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Balsamina Tom Thumb (Balsamina Tom Thumb) is an unpretentious plant with bright and abundant flowering, which pleases flower growers with a variety of varieties and shades. The culture can be grown both at home and outdoors. To achieve a good result, it is important to follow the rules of agricultural technology and follow the care recommendations.
Description
Balsam "Tom Tamb" 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, with a height of 20 to 45 cm.
From the photo of Tom Tamb balsam in the flowerbed, you can see that it has dark green, thin leaves, which are distributed in large numbers along the central shoot. The buds are large (up to 7 cm in diameter), terry, formed between the foliage and on the stems. The color depends on the variety. Abundant flowering is observed from July to September.
The birthplace of Tom Tamb balsam is Africa, but now it is planted on many continents. In Russia, the plant began to be grown to decorate the landscape at the end of the 19th century.
Prolonged flowering helps maintain an attractive landscape for 1-2 months
The best varieties
The assortment of balsam varieties is very wide. Usually gardeners plant several types at once and create flower beds with these flowers in different shades. Balsam "Tom Tamb" dwarf, "Scarlet", two-color, "Salmon" are very popular.
Balzamin Tom Samb Salmon
Tom Shumb Salmon fell in love with summer residents because of its abundant flowering and dense foliage. It has double pink flowers, grows up to 25 cm.Many plant it not only in the garden, but also on the windowsill.
"Salmon" can be grown in a flowerbed or at home
Balsam Tom Samb bicolor
Like other balsams, "Tom Samb two-color" refers to annual crops. It attracts attention with its unusual color. If the seeds are planted 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 "Tom Samb two-color" can be planted in March
Balsam Tom Samb pink
This variety has a bright pink color, blooms before the first frost. The bushes of pink balsam are large compared to other types. They can be up to 40 cm in height.
"Tom Samb pink" pleases gardeners with flowering until late autumn
Balsam Tom Samb purple
The bush of purple balsam "Tom Tamb" grows up to 20 cm. It quickly gains green mass after planting. It blooms in double buds, very profusely, from early summer to late autumn. Prefers sunny areas, but grows under trees, in a small shade.
This variety prefers warm weather, grows well in small shade
Balsam Tom Samb white
Often planted under trees, as it tolerates shade and partial shade well. 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 if sown in March.
"Tom Samb white" is planted in shaded areas
Balsam Tom Samb Scarlet
This variety of balsam "Tom Thumb" (Tom Thumb Scarlet) grows in pots (photo below), hanging baskets, pots, 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 flowering, beds with Tom Tamb balsam turn out to be amazingly beautiful and preserve the landscape for several months. Fans of flower arrangements consider the plant a win-win option for decorating flower beds and rooms. In containers and pots, it looks great as a veranda decoration. Looking at the photo of Tom Samb balsam on a flower bed, one can be convinced that it is especially beautiful when surrounded by others of its kind.
Watering the flower beds should be done abundantly and strictly under the bush.
Breeding features
There are two ways of breeding balsam "Tom Tamb":
- seeds;
- by cuttings.
Each of them has its own characteristics, but the last option is considered to be the simpler one. To do this, you need to cut off 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 cutting will give roots.
With seeds, the flower is 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 site, the seedlings are hardened.
Growing balsam Tom Tamb from seeds
It is not difficult to grow Tom Samb balsam from seeds. A large selection of planting material is presented in garden stores, and if you have your own flower bed, it becomes possible to collect it yourself. Moreover, it will have a long shelf life after collection and can be used for planting for 7 years.
Timing
The terms of growing balsam "Tom Tamb" are selected taking into account the type of 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 thermophilic. Embedding in 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 towards the end of the month it blooms.
In the regions of Russia, garden balsam "Tom Tamb" is planted in the second half of May, when the threat of frost has passed
The choice of capacity and preparation of the soil
To grow "Tom Tamb" from seeds, you need to choose the right container. The plant needs a wide pot or spacious box with ample drainage holes. When using seed cassettes, one seed is placed in each.
