Balsam - a culture that is characterized by incredible tenderness. Often it is also called "touchy". A couple of years ago, this plant did not know such wide popularity, but today gardeners began to actively use balsam in the preparation of unique flower arrangements. Today, balsam can be grown both outdoors and in the house.

The culture is characterized by long flowering, during which you can observe flowers of crimson, purple, red. In addition, they can be as simple, that and terry.

Description and variety

In nature, balsam is presented in a wide variety. Breeders were able to bring special varieties, which include:

1. Tom Tamb. This is a one-year culture that is distinguished by a strongly branchy bush. Its height reaches 25 cm. The flowers are terry and can be white, red, lilac, lilac and pink. In the photo - balsam Tom Tamb:

   Balsam Tom Tamb

2. .   This variety allows you to grow a plant of pyramidal shape. It has fleshy stems, and flowers are 4 cm in size. In June, terry inflorescences form on a bush, the color range of which can be from white to lilac. Also worth it about what are the rules of landing and care Touie pyramidal.

   

3. Waller. Variety is diverse. You can plant both simple and double flowers of various colors. Bushes are presented in a spherical form, their height reaches 25-30 cm. The plant is distinguished by its abundant flowering throughout the season. Inflorescences can be red, carmine or pale pink. Petals can have a uniform color or at the edges they have light stripes. And here is how beautiful ornamental flowering frost-resistant low beautiful trees can be seen

   

4. Exotic dwarf. This hybrid variety is used in the design of balconies and loggias. Bushes have a low growth, which is 18-20 cm. They have lanceolate and bright leaves. Petals can be any color from pink to purple-lilac. How is the care and cultivation of Vinca rose, indicated here

   

   Exotic dwarf

5. New Guinea. This is a hybrid variety, which is characterized by large and lush flowers.

   

   New Guinea

6. Safari. This is a dwarf shrub that is an annual. Flowering can be observed throughout the season. The flowers are presented in red, lilac, white, coral shades. Their size reaches 4 cm. Here you can see. how it looks and how it happens

   

How and when to plant

To grow balsam from seed, it is necessary to prepare a wide container and take care of drainage. Seed in a container one by one seed, tuck earth and pour. Moreover, to conduct a pickup after the formation of two leaves is not necessary.

Planting material should be planted in a light and loose soil, in which there is no organic matter. If you use compost to fertilize the land, the seedlings will hurt. Still can not plant the seeds in the acidic soil, as this plant will die.

It is best to use universal soil for planting balsam, which can be purchased in the store. It contains the required amount of nutritional components. This soil must be combined with sifted river sand in a 1: 1 ratio.

On the video - growing balsam:

The surface of the soil sprinkled with water from a spray bottle, and you do not need to tamp. The soil should remain loose and perfectly pass air to the root system. Spread the seeds on the surface of the soil, keeping a distance of 2-3 cm. Then drag them a bit with the ground. In order to form friendly shoots, it is necessary to install a container with seedlings on the windowsill, where there is diffused sunlight.

For those who want to learn more about how Iberis is planting on seedlings:

Before the seeds begin to hatch, the humidity in the tank should be increased. So you need to take care of the construction of the greenhouse. For these purposes, you can simply cover the container with a film or glass. For seed germination, it is necessary that the temperature in the room was 22-24 degrees.

If the temperature is reduced by at least one degree, then it will not be possible to get friendly shoots. And if the temperature is raised, then the embryos in the seeds die. As soon as the seeds begin to spit, the soil moisture is reduced. After 5 days from the time the seed is planted, it is worth opening the tank for airing. Do it 2 times a day for 10 minutes. After the duration can be increased.

Thus, young seedlings will be able to adapt to other temperatures. The temperature in the room should be in the range of 22-24 degrees. Humidity will still be high. When the first 2 leaves appear, lower the temperature to 20 degrees.

With the germination of seeds of culture it is necessary to achieve excellent illumination. Duration of daylight should be 12 hours. To do this, you can use the scattered sunlight, or take care of lamps of artificial light. If this condition is not met, the seedlings will begin to stretch.

As soon as 2 leaves are formed, then you can start picking. No matter which variety you used to grow the plant, the balsam seedlings will be quite high. So that the seedlings do not fall down during the picking, the saplings should be deepened.

For picking it is worth using 200 ml plastic cups. They will be quite high, so that it will not be difficult to bury the seedling. In addition, you need to prepare a universal primer. In the process of transplanting it is necessary to take into account that the balsam seedlings are quite extensive, and the root system is fragile.

If it is damaged, the plant may die. When transplanting, you must use a special spoon. Saplings removed from the container with an earthball, which surrounds the roots.

