Balsam festive planting and care. Planting, care and propagation methods of garden balsam. Top dressing and fertilizer balsam

Balsam (IMPATIENS) is an ornamental plant, also known as "touchy" and "Roly wet". Flower growers know over 600 plant species. It blooms with white, pink, red flowers, up to 5 centimeters in diameter. The structure of the flowers is double or semi-double. There is also a multi-colored balsam, growing from seeds of which is not particularly difficult, both for professionals and for beginners in floriculture. The flower propagates by seeds and cuttings.

Lush and beautiful plant leaves no one indifferent. It deserves only the most positive feedback from everyone who has ever encountered the process of growing a flower.

In addition, various legends, signs and superstitions are associated with the plant. According to one of the legends, the balsam is a lantern turned into a flower, which was lit by the bride in anticipation of her fiancé, who had gone to war. The groom did not return, but his beloved did not lose hope and did not extinguish the lantern all her life. After her death, he turned into a delightful flower that has a positive effect on people's thoughts and feelings.

Seed selection

Roly flower wet is an unpretentious plant, the seeds of which remain suitable for sowing for 7-8 years after harvest. Naturally, it is possible to obtain more seedlings only from freshly harvested seeds, therefore, when buying seed, special attention should be paid to the date of its collection. There are many varieties of balsam, some types of plants are annuals, others are perennials. Detailed information about the number of years during which the touchy will delight the garden plot is available on the package.

Annual plants are most suitable for planting in pots and placing them on the balcony, perennials will easily take root in the garden. The widespread opinion that balsam is an indoor flower is fundamentally wrong.

The best seeds are produced exclusively by large companies. The reliability of the manufacturer is the key to obtaining exactly the plant that is indicated on the package. The quality of seed sold on the market from hand is in most cases questionable.

So, the main thing you should pay attention to when planning the cultivation of balsam from seeds at home is:

time of seed collection;
annual or perennial plants are offered for sale;
a mixture, or one variety is in a bag;
the name of the brand that sells the seeds.

Balsam seeds

If desired, balsam seeds can be obtained independently. To do this, it is necessary to produce artificial pollination of an adult plant during the flowering period. This should be done with care, using a soft brush and gloves. Pollen is taken from the flowering buds and carried to the pistils. At the end of flowering, fruits are formed, in the process of ripening, translucent boxes with seeds are formed. Seeds are collected in such a way that the boxes remain intact. The seeds are very small, look like dust, when the shell of the box breaks, they scatter instantly. The collected seed should be sent to dry, and then stored in a paper bag.

note

It is best to collect seeds in the morning. The fruit covered with dew becomes wet and slippery, the chance of crushing a dry box with your hands is reduced.

Any variety of balsam can be grown from seeds.

Basic landing rules

Balsam seeds (wet vanka) are planted in mid-March. Before planting, the seeds should be left for 10 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate, then soaked in warm water for 24 hours.

For planting the plant requires loose, slightly acidic soil. To prepare such soil, peat, vermiculite, leafy soil, river sand are needed. Ready-made soil mixture is sold in stores. Before using it, you need to add some sand to the pot. Sand is needed to quickly remove excess moisture from the soil. Otherwise, the roots of young plants may rot.

The height of the pot for seedlings should not exceed 7 centimeters. Its bottom must be covered with a layer of expanded clay, at least 2 centimeters thick. Expanded clay will prevent the retention of water in the soil layer and will serve as another guarantee of the safety of the root system.

Before planting the seeds, the pot is filled with earth, previously soaked with Fitosporin solution. Pre-treatment significantly improves the soil microflora and protects the plant from certain diseases.

note

Planted seeds are scattered over the soil layer. Sprinkling them with earth is undesirable, as this will deprive the seedlings of the sunlight they need.

Seeds should be at an equal distance from each other. To ensure contact with the ground, they are slightly pressed into the soil and sprayed with water. The seed pot is placed in a plastic bag filled with air and placed on the windowsill. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight and raising the temperature in the room above 25 and below 22 degrees.

Seedling care

The first shoots will appear by the end of the 3rd week. During this time, it is necessary to thoroughly ventilate the artificial greenhouse by opening the bag and spraying the seeds with water from a spray bottle. In the absence of natural light sources, the plant should be illuminated with a special lamp.