Special attention should be paid to the soil when planting Tom Tamb balsam. It is better to use light, well-drained, loose soil, without organic matter. Fertilizer does not like the flower. Fine-grained sand or a mixture of equal parts of peat and coarse-grained soil is considered the ideal germination medium. The soil should be moist, with neutral acidity.
Before planting seeds, the ground is disinfected. To do this, keep it in an oven heated to 80 0C, within 60 minutes.
Sowing rules
Before planting the seeds of Tom Tamb balsam should be prepared:
- Wrap the seed in cheesecloth.
- Dip in a solution of potassium permanganate for a quarter of an hour.
- Put on a damp cloth for 12 hours.
Next, sow the disinfected material into moistened soil at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other, sprinkle on top with a small layer of dry earth 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, it usually takes 2-3 weeks for the shoots to sprout. Until then, it is important to air the seed containers every day by opening them for a few minutes. When the seedlings begin to appear, the ventilation time must be increased, and after a couple of days, the covering material must be removed.
Throughout the entire growth period, seedlings need to provide bright lighting and sufficient moisture. The temperature regime should be around 16-20 degrees.
When the sprouts develop a pair of true leaves, it is necessary to perform a pick.
Daylight hours for Tom Tamb balsam seedlings should be at least 12 hours
Planting and care in the open field
On the garden plot "Tom Tamb" planted in May, when the threat of frost passes. The plant is afraid of the cold, so it feels bad in regions with variable weather, strong winds and prolonged rains. 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 Tamb 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 Tamb loves light, fertile, non-acidic and well-drained soil, moderate sun and no wind or drafts. An ideal planting site is a garden bed near a hedge or near shrubs.
Before the planting procedure, it is advisable to treat the soil with fungicides, lightly fertilize with rotted manure or vermicompost and water.
Transplanting seedlings
When planting seedlings of balsam "Tom Tamb" in flower beds, the seedlings are removed together with an earthen clod, put in holes, sprinkled with soil and pressed a little. It is advisable to mulch the ground around the bushes with sawdust, then it will not dry out, and the roots will not wash out when watering. Balsams grow magnificently, therefore, an interval of 30 cm is observed between the shoots.
Transplanting young shoots must be done carefully so as not to damage them.
Care rules
For good growth and development, Tom Tamb balsam must be properly cared for. The plant is hygrophilous, but excessive watering can provoke its death. You need to moisturize the flower often, but in moderation. In rainy weather, it is better to refuse irrigation. For long-term flowering, it is worth feeding the culture. The procedure is performed at the initial stage of development until the buds appear. Minerals in combination with nitrogen are better suited for this purpose. After the beginning of flowering, instead of nitrogenous fertilizing, complex fertilizers are applied for flowering plants. They are added during watering every two weeks. Feeding with phosphorus and potassium will be useful. At the end of August, nutrients are no longer added.
Wintering
If you try hard and provide the “Tom Tamb” balsam with suitable conditions, then it can bloom even in winter. To do this, you should install phytolamps and constantly maintain the temperature + 25-29 degrees. Also, the plant will need top dressing, which is applied once a month. But even with the implementation of these recommendations, "Tom Tamb" may begin to fade, then it is better to use such a bush for cuttings.
Diseases and pests
Even with proper plant care, there is a threat of infection or pest attacks. Most often, "Tom Tamb" is exposed to such diseases as:
- root rot;
- gray rot;
- bacteriosis;
- powdery mildew;
- bronze;
- 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 such insects as:
- whitefly;
- aphid;
- sciarids;
- spider mite.
In case of detection of any disease or parasites, it is necessary to urgently take measures to eliminate them. To fight diseases, you should use fungicides, copper sulfate, soapy water, or transplant balsam into new soil. To get rid of pests, they resort to using insecticides.
Conclusion
Balsam Tom Tamb 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 vibrant flowering all season, she needs to be provided with regular and proper care.