Care

On the video - how to care for flowers:

When the balsam blooms, you can use complex fertilizers intended for flowering crops. They are made in combination with watering every 14 days. Still it is necessary to use dressing with potassium and phosphorus. By the end of the summer, stop feeding all.

After pollination of a balsam (natural or artificial), a green fruit appears in place of the flower,   which, as it ripens, turns into a white-transparent oblong box with small seeds, similar to dust. This box opens from any touch, so it is very difficult to collect the seed.

Features of growing at home

Planting dates

Balsam is characterized by a short growing season: in order for the plant to actively bloom in the summer, it should be sown in March - May. Experienced growers sow a flower in several waves with the aim of its constant flowering throughout the year.

The soil

Before sowing seeds, the substrate must be disinfected with fungicides,   solution of potassium permanganate or thermally. As a drainage, it is best to use expanded clay, which for the purpose of disinfection should be washed with plenty of running water. For better seed germination, it is recommended to sift the soil.

Collection

How to collect the seeds? The best time to harvest is early morning, when the fruit is still a little wet. Fingertips need to gently hold the seed box, so as not to lose the contents. For the prevention of arbitrary spilling of seeds into the ground, an unripe fruit can be tied with gauze or cloth.

After the seeds have been harvested, they must be dried outdoors.   (but without direct sunlight on them) at a temperature of + 30C. You can store for 8 years in a paper bag. Before sowing, they need to be pre-treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (immerse in liquid for 10 minutes), then soak in warm water for a day.

Landing

The dive is performed as follows: separate the seedling with a stick (pencil), remove it from the previously poured soil, make a small depression in the pot and lower it, sprinkling it with earth to the point of growth.

An important condition for germination of seedlings is high humidity,   which is provided by the systematic moistening of the top layer of the soil with the help of a spray gun.

Do not forget about the "airing" greenhouses: after 5 days from the date of disembarkation, it must be opened daily in the morning and evening for 10 minutes first, then for a longer time.

After all shoots rise, a protective glass or film can be removed.

When the seedlings grow to 1.5 cm, they can be dived, which is done to ensure that the seedling has the necessary feeding area, a developed root system capable of providing the plant with nutrients from the soil. And a week after the picking, you should pinch the tops. This will cause the development of lateral shoots, which will affect the appearance of the balsam.

Planting seedlings of a plant from common dishes into individual containers is traditionally called a dive. In this case, the final part of the taproot is necessarily removed during this process. This is done in order to stimulate the branching of the root system. Pinching plants - a way to achieve decorative bush by forming a crown of the selected shape.

How to water?

After a dive, it is necessary to change the irrigation regime: instead of irrigation and drip irrigation, you should use the method of irrigation in the pan daily, which has a beneficial effect on the development of the seedling's root system.

When the balsam is transplanted to a permanent place, it is necessary to ensure that the soil is constantly wet. But also the stagnation of moisture can not be allowed in order to prevent rotting of the roots and the appearance of infections and pests.

rules

If you water from a watering can, then the strong pressure of the water can dislodge the still weak seedling root system, so watering after removing the greenhouse should be done carefully: either irrigating the seedlings from a spray bottle or using drip irrigation technology. Regular watering - the top layer of soil should always be wet. Water should be at room temperature or a degree - two higher.

Differences in the reproduction of garden and indoor flower

For planting in the open ground in the summertime suitable annual balsams,   Perennials should be selected for home cultivation.

Garden balsam immediately after frost can be sown directly into the ground, but be sure to cover the planting area with film or glass.

If, however, sowing and diving was carried out under the conditions of the premises, then in May you can begin “hardening” of young seedlings: tanks with young balsams are taken out on the street every day. Such hardening lasts at least 2 weeks. At about the end of May, plants planted in March can be transplanted into permanent flowerpots, or into open ground.

Garden balsam saplings are planted in open ground at a distance of 20-30 cm from each other, the soil can be fertilized with humus, and immediately after transplanting the plants are watered.

Despite some efforts to germinate, dive shoots, seed multiplication method is quite effective and simple.   It is enough to buy high-quality seeds of the favorite balsam variety, sow them and grow them, observing all the requirements, and the enjoyment of a beautifully flowering plant is guaranteed. Now you know how to grow balsam from seeds at home.

