What is balsam perennial and annual, what care does it require and how does it look in the photo?
In view of the great species diversity, balsam, or as it is also called “Roly wet,” can be either annual or perennial. This often depends on the type of content.
So, for example, balsam grown in an open flowerbed does not overwinter, because of this next summer only self-breeding specimens will be able to please you. If we attribute the balsam in appearance, then Waller balsam can be considered as perennial, and garden balsam can be considered annual. About the rules of cultivation, read below.
What is this garden flower?
ATTENTION: Balsamine - refers to the genus of perennial or annual herbaceous plants of the Balsamic family. Subtropics and tropics of Asia and Africa, East Africa and Zanzibar are considered their homeland. Some species can be found in Central Asia. The plant has erect leaves, the stem height reaching 50 centimeters.The leaves have a lanceolate or oval shape, in length they can reach 8-12 centimeters. The original color is red or pink, but at the moment, breeders have bred flowers with absolutely any color of petals, except for yellow and blue. After flowering, green fruits form; after ripening, a dry capsule is formed from them.. The fruit has an oblong shape.
1 gram of a bud can contain up to 100 seeds. The name “impatiens” appears in the name of the genus, which means sensitive, not tolerating pressure. The name fully reflects the nature of the dry capsule; at any touch, the plant “shoots” the seeds to a distance of 2 meters. For this property, the people call it "Touchy." Balsam itself is easy to care for, resistant to dry air, grow well, are not particularly demanding on heat.
Next, we will talk more about annuals and perennials.
Annuals
Annual balsamins are best suited for outdoor cultivation.. Such balsams are mainly used to decorate gardens, parks and squares, this is due to the fact that, unlike other annual plants, it does not require a lot of sunlight. The height most often does not exceed 30 centimeters, decorative properties are preserved even in low light.
Not all annual varieties are small, so garden balsam can reach sizes up to 1 meter. Such varieties require frequent top dressing, preferably once a month. Also, it is advised to use annual varieties for beginners, since, unlike perennial varieties, they are less whimsical. Another feature of annual varieties is their smaller leaves, due to the lack of the need to accumulate nutrients in them.
The following varieties can be considered examples of annual varieties:
- garden balsam;
- iron-bearing;
- camellia;
- balfur;
- small flowered.
As you can see, most of these varieties can be found in vegetable gardens and gardens, or on the street, which refers to small-flowered. Often on the street you can find iron-bearing balsam. This is due to its unpretentiousness, and as a rule contributed to the introduction of this variety to the category of weeds.
Perennials
Varieties of perennial balsam are mainly used for growing in an apartment. They have room sizes, and also, unlike annuals, have enlarged leaves. Top dressing of such varieties can be done both with the same frequency as in annuals, and once every two months. Like them, they don’t like direct sunlight, but for them, sunlight is more harmful.
IMPORTANT: Putting such a balsam is only at the northern and western windows.Most varieties of perennial balsamins are hybrid branches of Waller balsam, and these include the following types:
- Waller balsam;
- creeping;
- Niamey or parrot;
- New Guinean.
In fact, there are a lot of other species, but most of them are extremely rare, for example Niamey balsam. However, some species feel great both when grown as perennials and as annual plants. For example, creeping balsam does not have a pronounced stem, therefore it is often grown as an ampere plant, because of which it can be grown both in the garden for decoration and at home on the windowsill.
Photo
Here you can find photos of perennial garden balsam, and below we will talk about the features of planting and caring for it.
General care rules
For the excellent development of balsam, it is necessary to provide it with moisture and partial shade lighting. The flower itself loves the sun, but just the same record growth indications appear in dim light, but do not transfer balsam to the shade completely, this can lead to the death of the plant.
The temperature at different times of the year is different. In summer and springtime, the optimum temperature will be 25 degrees Celsius, this temperature should be at the same time with good moisture content of the substrate and the obligatory presence of fresh air. Indoor balsam prefers a temperature of 22 degrees Celsius with moderate humidity.
In the summer, balsam is watered quite abundantly. Watering itself is done along the edge of the pot to avoid moisture entering the root neck. After watering, excess water is poured out of the pan. The water should be soft, because when using hard water on the surface of the soil a white coating, which serves as an indicator of excess alkali in the soil. If it appears, the top layer of the earth is replaced.
TIP: Rare watering can lead to a lag in the growth of balsam, which leads to falling flowers.From time to time it is required to loosen the soil, but with a depth of not more than two centimeters, and also do not forget to feed fertilizers in the summer and spring. The frequency of fertilizer application is once every two weeks. Also, balsam does not have a pronounced "calm time", so the buds can appear even in winter, so it is necessary to produce a weak top dressing. Summing up, I would like to say that the choice of balsam depends on the place of residence.
Watch a video about the features of balsam and proper care for it:
Conclusion
Which balsam is better - perennial or annual, or is there no difference? If the grower lives in the city and does not have any dacha, then his choice obviously stops at one-year room varieties. If the florist has a cottage or, even better, lives in a private house, then the choice of balsam will depend on the preferences of the owner, although you should not forget about the difficulties in care. Perennial balsam will have to be transplanted periodically, because the land will eventually become unusable.