After the emergence of seedlings, the roots of the plant must be sprinkled with a small amount of earth, the bag is removed and the seedlings are planted in different containers. At the same time, it is necessary to change the system of watering the plant. It is best to put the pots on pallets and fill them with water daily. For planting young plants, it is best to use plastic cups with drainage holes and a layer of expanded clay at the bottom. Caring for balsam at home is very simple.

note

Lack of light can lead to unnatural elongation of young shoots. To prevent this, in the process of picking, the lower parts of the long stems are buried deeper. The plant should be dived immediately after the appearance of shoots.

Balsam at home develops rapidly, the plants begin to branch and soon turn into small fluffy bushes. It is better to pinch the upper part of young plants with special scissors. In this case, the shape of an adult plant will be more accurate.

Hardening and transplant

From the beginning of May, containers with plants can be taken outside. This is done so that young balsams get used to the temperature difference and are not afraid of a possible cold snap. Plants are taken out only for the day, at night the seedlings should be taken back to the room. Such hardening lasts at least 2 weeks. In the event that cold weather sets in, the duration of the hardening period increases.

Around the end of May, plants planted in March can be transplanted into permanent pots or into open ground.

Balsam (roly wet) does not tolerate low temperatures. Dropping the temperature below 5 degrees Celsius is cause for alarm. For irrigation, use warm settled water. It is possible to transplant a plant in open ground only after the air temperature rises to 20 degrees. New Guinea balsam deserves special attention.

Seedlings must be planted at a distance of 25-30 centimeters from each other. Balsam loves diffused light; planting it in the shade is undesirable. The plant is unpretentious to the soil layer, but feels best on chernozem, well-fertilized soils. Immediately after transplanting, young plants should be watered and fertilized abundantly. Periodically, balsam must be sprayed. The effect of moisture on the plant gives a positive result even when the flower is sick.

After transplantation, attention must be paid to pest control. Balsam is susceptible to spider mites, aphids and whiteflies. Diseased plants are best removed.

Top dressing of balsam begins in early spring and ends in August. The benefits of top dressing to achieve lush flowering are undeniable.

The balsam pot should be small. The roots of the flower must completely fill the entire container provided to them. Otherwise, it simply will not bloom.

cuttings

With a lack of sales of the desired variety of seeds, balsam can be obtained independently, by cuttings. In early June, pots with young plants are removed to a shady place. The elongated branches are cut off, placed in a container with water or wet sand, covered with a film. After 7-8 days, the first roots should appear. Twigs with roots are planted in separate pots, regularly watered and sprayed. There is nothing easier than growing balsam from cuttings.

Cuttings, as a way to propagate balsam, can be used at any time of the year. Best of all, plants take root in spring, summer and autumn, but in a greenhouse, winter reproduction is also possible.

Varieties

As a houseplant, balsam has been cultivated for many years. People received dwarf, sultan-shaped, orchid and small-flowered varieties of this plant.

The most popular are:

terry balsam athena aphrodite;
Camellia balsam whose photo is presented below;
terry balsam athena artemis;
balsam impreza cherry splash;
balsam impreza punch;
balsam extreme white;
waller aten.

Balsam New Guinea

Balsam New Guinean Devine deserves special attention in terms of ease of propagation by seeds. The plant is characterized by abundant flowering, grown in indoor greenhouse conditions, or in the garden. It blooms in summer, the color of the flowers is bright.

Balsam Vallera

Among lovers of ampelous plants, there are many fans of balsam Valera Athena Appleblossom. This variety of balsam blooms most of the summer, tolerates heat well, the diameter of the flowers reaches 5 centimeters, the flowers themselves are two-colored. The inside of the flower is pink, the outside is white. In terms of its popularity, this variety of balsam often competes with such a plant as New Guinea balsam. The flower has a compact strong stem, fleshy elongated leaves and large inflorescences. It should be cared for in the same way as other varieties. The only difference is the increased love of the plant for light.

Balsam Tom Samb Salmon

Some hybrid varieties of balsam, such as Balsam Salmon, are also characterized by abundant flowering. The flowers are terry, pleasant to the touch, their colors are ambiguous, there are plants in which more than 2 shades are mixed.