Related videos

We offer to watch a video about breeding seeds of the garden balsam at home:

16.11.2017 2 373

Growing balsam from seeds at home - technology and rules

Nowadays, balsam is a very popular indoor flower, not only in our country, but also in many parts of the world. It is often called caprice and Roly wet. These names were given to him because of the droplets of liquid that protrude along the edges of the leaves. It is also called impatiens, due to the fact that its seeds scatter as soon as you touch them. And in England, the balsam is called the zealous Lisa, as it blooms very long and abundantly. The flower is quite unpretentious, it’s quite simple to grow balsamines from seeds, it can be done by almost any grower.
  The plant grows from 25 centimeters to 1 meter in height. Some annual varieties grow to 2 meters, they need to be grown only in the garden. Balsam stalks are fleshy, have a light green color. The leaves are dark green, their edges are smooth or jagged. Balsam flowers are very beautiful, depending on the type of plant they can be ordinary, double or rose-like, camellia and carnation. Flower petals are red, pink, lilac, snow white, and two-color. Although balsam is considered by some to be a houseplant, in summer it feels great in the garden, so many growers grow it in pots and in flowerbeds.
  With proper care, and if the growing conditions are correct, the balsam will bloom all year round. Although the flower is light-loving, you can not allow prolonged exposure to sunlight on it, which can damage the plant. It is better to plant balsam in the penumbra, on the western or eastern windowsill, here cultivation takes place without problems.

Selection of seed

Now there are so many different species and hybrids of this flower, usually in stores a huge assortment of seeds, from which it is sometimes difficult to choose one particular species. When choosing seeds, you need to remember some simple rules:

• in order to decorate a flower bed or a balcony in the summertime, it is better to purchase a one-year balsam, and to grow a indoor flower, it is better to choose a perennial plant;
• if in the future you plan to grow balsam from your own seeds, it is better not to purchase hybrid species;
• you do not need to buy a mixture of species, if you need to get a balsam with flowers of the desired shade and shape;
• during the acquisition you need to be interested in the time of collecting the seeds. Although each seed can sprout for about seven to eight years, it is desirable to grow balsam from fresh seeds.

Preparing for sowing

Many people ask how to grow balsam from seeds, when is it best to plant balsam? When growing balsam from seeds at home, the planting time has almost no meaning. When to plant balsam to grow it from seeds? Answer: at any convenient time. However, if it is planned to decorate the balcony with flowers in the summer, then the planting of seeds should be carried out in February. Before planting the seeds, they need to be disinfected, this is done in a manganese solution of a small concentration, in which you need to hold the seeds for 10-15 minutes. The solution is drained, and the seeds after that need to be filled with clean water, in which they have to spend about a day, this is a necessary procedure for proper reproduction.
  After that you need to take care of the soil in which the seed will be grown. Seeds need to be planted in a light, nutritious soil. Balsam young seedlings are very sensitive to the composition of the soil, it will grow well in loose soil with a low acidity index. Land for balsam sold in any flower shop, although some growers prefer to do the soil with their own hands. For this you need to mix:

• one piece of vermiculite;
• one piece of garden soil;
• two parts of peat;
• one piece of river sand.

If there is no garden soil, then it can be replaced with vermiculite and peat. In such a mixture, balsam multiplication will be carried out as quickly as possible, balsam seedlings in this substrate will feel excellent. Before planting the seeds, the soil must be heated in the oven for half an hour, and more can be done to kill all the pathogens. Store soil can also be sanitized in the oven, before adding river sand to the soil was loose. After disinfection, Fitosporin is added to the substrate, thanks to which the microflora of the soil is improved, and the seedlings will not hurt with a black leg, cultivation takes place without problems.

Planting seed

1. To multiply balsam with seeds, you need to take a wide pot or a wooden box, which is about 7 centimeters high. At the bottom you need to pour pebbles or expanded clay, which will play the role of drainage. The thickness of this layer should be approximately 2-3 centimeters. Then, the prepared substrate is poured into the container.
2. How to balsam properly? Soaked in water, swollen seeds razlazhivayutsya on the surface of the soil, do not need to plant very often. Each seed is quite small, reproduction in this way is a very time-consuming task, it is more convenient to take the seed with the tip of a toothpick. The seed can not be immersed deep in the substrate, you just need to lightly press it to the ground, this is the right option for planting, so experienced flower growers grow.
3. From the sprayer the surface of the soil with the seeds is thoroughly moistened, then the container is covered with glass or a plastic bag. It is desirable for proper cultivation not to cover too tight, it is better that the air in small quantities could penetrate into the mini-greenhouse.
4. After planting balsam, wetting the ground and covering it, it is necessary to put it on the window sill so that the container is sufficiently illuminated, but direct sunlight and the seedlings should not be allowed to fall. The temperature in the room should be about 22-25 degrees. If it is cooler, the growth of seedlings will be slowed down.

