Balsam has long settled on most window sills. This plant was discovered by scientists in the 17th century. It has about 400 species, and comes from the hot countries of Africa and Asia. That is why in the middle lane balsam in the open field is grown only as an annual. You may know him by another name, of which he has plenty:
- touchy;
- Roly is wet;
- Lizzie is diligent;
- impatient.
All these names are given to him for some of his features. Balsam blooms very luxuriantly most of the year. Its flowers can be double, simple, complex, similar to small roses. The size of the flower is small - 4-6 cm. The color is very diverse: yellow, white, purple, pink, red, as well as bicolor flowers. Stems are powerful fleshy with short internodes. The leaves are classically shaped, sometimes elongated, of various green colors.
Balsam leaves and stems are very juicy, that is, their cells contain a lot of water and little dry matter. This is well illustrated by the situation when there was no watering for a long time: the leaves and shoots quickly wither, hang like rags, losing their shape. Leaf turgor directly depends on their saturation with moisture.
There is an opposite situation: good watering and high humidity lead to the appearance of small droplets of sweet liquid along the edge of the leaf. It is for this ability that the balsam received the name Vanka wet.
Why do problems occur and how to solve them?
dry
Why do indoor flower leaves dry and what methods can solve this problem:
- Hot and dry air. Moisture evaporates so quickly from the surface of the leaves that it does not have time to be replenished by the roots. This can happen when the flower is located near heating radiators. Remove the plant from the radiator, or shield it from its heat. You can simply put a piece of cardboard on the windowsill that will protrude above the radiator, thereby deflecting the flow of hot, dry air.
- spider mite sucks all the juices out of the balsam (read how to deal with spider mites on balsam). On the reverse side of the sheet you can see a thin cobweb. The mites themselves are very small and hard to see. The main reasons for their appearance are high temperature and low humidity. It is possible to destroy the pest only with a strong systemic insecticide. It will not be superfluous to reduce the temperature of the content and increase the humidity. You can spray the space around the balsam. Do not spray on the plant itself.
- Too much watering. The flooded earth does not let air to the roots. The roots lose their ability to absorb water and begin to rot. In such a situation, the root system simply stops working, which means that moisture stops flowing into the plant, the leaves dry. You can try to save a flooded plant:
- Carefully remove the earthen ball and place it in a box or basin.
- Leave until dry.
ATTENTION: In general, good soil, under which there is drainage and holes in the bottom of the pot, cannot be filled. Excess moisture just flows out. Assess the structure of the soil in the pot.
- Poor soil, in which there is nothing nutritious left, is not able to feed the flower. Without food, the plant dies. It is necessary to replace the soil with a more fertile one. You can buy potting mix for begonias or other flowering houseplants. If you are preparing the soil yourself, then you need to add half the amount of compost or leaf humus to ordinary soil, and add sand for the structure.
- sunlight- this is not only a necessary need for a plant, but in some cases, a serious danger. If the sun shines very brightly, and the plant is standing on the south window, it may simply fry. Do not leave balsam on the most illuminated windowsill on the hottest summer days, put it better next to the window in the room.
- small pot does not allow the plant to eat normally, the roots rest against the walls and bottom of the pot, there is almost no land. It is urgent to transplant the flower into a large container. Do not overdo it, the container should be only 2-3 cm larger.
Improper care often leads to the fact that balsam leaves lose their beautiful natural color and look unhealthy. For example, the leaves of a plant turn white and become lethargic.
Causes and solutions to this:
fall off
Causes and solutions:
- If they fall off, on the back of the leaf you need to look for whitefly larvae. Small white grains. Found - treat the flower with insecticides.
- Whole healthy leaves can fall off as a result of stress. Sudden changes in temperature and humidity, moving the pot to a new place, draft, watering with cold water, moving the plant from the store to the house after purchase. Rid the plant of dangers and let it recover.
- Waterlogged soil can cause leaf drop, do not water the plant until the top layer of soil dries.
- An abrupt cessation of watering can lead to loss of leaves, moisten the soil in a timely manner, do not force it to dry out.
- Lack of light. Long bare shoots are observed in plants that do not have enough sun. Try to find a more illuminated place for the balsam, or illuminate it with a special lamp.
- Lack of nutrition, which happens due to poor soil, or when all the soil in the pot is mastered by the roots. It's time to transplant the flower into normal soil.
