Waller balsam is a very popular and easy-to-grow flower. Usually he is treated like a seasonal plant, that is, thrown away when he begins to wither. But in a temperate or warm climate, he can live for several years.
Balsam Valera or Waller (Impatiens Walleriana)
Waller's balsam is an herbaceous perennial that is called Impatiens Walleriana in Latin. The flower is also known under the names "lights" and "touch." His homeland is East Africa (from Kenya to Mozambique). The genus includes many species of flowering plants, widespread in the Northern Hemisphere and the tropics. Together with the genus Hydrocera, Impatiens form the Balsamic family.
Terry Balsam
Annual species produce flowers from the beginning of summer until the first frost. Perennial, found in milder climates - can bloom year-round. There are varieties of different colors and shades. Balsam is grown both outdoors and indoors.
Important! The flower is ideal for well-lit interiors, terraces, patios, verandas, windows and balconies, and as a hanging plant.
Short description
Balsam Valera has lanceolate leaves 2-5 cm wide and can reach a height of 15-60 cm. Flowers 2-5 cm in diameter usually have 5 petals. Coloring of flowers can be different: white, orange, pink or red.
Seed cultivation
To grow Waller balsam from seeds at home and care for it, you do not need special conditions. In this way, the plant is propagated in the spring.
The technique of sowing balsam seeds
Procedure:
- A pot with a diameter of about 10 cm is filled with a universal substrate.
- The earth is watered.
- A maximum of 2-3 seeds is placed on the surface of the substrate.
- They are covered with a thin layer of the substrate so that the seeds are not exposed to direct exposure to the sun.
- The pot is placed in a well-lit place.
The first seed will germinate in 2-3 weeks. When the size of the plant is about 5-8 cm, it can already be planted in a pot.
Seedling
How to care for Waller balsam at home
Balsamins grow both in direct sunlight and outside of them. In nature, they prefer moist, rich soils, such as road ditches, swamps, riverbanks, and forest edges. For the harmonious development of a flower at home, it is desirable for him to create conditions close to natural.
Illumination and temperature
The house should have plenty of daylight, and the pot should be placed away from drafts. In open ground, it is advisable to choose a sunny area, for example, near the garden. Ideally, balsam should receive sunlight for several hours a day and sometimes be in the shade. For example, under trees or bushes that protect it from the midday sun.
Note! When indoors, balsams need light, otherwise they will lose flowers and buds.
Plant gets enough light
Watering rules and humidity
The frequency of watering will vary depending on location as well as climate. Balsam growing indoors should be watered twice a week in the summer and every 7-10 days during the rest of the year. Street - 4-5 times a week in the summer and every 5-6 days the rest of the time.
To check the moisture of the soil, you can stick a thin stick into it. If a lot of substrate sticks to it when removed from the soil, the plant does not need to be watered, as the ground is quite moist. Pot balm can be weighed after watering and then after a few days. Wet soil weighs more than dry soil - the difference between the indicators will help to understand when to water.
On a note! It is best to water the flower in the morning, but you can not leave the foliage wet at night. With later watering, it is better not to spray water on the plant, as balsam is prone to rot and fungal infections in too humid conditions.
The soil surface for balsam should be evenly moistened. But you need to avoid too wet or swampy soil. It should not be allowed to dry completely.
Top dressing and soil quality
It is best to grow a flower indoors in an ordinary universal substrate. It can be mixed with perlite to improve drainage, but this is not necessary. In the garden, the soil is not important as long as it is fertile and not too compacted.
From early spring to late summer, it is necessary to feed balsam with fertilizers for flowering plants. It is better if it will be ecological top dressing, for example, guano, eggshell or wood ash.
Flower Tank Size
Balsamines bloom best if their roots are slightly compressed. Change the pot only if the roots come out of the hole on the bottom.
Pruning and transplanting
The plant does not need pruning, but it is advisable to remove diseased, dry or weak stems and wilted flowers.
The transplant soil should be rich in nutrients and moderately drained. Before planting, you need to make organic fertilizers (manure, mulch, compost, guano, peat). The soil should retain water, but without the possibility of flooding. Perlite or river sand are materials that help prevent flooding.
What to do in winter with a flower
The plant does not tolerate frosts, so in areas with severe frosts, balsams are unlikely to grow. In warm climatic conditions, the culture blooms all year round.
Features of flowering plants
Balsam blooms profusely and almost all year round. The flowers of the plant have a diameter of not more than 5 cm, they are double and simple, plain and two-tone. The color is different: lavender, purple, raspberry, orange, white, red and scarlet. There are no only yellow and blue shades. Some varieties, such as the Tumbler Rose ampoule balsam, have a white stripe in the middle of each petal.
Variety of shades
Balsam flowering is possible only with proper care. In hot and dry weather, they need abundant watering. It is advisable to spray plants in the evening, but moisture should not fall on the flowers.
The flower should not be planted in large pots, otherwise all the forces of the plant will be spent on growth, and it will not bloom. The soil should not be heavy, rich in nitrogen compounds and minerals - in this case there will be many leaves, and few flowers.
Important! In winter (at rest), the temperature should not fall below +12 degrees. At this time of year, watering is reduced, but the land should not dry out.
Propagation of balsam by cuttings
When breeding a flower, cuttings adhere to the following sequence of actions:
- Cut a healthy stem without flowers.
- The base is impregnated with liquid root hormones.
- A pot with a diameter of 10 cm is filled with pre-moistened vermiculite.
- A hole is made in the center of the container and a stalk is placed in it.
- If necessary, add more vermiculite to the pot and place it in partial shade.
Cuttings take root very well. Sometimes they are rooted by placing in a glass or container with water.
Balsam Shank
Growing problems, diseases and pests
Common plant pests:
- Spider mite - similar to a small red spider, sucks the juice from the leaves, causing the appearance of discolored spots. It is easy to spot. They destroy the insect with the help of acaricide.
- Whitefly is an insect with white wings that also feeds on leaf juice. You can catch whiteflies with sticky traps.
- Aphid is a parasite about 0.5 cm in size, yellow, green or brown. Aphids feed on the juice of leaves and flowers. Sticky traps are used to destroy it.
- Thrips are parasites similar to earwigs but very small. Destroyed by traps.
Balsam Disease:
- Bacteriosis is a bacterial disease caused by Pseudomonas. The only way to control this is to destroy the plant and disinfect the soil.
- Fungal infection - its causative agents are Pythium or Rhizoctonia. In the affected plant, the roots and leaves rot. There is no cure for the disease.
- Circular spots - appear with the appearance of the fungi Cercospora, Septoria or Phyllosticta. Affected leaves must be removed.
How to deal with them
To avoid diseases, it is better to never moisten leaves and flowers when watering, and also to control soil moisture. The treatment of a plant depends on the type of pest or disease, but usually the usual removal of the affected part helps.
Growing Waller's balsam is easy, because he needs very little attention. Even an inexperienced gardener or gardener will not be disappointed in the choice.
