Content
Balsamina Tom Thumb is an unpretentious plant with bright and abundant flowering, which pleases gardeners with a variety of varieties and shades. The crop can be grown both at home and in open ground. To achieve a good result, it is important to follow the rules of agricultural technology and follow care recommendations.
Description
Impatiens 'Tom Thumb' is a beautiful flower that prefers to grow in a shaded area. Belongs to the dwarf group. The bushes of the plant are dense and compact, ranging from 20 to 45 cm in height.
From the photo of the Tom Thumb balsam in the flowerbed you can see that it has dark green, thin leaves, which are distributed in large quantities along the central shoot. The buds are large (up to 7 cm in diameter), double, formed between the foliage and on the stems. The color depends on the variety.Abundant flowering is observed from July to September.
Africa is considered the birthplace of Tom Thumb balsam, but it is now planted on many continents. In Russia, the plant began to be grown to decorate the landscape at the end of the 19th century.
Long flowering allows you to maintain an attractive landscape for 1-2 months
The best varieties
The range of balsam varieties is very wide. Typically, gardeners plant several species at once and create flower beds with these flowers in different shades. Balsam "Tom Thumb" dwarf, "Scarlet", two-color, "Salmon" is widely popular.
Balsam Tom Samb Salmon
Tom Shumb Salmon is loved by summer residents because of its abundant flowering and dense foliage. It has double pink flowers and grows up to 25 cm. Many people plant it not only in the garden, but also on the windowsill.
"Salmon" can be grown in a flower bed or at home
Balsam Tom Samb bicolor
Like other balsams, “Tom Samb bicolor” is an annual crop. Attracts attention with its unusual coloring. If you plant the seeds in March, the buds will appear in June and will bloom until September. Can be grown at home in pots and in the garden.
Seeds of "Tom Samb bicolor" can be planted as early as March
Balsam Tom Samb pink
This variety has a bright pink color and blooms until the first frost. Pink balsam bushes are large in size compared to other species. Can reach 40 cm in height.
"Tom Samb pink" pleases gardeners with flowering until late autumn
Balsam Tom Samb purple
The purple balsam bush "Tom Thumb" grows up to 20 cm. It quickly gains green mass after planting.It blooms with double buds, very profusely, from early summer to late autumn. Prefers sunny areas, but also grows under trees, in slight shade.
This variety prefers warm weather and grows well in light shade.
Balsam Tom Samb white
Often planted under trees as it tolerates shade and partial shade. The plant is unpretentious, reaches a height of 20 cm. Bushes with dense foliage, large snow-white, double flowers. The buds bloom in early summer, provided they are sown in March.
"Tom Samb white" is planted in shaded areas
Balsam Tom Samb Scarlet
This variety of balsam “Tom Thumb Scarlet” grows in pots (photo below), hanging baskets, plant pots, and feels good on a loggia, in a flower bed or greenhouse. The annual can be planted in areas where there is constant shade. The variety is characterized by double flowers with a bright red color.
The Scarlet variety is considered the most unpretentious balsam
Application in landscape design
Thanks to long-lasting flowering, flower beds with impatiens "Tom Thumb" turn out to be amazingly beautiful and preserve the landscape for several months. Lovers of flower arrangements consider the plant a win-win option for decorating flower beds and premises. In containers and pots it looks great as a veranda decoration. Looking at the photo of the Tom Samb balsam in a flowerbed, you can see that it is especially beautiful surrounded by its own kind.
Watering the flower bed should be done abundantly and strictly under the bush.
Features of reproduction
There are two ways to propagate balsam "Tom Thumb":
- seeds;
- cuttings.
Each of them has its own characteristics, but the last option is considered to be simpler. To do this, you need to cut the top branch of the plant 6-8 cm long and plant it in the ground or put it in water. After 7 days, the cuttings will give roots.
The seeds of the flower are planted in the soil at a shallow depth (0.5-1 cm), watered regularly, and after 7-8 weeks the sprouts are transplanted into separate pots or open ground. Before planting on the plot, the seedlings are hardened off.
Growing balsam Tom Thumb from seeds
It is not difficult to grow Tom Samb balsam from seeds. Planting material is available in a large selection in gardening stores, and if you have your own flower bed, you have the opportunity to collect it yourself. Moreover, it will have a long shelf life after collection and can be used for planting for 7 years.
Deadlines
The timing of growing balsam "Tom Thumb" is selected taking into account the variety of the plant. For early flowering, it is advisable to plant in the last week of February or early March. When sowing in open ground, it is important to take into account that the flowers are heat-loving. Incorporation into the soil is carried out when it warms up to 18-20 0C, from late April to mid-May.
The first shoots begin to appear 13-15 days after planting. In June, the bush grows to its maximum size, and blooms towards the end of the month.
