to the seedbed, which should be light and nutritious when growing balsams.

To sow the seeds of Waller's balsam, in advance, I make a mixture of harvested garden land and purchased ready-made soil based on peat (I take these parts about equally in volume), adding vermiculite and sand.
I spill the resulting mixture with Fitosporin solution to prevent "black leg", which often happens when sowing small seeds of balsam and other plants. Then I dry the substrate until the normal humidity is reached, necessary for sowing.

When sowing, I try to place balsam seeds more spaciously, at an equal distance from each other - this will provide the seedlings with uniform illumination. I gently press the seeds, without immersing them in the soil, so that they receive the light necessary for their germination.
I put a bowl with crops in a transparent bag, filling it with air, and put it in a very bright (but without access to sunlight), warm place.

I regularly ventilate the crops of balsam, shaking off the formed condensate from the bag. I moisten the substrate with a spray bottle as needed.
At normal room temperature (about 22 degrees), Waller's balsam shoots appear in about 3 weeks. After pecking the seeds, when shoots appear, I gently pour moist soil onto the bare roots, to the root collar of the seedlings.
I illuminate the seedlings standing on the window with a phytolamp in the mornings and evenings, as well as on cloudy days.

The main task in the development of Waller's balsam seedlings is uniform and sufficient watering so as not to flood or dry out the soil.
I continue to keep a bowl with small seedlings in a "greenhouse" bag, as they are very sensitive to changes in humidity and air temperature. And also they can be attacked and quickly destroyed by the spider mite, which has invisibly appeared - a very dangerous pest for balsam.

I often ventilate balsam seedlings so that there is no prolonged air stagnation in the "greenhouse", otherwise it can lead to the appearance of a fungal infection.

Waller's balsam seedlings develop relatively quickly in favorable conditions. Soon in a bowl, neighboring plants bring their leaves together - it's time to start picking them.
I dive balsams one at a time into the smallest plastic cups (I make sure to make drainage holes at the bottom) with the same light and fertile substrate as when sowing. Balsam seedlings tolerate picking well.

With a sufficient amount of light and nutrition, the plants develop strong, stocky, start to bush early.
If the seedlings of Waller's balsam are stretched out (this can happen due to lack of lighting), then when diving it is necessary to bury the lower part of the long stems into the soil.

After the pick, I keep the cups of balsams in the "greenhouse" for some time. After rooting, I begin to gradually accustom the seedlings to fresh air and then open them completely.

Soon, young plants begin to grow faster and faster; then I expose them to a cool glazed balcony of north-west orientation.
If balsam seedlings do not bush on their own, then you need to pinch the top to form side shoots. The more branches there are, the more magnificent the bush will become, the more flowers it will have.

Regular spraying of Waller's balsams with settled water, especially in the heat, helps to maintain the decorativeness of plants and protects them (but not always successfully) from the attack of spider mites. Unfortunately, these harmful mites are very fond of settling on the delicate tops of the shoots and juicy leaves of balsam, which causes great damage to the decorativeness and health of the plant. Therefore, when hot weather sets in, many growers begin to do periodic preventive spraying of balsams (Fitoverm, other chemicals) to prevent the appearance of ticks.

When the seedlings of Waller's balsam noticeably grow, and their roots are entwined with an earthen ball, I transfer the plants into larger cups.

Growing Waller's balsam in the garden

I plant balsams in open ground after the threat of return frosts has disappeared, when a stable heat is established; for the middle lane, it is about mid-June. By this time, many plants have already formed a good bush and are blooming.

Continuously blooming Waller's balsams wonderfully decorate semi-shaded (without direct sun at noon) areas of the garden with light nutritious soil, where each flower lasts longer and its color is more intense.
Better to plant balsams in a sheltered place in the garden where strong wind - it can break juicy stems.

When planting Waller's balsam seedlings in open ground, pay attention to the recommended distance between plants (usually 25 cm), which must be kept for a particular variety, depending on the expected size of the plant. It is good if adult bushes close slightly with each other - this is important for their better joint resistance to winds and heavy rains, to retain moisture in the soil, and to achieve a better decorative effect.

In the photo: Waller's balsams in a hanging planter and in a flower box

Waller's balsams look great in hanging planters and flower boxes. Unlike petunia seedlings, which love a large amount of fertile substrate when grown in containers, Waller's balsams are more unpretentious. They put up with even a small amount of light nutrient soil in medium-sized pots: if only they have enough water (this is facilitated by the hydrogel contained in the soil), and periodic fertilizing with fertilizers for flowering plants was carried out.
In hot and dry summers, mulching is very useful for balsam bushes; a layer of mulch also helps to retain moisture in the soil.

In the absence of rain, balsams need regular watering so that the soil does not dry out (then the leaves of dehydrated plants hang). But excessive watering should not be allowed, otherwise the plants will get sick: dark spots will appear on the leaves, the bases of the shoots will begin to rot.

It is advisable to remove large blooming flowers from Waller's balsams, since they often cover the numerous buds underneath with their petals. However, with a large number of plants, I do not always have time to do this operation. But this must also be done so that unnecessary seed pods are not tied; in the garden, this often happens when flowers are pollinated by insects.

Before the coming autumn frosts, you can bring container balsams into the house or on the veranda. And balsams growing in a flower garden can be temporarily covered with a thick covering material, because often after a cold snap, warm weather re-establishes.

If you want to preserve Waller's balsams growing in the open field for further cultivation, then they must be drawn in advance (even in summer) so that the cuttings take root faster and have time to grow up before winter.
At the end of the gardening season, transplanting large balsam bushes from a flower garden into pots is very problematic and impractical - as a result, such bushes often die. Therefore, for the new season, it is better to have young promising plants obtained from cuttings or from seeds.

Be sure to try growing Waller's balsam seedlings if you haven't already become a fan. After all, wonderful balsams that have been blooming profusely for many months are a real holiday, very bright and joyful!

I wish the gardenia.ru growers success in growing seedlings and many beautiful flowers!

Elena Yurievna Ziborova
Gardenia.ru Floriculture: Pleasure and Benefit

All about balsam on the website Gardenia.ru
All About Plant Reproduction on the website Gardenia.ru

Weekly Free Digest of Gardenia.ru Site

Every week, for 10 years, for our 100,000 subscribers, an excellent selection of relevant materials about flowers and the garden, as well as other useful information.

Subscribe and receive!

(one-click unsubscribe)

Is it possible to plant balsam in open ground

Balsam: growing from seeds. When to plant balsam?

Every florist wants the flower bed in front of his house to be the most beautiful. Growing garden balsam from seeds and then planting it in the soil will help to make the flower bed elegant and unique

Garden balsam is a tropical African plant that is now widely spread throughout the world. In different countries, flower cultivation occurs everywhere, because it blooms for a very long time and does not require scrupulous care. When boxes with many seeds appear in place of bright buds, you need to take care of the sensitive plant. The slightest touch to it leads to the opening of the capsule and the spread of seeds throughout the garden. Garden balsam has more than one hundred species. Among them there are not only annuals, but also perennials.

