How to grow Garden Balsam (Impatiens balsamina)? Detailed planting method sharing
Garden Balsam is the seed of Impatiens balsamina, a plant in the Balsaminaceae family. It is a type of traditional Chinese medicinal herb, and in some places it is also called "Tougucao" or "Fengxianhua" (balsam flower). This medicinal herb has anti-fertility, anti-cancer, antibacterial, and anti-uterine smooth muscle effects, and is commonly used to treat difficult menstruation, retained placenta, and to promote labor in difficult childbirth, among other conditions. So, do you know how to grow this medicinal herb? Do you understand its key growing points? Let's read the following article on Garden Balsam cultivation techniques together.
1. Land selection and preparation
Garden Balsam has the characteristics of preferring warmth, moisture, and sunlight, and being intolerant of cold and high temperatures. However, it has strong adaptability to soil, and it can be grown in general planting areas. Wild Garden Balsam generally grows on wasteland, roadsides, and similar places, but if you want to cultivate it, it is best to choose a plot with loose soil, sufficient fertility, strong water and fertilizer retention, and good drainage. Plots where the soil is too dry or barren, or where permeability is poor, should not be used for growing Garden Balsam. When preparing the land, plow carefully and work the soil finely, and apply base fertilizer together with land preparation. The base fertilizer is generally 60 jin of NPK compound fertilizer and 1,000 jin of farmyard manure. Finally, make raised beds, level the bed surface, and then you can sow.
2. Propagation by sowing
Garden Balsam can be sown in spring and summer. In spring, it is around Qingming Festival, while in summer, it is around Mangzhong. Because there are certain differences in climate between northern and southern China, the sowing time also differs slightly. Generally, the south sows around March, while the north sows in April. The sowing methods can be hole sowing, drill sowing, or broadcast sowing. For drill sowing, generally open furrows with a row spacing of 30 cm, then scatter the seeds evenly, cover with soil to bury the seeds, and water. For hole sowing, open holes with a row spacing of 30 cm and a plant spacing of 15 cm, then place three seeds in each hole, and finally cover with soil to bury the seeds and water. For broadcast sowing, simply scatter the seeds evenly, then cover with soil to bury the seeds, and water to keep the soil moist.
3. Field management
When the Garden Balsam seedlings grow to about 8 to 10 cm, begin thinning. During thinning, it should be combined with loosening the soil and weeding, which can reduce nutrient consumption. Pull out the excess seedlings to ensure a row spacing of 30 cm and a plant spacing of 15 to 20 cm, with two Garden Balsam seedlings per hole. When the seedlings grow to about 30 cm, remove the lower leaves and pinch off the tops to promote side branch growth, and combine this with fertilization by applying compound fertilizer in furrows. Later, we also need to pay attention to earthing up, which can prevent the plants from lodging. At the same time, water management should be done well to avoid drought in the field soil, especially during the flowering period when water must not be lacking.
4. Pest and disease control
Throughout its entire growth process, Garden Balsam basically has no insect pests, and there are also very few diseases. The most common one is none other than Garden Balsam powdery mildew. Powdery mildew mainly harms the leaves, flowers, and fruits of Garden Balsam. During normal field management, maintain good air permeability and avoid water accumulation in the field. In the early stage of disease onset, carbendazim, or Baume lime-sulfur mixture, and triadimefon can be used for control.
That is all for today's introduction to Garden Balsam cultivation techniques brought to you by the editor. If you are interested in growing Garden Balsam, you can learn more about its growth characteristics, and at the same time master its planting process and management work, and basically there will not be any major problems.