Balsam Waller

Waller's balsams, a photo of which is available below, are also considered to be no less beautiful and unpretentious plant. Waller's balsam is a temptation of light pink shades and an orange misunderstanding at the same time. Growing garden balsam of this variety from seeds is quite difficult, but still quite realistic. In a warm climate, the plant is cultivated as a perennial, in a cool one, exclusively as an annual.

Note! Searching for new varieties of plants on the Internet, you can come across such a phrase as "balsams in Dankov". It has nothing to do with flowers, but it will be of interest to those who are fans of small cozy restaurants stylized as historical antiquity.

Balsam or wet Vanka is a beautiful lush bush with dark green foliage. He fell in love with flower growers due to the bright flowering. During this period, the plant is covered with many flowers of very different colors, moreover, with proper care, flowering can last all year. Despite the fact that balsam is a houseplant, it can also be planted in a flower bed in the summer.

At home, balsam is easy to grow from seeds. The main thing is to choose (or collect) them correctly and provide all the conditions for the growth of seedlings.

Selection and preparation of seeds

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

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

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

You can collect seeds from home after it has faded. In place of fallen inflorescences, small fruits are formed, and when they ripen - seed boxes.

When collecting seeds, this should be done very carefully. At the slightest wrong movement, the box bursts and the seeds scatter. Because of this, balsam is also called Impatiens.

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

Soil preparation

For successful germination of balsam seeds, loose nutritious soil is selected. The substrate is purchased in a store or prepared independently by mixing:

one part sand, garden soil and vermiculite:
two pieces of peat.

To prevent the "black leg" disease, it is recommended to water the soil with Fitosporin.

Sowing seeds

In a wide, but not deep container (no more than 10 cm), lay out a drainage layer of expanded clay and sprinkle it with soil. With a wet toothpick, hook the seed and lower it into the container, without deepening, but only slightly pressing it to the ground.

Small balsam seeds are also convenient to grow immediately in peat tablets.

Using a spray bottle, spray the sown seeds and cover the container with foil. Put it on a lighted window sill, avoiding direct rays, in a room with a temperature of at least 25 degrees.

Balsam seedling care

After the appearance of sprouts (after three weeks), remove the film. If necessary, seedlings are illuminated, and also sprinkled with earth as the seedlings are pulled out. It is better to water the seedlings in the pan to avoid root rot.

As soon as the seedlings reach 2 cm in height and form 2 true leaves, they start picking into separate cups. To stimulate the formation of lateral shoots, pinch the tops after a week.

Young balsams will be ready for transplanting to a permanent place when they form bushes, and the roots completely braid the ground in a cup.

Balsam: cultivation and care - video

Garden balsam is one of the favorite plants of flower growers, because it is not only extremely easy to care for and reproduce, but also attractive in appearance. The scope of the plant is quite wide: with its help, balconies are planted with greenery, they are decorated and even used for cutting, because it retains the brightness and beauty of the flower for a long time. If you decide to start growing garden balsam, you can be sure that you will not encounter any difficulties along the way, regardless of whether you have experience in this area.

Conditions for growing balsam

Balsam is a heat-loving crop that reacts extremely negatively to strong winds and sudden changes in ambient temperature. Therefore, when choosing a place for landing, preference should be given to open areas with plenty of sun and natural shade. Light partial shade is also allowed.

The more often you loosen the ground, the more abundant and brighter the flowering of balsam will be. The plant loves not only, but also regular spraying of leaves, which is simply vital for it when the ambient temperature is high enough and there is such a factor as dry wind. In general, garden balsam for planting and care is not too capricious, which is clearly seen in the photo. Subject to elementary conditions, the plant thanks the grower with a bright and attractive appearance.

Be careful when feeding balsam. The plant has one feature: with an excessive amount of certain substances in the soil, the leaves may turn yellow or even fall off, which, of course, will reduce attractiveness. Also, an excess of fertilizer can slow down flowering and prevent the normal development of the bush itself. To avoid this, carefully study the instructions for complex fertilizers and use a dose that is half the recommended one.

How to grow balsam from seeds?