Causes and solutions:
are twisted
The leaves curl in case of infection with spider mites or other types of mites. In the fight against such pests, only a very strong systemic insecticide can help. In addition, ticks love dry and warm air, so for the period of treatment, it is better to place balsam away from heating appliances and provide high humidity around the plant.
ADVICE: You can spray the air around the plant, or put the pot on a stand in a pan of water. The bottom of the container should not be in the water and even touch it.
Read about why room balsam does not bloom, but only its leaves grow, and from you will learn about the reasons for the buds and flowers of this plant to fall and how to solve this problem.
Prevention
In order to avoid all these problems, it is necessary to provide preventive measures:
- It is necessary to provide optimal conditions for the life of the plant. Normal temperature conditions without drops and drafts. Average moisture content. Sufficient illumination with protection from too aggressive ultraviolet radiation. Suitable container with drainage holes. Light, fertile soil with a drainage layer underneath.
- Properly care for balsam. Ensure proper watering. Better through the pan, so you avoid an overabundance and lack of moisture. Make timely feeding. Annually in the spring, transplant the flower into a larger container.
- Regularly inspect the balsam for diseases and pests. When detected, isolate the plant from the rest and take measures to combat the enemy.
Conclusion
From the foregoing, we can draw the following conclusion: all misfortunes will bypass your balsam if you provide it with optimal conditions and properly care for it. You can solve problems that have already appeared by reviewing your mistakes and eliminating them. I wish healthy and beautiful leaves to your plants!
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Balsam is grown by almost every housewife. It is necessary to know how wet Vanka is susceptible to diseases and what treatment is needed if there is a desire to see a constantly flowering and elegant plant. If the basic rules for caring for a flower are not followed, it may die due to the attack of pests or the development of diseases.
Causes leading to balsam diseases
Balsam home flower is a moisture-loving plant. The stems and leaves are half water, so wet Vanka needs high humidity and moist soil. Water is not only a source of life for plants and people, but also for pathogenic bacteria and pests.
It is recommended to water the flowerpot with clean and warm water. The pot in which the flower grows must have a drainage hole and a drainage layer. The earth mixture should be loose, moisture and breathable. To disinfect the soil, it is recommended to add charcoal to it. Such a substance will prevent the appearance of putrefactive bacteria and fungi.
If you properly care for the plant, it will grow strong, and diseases and pests can be easily destroyed by special means.
If the leaves of the touchy begin to fall off, and the buds disappear without opening, the reasons for this condition may be such situations:
- perhaps the flower is just going through adaptation in a new place after purchase. The adaptation period can last for a month. It is important to properly care for the balsam: timely water, feed, spray. Proper care will help the plant acquire beautiful stems and new leaves;
- leaves may fall due to overdried soil. The earth mixture cracks and lags behind the edges of the pot. Dry soil leads to yellowing, drying, twisting of the leaves. It is recommended to water the flower once every seven days;
- the leaves of the balsam fall off when the soil is too moist. This is evidenced by a wet layer of soil on the second day after watering. If the plant does not have time to dry the soil in a week, it should be transplanted into a container of a smaller diameter;
- if the leaves of the plant were covered with a white coating, and they began to gradually wither and fall off, then the balsam suffered from an attack by a spider mite. It is necessary to take all measures to remove it;
- if the balsam leaves wither on only one side, the watering procedure should be normalized, as the soil is too moist.
Wet Vanka leaves may wither and become covered with round brown spots due to too wet soil. It is recommended to water the flower moderately by adding Fitosporin-M to the water.
Brown spots appear on the leaves and stems of balsam. This fungal disease is called gray mold. If time does not help the plant, it will disappear.
The white moth (whitefly) breeds within a month and harms the balsam. Moth larvae firmly stick to the leaves of the plant and suck out all the juices from it. After some time, the larvae become so strong that insecticides may no longer destroy insects. To get rid of the whitefly, the flower is sprayed a couple of times, at intervals of six days.
If you do not protect the touchy from pest larvae, its leaves will turn yellow, dry out and disappear completely after a while, which will lead to the complete death of the plant.