Aftercare

After about 2-3 weeks, the first shoots will appear if the temperature and humidity were suitable. When they appeared, the mini-greenhouse needs to be opened and ventilated, the condensate must be shaken off in such a way that moisture does not get on the young plants. Airing and removal of condensate should be carried out every day, morning and evening. If the greenhouse is too humid, the balsams planted will infect the fungus.
  When each seed comes up, you need to completely remove the bag or glass from the container, then moisten the soil with a spray bottle. The subsequent cultivation of balsam involves the illumination of seedlings with phytolamp, especially in cloudy weather, and when the days are short. If the roots seem from the soil, then they need to fall asleep substrate. It is advisable to carry out watering through a pallet in order not to wet the root necks of the sprouts, otherwise they may rot.

Transplant of young plants

Balsam picks are performed when the bores have reached a height of 1.5 centimeters. By this time, they should form two true leaves. At this time, balsam transplantation is carried out in separate cups of small size. How to root young plants correctly? Soil for transplanting should be used the same as when planting seeds. At the bottom of the glass should be poured drainage material. Long sprouts to dig into the ground need a little more than short ones. After transplantation, planting seedlings grown from seeds, they begin to grow rapidly if they have enough moisture, heat and light.

Top removal

Do I need to pinch the balsam? Yes, the pinching procedure is necessary for the formation of lateral shoots, in the future the balsam bush will be more lush and attractive. How to pinch a balsam? Pinching is done by removing the tops of the young plant. It is necessary to remove over a pair of leaflets.

When to transplant in permanent pots?

Planting or planting young plants from cups into pots for permanent cultivation is necessary only when the roots braid the whole earth, and a real bush forms above the ground. The transplant procedure is performed after picking and pinching.
  Pots must be taken spacious, so that the plants have room to grow for several years. You need to grow in the same soil, which was carried out planting seeds. Drainage layer should be 3-5 centimeters. After that, you must regularly spray the plants and water them.

When can be planted in the garden

Some planted balsam seedlings in open ground, so that the flowers were in the garden. Landing balsam in the open ground is performed only when it is warm enough outside and there are no night frost. It is best to carry out planting balsam in open ground in late May or mid June, and closer to the end of June or in July, the plant will begin to bloom.

Planting stems in the ground

In addition to seed propagation, this plant is also grown from stems, or cuttings. Balsam propagation by cuttings is a very simple, convenient and fast method of flower reproduction. Cutting balsam - cutting the upper stems, the length of which is 5-6 centimeters. First, these stems are placed in the water and are there until the roots appear on them. After this, the cuttings are transplanted into pots with soil and grown as ordinary plants.
So, balsam is quite popular, unpretentious plant that blooms very long and magnificently. It is possible to propagate and grow this flower from seeds, or from cuttings. Subject to the advice of this article, you can easily reproduce this plant.

How to grow balsam from seeds at home correctly? To do this, you need to choose high-quality seeds, choose the best soil and germinate in strict temperature conditions. Otherwise, the plant can get weak, do not have the necessary decorative characteristics, poorly adapt to the growing conditions on the street or garden. So, how to grow balsam from seed? What seeds to buy? How to dive balsam seedlings? Explanation of experts with step by step photos.

How to choose balsam seeds?

To grow room balsam, where to get the seeds?   In this case, you must contact the specialty stores. The overwhelming majority of seeds in specialized stores are first generation (F1) hybrids, which are maximally adapted to certain conditions of cultivation and further growth. That is why buying seeds of indoor balsam, the seller must learn all the features of this class. Excellent germination distinguished specially prepared seeds. On the packaging of such seed there is an inscription "primed".

The main diseases of balsam and their treatment - more in the article about balsam diseases.

Which balsam varieties are suitable for indoor cultivation, and which ones are best planted in the garden?

If you need a balsam garden, buy the following varieties: Camellia, Baby, Tom Tumb. Growing from seed and sowing is best done at the end of April. By the time the chance of freezing on the ground passes, the seedlings will be strong enough to be planted in open ground. If the seeds of balsam garden sow earlier (February - March), the seedlings at home will stretch and may die. A negative effect on young plants and the lack of temperature difference in room conditions (meaning the difference in air temperature during the day and at night).

Important notice !!! Garden balsam reaches a height of up to 1 m even in room conditions, and therefore it is not suitable for growing at home. On the flowerbed, you can create unique compositions with it.

For indoor growth suitable balsam seeds of the following types: Waller, Novogvineysky, Sultanovidny. Optimal planting dates: the second decade of February - the beginning of March. If you need ampel balsam, growing from seeds is best done at the end of March. Such seedlings dive already in the middle of April, and the flowerpots can be safely carried out to the open air during the day.