Growing this small shrub is possible in different conditions:

• in the open field;
• in pots on the terrace;
• on the balcony and on the windowsill.

Fresh articles about garden and vegetable garden

Balsam is planted in early spring. It propagates by both seeds and stem cuttings. Balsam is planted on seedlings in February and March. Sowing seeds for seedlings must be done no later than March. Then the flower seedlings will be ready by mid-June - at this time, balsams that love warmth will feel comfortable in the open field.

Soil for growing balsam

Any soil consisting of turf, humus and sand will do. When choosing a pot for balsam, remember that it should not be too large. To maintain a lush appearance, plants can be grown two to three in one pot.

Selection and preparation of balsam seeds

Purchased seeds are used to grow balsams. If you already have an adult flowering plant at home, you can harvest the seeds yourself.

When buying seeds from a store, you should pay attention to the following:

1. The seeds must be of high quality, so you need to purchase them only from trusted suppliers.
2. To get a houseplant, seeds of perennial varieties are chosen, and annuals are used for planting in open ground.
3. To preserve varietal traits, you should not choose a mixture of seeds, it is better to take each species separately.
4. Despite the fact that the seeds can be stored for more than 6 years, the highest germination rate is in the freshly harvested ones.

You can collect seeds from homemade balsam after it has faded. In place of the fallen inflorescences, small fruits are formed, and when they ripen, seed pods.

Before sowing, treat the seeds for 10 minutes in a warm, weak solution of potassium permanganate. Then soak in clean water for a day.

Articles for florists

Balsam seed sowing technique

1. Pour the sifted, loose soil into containers, carefully level and carefully moisten from a spray bottle, avoiding compaction.
2. Spread the seeds carefully over the surface of the substrate, trying to place them as little as possible. The optimal strategy is to spread the seeds one by one at a distance of at least 2-3, and preferably 4 cm between them.
3. Since Waller's balsam germinates only when light is available, lightly sprinkle the seeds on top with fine sand or sifted soil, but do not cover completely. The rest of the balsams can be covered with 4-5 mm of sifted soil.
4. From above, gently moisten the seeds with a spray bottle.
5. Cover the seeds with clear glass or plastic.

Germination in balsams usually takes 4 to 15 days, seedlings appear unevenly.

Seedling development stages and balsam care

1. The first stage is germination. Duration 3-5 days. The required temperature is + 24 ... + 26, high humidity and a sufficient amount of light.
2. The second stage lasts 10 days. The seedlings develop and require more light. But straight sun rays have a negative effect on young sprouts, so it is better to avoid direct light exposure and you can start practicing daily airing. In the same period, it is necessary to carry out soil prophylaxis - pour a solution of phytosporin. As for the watering of young balsams, this simple procedure must be carried out extremely carefully, avoiding extremes in the form of overflow and underfilling. Both are direct threats to plant life.
3. The third period - from 14 to 21 days of duration - is the time when the balsam acquires four pairs of leaves. This is already, almost a self-sufficient plant that guarantees the expected beauty - the unusually charming flowers of garden balsam. It is at the third stage that the comfortable temperature for the plant will be +20 ... + 23.
4. The fourth stage lasts only a week. It is characterized by a further decrease in temperature - a kind of hardening of balsamines (+16 ... + 18).
5. The last stage of seed reproduction involves two feeding and separation temperature regime on daytime (up to + 24) and night (+18).

Balsam seedlings picking

The balsam seedlings are stretched out. What to do? Until the shoots give the first two true leaves, the balsam does not dive. As soon as the first two true leaves appear, the seedlings dive. Many growers, during a pick, in order to reduce the length of the cutting, bury it in the ground along the cotyledon. In most cases, with such a transplant, the plant dies. Its stalk rots without rooting. In order to reduce the length of the cutting, during the dive, it is cut above the cotyledons, and then rooted in water.

Balsam transplant in open ground

By the beginning of May, the seedlings will be ready for planting in the ground. But weather conditions do not always allow to do this before June. In order for the flowers to reliably take root in a new place and bloom beautifully, the seedlings need to be prepared a little:

1. Start to lower the temperature in the room where the seedlings lived.
2. Gradually accustom the seedlings to outdoor conditions - take the cups with flowers to the balcony or outside, if possible. Start with 10 minutes, adding another 10 minutes each day.

Articles for gardeners and gardeners

Garden balsam: the secrets of planting and care

This plant is grown as an annual.

Garden balsam can boast of long flowering and undemanding care. Why not grow it on your site?

These incredibly beautiful annual flowers are also called wet vanka. In botany, the correct name for this plant is garden balsam. The height of flowers varies from 25 cm (rational for a small flower bed) to 70 cm (tall bushes look good if lower flowering plants are planted in front of them).

Planting balsam

Garden balsam prefers moderate sun. The dense crown of trees or partial shade from the fence will not be an obstacle to growth and flowering - the plant will have enough diffused light.

Growing garden balsam

But it does not tolerate the scorching rays of the sun and winds - it begins to fade.

The soil for planting balsam should be loose and soft, drained, with low acidity.

Balsam is usually grown through seedlings. For this, seeds are sown in March, the grown sprouts are dived into separate cups one at a time.

Balsam seedlings

And when the threat of spring frosts passes, they are transplanted into a flower bed (around the 20th of May), freeing them from the cups and pinching the roots.

Before planting, it is worth treating the soil with a fungicide, feeding it a little with manure and moistening it.

Plants are planted sparsely - at a distance of 30 cm from each other, from this balsams grow magnificently. Seeds can be sown directly into open ground. At a normal temperature of 21-26 ° C, the first shoots can be expected after 14 days. If the air temperature drops below 19 ° C, the sprouts should be covered with cellophane, or better with agril, creating the effect of a greenhouse.

Watering garden balsam

Balsams do not tolerate flooding, but for regular, but moderate watering, they will reward them with rapid flowering. When the sprouts are still young, they should be watered 2 times a week, or as the soil near the plant dries up.

Balsam does not like drought and, with a lack of moisture, begins to fade

Top dressing

Top dressing is best done 2 times a week - simultaneously with watering. The proportions are usually written on the package of fertilizer for flower plants. However, experienced flower growers advise adding half more water than recommended. Balsam also reacts well to fertilizers for geraniums.

Nitrogen fertilizers are good for young shoots that do not have flower buds. But for flowering ones, it is better to take fertilizing with potassium and phosphorus, sometimes replacing them with nitrogen ones. At the end of summer, fertilization is stopped.

What to do after flowering?

Garden balsam blooms all summer, and sometimes until October, if the weather is warm. When flowering ends, juicy fruits appear on the plant in the form of a translucent elongated box with seeds. It is necessary to catch the moment when the seeds ripen and carefully collect them in a bag to plant next year.