The plant is an annual, and therefore you should take care in advance to provide yourself with planting material. In addition, there are a fairly large number of flower varieties, each of which deserves the attention of flower growers. The issue of growing balsam from seeds always remains relevant, because it is much easier to exchange seeds of new varieties or purchase them than to find a cutting of a suitable plant.

The seeds of the plant are large, while they have one important advantage over the seeds of other flower crops: their germination lasts up to eight years. Collected seeds (or purchased) in February can already be sown for seedlings - in this case, the plants will be larger and flowering will begin earlier.

If the early flowering of garden balsam is not too important for you, growing from seeds can be done without seedlings, directly into the ground. This should be done only after stable heat is established. As a rule, under favorable conditions, the first shoots appear after 7-10 days.

In order to increase the germination of balsam seeds, treat the soil with a fungicide before planting!

The ambient temperature for favorable growth should be at least 19-20 degrees. If weather conditions worsen after planting the seeds, cover the area with a film or each hole separately with a cut plastic bottle.

Propagation of balsam by cuttings

If you want to breed a plant during its active growth and flowering, not wanting to wait for the collection of seeds and the next year to plant them, follow a few simple steps:

choose the most beautiful and strong plant;
cut off its top;
plant the taken cutting under the film, using sand or vermiculite for this;
after a week, transplant the cutting with the resulting roots into the ground or into a pot with.

If you want to get the maximum number of cuttings, choose one plant and place it (along with a piece of soil, of course) in a darkened room for several days.

From the lack of light, the shoots will stretch out, and you will be able to dilute more balsam. To do this, you will need to cut off all the elongated shoots, peel them from the lower leaves and place them in a transparent container with clean boiled water. After a few days, you will notice the appearance of roots, which is proof that such cuttings are ready to be transplanted into the ground.

As you can see, balsam care at home is quite simple. In winter, you only plant seedlings, although you can do without it. In the spring, make sure that the plants are planted correctly, and then enjoy the magnificent flowering all summer, not forgetting to water the plants in a timely manner, spray their leaves, carry out the necessary top dressing and loosen the soil.

Video about growing Waller's balsam from seeds

Balsam is not in vain very popular among lovers of garden flowers. This beautiful annual plant is native to the subtropics. They are decorated with adjoining lawns, flower beds, balconies and summer cottages. East Asia is considered the birthplace of balsam. From it, the handsome man migrated to America and only in the 16th century ended up in Europe. You can learn more about how to grow balsam, how to care for it, in this article.

Description of balsam

Garden balsam, also known as Balsam Impatiens, got its name for its great sensitivity. One has only to lightly touch the bud, and the seeds immediately crumble - the flower is in a hurry to give a new life.

The plant reaches up to 70 cm in height. A very heat-loving flower, it can die at the slightest frost. It has large, irregularly shaped leaves, slightly pointed with small teeth. The flowers are ordinary or with terry, have a wide range of colors - white, purple, red, purple and others. The flowering time of balsam is from June to September or until the first frost.

Balsam garden has several more popular names:

"Roly wet" - so named because of the droplets that form on the leaves. They appear on the eve of bad weather. For this plant, it was quite deserved to be called a folk barometer;
"Bustle Lizzy" or "Diligent Lisa" - this is the name of the flower for its long flowering;
“Beautiful wreath” - this name was given to the balsam for its luxurious appearance.

Unfortunately, breeders are not particularly interested in this species. In nature, there are only three varieties of garden balsam:

tall "Camellia Flower";
undersized "Baby Bush";
undersized "Tom Thumb".

Obtaining garden balsam seeds

The easiest way to buy seeds in a specialized store. But if you want to grow balsam from those flowers that are already growing in your garden, you can get seeds from the buds yourself:

Seeds ripen in juicy green boxes, this happens by the end of August.
They take seeds from unripe flowers, since a well-ripened box can crumble in your hands at the slightest touch, and you will lose the seeds.
Boxes are stacked in a dry room until fully ripe.
To check if the pods are ready to collect seeds, you just need to lightly touch them - a mature pod will immediately open.

