Ampelous balsams in landscape design
Content:
These flowers are for decorative use. An important feature of them are stems that bend strongly. The word "ampel", translated from German, means a hanging vase designed to grow flowers. This type of balsam is well suited for this growing method.
General information about ampelny balsam
This plant is distributed all over the world and enjoys wide popularity. The following describes in more detail what it is.
Botanical description and history of origin
There is no reliable information on how exactly the ampelous balsam appeared. Its origin can only be explained with the help of legends, but none of them has yet been confirmed.
White flowers
The homeland of this domestic flower is the subtropics of Africa or North America. The first mention of the appearance of balsam on the European continent dates back to 1596. Immediately after its appearance, he began to enjoy popularity.
This plant can be grown as an annual and perennial plant. It belongs to the balsam family, in which more than 300 plant species are known. Flowers grow in leaf axils and can have different shades:
- Orange,
- lilac,
- red,
- white,
- pink.
The size of the flower is 6-8 centimeters in diameter. When ripe, green boxes with plant seeds grow. They dry out gradually. If you lightly touch a ripe box, it will burst and scatter the seed around. Because of this property, the plant is popularly called touchy.
Ampelous balsam has a size of 15 to 25 centimeters. Flowering time begins in June and may continue until frost.
Interesting Facts
Balsam blooms all year round. This is one of the reasons they are called evergreens.
Water droplets often stand out along the edges of the petals. This property gave the plant another name: Vanka Wet.
It is believed that the coloring of balsams affects the development of certain aspects of the human personality. For example, purple develops mental abilities, and pink promotes the development of emotionality. It is assumed that the color of the flower corresponds to the type of energy flow affecting a person.
Balsams in the wild
There are more than three hundred species of this flower. Among them are both perennial and annual. There are shrubs up to two meters high. If ampelous balsam is chosen for growing, how to care for it is described below.
Popular types of ampelous balsams
There are several of the most popular types of balsams used at home or for landscaping.
Balsam Tumbler
Balsam ampel toggle switch
This variety has white flowers. Their diameter is 4-5 centimeters.
Balsam ampelous terry Waller Atena Appleblossom
This type of terry balsam has flowers ranging in size from 4 to 5 centimeters. The outer part of the petals is white, the inner part has a delicate pink color.
Ampelous balsams in landscape design
These plants can be used in landscaping. Usually they are used for this purpose from the beginning of flowering until the end of August. At other times they are kept in room conditions.
How to grow ampelous balsam
Further, the balsam Impatiens Ampelny is considered in detail - sowing, growing conditions and other features.
For cultivation, you can use cuttings. In this case, in the spring, cut off the stems 8-10 centimeters long, put them in the water. When growing, you can use moist soil with a small addition of sand.
Seedling development stages and balsam care
When leaving, it is important to follow all growing rules.
Soil composition
To grow ampelous balsam, it is necessary to provide a suitable soil composition in which they will grow. To do this, prepare a soil mixture, which should contain the following components:
- vermiculite;
- peat;
- river sand;
- surface leaf land.
Biotechnology requires that when using this soil, a thin layer of sand is poured onto the bottom of the pot - this will help protect the roots of the plant from decay.
Lighting and location
How to care for a balsam flower - first of all, it is important to provide proper lighting. With its lack, the flowers will fade. The plant does not tolerate direct sunlight. The best option for caring for a flower is abundant diffused lighting.
Reproduction from seeds
To grow flowers from seeds, they can be obtained from the plant or purchased from a specialty store.
Balsam seed sowing technique
If it is decided to grow flowers from seeds, then with their help, you first need to get seedlings. This should be done as follows:
- Prepare containers with soil. The seeds are lightly pressed into the soil and sprinkled with a small amount of sand.
- Drizzle and cover with transparent film or glass.
- Seed containers should be kept in a well-lit and warm place. It should be borne in mind that the direct rays of the sun are dangerous to them. The best choice is abundant diffused lighting.
- Daily ventilation is essential for full development. To do this, the film or glass is temporarily removed and the plant is allowed to breathe.
- Watering should be sufficient, but not plentiful. Care must be taken so that the earth does not become dry.
Initially, the seeds are planted together. Over time, sprouts appear. As soon as three leaves can be seen on them, it becomes necessary to carry out a pick. Now each plant is planted in a separate container. Balsam prefers tight pots in which it will thrive. In this case, he will need daily watering. You can use pots for growing.
Luxurious scarlet flowers
How and when to plant
Landing is done in mid-March. Before that, it is important to keep them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for several hours. Immediately before planting, the seeds are rinsed in clean water.
Adult plant care
When caring for balsam, it is important to provide it with adequate watering. This is a moisture-loving plant. In conditions when there is not enough water, balsam is able to survive. However, at the same time, he will shed the lower leaves, and the plant itself will lose its elasticity.
To determine when moisture is needed, it must be borne in mind that the ground in which the balsam roots are located should not become completely dry.
In winter, the plant needs much less moisture. Therefore, watering at this time needs to be reduced.
Fertilizers, plant nutrition
In the period from April to the end of August, flowers require regular feeding. For this purpose, mineral fertilizers are suitable, which are intended for indoor flowering plants.
When feeding, you need to carefully monitor that there is no predominance of nitrogen fertilizers in the mixture provided to the plant. If this situation arises, then there will be an intensive growth of stems and inhibition of the process of flower formation.
One of the suitable types of fertilizer is "Kemira", its composition:
- magnesium;
- potassium;
- boron;
- copper;
- phosphorus;
- nitrogen;
- manganese;
- zinc;
- molybdenum;
- iron.
If you additionally feed "Kristalon", it will support long and abundant flowering. To prepare the composition, you will need to dissolve a tablespoon of the drug in 5 liters of water. This feeding is done once a week.
Balsam with different colors
Common diseases and pests
When winter comes, ampelous balsam becomes especially vulnerable to the appearance of fungal diseases. The most dangerous for him is gray rot.
If the plant is sick, it is necessary to transplant it into a new container, changing the old soil.
A spider mite attack is more likely in those conditions when the plant does not receive enough moisture. One of the signs of the disease is the presence of twisted leaves. If you do not take measures for treatment, then all the leaves will fall off. To combat this insect, specialized preparations are used: "Actellik" or "Neoron".
Resting care
After the flowering is over, the peduncles must be cut off, and the plant must be rearranged in a cool place. It is desirable to provide such conditions under which the temperature will not exceed 15 degrees. During this time, watering should be very moderate.
New shoots should appear in February. As soon as this happens, the balsam must be moved to a room with a higher temperature and watered more intensively.
It is believed that ampelous balsam is a capricious plant that requires a lot of attention. However, if properly cared for, it will delight you with a luxurious and varied flowering throughout almost the entire year.