If you did not have time to collect balsam seeds, purchase them in a specialized store

The seeds of this plant remain viable for 6-8 years. Since the plant is annual, at the end of summer, when flowering has ended, it is removed from the flower bed. And the next year, a new one is planted - from seeds or using seedlings.

When to plant balsam in open ground?

Balsam is your frequent companion in life, even if you did not know about it before and did not notice. My acquaintances were repeatedly cheated by unscrupulous sellers, selling them roses or hibiscus, and it turned out that they brought home young balsam. True, at first glance it is difficult to distinguish it from the named plants, moreover, balsam is somehow related in common bushes and with violet plants, petunias. For example, I was confused for a very long time and could not determine by eye "who is who" in the beds or in the flower beds of the city squares, because from the first impression you cannot tell who is growing in front of you.

But all these nuances do not matter, because balsam grows very well in the open field, it is pleasant to look after it and the result will definitely be worth your effort (where without investments in our time?).

When to plant balsam in open ground and what other nuances of caring for it should we know?

Balsam can be planted even in early March right after winter, if only March corresponds to the parameters that are needed for the normal development of balsam. For your information, I report that this is one of those plants that die in the cold. If the temperature goes down a couple of marks below seven degrees and that's it - the balsam fades before our eyes and it seems that this process is irreversible, and it can no longer be saved. Since this plant is not picky about the type of soil and does not fundamentally choose certain mixtures of the substrate, it means that you can plant it on any territory. This means that the period when balsam can be planted begins to stretch in calendar dates, as well as in a geographic variable, starting in the south of Ukraine, where winter leaves in mid-February, and ending in May, when finally to the most remote northern parts of the territory -So spring comes.

What else you need to pay attention to in caring for balsam in your area is watering and how it will be done correctly.

This plant is picky about watering. The balsam needs it regularly, which means that if you forget about your pet for some even very short period, then the plant can take revenge on itself and on you, starting to wither and die. Of course, revenge is loudly said, but the plant absorbs, absorbs moisture extremely quickly, and therefore its level in the soil mixture needs to be replenished almost according to the schedule, which, by the way, it would not hurt you to work out and paint, so as not to keep information in your head about when the balsam was watered, and when not - it's easier, don't you agree?

Feeding balsam is as necessary as watering. The constant application of fertilizers several times in one season guarantees you an unprecedented flowering in splendor and beauty on your site. Therefore, set aside time for yourself for this measure of care, planning the feeding of balsam once in an interval of two weeks. The main thing is that he does not introduce nitrogen fertilizers, which burn out the root system and will not serve you very well, and all the rest are quite normally perceived by the plant and are easily and fearfully tolerated.

(1 rating, average rating: 10.00 out of 10) Loading ...

READ ALSO:

www.tonature.info

You grow, grow, my balm - planting and transplanting secrets

Balsam, Ogonyok, Vanka wet, Impatient - there are so many names for this indoor plant. It is not difficult to grow it, and the result is simply amazing.

Planting a flower in a pot is simple, but there are some features that must be considered in order for the plant to develop well and bloom.

In contact with

• How to plant correctly?
• We select the right soil
• Which pot should you choose?
• What is the best time of year to plant?
• Does it need a transplant?
• When is it necessary to transplant?
• Best time to transplant

How to plant correctly?

There are no special secrets for planting this flower. It is only important to choose the right soil and flowerpot.

We select the right soil

This houseplant prefers light, loose, slightly acidic and not very nutritious soil. A soil rich in organic matter, minerals and nitrogen will result in abundant foliage and few or no flowers. On too poor soils, the flower will grow and bloom worse.

Any of these options is perfect for planting or transplanting Vanka wet. Don't forget about the drainage layer. When planting on the bottom of the pot with a layer of 2-3 cm, you need to lay out expanded clay, small pebbles, etc. to avoid stagnant water and root rot.

Which pot should you choose?

You can take any material for the flowerpot: plastic, clay, ceramics. Balzamin is picky in this regard. But with the diameter of the pot, the situation is different.

The plant will bloom when the root system completely fills the space inside the pot. That is why deep, wide flowerpots are not suitable for balsam.

When planted in a large flowerpot, the flower will grow into a bush, and you can forget about flowering.

A small, shallow, even cramped flowerpot would be ideal.

Or, as an option, two or three cuttings with flowers can be planted in a voluminous planter different color... Then the roots will quickly entwine the earth, and the flowering will be unusually spectacular.

What is the best time of year to plant?

The best time to plant seeds is when daylight hours increase, that is, late February or early March.

You can plant rooted cuttings for plant propagation all year round.

Does it need a transplant?

The transplant is extremely important for Vanka wet.

This plant very quickly takes up the substances necessary for growth from the soil and needs replacing the soil.

Three-year-old balsam loses its attractiveness and decorativeness: its shoots become thinner and longer, flowering is not so lush and abundant.

When is it necessary to transplant?

• Planned transplantation. In this case, you need to replace the soil, pruning the elongated shoots that have lost their decorative effect. The old earth is depleted and dries up quickly.

  When transplanting, the plant grows better, the root system receives additional volume for growth, and the access of water and air increases.

• After the purchase. Freshly bought balsam must be transplanted into a new pot and fresh soil.

  But it should be remembered that a flowering plant cannot be transplanted.

• The flower felt cramped. If the roots began to appear from the drainage hole, then it's time for the balsam to change the pot.

  For further development, the plant simply needs a more voluminous space. The new flowerpot should be 1-2 cm larger than the previous one.

Best time to transplant

A spring transplant is a must.

Over the course of a year, the soil loses its nutritional properties, and the plant begins to starve. Water the flower abundantly the day before transplanting. Then carefully remove it from the pot, cut off the old and dry roots. The transplant should be done quickly so that the young roots do not have time to dry out. After that, the earth is compacted and well watered. Now the pot must be placed in a dark place for several days.

AT summer period shoots are stretched, so transplanting a plant in the fall will return its decorative effect.

Balsam is an unpretentious and very popular houseplant. Even a novice florist can grow it. Correct fit and timely transplantation of a flower will help preserve its decorative effect and increase flowering.

A photo

Useful materials

In contact with

Do you see inaccuracies, incomplete or incorrect information? Do you know how to make your article better?

Do you want to offer photos on a topic for publication?

Please help us make the site better! Leave a message and your contacts in the comments - we will contact you and together we will make the publication better!

Garden balsam is an annual plant that blooms beautifully and for a long time. People often call him "Vanka wet", because the flower prefers moist soil.

However, over-watering can lead to disease. So that he pleases with flowering and does not get sick, be sure to familiarize yourself with the rules of planting and caring for balsam.

Rules for planting balsam in the garden

Direct sunlight and dry winds will not benefit the plant.

In an open area, the flower will wither.

Garden balsam: planting and care with photos. Garden views

For planting balsam, take a quiet place under trees or near a fence, where a thin shade will save the flower from the heat. The balsam will thank the beauties with lush and memorable flowering.