In the regions of Russia, garden balsam "Tom Thumb" is planted in the second half of May, when the threat of frost has passed.
Selection of container and soil preparation
To grow Tom Thumb from seeds, you need to choose the right container. The plant needs a wide pot or a spacious box with sufficient drainage holes.When using sowing cassettes, place one seed in each.
When planting balsam "Tom Thumb" you should pay special attention to the soil. It is better to use light, well-drained, loose soil, without organic matter. The flower does not like fertilizer. The ideal medium for germination is fine-grained sand or a mixture of equal parts of peat and coarse soil. The soil should be moist, with neutral acidity.
Before planting the seeds, the ground is disinfected. To do this, keep it in an oven heated to 80 0C, for 60 minutes.
Sowing rules
Before planting, Tom Thumb balsam seeds should be prepared:
- Wrap the seed in gauze.
- Dip into the potassium permanganate solution for a quarter of an hour.
- Place on a damp cloth for 12 hours.
Next, sow the disinfected material into moist soil at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other, sprinkle on top with a small layer of dry soil and water with a spray bottle.
After planting, it is recommended to cover the containers with a bag to create a greenhouse effect.
Seedling care
After sowing, until the sprouts emerge, it usually takes 2-3 weeks. Until this point, it is important to ventilate the seed containers every day by opening them for a few minutes. When the seedlings begin to appear, the ventilation time should be increased, and after a couple of days the covering material should be removed.
Throughout the entire growth period, seedlings need to be provided with bright lighting and sufficient humidity. The temperature should be around 16-20 degrees.
When the sprouts develop a pair of true leaves, it is necessary to pick.
Daylight hours for balsam seedlings "Tom Thumb" should be at least 12 hours
Planting and care in open ground
"Tom Thumb" is planted in the garden plot in May, when the threat of frost has passed. The plant is afraid of the cold, so in regions with changeable weather, strong winds and prolonged rains it does not feel well. Also, the flower does not tolerate drought; in the open sun it needs abundant watering.
At air temperature +20-25 0From (late May-early June) “Tom Thumb” can be sown in open ground. But when it gets cold, young crops should be covered with acrylic, spunbond or film.
Site selection and soil preparation
"Tom Thumb" likes light, fertile, non-acidic and well-drained soil, moderate sun and the absence of wind and drafts. An ideal place for planting would be a bed near a hedge or near bushes.
Before the planting procedure, it is advisable to treat the soil with fungicides, lightly fertilize it with rotted manure or vermicompost and water it.
Transplanting seedlings
When planting seedlings of balsam "Tom Thumb" in flower beds, the seedlings are removed along with a clod of earth, placed in holes, sprinkled with soil and slightly pressed. It is advisable to mulch the soil around the bushes with sawdust, then it will not dry out and the roots will not be washed away when watering. Impatiens grow luxuriantly, so an interval of 30 cm is maintained between sprouts.
Young shoots must be transplanted carefully so as not to damage them.
Rules of care
For good growth and development, the Tom Thumb balsam needs to be properly cared for. The plant is moisture-loving, but excessive watering can cause its death. You need to moisten the flower often, but in moderation.In rainy weather, it is better to refuse irrigation. For long flowering it is worth feeding the crop. The procedure is performed at the initial stage of development before the buds appear. Minerals combined with nitrogen are better suited for this purpose. After flowering begins, instead of nitrogenous fertilizing, complex fertilizers for flowering plants are applied. They are added during watering every two weeks. Feeding with phosphorus and potassium will be useful. At the end of August, they stop adding nutrients.
Wintering
If you try hard and provide the Tom Thumb balsam with suitable conditions, it can bloom even in winter. To do this, install phytolamps and constantly maintain a temperature of +25-29 degrees. The plant will also need fertilizing, which is applied once a month. But even if these recommendations are followed, “Tom Thumb” may begin to fade, then it is better to use such a bush for cuttings.
Diseases and pests
Even with proper care of the plant, there is a risk of infection or pest attack. Most often, “Tom Thumb” is exposed to diseases such as:
- root rot;
- gray rot;
- bacteriosis;
- powdery mildew;
- bronzeness;
- mosaic.
Bacteriosis is the most dangerous, untreatable disease
The plant rarely suffers from pests, but with significant violations of the rules of care it can be affected by insects such as:
- whitefly;
- aphid;
- sciarids;
- spider mite
If any disease or parasites are detected, it is necessary to urgently take measures to eliminate them. To combat diseases, you should use fungicides, copper sulfate, soap solution, or transplant the balsam into new soil.To get rid of pests, they resort to insecticides.
Conclusion
Impatiens Tom Thumb is often used to decorate flower beds, flower beds, balconies and terraces. The culture grows well in single plantings and in combination with other flowering plants. But in order to enjoy abundant and bright flowering all season long, it needs to be provided with regular and proper care.
