How useful is wild balsam and is it possible to grow it on a personal plot?

Another of the brightest representatives of the flora on earth is wild balsam. Its rich foliage and bright flowers adorn not only the wild expanses of our country, but also the garden plots of some people.

Despite the fact that his homeland is not Russia, our people have long loved him. The people call him still impassable, a jumper, a cucumber.

These names are associated with his ejaculation in case of touching his ripe fruit.

Botanical Description and History

Wild balsam is a herbaceous, annual plant. Representative of the genus Impatiens. From Latin it is translated as impatient (Impatiens).

For a year it can reach a height of 120 cm. A branchy plant with bright flowers. Flowering begins in early summer and lasts all three summer months. In August, flowering ends, the fruits appear in the form of five-leaved bolls.

These sashes are twisted by spirals when opening the boxes, and small dark brown seeds are thrown to the ground. The radius of the seed ejection reaches up to 2 meters.

Wild balsam is rarely grown in gardens., since it is inferior in appearance to its brothers, which are more than 400 species. The breeders did a good job and brought out the most varied beauty of the variety.

However, wild balsam is widely used in herbal medicine. It has a complex chemical composition, the properties of which are not fully understood by scientists. Since ancient times, people have noticed that the plant helps in the treatment of various diseases.

This plant was brought to European countries at the end of the 16th century. Its homeland is Africa, namely tropical forests located on the eastern shores of the continent.

But, it is found in other countries:

• in the East Indies;
• in Central Asia;
• in Ukraine;
• in England.

At first, of course, decorative varieties were brought, and later wild balsam was also brought.

In Russia, he took root well. He was even given the Russian name "Roly wet." This is due to the fact that when there is high humidity (rain, foggy weather), droplets of transparent liquid released by the flower appear on the edges of the leaves. It is very common in Siberia, namely in its western and eastern parts.

Appearance and features of the plant

Wild balsam is a rather fragile plant. The roots are fibrous. The foliage is lush, bright green. The leaves are large, egg-shaped, can grow up to 10 cm in length. Have notches along the edges. The trunk is darker, knotty. Many branches grow from the trunk.

Flowers are usually medium in size, bright pink, not velvet. They are not the right shape. An elongated spur is formed at the tip of the flower. Flowers are located on loose inflorescences hanging down.

In order to distinguish wild balsam from its counterparts, special knowledge is not necessary. Its features are as follows:

• Firstly, it grows, as a rule, in the wild.
• Secondly, the level of his beauty is an order of magnitude lower than that of indoor and garden balsamins.
• Thirdly, the bush of the plant seems to shine through. This is especially true if direct sunlight falls on it.
• Fourth, they only bloom in pink.
• Fifth, only a wild plant has healing properties. With its help, many diseases are treated, for example, ulcers, hemorrhoids, rheumatism attacks. Fleshy leaves are rich in flavonoids and alkaloids, as well as ascorbic acids.

Photo

Below you can find a photo of a wild plant.

Where and how to plant it?

Wild balsam lives in the forest, especially on the banks of ponds and on wet edges. He is not very in demand among gardeners. However, this is not a weed, and if you decide to plant it for medical purposes (or for other purposes) on a personal plot, then the following rules should be observed:

1. it must be planted in a shaded place (under a tree, or under a house, on the west side);
2. this must be done in early spring, after frost (young plants will die at zero temperature);
3. it is important to observe a distance between them of at least 35 centimeters, so that the bushes develop normally, no matter how, they are lovers of wild free nature;
4. after planting, you can feed the seedlings, but not immediately. It is better to do this after 10 days.

There are two ways to plant flowers, which we will talk about below.