Despite the fact that "Vanka wet" refers to undemanding plants, the choice of soil must be approached consciously. The flower grows well in loose, nutritious and well-drained soil. He does not tolerate stagnation of moisture at the roots. Heavy acidic soils should be prepared in advance, lime and sand should be added.

On the flower bed, balsam is not densely located, since the bushes grow well, they need enough space for normal growth. The optimal distance between the bushes is 30 cm.

Planting balsam with a photo: sowing seeds for seedlings

There are two ways to plant garden balsam in Russia:

Through seedlings;

Sowing seeds in the ground.

Each method has its own subtleties and characteristics. Seeds are sown into the ground as soon as the soil warms up, and outside the temperature is set at least +19 C.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

Most often, balsam is planted through seedlings. Sowing of seeds begins in early March, when daylight hours increase.

Important! Before purchasing seeds, pay attention to the expiration date. The germination of planting material lasts for 7-8 years, but the fresher the seeds, the better the result.

To begin with, the seeds are processed in order to reduce the risk of diseases in the plant in the future. A little potassium permanganate is diluted in water and seeds are dipped in a linen bag into the resulting solution. It is necessary to withstand the seeds for no more than 10 minutes, after which the solution is poured out, and the container is filled with warm water. The pouch is left in water for another day.

During this time, you need to prepare the soil for sowing. Young balsams are much more sensitive than an adult plant, so the soil should be very loose and well-drained. The substrate for planting balsam is purchased in a store or made independently:

Garden land - 1 part;

Vermiculite - 1 part;

Coarse washed sand - 1 part;

Peat - 2 parts.

Alternatively, just peat with vermiculite will do if there is no way to get good garden soil.

The finished substrate is disinfected by roasting it in the oven. After that, the soil is watered with a solution of biological preparations, for example, "Fitosporin", to improve the microflora. After such manipulations, the "black leg" seedlings are not afraid. There is no need to disinfect the purchased substrate.

Planting balsam seeds is carried out as follows:

Step # 1. Pour boiling water over the seedling box or rinse with a disinfecting solution.

Step # 2. Put a drainage layer at the bottom of at least 2 cm.

Step # 3. Pour the soil into a container and tamp lightly.

Step # 4. Spread the prepared and germinated seeds evenly over the soil surface. It is most convenient to do this with a toothpick or tweezers, since the seeds are small. It is not necessary to press the seeds deeply into the soil.

Step # 5. After sowing, the soil is well moistened with a spray bottle and the container is covered with a bag.

Step 6. Place the drawer in a well-lit place where direct sunlight does not fall. The temperature during germination should be at the level of 22-25 C.

Advice! To avoid picking seedlings, you can plant balsam immediately in peat tablets.

The first shoots appear in two weeks. After the emergence of mass shoots, the bag is removed daily and the seedlings are ventilated so that they do not suffer from high humidity.

After a few days, the bag is completely removed.

Caring for balsam after germination

Delicate seedlings need comprehensive care. On cloudy days, plants need additional lighting, which must be taken care of in advance. As the seedlings grow, the roots of the seedlings become bare, so you will have to regularly pour in a loose substrate.

Among other things, it is worth remembering about regular watering, which is recommended to be carried out in a pan so that the root collars of the seedlings are dry. Otherwise, at the slightest violation in the watering regime, the plants can rot.

Remember that you cannot grow balsam in a common container for a long time. As soon as real leaves appear, the seedlings dive into separate cups, on the bottom of which drainage is necessarily put.

If the plants are slightly elongated, then it's time to cut them apart and slightly deepen into the substrate.

After a pick, young balsam seedlings need care no less. In order for plants to adapt faster and begin to grow actively, they must increase lighting, heat and humidity.

After a week, the seedlings will get stronger and you can pinch them so that they bush better. To do this, the tops are carefully plucked out or cut off. Do not neglect this procedure, otherwise the decorative effect of the bush will suffer in the future. As a result, the gardener will receive a nondescript tall plant instead of a compact chic bush.

Timing of planting balsam seedlings in the ground

Fortified seedlings are transferred to open ground only at the end of May, when there is no threat of freezing. The seedlings are planted in flower beds as described above or in individual growing containers.

Balsam pots should be lined with spacious ones so that the plant is comfortable. When caring for balsam, do not forget about regularly spraying the bushes.

The transplanted strong plants adapt quickly and bloom in June. The duration of balsam flowering depends on the weather conditions, on average the bush blooms until the beginning of autumn.

Caring for balsam in the garden

Although garden balsam belongs to moisture-loving plants, excessive watering leads to its death. But regular, but not plentiful watering and spraying will only benefit him.

In order for "Vanka wet" to please with flowering, it should be fed. Before the buds appear, the plants are fed with a solution mineral fertilizers with nitrogen. But as soon as the balsam blooms, it is better to stop nitrogenous feed.

During flowering, they switch to complex fertilizers for flowering plants. They are brought in together with watering every two weeks. Use potassium and phosphorus supplements. At the end of summer, cancel all feeding.

What to do with balsam after flowering and how to keep it until next year?

Balsam blooms under good weather conditions until the end of October, but with the onset of cold weather, its shoots wither. It is necessary to have time to collect the seeds from the boxes in order to sow them for seedlings next year.

It is important to remember that there is no need to collect seeds for further cultivation from hybrid varieties of balsam. A young plant will not inherit all parental qualities.

Experienced gardeners advise you to transplant your favorite variety into a flowerpot and bring it into a room where its flowering does not end all winter. The plant does not have a pronounced rest period.

1. In winter, plants are kept at temperatures no higher than 15 C, while watering is reduced.

2. In a heated room, the flower needs to be sprayed and watered with warm water.

3. When spring comes, cut the shoots to stimulate branching.

The resulting cuttings are easily rooted in water, after which they are planted in containers. With the onset of similar days, the plants are transferred to the garden.

This method of reproduction of balsam is considered the fastest and most convenient.

Garden balsam is an annual plant. It has not too high stems - from twenty-five to seventy-five centimeters, and small flowers - about four centimeters in diameter. There are two forms of balsam flowering: simple and terry. This culture can have many shades - from white to purple. The birthplace of balsam is rightfully considered Central Asia, where it was first mentioned in the sixteenth century.

Balsam: growing from seeds at home

Garden balsam, growing from seeds of which does not require a lot of experience, will become a real decoration of your summer cottage.

Garden balsam, growing from seeds

How to grow garden balsam?

In our country, balsam fell to the taste of gardeners due to its unpretentiousness and ease of care, which allows it to be grown both in the open field and on the windowsill. Moreover, in an open space, balsam is perfectly cultivated from the very beginning of summer until late autumn. Some gardeners have the misconception that since balsam is capable of scattering seeds on its own, there is no need to follow up on replanting it. In fact, this is not the case. Balsam must be taken care of. It is not a fact that the seeds left from last year in the ground will not die from the cold, which would be quite likely, given that balsam is a thermophilic culture.

