Balsam flower growers are often called the "spark", or even "Roly wet." But in reality, its name is translated in another way: "touchy." This name was given to him due to the fact that at the time of ripening seeds, boxes with them burst from the blow of the wind.
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Varieties and types of indoor balsam
Over 500 types of balsam are known, among them there are annual and perennial varieties.
Annuals adorn flower beds with white, pink, red and orange flowers. Garden balsam flower is very popular.
Perennials are grown at home, and they can bloom throughout the year. The coloring is very different - perhaps there are not only blue, yellow and black balsamins.
Most often, the following varieties are bred at home:
Balsam Waller - a fairly tall plant, stems can reach 60 cm. Small leaves have a bright color, flowers are collected in inflorescences.
Balsam Peters - different leaves with a bronze tint. The flowers are bright red.
Iron Balzamin - near the base of the sheet there are tight joints. An annual variety that can be grown both in the garden and at home. Reaches 1.5-2 m in height. The flowers are pink and scarlet.
New Guinea Balsam - tall strong plant. Hybrid flowers are white, red, purple.
The principles of care for all varieties are general.
Growing Features
Balzamin can rightly be called a sissy. If you have purchased this indoor plant, and you want it to regularly please you with beautiful flowers, you will have to observe a number of conditions.
Balsam loves the sun.Therefore, it is advisable to place the pot near a window facing south. But in the summer, when the sun's rays can scorch delicate leaves - balsam protects from bright light.
The flower can not stand the cold. In winter, you need to make sure that the leaves do not touch the cold glass, and during ventilation, remove the balsam.
A small flower pot is required. Otherwise, balsam will grow, but will not bloom.
Watering is needed plentiful. It is no coincidence that the plant was nicknamed "Vanka wet." The soil must always be wet.
Care should be taken to see if the flower is sick. Even if only a few leaves are damaged, in the absence of the necessary measures, the disease will immediately spread to the remaining leaves and stems, and the plant will die.
When something is wrong - the flower immediately signals it. The stem stretches, leaves fall, flowering stops. Think about what balsam is devoid of and correct the situation.
Home Care
In order to admire a beautiful flower as long as possible, a number of conditions are required.
Soil requirements
It is advisable to plant balsam in a light nutritious soil. You can buy it at a specialty store. Any suitable for flowering plants is suitable.
If you filled the pot with, say, earth taken from your site, and it turned out to be heavy and clay, then there will be few flowers, unlike the leaves.
Requirements for the amount of soil. Often, beginner growers buy the largest pots to make the plant “spacious." But balsam will not be grateful for this. He will begin to build up the root system in order to “master” the entire space, and cease to bloom. Therefore, select a compact pot.
Another option is to plant in a large pot several cuttings of balsam of different colors. Then at the time of flowering you will have a beautiful bouquet on the windowsill.
The plant is fed twice a month.
Optimal conditions
A subtropical plant loves heat, therefore it is advisable to maintain a temperature of + 20-25 C. indoors. Even in winter, it should not fall below +16 C.
Balsam also needs moist air. This applies to both summertime, when the room is hot, and wintertime, when central heating batteries are working. It is good if there is a vessel with water next to the pot. Moisture will evaporate, and maintain the desired microclimate.
As for the choice of place - any window except the north one is suitable for balsam. The flower is very photophilous.
Watering a flower
Balsam is very fond of water, and the biggest test for a flower is drought. From this, the conclusion is that a bottle of settled water at room temperature should always be at the ready.
At the very bottom of the pot, it is advisable to put drainage. They do this so that the moisture does not stagnate, and the roots do not rot. A deep pan is also needed. When watering, they make sure that the earthen lump is completely saturated, and excess moisture is in the pan. It is not necessary to merge it. Balsam will “drink” this water as needed.
In summer, the plant is watered more often - every other day, in winter, watering is reduced by a third.
Normally, after each watering, small droplets of water appear on the leaves, which then dry out and “sugar” remains.
If the leaves of balsam fade, you can try to water the plant abundantly. In some cases, this helps, and the appearance of the flower improves.
Fertilizer and fertilizer
In winter, balsam is almost not fed. On "enhanced nutrition" it is transferred in the spring. Fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus are recommended. They are made 1 time in 2 weeks, especially during the period of active flowering.
In the cold season, you can make a little nitrogen fertilizing. They will not stimulate the process of bud formation, but balsam will give thick foliage and will look beautiful.
Trimming
Balsamine is pruned throughout its life.If the flower is grown from seed, then as soon as the seven-leaf leaves appear, pinch the top of the central shoot. Then the side shoots begin to develop, and the balsam is formed in such a way that it will look beautiful in a hanging pot.
If you want to form a "tree", you should wait until the stalk of the young plant is stifled. Then you can carefully cut off all the lower leaves, and pinch the main shoot. It is advisable to sprinkle the places of cuts with crushed coal. Over time, side shoots will form.
The pruned plant is fed with fertilizers. You can use urea, vermicompost.
How to transplant?
Balsam is transplanted in the spring. After that, it seems to come to life: new shoots are formed, flowering begins. If in summer the plant is too long, and there are few leaves left, you can transplant it in the fall for the second time. You need to do this when the flowering has already completed.
If you make up the soil yourself, you need to mix in equal parts: garden soil, peat and river sand. Before planting, the soil is watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate to disinfect. If the finished soil is purchased in a specialized store - this is not necessary.
The pot is chosen small, or several plants are planted in a bulk vessel at once. It is important that for a short time the roots completely wrap around the earthen lump - only then can balsam flowering be expected.
Propagation of balsam
It is not difficult to propagate room balm. Even beginner growers will cope with this.
The plant can be grown from seeds. The general rules apply to balsam: seeds are planted in a box with any prepared soil intended for indoor flowers, watered and covered with a film. After emergence, the film is removed, young plants are planted in separate pots.
But this method is often used in relation to annual balsams, which are to grow on flower beds. Indoor plants are usually propagated by cuttings.
The top is cut off from a healthy bush. The length of the stem with several internodes should be about 10 cm. The stem is placed in a jar of water (it is advisable that the leaves do not get there to avoid decay). After about 2 weeks, or even earlier, the roots will begin to appear.
After this, the stalk is transplanted into a small pot. Watered as necessary with settled water at room temperature. If a plaque appears on the surface of the earth, then the water is too hard.
Another option for reproduction is layering. Choose a strong branch, break off the lowest leaves on it. Then ground at 1/3 part. The soil should be light, loose - you must not allow the surface to pull together with a crust.
The soil must be kept moist, periodically loosened. You can cover the layers with a film.
It is better to propagate balsam in the spring, then in the summer it will delight you with flowering.
Pest and Disease Control
Balsam can easily get sick. The spider mite is especially terrible for him. This pest is a companion of drought, so the best preventive measure is to humidify indoor air and water the flower well.
But excessive moisture is harmful - sciarides appear in the soil. In this case, the plant is transplanted, watering is reduced.
If the appearance of the leaves is alarming - the color turns pale or the leaves dry, begin to fall off - you need to think about what the plant lacks. Maybe light? Or is the room too cold? Is the pot small? A careful owner will come to the right conclusion and fix the problem.
Balsam is an unusually beautiful plant, and subject to simple rules of care will regularly delight you with abundant flowering.