Seeds

To do this, you need:

1. Collect seeds from forest plants or home gardens during ripening.
2. Plant seeds in boxes of small height. Pour seeds with a thin layer of soil and water. It is recommended to cover the soil with plastic wrap, this will accelerate seed emergence.
3. Place the boxes in a dark and warm place.
4. When the first green plants come up, rearrange the box on a saucer, i.e. increase the light level.
5. Water often, but in moderation so that there is no stagnation of water. Be sure to have holes at the bottom of the box so that excess water drains.
6. After 20 days, it is necessary to dive the sprouts into separate small containers (you can use disposable glasses, you can buy special glasses that dissolve in the soil after planting in open ground).
7. To strengthen the seedlings, they need to be fertilized.
8. Before planting in open ground, seedlings need to be hardened by moving boxes under a tree in the daytime. At night, it is better to remove the boxes back to their usual place.
9. When the seedlings will have about 10 leaves, plants can be planted on the street.
10. For planting, you need to make a shallow hole (approximately 10 cm deep) and pour water into it.
11. It is necessary to cut off a third of the main root so that the lateral roots grow quickly. This improves the rapid rooting of seedlings in a new place.
12. It is necessary to plant so that the earth reaches the first leaf of the plant.

Bushes

For this method, you must:

1. Dig young plants 10-15 cm high in the forest. It is important to carefully dig along with the ground so as not to damage the roots too much.
2. In this case, trimming the central root is at your discretion, depending on how badly the roots were damaged during digging and transportation.
3. Dig a hole with a depth of 15-20 cm, water abundantly.
4. Plant bushes neatly, pull dry earth on top. This will keep the moisture inside longer.
5. To increase the likelihood that the bushes will take, you can bring the earth from the place where the plant was directly dug and mix it with the ground in the garden. This is necessary to exclude a sharp change in the quality of the soil in which the bush grew before and after transplantation.

Lighting and location

As already noted above, balsam should be planted in the shade.

It is also important that the soil is constantly moist.

Soil requirements

This plant is not whimsical to the composition of the soil. For balsamine, the soil should be loose and not acidic.

To plant it, you can mix sand, sheet soil, compost, humus.

How to care?

Wild balsam is not particularly whimsical to care for. The only important thing is to regularly water it and weed the soil, so that the top layer of the earth is loose and provides oxygen to the roots.

Watering on hot days is necessary every evening. Water must be poured so that the soil is moist to a depth of 40 cm. Water must be watered before the top layer dries and a crust forms.

You can make fertilizers. If fertilizers are rich in nitrogen, then the foliage will develop before our eyes, but there will be few flowers. Phosphorus-nitrogen fertilizers will have a beneficial effect on flowering.

Common Diseases and Pests

Like any wild plant, balsam is quite strong in this regard. However, he may get sick.

1. Excess moisture can lead to fungal diseases., even though he is a lover of water.

   On a note. To combat fungal diseases, you need to moderate watering and use special antifungal agents.

   However, often the plant in this case cannot be saved.

   Often, when the detection of fungal diseases occurs in the later stages, when the trunk and root system are already affected and badly rotted.

2. Red and spider mites often attack this species of plant.especially in dry weather.
3. Whitefly is also a lover of balsam. She leaves white stripes on the leaves.
4. Green aphid strikes young shootssucking them juice.

Insecticides must be used to control insects. They can be purchased at flower shops.

Propagation Features

In the wild, balsam is propagated by seed. As noted above, ripe fruits are filled with brown seeds, which when touched or blown open and the seeds fly apart to provide the next generation with life for next year.

In the garden, propagation by seeds is also possible. Seeds can be stored for up to 7 years.

Possible option and cuttings. Cuttings are cut from the side branches. The lower leaves break off. The handle is placed in a container of water. After the roots appear, the stalk can be planted. The main thing is to do it in the spring, so that the plant has time to go through its life cycle and give ripe fruits.

Wild balsam has gathered not only the beauty of leaves and flowers. Its main advantage is its healing properties. In leaving he is not whimsical. Therefore, planting such a plant in your garden, you will receive both a doctor at hand and a beautiful garden. However, one should not forget about precautions and its toxic properties.

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