Among the florists this plant has several other names: wet Vanka, touchy, light. Houseplant balsam is rather unpretentious, and therefore very popular among florists.
Balsamina sorts
This plant has many varieties. Each variety can have a lot of series, each is completely unique and beautiful. If we talk about terry varieties, they can easily compete with roses. There are variants with two-colored inflorescences. Only a sort of balsam Waller has about 20 series. The most suitable for domestic cultivation are the varieties of New Guinean hybrids. They have larger flowers than the Waller variety, very many different colors. The leaves can be bronze, bright green hues. This is a more thermophilic variety, and therefore it is ideal for a window sill in an apartment. If you grow flowers on the terrace of the house, then the balm will be a worthy decoration, the main thing is not to put it in a draft.
How to care for balsam?
Care for balsam at home has the most important rule: carefully watch the watering of the flower. The soil must be slightly moist at all times. In the warm season, the flower can be watered daily, and in the cold season, watering a little. To prevent stagnation of moisture before planting, be sure to take good drainage.
The lighting for this plant does not matter much. Almost in all conditions, the flower grows normally and blooms. Just provide the balsam light, protect from direct sun rays and this will be quite enough. The only problem that can arise with poor lighting is an unsightly appearance. The stem begins to stretch and the house plant balm just loses its decorative qualities.
How to care for balsam during transplant?
The transplant should be done in the spring. When choosing a pot, consider one feature: the balsam blooms abundantly and beautifully only in a close pot. For the transplant, prepare the following mixture: one part of the turf ground, sand and humus, the floor of the peat. If you pick up a pot that is too large, the flower growth will slow down. You can do group balsam cultivation: plant several large plants in one large pot at a distance of about 5 cm. This method is very suitable for balm white, when flowering your flowerpot will resemble a bridal bouquet. Very effective decoration of the windowsill.
In spring, after a rest period, you should start fertilizing the flower. Suitable phosphate-potassium fertilizers, they should be applied every two weeks. After a month of such feeding, connect nitrogen fertilizers, this will allow to increase the green mass. To make your bush dense and compact, the plant must be plucked. Pinch the tips of shoots, do it regularly. Be sure to remove all yellowed or dead leaves, dried flowers.
For good care of balsam at home, it is necessary to ensure a constant temperature of about 20 ° C. To maintain moisture periodically spray plants, try not to fall on the flowers.
Balsamin: reproduction
Reproduction can be carried out at any time of the year. Do this with the help of stem cuttings. The stems are cut slightly below the node, too weak apices are removed. The two major lower sheets also need to be removed. Cuttings are planted in light soil. Rooting lasts about two weeks and requires a constant shadow. You can propagate balsam and seeds. For this, the spring period is suitable, pre-plant the seeds at the end of February.