The whitefly secretes a sugary liquid, which leads to the defeat of the balsam by the soot fungus, which weakens the plant. Butterflies hatched from larvae carry bacteria and viruses between all the plants that are grown in the room. Glue traps can be used to catch whitefly butterflies. Eggs and larvae of the pest can be washed off with jets of water, processing the infusion of chopped garlic.
spider mite attack
Internodes, petioles of leaves and the back sides of leaf plates are affected by a spider mite. The web affects all parts of the plant. Ticks begin to live on it. Affected flowers become lethargic, foliage loses its luster, flowering intensity decreases.
The spider mite successfully develops at high air temperature and low humidity. If the flower is not treated for the pest, it will become covered with a scab, which will provoke the death of the balsam.
Balsam, which is grown at home with normal development and maintenance, can please with its flowering for about six months, sometimes more. However, balsam, like other indoor plants, is quite whimsical and requires a serious approach.
It often happens that, for some unknown reason, the leaves begin to fall from the balsam, having previously dried up. For no reason, this phenomenon does not occur, so you need to find out as soon as possible why the leaves began to dry on your balsam.
chapter 1. Causes of fall and drying of balsam leaves
The most common cause can be considered the presence of a spider mite on the plant. Surprisingly, this pest is so “corrosive” that it is simply impossible to get rid of it with a single plant treatment. Whatever remedy you use, some of the larvae will remain and will soon begin to harm the balsam again. Therefore, use strong agents when processing. It is recommended to process 3-4 times, if possible, every week.
When the balsam is located near the radiator or next to the stove heating, its leaves will definitely begin to dry from too dry air. If you don’t notice this in time and don’t remove the plant to a place where the temperature is much lower, but it’s not cold there, the balsam will shed a lot of leaves, and then die altogether.
Low air humidity. It happens that the room is regularly ventilated and the heating is normal, but the air humidity is still too low. Balsam does not like this very much. To correct this problem, you need to spray the balsam leaves twice a day with water, and spray a small amount of fresh water around the plant.
With frequent and abundant watering, the balsam will begin to dry out, this phenomenon will begin precisely from the leaves. This also happens in the case of a "drought". To "guess" with watering, you need to water as soon as the soil begins to dry out a little, but at the same time remains moderately wet and moderately dry. Although, if the room is too hot, and the air is most often dry, then, according to "experts", it is impossible to flood such a plant in such a situation.
When balsam grows for a long time in the same soil, it takes from it almost all the substances necessary for normal development and growth. Soon there is a lack of these substances, as evidenced by the leaves drying on the plant. In this case, only top dressing will help, or, in extreme cases, a transplant.
Section 1. Hot and dry air
Moisture evaporates so quickly from the surface of the leaves that it does not have time to be replenished by the roots. This can happen when the flower is located near heating radiators. Remove the plant from the radiator, or shield it from its heat. You can simply put a piece of cardboard on the windowsill that will protrude above the radiator, thereby deflecting the flow of hot, dry air.
Section 2. Spider mite
Sucks out all the juices from the balsam. On the reverse side of the sheet you can see a thin cobweb. The mites themselves are very small and hard to see. The main reasons for their appearance are high temperature and low humidity. It is possible to destroy the pest only with a strong systemic insecticide. It will not be superfluous to reduce the temperature of the content and increase the humidity. You can spray the space around the balsam. Do not spray on the plant itself.
Section 3. Wrong watering
The flooded earth does not let air to the roots. The roots lose their ability to absorb water and begin to rot. In such a situation, the root system simply stops working, which means that moisture stops flowing into the plant, the leaves dry. You can try to save a flooded plant: Carefully remove the earthen lump and put it in a box or basin. Leave until dry.
In general, good soil, under which there is drainage and holes in the bottom of the pot, cannot be filled. Excess moisture just flows out. Assess the structure of the soil in the pot.
Chapter 2 Prevention
Balsam grows in almost any conditions and in any room, it just does not tolerate strong exposure to sunlight. It would be nice to place the balsam in partial shade, where there is enough sun and there will be no burns. In the hot sun, the leaves will immediately begin to dry.
Often balsam leaves begin to dry out if the plant is growing in soil that is of very poor quality. The root cannot develop as expected, which leads to drying.
In any case, it is better to remove dried leaves from balsam. Balsam itself should be periodically inspected for pests. We must try to prevent the massive drying of foliage by finding the cause and eliminating it as soon as possible!
