Balsam: Diseases and Remedies (Impatiens balsamina)

NOTE: The terms Balsam and Impatiens balsamina are identical in this text; in reality, Impatiens balsamina is Balsam’s biological word.

The annual flower that grows on thick, upright stems with light green leaves that have serrated edges is called a Balsam. The cup-shaped flowers are about 1 to 3 inches across. They bloom in the late spring and last all the way until frost in the fall. The flowers can be solid or bicolor, and sometimes they are spotted. After the threat of frost has passed, the Balsam should be planted in the spring.

Why does my Impatiens balsamina roots have rot?

If left untreated, root rot on your Balsam (Impatiens balsamina) can be fatal. For this reason, if the symptoms appear, we highly advise that you adhere to our recommendations to keep your plant alive: Blackened and softened roots.
Balsam

Why does my Balsam have gray mold spots?

Gray mold spots are a specific fungus that regularly harms flowers and spreads swiftly. If you notice any brown (or gray) spots, this fungus is probably to cause. You risk your plant dying if you ignore these warning indications.

Our Solution

When you understand the root of the issue, the solution makes perfect sense. The majority of the time, it is caused by the Impatiens balsamina being overwatered. We urge you to cut off the infected roots and leaves, remove the affected sections of the plant, and then repot your plant in a fresh container with sterile potting soil.

Why does my Balsam have leaf spots?

Leaf If your plants exhibit symptoms like rapid color changes in the leaves or leaves that wilt or droop, we give you all the information you need to recognize them and rescue your plants. For owners of Balsam, this kind of illness is among the most distressing.

Why are my Balsam leaves turning yellow?

In the world of horticulture, yellowing leaves are undoubtedly the most common problem. The two main causes of this problem are overwatering and a lack of nutrition.

When it’s overwatering, simply reduce your watering frequency, and if you think it’s a nutrient deficiency, here’s how to check it:

Each deficiency produces a different yellowing on the Impatiens balsamina in question, here’s how to spot them:

  • The first symptom of a magnesium deficiency is yellow patches between leaf veins on elder leaves. The leaf’s core turns yellow while the veins stay green. The edges of the leaf yellow last.
  • Another indicator of iron deficiency is yellowing between leaf veins, but young leaves on plant tops and branch tips are first affected.
  • Sulfur deficiency starts with the newest leaves, turning them yellow throughout.
  • Potassium deficiency shows itself when leaf edges turn bright yellow, but the inner leaf stays green. Older leaves show symptoms first, and leaf edges soon turn brown.
  • Nitrogen deficiency shows up as a general yellowing. Older, inner leaves turn yellow first. As it progresses, yellowing moves outward, eventually reaching young leaves, too.

Our Solution

You only need to respond to the signs mentioned above. A gardening store expert will be able to provide you advice on how to purchase a specific soil to treat a potassium or nitrogen deficiency. Additionally, you can reduce how often you water your plants.

Is my Balsam sunburned?

You can easily tell if your Balsam (your Impatiens balsamina) has a sunburn. In this case, your plant will change color, starting to turn yellow or white, much like it does on us.

Sunburned

As we saw above, the leaves of your Balsam can also change color if it receives too much water or insufficient light.

However, there is a way to tell if it is sunburn; look at the bottom of the yellow leaves, the ones that have a shaded area closer to the root, if this area stays greener, it is probably sunburned, not something else.

Why are my Balsam leaves turning brown?

Most of the time, leaves of a Balsam that turn brown is a sign that your plant has been sunburned, it has probably been exposed to too much direct sunlight. Don’t panic, your plant probably won’t die from this, but its growth will take a hit.

Should I leave my Impatiens balsamina in direct sunlight?

No! Don’t leave your Impatiens balsamina (or Balsam) in the sun if it displays the symptoms mentioned above; that’s why it’s in such a bad situation.

Our Solution

As explained in the paragraph above, the solution is simple, just place your Balsam in a place where the light does not reach it directly, in this way and with a correct watering, your plant should resume its life rather quickly.

Why are my Impatiens balsamina leaves drooping or wilting ?

When you become dehydrated, this usually happens. Large plants are more vulnerable since they need more water on a regular basis than smaller plants.

Drooping

Whether your Impatiens balsamina plant’s pot appears light, the soil and roots are likely fairly dry and need water, so you can readily tell if it needs to be hydrated.

Our Solution

If the soil in the container is completely dry, you must first moisten it to guarantee that your plant’s roots absorb the benefits of the water. One common mistake is to drown the Balsam right away after a dry time because you think it needs a lot of water.

This is true, but the easiest way to end it is to give too much water at once. Instead, you should water the soil properly, returning to a peaceful watering rhythm.

Caring Tips for Impatiens balsamina

Water Occasionally

Water is necessary for your plant to live, but timing and amount of watering must be balanced. Overwatering could have disastrous effects on your own name, as we already mentioned.

Touching the soil will let you know whether your plant needs water or not; if it still feels damp, it’s generally best to wait a few more days.

Always keep temperatures stable

Maintaining a consistent temperature for your Impatiens balsamina is also a good idea, especially if it is kept indoors. At GreenShack, we typically advise reserving a temperature between 65 and 85 degrees F. Of course, avoid positioning your Impatiens balsamina close to air conditioners, radiators, or other sources of hot or cold air.

Keep your Balsam Dust-Free

This one concerns indoor plants, just like on your furniture, dust is also deposited on the leaves of your indoor plants, the problem is that it can prevent them from receiving the necessary light, this would slow down (or even stop) the photosynthesis process, and eventually, they would lose their colors.

This would also make the pests happy, a real descent into hell for your Balsam.

Take a microfiber cloth and gently massage the plant’s leaves to get rid of the dust. Use a damp cloth to make dust removal easier, but avoid using corrosive materials like rubbing alcohol!

Keep drainage in mind

If you have a tendency to overwater, you should be mindful of your drainage, and if they don’t already have them, we suggest selecting a saucer and a pot with drainage holes.

You can add volcanic rocks (or any other pebbles with holes) to the bottom of your pot in the interim if your pots don’t already have holes in them. This will help to form a channel so that the water doesn’t pool there for too long (preventing the rot of the roots!).