Growing balsam is not difficult at all. You just need to make a little effort during the period of planting it, after which the summer resident will be rewarded with a waterfall of bright inflorescences, pleasing to the eye and decorating the surrounding space.

There are two ways to grow balsam:

• directly into the open ground of the front garden;
• at home for seedlings.

As a rule, balsam seeds are distinguished by high rates of germination; they retain this ability from six to eight years. However, some features of their planting still exist.

Features of growing balsam:

• Seeds that are selected for planting require an indispensable treatment with fungicidal agents.
• If you plan to plant the seeds of this culture on the street, you should wait for the period when any threat of frost has passed.
• Seeds should be planted in holes spaced at least thirty centimeters apart.
• If the air temperature is kept at 25 degrees, the first shoots can be expected two weeks after planting the seeds.
• If balsam is grown for seedlings, immediately after the first sprouts appear, it makes sense to remove them to a slightly lower temperature (about nineteen degrees), while providing them with good lighting and fresh air.

During the period of bud formation on balsam, it is important to maintain the temperature at sixteen degrees, this will help to extend its life and improve the quality of flowering.

Balsamine care - where to start?

Balsam is a very beautiful plant, how can you achieve its abundant and long-term flowering?

For this, it is imperative to take into account a number of important aspects:

• The flower blooms best in the shade, because too bright rays of the sun can damage not only the delicate foliage, but also the petals of this culture;
• The heat is not for balsam, if the weather is dry for a long time - the flower begins to fade;
• The fragility of the stems makes them vulnerable to even the slightest breeze, so it is important to plant balsam away from strong winds and drafts.

Garden balsam, growing from seed which is available to any summer resident, needs additional fertilizing with special minerals that must be carried out on a regular basis. In this case, one should not forget that such substances need to be introduced only for the leaves, but not into the soil.

See also the video:

Balsam garden cultivation from seeds

The process of propagation of balsam by cuttings

Among lovers of indoor plants, balsam, reproduction by cuttings of which is the most popular breeding method, occupies one of the leading places. This method of propagation can guarantee fast establishment and flowering that lasts long enough. To date, more than 300 types of balsam are known. It is a perennial, herbaceous plant with succulent stems and fibrous roots. There are a wide variety of forms: bush, weaving, tree-like. In nature, it can reach 2 m in height. The cultivated species are divided into three groups: New Guinea hybrid, Waller's balsam, garden type. What varieties are good to propagate by cuttings?

Balsam is a very common plant that has many varieties.

New guinea hybrid

Reproduction of a flower of this species occurs precisely by cuttings.To do this, you need to take the upper shoot, cut it to the last node. Next, the cutting is placed in a glass of water or a container with wet sand in order for the plant to be able to take root.

How to plant balsam in the open field, and what kind of care does a flower need?

After 2-3 weeks, the roots will be well enough formed for transplanting. Method number two: in the autumn, cut off a stalk about 7 cm long. Clean the stem from the lower leaves, place it in a container with a substrate. Water well, cover the pot with a plastic bag, creating the effect of a greenhouse. After 2-3 days, the package can be removed. Water with a mineral solution every 2 weeks.

Reproduction of balsam by seeds is highly discouraged, since the percentage of living seeds in a flower of this species is very small. In addition, even if it was possible to get sprouts, most of them will quickly die, so propagation by cuttings - the best way for the New Guinea hybrid. It is necessary to plant grown cuttings in nutritious moist soil. Ideal potting soil available from gardening shops. At the bottom of the pot, you need to build a drainage layer that will prevent water stagnation.

Balsam is propagated by cuttings, as this method gives the best result.

Young shoots need to be fed. A weak solution of potassium or compound fertilizers will do just fine. Nitrogen should be avoided. It provokes rapid growth of stems and leaves, but inhibits flowering. Balsam is a plant that grows quickly. A transplant is recommended after 2-3 years. Adult balsam also needs to be updated with cuttings. Often, after transplanting the cuttings, the plant begins to hurt. This is a consequence of improper care of a young shoot. It is necessary to establish a feeding and watering regime.

These are herbaceous, abundantly and long-flowering dwarf shrubs 30-60 cm tall, with erect green juicy stems, with brownish-green leaves, elongated elliptical or narrowed to the petiole. Flowers of the most varied colors: red, purple-pink, monochromatic or bicolor, simple or double, with a long, thin, curved spur, located in several pieces at the ends of the shoots. Moreover, at the same time in one group you can see buds of various degrees of development, blossoming and already withering. Hybrid varieties are very effective, the stems and leaves of which are burgundy, and the flowers are carmine, scarlet-red or purple-pink.

In culture, there are three main groups of balsams

The first group includes traditional, natural types of Waller's balsam (Impatiens walleriana), perfectly grown at home, in greenhouses, in the open field.

BALSAMIN WALLER, or BALSAMIN WALLER (Impatiens walleriana) These are perennial herbaceous plants up to 50 cm high, with spreading, thick, fleshy, juicy stems, medium-sized ovoid leaves that have green, red, reddish-brown or variegated color. Flowers in this group can be axillary, single, medium-sized, simple, double or semi-double of the most varied colors.

"Baby Mixed", with a wide variety of colors, is ideal "Accent". It is worth paying attention to interesting varieties of Waller's balsams with double flowers.

In warm summer, Waller's balsam blooms well in flower beds, containers, hanging baskets, and they can be placed even in partial shade, since balsams are undemanding to lighting, and the color of flowers is brighter than in the sun. However, when determining the place for these beautiful plants, one must remember that their stems and leaves are characterized by increased fragility. They break easily in sudden gusts of wind and heavy rain.

Due to a lack of light, temperature changes, balsam shoots can stretch out and become bare in the lower part of the stem, which makes the flower look ankle. In this case, it is better to cut the plant, root the cuttings, then your pet will again be a compact and well-flowering "bush".

The seeds are very small. For 1 g - about 2000 pieces. Germination persists for several years. Seedlings appear 14-16 days after sowing. Balsam blooms 90-100 days after germination. Seeds are buried in the soil very superficially, as they need light for germination. They are very sensitive to a lack of moisture, so the boxes with crops have to be covered with glass or transparent plastic, installed in a well-lit place, but so that they do not get direct sunlight.

Best of all, seedlings appear at a temperature of 20-25 ° C. However, in such conditions, there is a risk of developing fungal infections, for example, such as gray rot... In order to reduce the likelihood of contamination from balsam, it is necessary to use only new pots and boxes filled with a special soil mixture for germinating seeds or previously sterilized soil. After the shoots appear, the humidity of the substrate and air must be reduced.

Greenhouses and planting boxes are ventilated as often as possible. The sprouts should be gradually accustomed to fresh air by leaving the ventilation openings uncovered and gradually increasing in size. Finally, after a few days, the glass or plastic sheet can be removed completely. The room temperature must be reduced to 15-18 ° C. When the seedlings reach a height of 1 cm, they can be pricked, and the temperature can be further reduced. Now the critical period of plant development has passed. At the beginning of May, when it is warm, the seedlings begin to be taken out into the street for hardening, not forgetting to bring them indoors at night. Young balsam plants can be planted permanently in open ground at the end of May.