Seed storage rules

If it seems to you that the seeds are still not completely dry, you need to dry them so that they do not deteriorate during storage:

Place the seeds in paper boxes.
Store the boxes in a well-ventilated, dry place away from water and moisture.
Stir the seeds occasionally to prevent mold.

Seed storage rules:

Arrange the dried seeds in paper envelopes or small boxes.
Be sure to sign each box or envelope. Indicate the name of the plant, the year and month of collection of seeds.
Store the seeds for no longer than 8 years at a temperature of 0 - +10 ° C, relative humidity of about 60%.

Growing balsam from seeds

Before you grow balsam from seeds, you need to germinate them:

In order for the seeds to take root and beautiful healthy flowers grow from them, it is necessary to carefully prepare slightly acidic soil for seedlings. Suitable soil of two types. The first is humus, compost, sod and perlite in equal parts. The second - 1 part of sand and peat, 2 parts of leafy soil.
The soil must be heated at a high temperature and treated with a fungicide to kill pests and various fungi. It is better to sow the seeds in February. In this case, by the end of April you will have strong seedlings, which will later give early flowering.
Before sowing, dip the seeds in a weak solution of manganese for 10 minutes, then for another 30 minutes in warm water. Moisten the ground, plant the seeds and sprinkle them with a 3 mm layer of sterile sand. In order to maintain constant humidity and temperature not lower than +24 - +26 ° C, boxes with seedlings are packed in plastic bags or covered with foil.
When the first shoots appear, the temperature can be lowered to + 20 ° C and seedlings can be provided with additional lighting. With insufficient light, the sprouts will stretch out strongly and become brittle.
There is another method of germinating seeds - with the help of cloth. To do this, the seeds are wrapped in a wet cloth, which is constantly moistened with water until the sprouts begin to appear. After that, they are planted in prepared soil.

Seedling picking:

When the seedlings start up the first small leaves, you can start picking. To do this, you need to prepare a separate cup or small pot for each sprout. Fill them with the same soil in which the seeds were planted.
Be sure to make a few small holes in the bottom of the dish through which excess moisture will escape. Make small holes in the ground.
Carefully remove each seedling from the common box and transplant them into prepared glasses.
After picking, sprinkle the seedlings with water from a spray bottle. Further moisten the seedlings as needed if the ground is dry. When 6-8 leaves appear on the seedlings, pinch the top, then the balsam bush will be more lush, and the roots stronger.

Growing balsam cuttings

Not everyone has the patience and time to grow balsam from seeds, but there is no way to buy a lot of ready-made seedlings. In such cases, you can buy one flower in a pot and cut it. Cuttings can be carried out both in winter and in autumn. In order for garden balsam, grown by cuttings, to give a lush flowering, the following must be considered:

You will need shoots 5-6 cm long, on which there are at least 3 leaves.
To get started, put the flower pot in a dark place. When the branches are stretched, cut them with a sharp knife or blade and place them in glasses of water to root. Make sure that the leaves do not end up in the water, otherwise they will begin to rot.
After 7-10 days, the cuttings will take root and be ready for transplanting into the ground. Maintain the room temperature at least 20-22°C and provide good lighting. Do not overdo it with watering the earth so that the roots of the seedlings do not rot.

Transplanting balsam in open ground

Unlike most fastidious plants, balsam is not whimsical and does not make growing difficult. In order to grow a bush, the gardener does not need special efforts. When choosing a landing site, keep in mind that:

Garden balsam feels good with any neighbors. He is patient with begonia, fuchsia, vervain and is not at all against the neighborhood with ageratum.
Best balsam grows on the eastern and western sides.
The main conditions for growing balsam are the absence of stagnant moisture, constant dampness, drafts and frequent cold weather.
Balsam prefers to grow in loose nutrient soil with reliable expanded clay drainage.
The plant does not like heat and acidic soil. Under these conditions, it ceases to bloom, its leaves fall off and the flower fades.
When you decide on a place for planting balsam, do not forget to fertilize the soil well with humus.

seedling preparation

By the beginning of May, the seedlings will be ready for planting in the ground. But not always weather conditions allow you 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:

Start lowering the temperature in the room where the seedlings lived.
Gradually accustom the seedlings to outdoor conditions - take out the cups with flowers on the balcony or on the street, if possible. Start with 10 minutes, increasing the time every day by another 10 minutes.

