Impatiens balsam – home care, planting, species and varieties, diseases and treatment

Impatiens is a vibrant plant familiar from childhood, distinguished by its abundant and virtually continuous blooms. Hundreds of varieties are available for indoor use, and growing and caring for them in traditional home conditions is effortless, even for a novice gardener. Simply follow a few simple care guidelines, and the plant will delight with lush blooms throughout the growing season. Due to its widespread use, impatiens has several common names that reflect its characteristics, including "wet Vanka," "little flame," and "touch-me-not."

Characteristics of indoor balsam species and varieties with names

The genus Impatiens includes approximately 500 different species and varieties. Their beauty and diversity can be appreciated from photographs. The most common are:

1. Impatiens walleri is a species with thick, succulent, and spreading stems, green or brownish, broadly oval leaves (4-6 cm long) with a pointed tip, and fairly large flowers in a variety of colors. This species is very popular and has served as the basis for the development of other forms, which are grouped into varietal series.

   

2. The Fiesta group varieties have very decorative double flowers. They are quite compact (15-30 cm). Pictured is the Fiesta Sparkler Cherry variety.

   

3. Impatiens Candi is small, but very branchy and blooms profusely.

   

4. The dwarf impatiens Tom Thumb is distinguished by its large (about 7 cm) double camellia-shaped flowers.

   

5. Impatiens sultanas, or indoor impatiens, has green leaves and shoots. Its double flowers resemble roses.

   

6. The Niamey Impatiens is distinguished by its unique flowers, reminiscent of an exotic bird's beak. They bloom densely on straight, dense stems, decorating a background of long green leaves. Its love of warmth prevents it from being grown outdoors.

   

7. New Guinea hybrids are characterized by variegated leaves of green and even bronze, sometimes with a yellow center. These perennials bloom profusely almost year-round, with large flowers. The most famous example is the Hawkerian Impatiens, with its large flowers and elongated, dark green leaves.

   

The flowers of the New Guinean cultivar Paradise series are very variegated, and the foliage is dark green.

Specifics of caring for balsam at home

Basically, care comes down to timely watering, but other plant needs must also be taken into account.

Lighting

Balsam needs good light, but only indirect sunlight. This will cause sunburn on the foliage.

Temperature and humidity

During the warmer months, it's recommended to maintain temperatures at 25°C or higher if the soil is moist and there's access to fresh air. Regular misting is recommended, avoiding watering the buds and flowers. Greenhouse conditions (high temperatures and humidity) can cause leaf drop. During the cold season, avoid temperatures below 10°C.

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Watering and fertilizing

This plant is popularly known as "wet Vanka" (Vanka the Wet) because of its love of water. It needs frequent and generous watering with soft, settled water. Hard water causes the soil to become alkaline. If a white coating forms, the top layer of soil should be replaced.

In summer, you can water every other day; in winter, once a week. The substrate should be slightly damp, not wet. Avoid excess moisture, as it will attract small sciarid flies. Water around the edge of the pot, avoiding the root collar.

To allow the roots to breathe, the soil must be regularly loosened to a depth of 1 cm.

In spring and summer, apply a half-strength compound fertilizer for ornamental flowering plants every two weeks, following watering.

Planting and propagation options for flowers at home

Not only is planting and replanting easy at home, but propagation of impatiens is also possible. Two main methods are used for this purpose.

Cuttings are a popular method due to their simplicity and effectiveness. Cuttings are usually taken in late August or September. Tip cuttings are 5-7 cm long with two or more internodes. After removing the lower leaves, they should be placed in a container with clean water or damp sand. Roots will appear within a week. After another couple of weeks, the young balsam is ready for repotting.

By seeds. The timing of sowing impatiens indoors isn't particularly critical. However, if you want to decorate your balcony with flowers in summer, sowing should take place in February. Sterilize the seeds in a light solution of potassium permanganate for 10 minutes, then drain the solution and soak them in clean, warm water for 24 hours. For seedlings, you'll need a wide container 7-8 cm high with at least 2 cm of drainage.

It should be filled with prepared substrate (store-bought or a mixture of garden soil, peat, vermiculite, and coarse sand). A solution of Fitosporin will help improve the soil microflora and reduce the risk of disease. Next, scatter the seeds loosely over the soil surface, gently pressing each one into the soil with a toothpick.

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After this, thoroughly mist the soil and cover loosely with a plastic bag. Place the container on a well-lit windowsill at a temperature of 22-25°C, but not in direct sunlight. Single seedlings will appear in 3-4 weeks. From this point on, open the greenhouse every day to remove condensation and ventilate the seedlings to prevent them from becoming infected with fungus due to excess moisture.