The second group includes all modern varieties of balsamines - heterotic hybrids of the first generation (F1), which appeared as a result of breeding work with Waller's balsam. They are obtained by manual pollination of individual parent lines. These are compact perennial plants that bloom for a long time and abundantly throughout the year. The color range of modern hybrid varieties is varied: from white, cream, pink, cherry, fuchsia - to incredibly maroon. Flowers can be monochromatic, with a two-tone color, with a pattern in the form of stripes, dashes, spots, strokes, strokes on the petals. Modern varieties come with double, semi-double, simple flowers.

Numerous varieties with simple flowers, 20-25 cm high (‘Super Elfi’, ‘Fancifu’, ‘Wild Thin’, ‘Cand’) are very interesting in balsams; semi-double, double flowers (‘Sparkler’, ‘Fiest’), simple large flowers, more than 30 cm tall (‘Imp’); with huge flowers over 5 cm (‘Blitz’).

In culture, there are two-color varieties with white stripes or spots in the middle of the flower: (‘Rose Star’, ‘Novette Star’, ‘Cinderell’). Cultivars with double, semi-double flowers of a wide variety of colors: (‘Lavender Orchid’, ‘Deep Orange’, ‘Cherry’, ‘Peach’, Perple Pinata ’). The compact white-flowered varieties with pure white double flowers (‘White’, ‘Frost’, ‘White Frost’) are very popular.

The third group includes balsams of the group " New Guinea"- New Guinean hybrids obtained from crossing several complex species: Hawker's balsam, linear-leaved, Schleiger's balsam, which were discovered in 1970 in the high-mountain forests of New Guinea, on the Seleb Islands and on the island of Java.

BALSAM NEW GUINEA (Impatiens neuguinea) .In room culture, in addition to Waller's balsam, hybrid New Guinea balsam (Impatiens neuguinea) is grown. This species is larger, they have large flowers of different colors that bloom throughout the year: white, red of various shades, lilac, pink. The leaves are bright from bronze to bright green, sometimes variegated.

In our country, New Guinea balsam has come into fashion relatively recently, seeds have not yet entered the market, only ready-made plants are sold, without specifying the variety. Special farms grow them from seeds, and already flowering plants arrive in stores in containers. In the west, seeds are offered in stores or from catalogs.

New Guinea hybrids are warm and light-requiring, so it is better to grow them at home, in winter gardens, where they do well for several years. But they look good in flowerpots placed on sunny, wind-protected areas of the garden or on warm terraces, however, on the street they are used as flyers. They require systematic watering, top dressing, they prefer a peat substrate.

BALSAM GARDEN, or NEEDROGNA BALSAMIN (Impatiens balsamina) "Camellia Flowered", undersized "Baby Bush" and "Tom Thumb". In stores, it is sold simply as garden balsam. In the spring, you can buy flowering specimens designed for interior decoration or outdoor flower beds.

IRON BALSAM (Impatiens glandulifera) This balsam came from India and since about 1839 has been developing our territory. It got its name from the glands at the base of the leaf. In the 50s of the last century, in almost every courtyard, near the fences, one could find thickets of succulent, up to 2 meters high, annuals, with crimson or pink flowers and fruits - "bombs" that children loved to "blow up". This beautiful plant often turned into a vicious weed, as the seeds it scattered in all directions sprouted everywhere. And on a hot summer day, a wide variety of insects flew around the bushes, attracted by the smell of blossoming flowers.

The leaves of the iron-bearing balsam are ovate-lanceolate, up to 15 cm long, in the upper part of the stem are collected in whorls of three. At the base of the leaf there are 2 glands each. The flowers are simple, large, on long peduncles, white, pink, often wine-red, collected in umbellate axillary racemes. It blooms from mid-summer until frost. Used in hedges, in groups on the lawn, for decorating fences. Large seeds germinate easily. Usually they are sown in any soil in April-May.

BALSAMINE BALFURA (Impatiens balfourii) An exotic, thermophilic, and therefore practically unfamiliar for our country plant Balfura balsam (Impatiens balfourii) came from the warm regions of the Himalayas. It is somewhat similar to the iron-bearing balsam, but only its bushes reach a height of 1 meter, the flowers are smaller, painted in bright colors. The seeds of this plant can be purchased from time to time only in Europe, for some reason they are almost never available on the free market.

In the Spanish Pyrenees, this flower is planted in a wide variety of containers: old olive oil barrels, buckets, baskets, cans. The unpretentious touch-up feels great in these makeshift containers, it blooms profusely and bears fruit, scattering seeds everywhere. Plants attract swarms of insects, although only the smallest of them can feast on the sweet nectar. Its seeds germinate easily between the slabs, which are paved with paths, the plants developing from the seedlings feel good in such a “rocky” area.

The seeds of Balfour balsam are sown (March-April) in pots with a light sandy earthy mixture, and also later in open ground. For unknown reasons, the seeds germinate unevenly, and sometimes do not germinate at all. Often they sprout next year, new bushes may be in the most inappropriate places.

ORDINARY NEEDLESS (Impatiens noli-tangere)

SMALL-FLOWER BALSAM (Impatiens parviflora) Very similar to ordinary, but smaller. It is a very aggressive weed. It begins to bloom in May, ends after frost. Historically, it grew up in Siberia, but now it has already populated all of Europe. It should be noted that these types of balsam, along with full-fledged open flowers, still have nondescript, non-opening cleistogamous flowers. If a plant gets into unusual conditions for it, for example, on clean sand, it does not form normal flowers at all.

Sultan's balsam variegated (Impatiens sultanii variegata) - plants with green stems and leaves, which have lighter edges, sometimes even white.

Balsam of Canvas (Impatiens holstii) Plants up to 60 cm in height with green leaves with a brown tint around the edge. Blooms from spring to late autumn. Plants grown from summer cuttings in light, warm room, can bloom in winter.

Peters' balsam (Impatiens petersiana Gilg ex Grignan) The native land of the plant is tropical West Africa. The plant is similar to Waller's Balsam (Impatiens walleriana) from which it differs in larger growth (up to 1.5 m in height), longer leaf petioles and blades, slightly pubescent stems, and most importantly - bronze color of stems and leaves. The pedicels are also slightly longer than those of Waller's balsam. Small flowers are fiery red.

Hawker's balsam (Impatiens hawkeri) Perennial plant up to 50 cm high, with a densely branched stem, dark green bronze elliptical leaves with a waxy bloom and cream touches. The flowers are red with a white neck.

Golden balsam (Impatiens auricoma) Perennial plant, reaching a height of 100 cm, with fleshy, succulent, succulent stems. Leaves whorled, lanceolate, whole, converging, medium green, with noticeable venation. The flowers are irregular, not large, bright yellow with red stripes in the aperture of the conjoined flower, collected in loose inflorescences at the ends of the branches.

