A smart balsam flower, which amazes absolutely everyone with its constant flowering, is in fact very gentle.
New Guinea Balsam: Description
The New Guinean species was bred by the breeder by crossing Hawker's balsam with other species of this plant. This perennial plant differs from its relatives in a large size, but you can meet representatives of quite compact sizes.
Your bloom will also delight you: miltonia orchid, epiphyllum, gloxinia, diploadia, azalea, adenium, hibiscus, eustoma, quarantus, amaryllis, weigela, begonia, anthurium, spathiphyllum, pelargonium.
The color of the leaves of the New Guinea Balsam may begin bronze tint and reach dark green. Stalk powerful with a reddish tinge. Flowering continues for almost all 12 months. The flowers are large, regular shape and painted in different colors - from white to all sorts of shades of red. In addition, on a single plant can be both single-colored flowers, and two-colored, simple or double.
Did you know? In different countries, the people, based on the basic qualities of balsam, call this flower differently: in our country it is “vanka-wet”, “light” and “touchy”, in England - “Lizzy’s bothersome”, in Austria - “beautiful wreath” , and in Germany - the "zealous Liza."
Basic landing rules
To always enjoy the way the plant blooms, home care for this flower should be correct and timely.
Choice of location and lighting
Since the flower is undemanding at home, but he loves light and water, then the pot with this plant should be placed so that the sunlight was abundant, but the plant itself was not under the direct rays of the sun. If the house has windows that face the east or west side, then they will become an ideal place to grow.
Important! If the New Guinea balsam lacks light, then its decorative beauty is significantly reduced.
If you want the flower to please you with flowering in the autumn-winter period, you will need to extend the light day to 14 hours. For this it is best to use special fitolamps. A lack of light at any time of the year has a negative effect on the plant - it stretches out and becomes much lighter.
Temperature and humidity
New Guinea Balsam is heat-loving plant, and the most moderate temperature for its growth and development will be 18-24 ° C. This plant afraid of extreme climate changetherefore, it is possible to take a plant out of a house or an apartment to a permanent stay in the air only when the temperature of the day and night varies by a maximum of 5-8 ° C During the winter period, it is necessary to pay attention to drafts, since the balsam very quickly leaves the leaves frozen, which ultimately leads to the death of the whole plant.
To the indoor flower grew well, he air humidity of 40-60% is important. To increase the humidity of the air in the place where the pot with balsamine stands, it is necessary to put a pallet with expanded clay (pebbles) and make sure that it is wet. In winter, dry or dried air can be moistened by spraying the leaves twice a day with completely cooled boiled or filtered water.
Important! The fall of buds and flowers in balsam is associated with excessive dry air.
Growing soil
The soil for growing New Guinea balsam should be light, nutritious, moisture-consuming and at the same time loose with acidity (ph) in the range of 5.8-6.2. You can also use ready-made universal soil, intended for planting indoor plants, but add to it expanded clay or vermiculite. It is also necessary in the pot to make a drainage layer that will protect the delicate plant from stagnant water.
Care instructions
Although the flower of New Guinea Balsam is unpretentious, but you need to know how to care for it.
Watering
Like any plant, he likes regular and abundant watering. However, you need to make sure that the water in the pot does not stagnate, and freely released through the drainage.
Important! The rotting of thick and succulent stems is associated with excessive watering.
Stick to the mode of watering this flower, in which the soil in his pot will always be a little wet.
Plant nutrition
No more than twice a month is necessary to feed the flower. To do this, use a weakly concentrated solution of complex fertilizers, in which potassium prevails.
Important! Avoid feeding balsam with nitrogen fertilizers, as they cause an increase in green mass, but reduce flowering.
Pinching and trimming
New Guinea balsam grows quickly, but without special care for 1.5-2 years it loses its original compact form. To avoid this, on the tops of the young shoots need to periodically pinch. But cutting the branches is not recommended, as such an action will lead to the formation of thick stumps on the plant.
How to transplant a flower
Due to the fact that this indoor flower does not have a rest period, you can replant it at any time. And in order for the flower to bloom abundantly, you need to replant it in a little cramped pot. Young specimens need to be transplanted to another, larger pot, and for propagation of an adult plant it is necessary to apply the cutting method.
Did you know? In All over the world, scientists have found and studied more than 600 different species of balsam plants.
In order to properly transplant the plant, you need to prepare a prepared pot for a quarter of the total volume to be filled with drainage. Then fill the ground up to the top of the pot and pour it with settled warm water. The soil from which you are going to transplant the flower, you need to pour plenty of water, and then very carefully remove the plant. Carefully inspect the roots of the plant and, if necessary, trim damage to healthy tissue. Replant the plant in a new soil with a wad of old.
With the help of cuttings propagated: plumeria, brugmansii, dieffenbachia, petunia, chrysanthemum, clematis, thuya, laurel, grapes, plum.
Propagation of room balsam
Like many plants, the variegated New Guinea Balsam can be propagated in several ways. Consider how to root a flower in water and how it propagates with its own seeds.
Cuttings
Seeing this gorgeous plant on the windowsill, most lovers of potted flowers immediately wonder how to multiply balsam. The best breeding method is cutting. To do this, you need to take the tip of the shoot, on which there are at least three internodes, and, after cutting it a little lower than the last, root it in water or in well-moistened sand. For two or three weeks, roots are formed on the young cutting.
Seeds
You can also try to try to grow a flower from the seeds that are formed after the flowers fall. To do this, collect well-matured seeds, dry them in a well-ventilated place and sow in pots with peat-sand mixture (50:50). Pour warm water and cover with foil.
Important! Since we are dealing with a hybrid, be prepared that when reproduction by seeds you will not be able to preserve the characteristics of the parent plant.
Major flower diseases and pests
Most often, balsam room disease associated with improper care. In particular, root rot develops from excessive or permanent waterlogging. It also causes the decay of the base of the balsam's stem.
If you notice that balsam leaves curl, the cause of this could be a spider mite. More to the main pests of this plant include aphid and whitefly. To rid the plant of these pests, it is necessary to systematically wash the plant under a warm shower. In case of severe damage, the balsam should be sprayed with a chemical preparation of a corresponding action. 
If you carry out all these simple methods of caring for balsam, you, your family, your friends and neighbors will always be pleased with the beautiful view of a strong and richly blooming balsam.
