Balsam Mix Seeds

Balsam plant care is trouble-free due to its resistance to many common garden pests. It is easy to grow and widely available. The flowers bear double petals and come in an array of colors. Read more on Growing Balsam

How to grow Balsam from Seeds:

Introduction and Uses: Balsam plants bear Camellia like double or single flowers with varying colors such as rose, pink, scarlet, red violet, salmon pink, purplish red, lilac, blue, mauve, white etc.

Balsam is best suited for growing in flower beds, pots, paths and borders.

Botanical Name: Impatiens balsamina.
The name is derived from the latin word impatience, an allusion to the behaviour of the fruits which, when ripe, burst open on a slight pressure, scattering seeds.

Common Name: Balsam

Family: Balsaminaceae

Plant Origin: Asia

Propagation Method: Seed sowing and transplantation

Flowering/ Growing Season: Summer and Rainy season

Sunlight Requirement: Full sunlight (6-8 hours) or partial sunlight (3-4 hours)

Plant Height: 30-60 cm

Growing Method of Balsam Plant:

The seeds are sown in January-February for summer flowering and May-July for flowering in the rainy season.

Seeds are sown thinly in nursery beds/ seed pans/ seedling tray.

Fine sandy soil is required for seedbed (Outdoors), or coco peat is used as sowing medium for seedling trays (Indoors).

Before sowing the seeds, soil/coco peat should be made slightly moist.

Immediately after sowing the seeds, watering should be done carefully with a watering can.

Seedlings are allowed to grow on seedbeds/trays kept in semi shade.

Transplanting of seedlings is done in pots or flower beds at 6-leaf stage.

Seedlings should be transplanted in high-quality rich soil or potting mixture.

On large flower beds, seeds can be sown directly and then thinned out 22-30 cm apart.

Planting Distance: When the plants are allowed to grow bushy, space them wide. Overcrowded plants do not produce good blooms. For pot culture, grow a single plant in 25 cm pot.

Watering: Plenty of watering during growth stage is required. Soil should stay moist all the time with flood irrigation once a week. In dry conditions, leaves wither and drop off.

Feeding: Heavy dose of manure is needed at the time of planting. Balsam is a gross feeder and should be given liquid fertilizers once a week.

Plant care: Balsam is affected by powdery mildew throughout the year. The presence of fungal infection can be detected by greyish-white spots or patches covered with powdery mass. Spray appropriate fungicides like Uthane or Bavistin immediately after spotting infection.

Bloom time: Flowers start appearing 60 days after sowing and blooming period lasts for about 15-20 days.

Pinching & Pruning: Allow three shoots to grow on each plant. For large blooms, remove all the side shoots, keep only a single stem. Remove the lower leaves that cover the blooms too.