Balsam of Niamniam (Impatiens niamniamensis) The native land of this species is Africa, therefore in foreign catalogs it is called African or Congolese balsam. There they are engaged in its selection and bred several varieties. They love him for the flowers, which have an interesting, unusual shape, somewhat reminiscent of birds sitting on branches. The greenish petals of flowers are inconspicuous, the brightness of the plants is given by a large sepal, elongated in the form of a narrow curved jug or horn. Sepal coloration is red, pink or two-color red-yellow. Balsam of Niamniam grows best in warm climates, requires protection from the wind, direct rays of the midday sun. This perennial is often cultivated as a houseplant, although it can be taken out into the fresh air from mid-June. In the garden, this type of balsam is usually grown as a seasonal annual, as it dies from frost in the fall, but if the bushes are brought into a warm room in time, they will be able to winter safely.

Houseplants

Balzamin ("Touchy," Vanka wet ")

Balsam (Jmpatiens) is a perennial herb with succulent erect shoots, bright leaves and numerous delicate flowers. Due to the simple care of balsam at home, easy reproduction and long flowering, this plant has long been one of the most favorite for flower growers around the world.

The Latin name of the genus Impatiens can be translated as “not withstanding pressure”. That is why the balsam is often called "Impatient" - its ripe fruit-boxes are able to open and shoot seeds at the slightest touch to them. Balsam has many affectionate names - "light" in Russia, "busy Lizzie" in England, "zealous Lisa" in Germany.

In Russia, balsam is also widely known as "Vanka wet" for droplets of sugary liquid that form at the edges of the leaf plates.

Balsams are used both for landscaping premises and for decorating balconies, loggias, terraces, or as "living bouquets" for various holidays.

In nature, there are about 500 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants and shrubs, which are native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa. In indoor floriculture, Waller's balsam and its hybrids are mainly used, which are characterized by more compact size and abundant flowering, as well as balsams of the New Guinea group obtained by complex crosses, or New Guinea hybrids, characterized by large flowers and brightly colored leaves.

Photo of Waller balsam flowers

(Impatiens walleriana) is a bushy herb about 50 cm high with erect succulent stems, broad-oval green, brownish or reddish tender leaves and small (up to 4 cm in diameter) single or asymmetric flowers collected in few-flowered inflorescences on long pedicels.

This type of balsam is the original form of many hybrids, which, according to their characteristic features, are combined into variety groups. For example, the ‘Accent FT is characterized by compact bushes (about 15-25 cm).

As you can see in the photo, the balsam of this variety has large flowers - one-color or two-color:

Balsam "Tempo FT" - larger plants (up to 25 cm) and early blooming;

Balsam "Stardust FT" - the petals of the plants of this series have a silvery bloom and a bright border along the edge; and others.

Types and varieties of indoor balsam with photos

(Impatiens Cultivarus Neuguinea) - perennial bushy plants obtained by complex crosses of several species.

This type of balsam is characterized by more succulent, abundantly branching shoots, large and fleshy leaves, usually two or multi-colored. The flowers are larger than those of the traditional species, very bright, with a characteristic spur underneath.

Several varieties of New Guinea balsamines have been developed.

In our gallery you can see a photo of indoor balsam flowers of various varieties:

"Paradise" has bright flowers of various shades and lanceolate, dark or bright green, as well as variegated leaves.

"Java" is a variety of indoor balsam with bright "tropical" flowers and shiny green or bronze leaves.

Jangle Rain is a balsam with delicate pastel colors.

"Rainforest Exotic" - indoor balsam with one or two-toned flowers of various colors.

(Impatiens repens) is a perennial herb from the shady and humid forests of Sri Lanka. The species has long creeping reddish shoots, small heart-shaped leaves and single bright yellow flowers with a diameter of about 3 cm. Balsams of this species can be found in indoor floriculture as a ground cover plant.

Caring for balsam at home

Balsamines, especially hybrid varieties, are easy to grow plants. Caring for balsam at home is not difficult - these plants are not demanding on lighting, grow well both in light shading and in bright sun, but the most beautiful bush will form, and flowering will be abundant in diffused lighting.

In winter, it is necessary to maintain the air temperature not lower than +10 ... + 15 ° С and provide bright lighting. Water balsam in summer abundantly and, most importantly, regularly, but without stagnant water, in winter moderately. Spraying is desirable.

From spring to autumn, regular fertilizing twice a month with potash fertilizers is necessary. Hybrid varieties do not need crown formation, their shoots branch well themselves, but plants should be renewed periodically, since the stems become bare with age. Balsam is easily propagated by apical cuttings and seeds. To get flowering plants in May, seeds are sown in January with additional artificial lighting... Rooting of cuttings takes about a month. Plants grown from spring cuttings bloom in summer, and from summer ones throughout winter.

Balsam room

Balsam (Touch-me-not) "IMPATIENS" is a perennial herb with succulent erect shoots, bright leaves and numerous delicate flowers. In this article, we will talk about caring for homemade balsam, tell you about the different varieties of New Guinea balsam and Waller's balsam, and bring to your attention a photo of balsam varieties from various variety groups.

Due to its easy care, easy reproduction and long flowering, indoor balsam has long been one of the favorite home plants of flower growers around the world. This is evidenced by the numerous affectionate names: "light" in Russia, "Busy Lizzie" in England, "zealous Lisa" ("Fleisiges Lieschen") in Germany and the work of breeders to develop new varieties.

The Latin name of the genus Impatiens is formed by the prefix im - "not", and patiens - "enduring, withstanding pressure" and is associated with a characteristic feature of ripe fruit-boxes - they open, shooting seeds, at the slightest touch to them.

Waller indoor balsam varieties

Series "Tempo F1 Hybrid" - plants are larger (up to 25 cm high), but also compact, early flowering. In this series, balsam varieties have apricot and pink color.

Series "Stardust F1 Mixed" - in plants of this series, the flower petals seem to be silvered at the base, and along the edge have a wide orange, scarlet or dark pink border.

Series "Bruno FT" - due to genetic engineering, plants of this series are strong (up to 30 cm in height), abundantly flowering, easily tolerate various adverse factors; the flowers are very large (up to 6 cm in diameter), the seedlings grow rapidly and bloom early. There are four varieties in the series with white, red, purple and lilac-pink colors.

The Firefly series - small plants (up to 25 cm tall) conquer not in size, but in the abundance of flowers and a palette of colors (there are varieties of indoor balsam with purple, lilac-pink, orange and other flowers).

"Fiesta FT" series - compact, densely branching plants (about 30 cm tall) with double bright one-color or two-color flowers.

New Guinea balsam: varieties and their photos

Balsams of the New Guinea group (Impatiens Cultivarus Neuguinea) are perennial bushy plants obtained by complex crosses of several species. All varieties of balsam of the New Guinea group have more juicy, abundantly branching shoots, larger and fleshy leaves, as a rule, two- or multi-colored.