Buds and leaves fall on balsam, balsam leaves turn yellow, other plant diseases - how to treat and prevent. Why do balsam leaves fall?
The balsam leaves are falling, the balsam has dropped its buds. There can be several causes of balsam disease:
- if the plant was bought recently, then it goes through an adaptation period. It will last up to 1 month. It is very important to provide normal care during this period. This is normal watering, fertilizing, spraying. A sign that the plant has not died and has adapted to new conditions of detention is evidenced by new leaves and the tone of the stems;
- soil drying. Overdried soil can crack and lag behind the edges of the pot. Balsam sheds leaves for lack of moisture. In some cases, the balsam leaves turn yellow, in some cases they dry out without losing their color intensity. In some cases, balsam leaves curl. Proper watering of balsam - 1 time per week, before the next watering, the soil in the pot should dry out, but not dry out, which will adversely affect the health of the flower;
- waterlogging of the soil is the most possible reason why the leaves of the balsam fall off, it sheds buds. The soil is considered waterlogged when on the second day, after watering, it does not dry out from above. The ideal option is when the soil in a pot with a diameter of more than 17 cm dries to the bottom for 1-1.5 weeks before the next watering. If the diameter of the pot where the balsam grows is less than 17 cm, then the soil in it should dry out in 1 week. If the leaves of the balsam fall due to waterlogging of the soil, then the plant must be transplanted into a pot of a smaller diameter. Before planting in the ground, balsam roots are examined for rot. Rotting roots are removed, cuts are treated with crushed activated carbon. Soil for planting balsam, which dropped the leaves, is taken universal, for flowering, indoor plants. Experts recommend adding a root preparation powder to the soil for balsam, for example, Potassium Humate, Root, Kornevin. They can also be lightly sprinkled with live balsam roots. After transplanting, watering must be adjusted. A flower is planted in slightly moist soil, the first watering is carried out after the soil dries. It is recommended to add Zikron to the water for irrigation every other time (2 drops per 1 glass of water, 5-6 drops per 1 liter of water). Top dressing can be carried out only after a month after transplantation.
The balsam withers, its leaves fall. A light cobweb is visible on the stem of the plant. Balsam leaves are covered with yellowish speckles, later the leaves curl and dry.. Balsam disease: spider mite. This pest, up to 2 mm in size, lives on the back of balsam leaves and feeds on its juice. Treatment of the disease: isolate the plant. Then treat it with a solution of the drug (optional) Agravertiv, Aktarin, Avertiv, Aktellik. Processing is carried out 2 times a week. Treatment is carried out up to 1 month. Since the cause of the occurrence of spider mites on balsam is high air temperature and low humidity, it is recommended to spray the flower regularly. If the balsam blooms, then it is not necessary to spray it. It is enough to put a bowl with water or moistened expanded clay next to the flower. To quickly cure the plant, he needs to arrange a cold shower, while the water temperature should not exceed +17 degrees. IMPORTANT! during such a shower, you need to cover the soil in a pot with polyethylene. Cold water can damage the roots.
Balsam wilts on one side. The cause of the disease: waterlogging of the soil. Control measures: normalize watering. So that the leaves of the balsam do not wilt, it should be watered only after the soil has completely dried. How to save the plant is described above.
How to grow balsam from seeds can be read in.
Balsam leaves wither. Brown spots appeared on the leaves in the form of circles. The cause of the disease: waterlogging of the soil. Balsam is watered after the soil in the pot has completely dried. If the diameter of the pot reaches 17 cm, then watering is carried out 1 time in 1.5 weeks. If the diameter of the pot is less than 17 cm, then the soil in it dries out faster, and therefore watering is carried out more often. Wet soil is a favorable environment for balsam diseases. To prevent their development, Fitosporin-M is added to the water for irrigation every other time.
Openwork balsam leaves have a fleshy texture due to the water stored in them. With a sharp increase in atmospheric humidity, the plant emits droplets similar to sugary syrup, located on the veins of the foliage. This process is called guttation and occurs due to the work of special stomata present in the leaf structure and called hydathodes.
Problems
In some cases, the process of yellowing of the foliage of “Wet Vanka” may be associated with the natural renewal of the vegetative part of the plant. In this case, the phenomenon is focal in nature and quickly stops by itself. If the balsam began to turn yellow rapidly and abundantly, you should start looking for the source of the problem.