Planting seedlings in flower beds

The soil is already ready, the seedlings too, you can start planting flowers:

Well moisten the ground in which the seedlings grew 2-3 hours before transplanting.
Make depressions in the ground at a distance of no closer than 25-30 cm from each other.
Fertilize each recess with humus and add a little water.
Carefully, so as not to damage the roots, remove the seedlings from the ground and transplant them into the soil recess.
Pack the soil around each flower and mulch it to protect the soil from overheating and retain moisture.

What kind of balsam grown from seeds will turn out, you can see in the photo.

Garden balsam care

Balsam is very unpretentious, and it is not difficult to care for him. But still, there are some recommendations for caring for this beautiful flower:

The most important thing is to water the plants on time. From a lack of moisture for 2-3 days, the leaves immediately begin to fade, roll up into a tube, then completely wither and crumble. In no case do not water the flowers during the day when the sun is at its zenith. Do this in the evening, after sunset. And, of course, if it rains, the plants will not need additional watering.
Be sure to remove dried flowers from the stems, then your flowers will grow more actively and longer.
Feed the flowers with fertilizer every 15 days, then they will delight you with a riot of color for a long time. As a top dressing, use a complex fertilizer of potassium with nitrogen.

Diseases and pests of balsam

Like any other plant, garden balsam is susceptible to some diseases:

Cucumber mosaic - damaged flowers stop growing, leaves become wavy, covered with yellow spots and holes. Damaged leaves must be cut off. As a preventive measure, an active fight against aphids, which carries the virus, is used.
Ring mosaic - the leaves seem to become stiff, crack and become stained in the form of ring fingerprints. The flower gradually fades and eventually dies. Affected leaves must be removed.
Bronzing of leaves - slows down the growth of leaves and causes them to deform, after which they wrinkle and fall off. Plants affected by the virus are removed.
Viral mosaic - the leaves become covered with yellow spots and acquire a wavy shape. For prevention, plants are treated with an agent against aphids and thrips, which spread this virus.
Spider mite - the mite weaves its web on the underside of the leaves, which it gradually eats. For prevention, the plants are treated with soap, and the affected leaves are removed.

As you can see, growing and caring for balsam is not such a difficult process. The most important thing to consider is that balsam is not picky at all, but it does not tolerate frost and direct sunlight. When growing a flower from seeds and cuttings, it is necessary to withstand the temperature and light conditions, regularly moisten the seedlings. After planting plants in the ground, one should not forget about the timely watering and fertilization of balsam, as well as prevent diseases. If you follow all the recommendations, garden balsam will thank you with beautiful flowering throughout the summer.

Growing garden balsam. Video

Balsam growing from seeds when planting. Charming touchy (namely, under this name we know balsam) is one of the most classic flyers. His gardening career has known both periods of universal admiration and undeserved oblivion. But today, this modest plant is once again riveted to everyone's attention.

Long flowering, during which pink and crimson, purple and red, simple and double flowers with a small bright eye, like stars shine on the thin shoots of the plant, and attractive simple foliage that adorns luxurious low bushes are its main distinguishing features. As well as ease of reproduction.

What you will learn from this article:

Popular types of balsams

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

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 may have single or double flowers in various shades other than blue and yellow.

After the inflorescences are fully opened, spurs form in them. In open ground, flowering begins in late May - mid-June and continues until frost.

In regions with severe winters, balsam is grown exclusively as an annual crop. The universal favorite - the touchy Waller, or Waller (Impatiens walleriana) - has now overshadowed other types of balsams.

But other plants are also larger and lush New Guinean balsam hybrids (Impatiens New Guinea); large, upright impatiens balsam (also known as garden balsam - impatiens balsamina); two-meter iron-bearing balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) or graceful Balfour balsam (Impatiens balfourii), which forms meter-long dense bushes, deserve not only wide distribution, but also active cultivation.

After all, large sizes and less lush flowering by no means make other species more difficult to care for.

Whatever type of balsams we are talking about, these are easy-to-breed plants that are easy to grow yourself. And the simplest, most popular and affordable method of breeding charming touchy is, of course, sowing seeds.

