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Balsam 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 in open ground. To achieve a good result, it is important to follow the rules of agricultural technology and follow the recommendations for care.
Description
Balsam “Tom Tamb” is a beautiful flower that prefers to grow in a shady place. Belongs to the group of dwarfs. The bushes of the plant are dense and compact, from 20 to 45 cm high.
From the photo of the “Tom Tamb” balsam in the flower bed, 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.
Africa is considered the birthplace of Tom Tamb balsam, but now it is planted on many continents. In Our Country, the plant began to be grown to decorate the landscape at the end of the XNUMXth century.
Long flowering allows you to keep an attractive landscape for 1-2 months
Top Grades
The range of varieties of balsam is very wide. Usually, gardeners plant several species at once and create flower beds with these flowers of different shades. Balsam “Tom Tamb” dwarf, “Scarlet”, two-color, “Salmon” is very popular.
Balsamic Tom Samb Salmon
Tom Shumb Salmon fell in love with summer residents because of the abundant flowering and dense foliage. It has double flowers of a pink hue, grows up to 25 cm. Many 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 the rest of the balsams, “Two-color Tom Samb” refers to annual crops. Attracts attention with unusual coloring. If you plant seeds in March, then the buds will appear in June, and will bloom until September. It 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, blooms before the onset of the first frost. Bushes of pink balsam are large compared to other species. They can reach 40 cm in height.
“Tom Samb pink” pleases gardeners with flowering until late autumn
Balsam Tom Samb purple
A bush of purple balsam “Tom Tamb” grows up to 20 cm. It quickly gains green mass after planting. It blooms with double buds, very abundantly, from early summer to late autumn. Prefers sunny areas, but also grows under trees, in a small shade.
This variety prefers warm weather and grows well in some 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. Buds bloom in early summer, subject to sowing in March.
“Tom Samb white” planted in shaded areas
Balsam Tom Samb Scarlet
This variety of balsam “Tom Samb” (Tom Thumb Scarlet) grows in pots (photo below), hanging baskets, planters, feels good on a loggia, in a flower bed or greenhouse. Annual can be planted in areas where there is a constant shade. The variety is characterized by double flowers with a bright red color.
Variety “Scarlet” is considered the most unpretentious balsam
Application in landscape design
Due to the long flowering, the beds with Tom Tamb balsam are surprisingly 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 decoration of the veranda. Looking at the photo of the Tom Samb balsam in the flowerbed, you can be sure that it is especially beautiful surrounded by its own kind.
Watering the flower beds should be carried out abundantly and strictly under the bush
Features of reproduction
There are two ways to propagate Tom Tamb balsam:
- seeds;
- cuttings.
Each of them has its own characteristics, but the last option is considered to be the simplest. 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 to 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
Growing balsam “Tom Samb” from seeds is easy. Planting material in a large selection is presented in garden stores, and if you have your own flower bed, it becomes possible to collect it yourself. At the same time, it will have a long shelf life after harvest and can be used for planting for 7 years.
Deadlines
The terms of cultivation of balsam “Tom Tamb” are 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 consider that the flowers are thermophilic. Embedding in the soil is carried out when it warms up to 18-20 0C, from the end of April to the middle of 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 Our Country, garden balsam “Tom Tamb” is planted in the second half of May, when the threat of frost has passed
Tank selection and soil preparation
To grow “Tom Tamb” from seeds, you need to choose the right container. The plant needs a wide pot or spacious box with enough drainage holes. When using sowing cassettes, one seed is placed in each.
When planting the Tom Tamb balsam, special attention should be paid to the soil. It is best to use light, well-drained, loose soil, free of organic matter. The flower does not like fertilizer. Fine-grained sand or a mixture of equal parts of peat and coarse-grained earth is considered the ideal medium for germination. The soil should be moist, with neutral acidity.
Before planting the seeds, the ground is disinfected. To do this, keep it in the oven, heated to 80 0C, within 60 minutes.
Sowing Rules
Before planting, the seeds of Tom Tamb balsam should be prepared:
- Wrap seed in gauze.
- Dip in a solution of potassium permanganate for a quarter of an hour.
- Put on a damp cloth for 12 hours.
Next, the disinfected material is sown in moist soil at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other, sprinkled with a small layer of dry earth on top and watered with a spray gun.
After planting, it is recommended to cover the containers with a bag to create a greenhouse effect.
Care of seedlings
After sowing, before the shoots of sprouts, usually 2-3 weeks pass. Up to this point, 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 should be increased, and after a couple of days the covering material should be removed.
Throughout the entire period of growth, seedlings need to provide bright lighting and sufficient humidity. The temperature regime should be in the region of 16-20 degrees.
When the sprouts develop a pair of true leaves, it is necessary to perform a pick.
Light day at seedlings of balsam “Tom Tamb” should be at least 12 hours
Planting and care in the open field
Planted on the garden plot “Tom Tamb” in May, when the threat of frost passes. The plant is afraid of the cold, so in regions with changeable weather, strong winds and prolonged rains, it feels bad. Also, the flower does not tolerate drought, in the open sun it needs abundant watering.
At air temperature +20-25 0Since (end of May-beginning of 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 preparation of soil
‘Tom Tamb’ likes light, fertile, non-acidic and well-drained soil, moderate sun and no wind or drafts. An ideal place for planting is a bed near a hedge or near shrubs.
It is advisable to treat the soil before the planting procedure with fungicides, lightly fertilize with rotted manure or biohumus and water it.
Seedling transplant
When planting seedlings of Tom Tamb balsam in flower beds, the seedlings are removed along with an earthen clod, put in holes, sprinkled with soil and slightly pressed. It is advisable to mulch the ground around the bushes with sawdust, then it will not dry out, and the roots will not wash away when watering. Balsams grow luxuriantly, so an interval of 30 cm is observed between sprouts.
Transplantation of young sprouts must be done carefully so as not to damage them.
Care instructions
For good growth and development, the Tom Tamb balsam must be properly cared for. The plant is moisture-loving, but excessive watering can provoke its death. You need to moisten the flower often, but moderately. In rainy weather, it is better to refuse irrigation. For long flowering, it is worth feeding the culture. The procedure is performed at the initial stage of development before the appearance of buds. Minerals in combination with nitrogen are better suited for this purpose. After flowering begins, complex fertilizers for flowering plants are applied instead of nitrogenous dressings. They are added during watering every two weeks. Fertilizing 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 Tamb balsam with suitable conditions, then it can bloom even in winter. To do this, install fitolamps and constantly maintain a temperature of + 25-29 degrees. Also, the plant will need top dressing, which is applied once a month. But even with 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 care of the plant, there is a threat of infection or attack by pests. Most often, “Tom Tamb” is exposed to diseases such 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 for care, it can be affected by insects such as:
- whitefly;
- aphid;
- sciarids;
- spider mite.
If any disease or parasites are found, immediate action must be taken to eliminate them. To combat diseases, fungicides, copper sulfate, soapy water should be used, or balsam should be transplanted into a new land. To get rid of pests, they resort to the help of 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 bright flowering all season, she needs to provide regular and proper care.
