What a delight, this balsam! Home care

"Well, what kind of funny roses! And he's whimsical? And how is it called? "- I exclaimed, seeing in the market at my grandmother a small flower, all strewn with small pink roses. "Duck is Vanka-wet, take it, it will not bring trouble," she answered and thought. Here somehow I'm not friends with folk names - what kind of Vanka, and why wet? And, having bought "wet Vanka" (love at first sight), came and found out that my new acquisition is Waller's balsam, or in Latin - impatiens - "impatient".

Such a name this handsome got, most likely, for his propensity for rapid growth. And the truth is, the more you cut the balsam bush, the more splendid it becomes.

What are they, balm

Plants from the genus of balsam are so unlike each other that it is very difficult to call them relatives. However, this rather large group includes over 400 herbaceous plants, both annuals and perennials. In horticulture and indoor floriculture, there are three types of balsam: garden (Impatiens balsamina) - annual, Impatiens walleriana and balsam imago (Ampatiens neuguinea) - perennials. The latter two grow well in an indoor environment. On them we will stop and take a closer look at the rules of care.

What likes and dislikes impatient balsam

Whichever balsam you have, care at home is not much different from caring for most houseplants. Of course, they also have their own individual requirements. They need a primer. Suitable purchase soil for flowering plants. And Waller's balsam, and the New Guinea adore timely watering. But they react differently to overdoing: Impatiens Waller simply folds a sheet, it turns out very easily. So if you are used to watering plants, when you think about their existence - this is not your option. In the period of great drought, this balm will not die right away, as it has enough fleshy stems, but it will bare and lose decorativeness. A New Guinean - the sheet does not fold, it just fades, with subsequent watering the leaves restore their turgor, but the edges of leaves can blacken and wither, which also does not add beauty to your hurry. In addition, both types of balsam lose their inflorescence, if during their formation you forgot to water the bush in time. But he does not like balm and overflows, care at home implies timely watering - when the earth's clod will dry out at least a half-finger. Keeping the soil in a pot with a balsam constantly moist can lead to an unexpected decay of the root neck and to the further death of the plant.

Not only does moist soil like balsam, home care for this plant also provides for a certain humidity in the room where it grows. Therefore, during the central heating season, remove the bush away from the batteries. Best it will be on the insulated loggia, where the temperature does not rise above 15-20 degrees.

Waller's balm refers to shade-tolerant plants, and the New Guinean likes a certain amount of non-scorching, but bright sun rays. His leaves are more resistant to the sun, and it helps him to richer bloom.

Although unpretentious balsam, care at home for him is not only in watering and observing the light regime, but also in feeding and preventing various diseases. Once every 1.5-2 months it is recommended to feed the plant with a complex fertilizer for flowering plants. To prevent disease, you must constantly observe and inspect the bush, as it is easily affected by aphids. At least once every three months it is desirable to spray the plant with a solution of any fungicidal drug in order to prevent fungal rot.