Obtaining garden balsam seeds

The easiest way to buy seeds in a specialized store. But if you want to grow balsam from those flowers that are already growing in your garden, you can get seeds from the buds yourself:

1. Seeds ripen in juicy green boxes, this happens by the end of August.

2. They take seeds from unripe flowers, since a well-ripened box can crumble in your hands at the slightest touch, and you will lose the seeds.

3. Boxes are folded in a dry place until fully ripe.

4. To check if the pods are ready to collect the seeds, they just need to be touched lightly - a mature pod will immediately open.

Rules for storing balsam seeds

If it seems to you that the seeds are still not completely dry, you need to dry them so that they do not deteriorate during storage:

1. Arrange the seeds in paper boxes.
2. Place the boxes in a well-ventilated, dry place away from moisture.
3. Stir seeds occasionally to prevent mold.

Seed storage rules:

1. Arrange the dried seeds in paper envelopes or small boxes.
2. Be sure to sign each box or envelope. Indicate the name of the plant, the year and month of collection of seeds.
3. Store the seeds for no longer than 8 years at a temperature of 0 - +10 °C, relative humidity of about 60%.

When to plant balsam seeds

When should balsam seeds be planted? Many scientific sources say the following: balsam seeds for hanging baskets and growing at home must be produced in late March - early April.

Potted balsam is planted in mid-April. For flower beds and greenhouses, it is necessary to plant balsam seeds at the end of April.

Propagation of balsam seeds

Growing strong seedlings from seeds at home is within the power of the most inexperienced novice growers. The best time for sowing is the last month of winter, but you can do it a little later, in March.

Prepare in advance low, about 7 cm in diameter pots for seedlings. Purchase potting soil intended for flowering plants or make a potting mix at home.

Mix equal proportions of peat and sand, pour into pots and moisten.
Make a light pink solution of manganese and soak the seeds in it for 15 minutes.
After draining the rose water, deepen the seeds into the ground by 2 mm and cover the pot with a glass jar.

Balsam seedling care

Balsams love moist soils without stagnant water. The plant must 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. Balsam does not tolerate soil salinity, in particular carbonization, which happens when tap water is used for irrigation.

The characteristic features of this undesirable phenomenon are determined by the formation of a whitish coating on the surface of the soil. In this case, transplanting into fresh soil is indispensable. It is most reasonable to use rain or settled water.

As soon as the seedlings reach 2 cm in height and form 2 true leaves, they start picking into separate cups. To stimulate the formation of lateral shoots, pinch the tops after a week.

Young balsams will be ready for transplanting to a permanent place when they form bushes, and the roots completely braid the ground in a cup.

Diseases and pests of balsam

Balsam is subject to the same diseases as most indoor plants. But he is especially afraid of the spider mite, which appears due to too dry air. Conclusion: humidify the air and carry out a comprehensive treatment of the plant.

Due to excessive moisture in the soil, sciarids can start. In this case, it is better to transplant the plant and more pedantically observe the watering regimen.

- a fungal disease that affects the leaves and stems of the plant. Brown spots first appear on the leaves, but gradually spread to the stems and the entire bush. The next stage of the disease is the formation of a gray plaque from the spores of the fungus. The result is deplorable - the complete death of the plant.

This disease is not spread by ticks or thrips, but by pathogenic bacteria that enter the flower from contaminated water or soil. The disease can develop due to hypothermia or freezing of the flower, due to drafts, cold water and low room temperature.

It is necessary to create a normal temperature, and more often ventilate the room in which the flower is located, but do not expose it to drafts. Keep the air clean, because dust at high humidity is an excellent breeding ground for a variety of bacteria.

Powdery mildew is another disease that affects home-grown balsams, even with good care. With this disease, a white coating appears on the leaves, which can spread to the entire plant. Diseased leaves are removed, healthy parts are sprayed with a solution of soda ash, prepared at the rate of 2 grams of soda per 1 liter of water. In addition, a copper-soap solution, or bayleton, the solution of which is prepared according to the instructions, helps against white plaque. If powdery mildew overcomes balsam, then it is necessary to change its care - ventilate the room more often, adjust the watering and fertilizing schedule, ensure correct and sufficient lighting and normal air temperature.