If you really want, then homemade balsam from seeds can be grown at any time of the year. However, for successful germination, a stable temperature of +20 ... + 24 degrees and a 12-hour light day are necessary. Otherwise, the seed simply does not germinate, and the seedlings in most cases die.

Is it possible to grow balsam from seeds that were collected at home?   Since most modern balsams are first generation hybrids, the seed collected from them does not inherit the decorative characteristics of the parent plant. That is why flowers from seeds collected at home may not have the desired characteristics, such as color or terry petals.

Balsam can be propagated by top cuttings. For their rooting take a mixture of vermiculite and river sand. Rooting occurs within 1 week.

When to plant balsam seeds?

When do I need to plant balsam seeds? In many scientific sources the following is written: balsam seeds for hanging baskets and growing at home should be produced in late March-early April. Potted balsam planted in the middle of April. For flower beds and greenhouses to plant seeds balsam is necessary in late April.

Growing balsam from seeds at home with a photo

For growing balsam from seeds take a wide tank with a large number of drainage holes. Seed cassettes can be used. They put one grain in them. In this case, picking seedlings after the appearance of two pairs of these leaves do not hold. The volume of soil for the successful development of a single plant in seed cassettes is more than enough.

Plant balsam seeds need a light and loose soil that does not contain organic (seedlings are sick from compost, in some cases the seeds do not germinate). The pH of the soil should be close to neutral (pH = 6.2-6.5). In acidic soil germination of seed drops sharply. Young growth in an acidic environment dies. Plant balsam seeds can be in a universal soil for seedlings. It contains the minimum amount of nutrients. Such soil is necessarily mixed with sifted river sand in a 1: 1 ratio.

The surface of the prepared soil mixture is sprayed from a spray bottle, but not tamped.. The soil should remain loose and well pass air to the roots of future shoots. The seeds of balsam in the photo below are laid out on the surface of the soil at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other. In some sources it is written that they are powdered with a thin layer of soil or verculite. However, for the emergence of friendly shoots balsam seeds need diffused sunlight up to 1000 lux. Even under a thin layer of soil (up to 2 mm), the sun's rays will not touch the grains and they will not germinate.

Before seed seeding, the humidity in the pot should be very high (up to 100%)and therefore it is necessary to organize a greenhouse. It can be glass or a regular plastic bag.

The temperature of balsam seed germination lies within +22 ... + 24 degrees. At temperatures up to +21 degrees shoots do not appear together, and seedlings develop weak. There is a possibility of blackening legs. At a temperature of +18 degrees germination is not at all. When the temperature is above +24 degrees, the embryos in the grains die.

Important notice !!! Many flower growers to provide balsam seeds with good light and temperature carry the pots to the balcony under the burning sun, where the temperature rises above +25 degrees during the day. In such conditions, the seeds die. This can not be done.

When do balsam seedlings appear from seeds? Balsam germinates for 3-5 days, if all conditions of germination are sustained correctly. However, germination can last up to 1-1.5 weeks. It all depends on the variety.

How to care for balsam seedlings?

As soon as the seeds hatch, the soil moisture gradually decreases. On the 5th day after germination, the ground should be wet, but the greenhouse should be slightly opened for airing 2 times a day for 10 minutes in the morning and evening. Further, the ventilation time is increased, thereby accustoming young plants to a constant, room humidity.

The temperature is kept within +22 ... + 24 degrees. Humidity also remains high. As soon as the seedlings give the first, real leaves, the temperature in the room can be reduced to +20 degrees. It is important during germination of seeds of balsam good illumination of seedlings. Light day should last 12 hours. This may be diffused sunlight or a lamp of artificial light. Otherwise, the seedlings are pulled out.

Balsam seedling stretched out. What to do? Until the growth of the first two true leaves, balsam does not dive. As soon as the first two true leaves are shown, the seedlings swoop. Regardless of the variety, the balsam seedlings are very high and continue to grow, and therefore, to prevent the seedlings from falling further, experts recommend deepering the stem of the seedlings during the pick.

Plastic cups of 200 ml are excellent for picking. They are quite high, and therefore it will not be difficult to bury the cutting. For picking fit universal soil. During transplantation, you need to remember that balsam seedlings have a very extensive, but fragile root system, which can damage the plant. During transplantation, it is better to use a special spoon and take out seedlings from the hothouse with a lump of earth that surrounds the root system.

In phase 4-5 of these leaves with the proper level of illumination and regular dressing, the balsam from seeds lays the first buds. This occurs approximately 1 month after planting the seeds.