What are the causes of yellowing, why do they fall off, wither?
The reason for the yellowing of the leaves of "Vanka wet" may be:
Attention! Balsam should not be transplanted into a pot that is too spacious, as the roots of the plant will not be able to fully absorb the moisture that comes with watering and will rot.
What to do and how to restore the flora?
Help for the yellowing balsam is based on the identified cause.
Low air humidity
If the plant suffers from dry air, it must be rearranged away from heating appliances. and establish regular spraying with clean, settled water.
Watering problems
If the earthen ball with roots was too dry, it is necessary to place the pot with the plant in a container with warm, well-settled water and leave it there for 30-40 minutes. Watered in this way, “Wet Roly” can be placed under a bag for 12 hours for more effective recovery.
If the plant has been overwatered, remove it from the pot. together with an earthy clod and carefully examine the roots for rot.
- If rotting of the root system is detected, it must be carefully cleaned of the soil and all affected areas removed with sharp scissors or a knife.
- After the procedure, the balsam should be transplanted into fresh soil, after washing and scalding the old pot with boiling water or replacing it with a new one.
For better survival of the root system, it is recommended to treat it with a specialized compound to stimulate growth (for example, Kornevin).
Transplant and top dressing
If the plant is crowded in an old pot, it should be transferred to a larger container, exceeding the volume of the previous one by no more than 1.2 times.
Important: the flowerpot chosen for transplantation should not be too high, since the balsam roots grow more in breadth than in depth.
Removing the old soil completely is categorically not recommended: this can cause serious stress to the root system of the plant. You should lightly shake the flower to clean it of excess soil, and in the process of transplanting, pour the required amount of fresh soil into the pot. Sandy loamy soil enriched with biohumus will be optimal for transplanting, but universal soil diluted with vermiculite in a ratio of 1:10 is also suitable.
sunburn
It will no longer be possible to cure leaves burned by the direct rays of the sun, so they should be removed, thereby facilitating the nutrition of the surviving parts of the plant. To avoid the appearance of new burns, the balsam must be rearranged to the western or eastern window. If it is not possible to move the plant, it should be shaded during the midday hours.
Pests and diseases
If pests are found in Vanka Wet, it is necessary to accurately identify them and select the appropriate insecticidal agent (you can find out what diseases and pests threaten balsam and how to deal with them). Folk methods (laundry soap solution, garlic, tobacco infusion, etc.) can save balsam only in the early stages of infection. In cases where the colony of pests was not noticed in time and managed to grow, it is necessary to use potent drugs with a narrowly targeted action.
In addition to pests, balsam can be affected by diseases such as powdery mildew and gray rot. In this case, the volume of watering and spraying should be reduced and the plant should be immediately treated with a specialized remedy for the existing disease.
Spraying with a solution of "Epin" or "Cykron" will help reduce the stress experienced by the plant after taking all the basic measures.
Prevention
The best measure to prevent yellowing of leaves in balsam will be the deliberate observance of the basic rules of maintenance:
- In the room where the balsam stands, it is necessary to maintain the optimum humidity and air temperature for its cultivation. Ideally, if it is possible to provide the plant with seasonality, achieving 25 ° C in summer and about 10 ° C in winter. During the dormant period, spraying should be stopped to avoid the development of fungal diseases.
- It is necessary to regularly feed the plant during the active growing season.
- Transplantation should be carried out by transshipment into a larger pot. This procedure is best done in spring or early summer.
- The intensity and regularity of watering must comply with the principle of the "golden mean" and be calculated empirically.
- Balsam should be hidden from the midday rays of the sun, placing it on the western or eastern windows. It is also possible to place the plant on the southern windowsill, but subject to its shading at noon.
If nothing helped
Balsam is a whimsical plant, so it’s not worth starting its state, postponing “resuscitation” to the last moment.
If the plant has turned yellow and sheds all or almost all the leaves and none of the measures proposed above helped, you need:
- Remove all dead areas from it (including rotten or dried roots).
- Spray the ground part with a growth stimulator and place the pot in a greenhouse, ensuring regular ventilation.
If these actions do not give positive results, the plant can be safely thrown away. All flower growers learn from mistakes and, having figured out the intricacies of growing “Wet Vanka” on this sad example, you will certainly cope with his newly acquired relative.
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