After another week, you can remove the plastic wrap completely and moisten the soil with a spray bottle. Young seedlings need additional lighting in the morning, evening, and on cloudy days. To prevent root rot, it's best to water through the tray, but avoid allowing water to stagnate there. When the seedlings reach a height of 1.5-2 cm, they should be pricked out, and once full-fledged leaves appear, they should be distributed into individual pots.

Transfer

Repotting is recommended between the third ten days of February and the third ten days of March. The best way to do this indoors is as follows:

• water the balsam generously in advance (1 day before);
• fill the flower container, selected according to the volume of the root system and 1-1.5 cm larger than the previous one, ¼ full with drainage (expanded clay, brick chips, etc.);
• fill half of the soil with a mixture of humus, turf soil, peat, sand and a little charcoal (it is important that the substrate is water- and air-permeable, preferably slightly acidic);
• water with settled warm water;

  

• remove the top layer of soil and carefully remove the plant from its previous container along with the root ball; if there are any damaged roots, remove them;
• place the plant in the center of the new container, fill the voids with new soil mixture and compact it slightly;
• Water moderately and place in the shade for a while.

Impatiens flower diseases and treatment methods

Impatiens often attracts pests due to the sweet, distinctive droplets that appear on them. Among the main enemies are spider mites, whiteflies, aphids, and root mealybugs.

1. Spider mites are difficult to get rid of. They are almost invisible, hiding not only on the underside of leaves but also on everything around the plant. Once webbing appears on the plant, the mite population is already large.

   

   Affected plants should be isolated, disinfected, and treated with Apollo, Kiron, Sanmite, Ortus, Fufanon, Actellik, Fitoverm, Bicol, and Flumite at 4-5-day intervals. The pest quickly adapts to chemicals, so it's advisable to rotate them. To enhance the effect, it's recommended to cover the plant with plastic for a while.

2. To combat aphids, it's best to first use natural remedies—infusions of wormwood, onion peel, dandelion, tobacco, and marigold, as well as a soap-ash solution and a potassium soap solution. If more drastic measures are needed, products such as Actellic, Fas, Decis, Fitoverm, and Karate should be effective.
3. You won't notice the root mealybug right away. Over time, it will leave a white, cottony coating on the sides of the container—this is its nest. It prefers dry soil. Damaged and dried roots should be removed, treated with insecticides, and soaked in tobacco infusion. The soil should be replaced, and the pot should be thoroughly cleaned.

   

4. To control whiteflies, you must first deprive them of favorable conditions by moving the plant to a cooler location. You can also hang sticky tape nearby, regularly wash eggs and larvae from the leaves with soapy water, vacuum the insects in the morning, and spray the plant with a crushed garlic infusion. Chemical treatments such as Actellic, Intavir, Decis, Fufanon, and Aktara can be used, and they should be applied strictly according to the instructions.

   

Main plant diseases and treatment methods:

1. When infected with mosaic, leaves become covered in yellow spots but do not fall off. The stem becomes deformed and wilts. Saving the plant is futile. The pests that spread it—mites or thrips—must be controlled. To prevent this from happening again, improve care and take measures when pests appear.
2. Brown spots, first on the foliage and then on the stems, indicate gray mold. In the next stage, fungal spores form a gray coating that destroys the plant. The disease is spread by bacteria. The disease is promoted by hypothermia and freezing of the impatiens, drafts, dusty air, cold water for irrigation, and low room temperatures. Affected parts of the plant should be removed, and the impatiens should be repotted in fresh soil and sprayed with Fundazol.

   

3. Water-soaked spots on stems and leaves should be addressed immediately. This could be bacterial blight. It thrives in conditions of excess moisture and fertilizer in the soil, high temperatures, and polluted air.
   Remember!

   When the spots turn brown and spread across the entire surface, the plant will die. It needs to be immediately isolated, any suspicious material removed, and the impatiens sprayed with Bordeaux mixture and copper-containing preparations.
   Or better yet, to avoid infecting other plants, destroy the affected specimen completely.
4. At temperatures below 16–18°C, high humidity, and a lack of fresh air, a whitish coating forms on the undersides of the leaves. The leaves then turn black and fall off, and new foliage becomes small or fails to grow at all. These are signs of powdery mildew. Impatiens clearly affected by the disease should be destroyed, while specimens without obvious problems should be treated with a solution of soda ash (2 g of soda per 1 liter of water) or a copper-soap solution.

Frequently asked questions about growing

The main "whim" of this otherwise quite undemanding plant is its intensive water consumption. Fertilizer, temperature, and lighting are also important considerations. As a result, you'll get beautiful flowers, each variety will surprise you with its shape and color, and the blooming will be long and lush. Furthermore, the plant can be successfully propagated by cuttings or seeds.