Pay attention to the photo of New Guinea balsam - its flowers are larger than those of traditional species, very bright, with a characteristic spur at the bottom.

Series "Java" - flowers of bright "tropical" color and shiny green or bronze leaves.

Jangle Rain series - this series of New Guinea balsam is characterized by more delicate, pastel colors.

Series "Paradise" - flowers are bright, of various colors and shades, lanceolate leaves are dark or bright green, there are varieties with variegated foliage.

"Rainforest Exotic" series - flowers of various colors, one or two tonnes.

Also in home floriculture, Creeping balsam is widely cultivated.

This perennial herb from the shady and humid forests of Sri Lanka, creeping balsam (Impatiens repens) has long creeping reddish shoots, small heart-shaped leaves and single bright yellow flowers (up to 3 cm in diameter). This type of balsam can be found in indoor floriculture as a ground cover plant.

Homemade balsam care

Balsams, especially hybrid varieties, are easy to breed plants. They are undemanding to lighting - they can grow both in light shade conditions and in bright sun, but a bush will form best of all, and flowering will be plentiful in diffused lighting. The air temperature in winter is not lower than + 10 ... + 15 ° С and the sun is bright.

Caring for balsam at home involves regular, abundant watering, but without stagnant water, spraying is desirable; in winter it is moderate. From spring to autumn, regular fertilizing twice a month with potash fertilizers is required. Hybrid varieties do not need crown formation, their shoots branch well themselves, but periodic plant renewal may be required, since the stems become bare with age.

Indoor balsams are widely used both for decoration of premises and for landscaping balconies, loggias, terraces. Abundantly flowering bushes are wonderful "live bouquets" for any holiday.

Balsam (Impatiens)

Family - balsamic

Origin - not determined; grows wild in the subtropics and tropics of North America, southern Europe, Africa and Asia.

In nature, balsam is presented in a huge variety - more than 500 species, of which only 15 are cultivated, and they are grown both at home and in the garden. Balsams are one- and perennial. The former are often grown as garden plants. while perennials are cultivated at home.

This plant is of a herbaceous or semi-shrub species, with fragile stems that begin to branch from the base. The edge of the leaf is bordered with small denticles, and the leaves themselves are arranged alternately on the succulent stem. This plant is a good weather predictor: if rain is coming, droplets of moisture will appear on the tips of the leaves. However, the same effect occurs with excessive watering. For this feature, the balsam is called "Vanka wet".

Another name - "light" - the plant received due to the bright color of the petals. Five bright petals form a large flower. Balsam blooms willingly and abundantly, flowers are arranged singly. There are terry balsams; the color of the flowers can be different, but always bright.

The third given name - "touch-me-not" - also has its own rationale: in place of pollinated flowers, seed pods are formed. If they are ripe, then when touched (even the lightest), they burst with a noise, and the five leaves of the capsule twist. The seeds spill out.

Even if you have never had balsam at home, you are probably familiar with it firsthand: henna, which is used for dyeing hair, is made precisely from the roots of balsam - not homemade, but wild-growing.

Types and photos of balsam

Considering that there are many types of balsam, we will consider the most popular basic plants (and not their numerous hybrids, which cannot be described in one article), grown in indoor conditions.

Balsam Waller (Waller) (Impatiens walleriana)

Waller's balsam is the ancestor of a large group of hybrids, therefore, it is often identified with its varieties, which differ among themselves not only in size, but also in flowering and color of leaves (from green to red and variegated).

"Basic plant" reaches a height of 50-60 cm, perennial. Stems are branched and very juicy, transparent. Leaves with a long petiole, ovoid, 4 to 6 cm long.

This type of balsam blooms with large single flowers; are terry. The color of the flowers is the most varied; there are Waller balsams with bicolor flowers.

A perfect combination of ease of care and a rich palette of colors. It is also called touchy, only by the fact that when the seeds ripen, its boxes begin to burst from a light touch, but I just like the balsam.

Again, there are a lot of varieties, flowers can be both simple and double and in height from 20 to 70 cm, when planning planting, you can choose high varieties for the center of the flower bed, and more undersized varieties or for curbs, we plant high ones in the background and lower ones to the front, in between, you can use both perennial and annual plants But more on that later.

Balsam is good because, in addition to being an annual, it is unpretentious, the main thing in dry times it needs to be watered so that the foliage does not fade. Can grow both on sunny places and in partial shade, and begins to bloom from June to October - what we need for constant blooming garden... They also feel great both in pots and in tubs. Therefore, I recommend boldly trying to plant it on the site, you will not regret it. A flower bed or an area planted with balsam of white or pastel colors among the lawn looks spectacular, with its ability to grow, we get a beautiful long-flowering carpet. There are also more colorful and vibrant varieties that can be planted in flowerpots or tubs, and arranged at your own discretion, you can decorate with bright spots of balsam as green plantings of shrubs or arrange a pond (nearby lying space), and you do not have to dig and sow anything - put the flowerpot and admire the beauty, bored - they removed the flowerpot or rearranged it. His hand is the lord, as they say.

Balsam is ideally combined with other annuals, one concern is that the beds are not too variegated or too pale, there are varieties of balsams in which even the foliage is variegated, it is better to plant them with annuals of white shades (boxwood is evergreen or labularia), and in the shade, as I said above you can use flowerpots or tubs with brighter colors. In planting, it is also simple, if you grew seedlings, then plant them after the spring frosts, we make holes as usual, add compost, if the seedlings are in the boxes, then pre-water it with a clod of earth will not crumble and the plant will move to the prepared hole in the flowerbed for more comfortable, we plant, we crush the ground and water it again. Balsam reproduces very well in a vegetative way, that is, we take healthy shoots cut from a plant in early autumn, put them in water as soon as roots appear, plant them in pots or a box, and for the winter we put them in a bright room at a temperature of 15 degrees, and in the spring it will be a new batch of seedlings is ready, of their origin or production. Well, if you notice seedlings on sale in stores or markets, here, too, everything follows the same scheme - the main thing is that the seedlings are with healthy foliage and in pots or seedling cells, if you choose a palette for yourself, then opening buds are quite suitable, those seedlings in which are weakened stems and yellowed foliage does not suit us. Above, I have already indicated your attention to sunny or shady places, I just wanted to remind you that you feed plants in the summer, especially those that grow in flowerpots or tubs.

In order for the bushes to be more heaped and spreading, immediately after transplanting, pinch the tops of the seedlings or cut them off with scissors, if the flowers have faded - do not rush to remove them, as new flowers will soon appear in their place, this is the balsam chip. This is a disease-resistant plant and one of its attacks is that in dry weather, the shoots begin to fade, so watch your plants and water them in time, or alternatively, you can install a drip irrigation system.

Well, this is probably all I wanted to tell you about balsam. In a word, a very grateful annual plant.