The Edellieschen is a worthwhile plant both in the garden and as a houseplant. Depending on how the gardener stages it, it attracts everyone's attention standing alone or impresses with the support of colorful flowers in a sizeable sea of plants. As a reward for the beautiful appearance, however, it requires a few maintenance measures.
Impatiens New Guinea - Profile
- Plant genus: balsam family
- Cultivated form of the hardworking Lieschen
- remarkably high growth, large flowers and narrow leaves
- grows up to 40 cm high
- not hardy
- with conscientious care several years
- Pot or balcony box plant
- Flower color: white, pink, or red, more rarely purple
- Flowering period: June to October
Location
Impatiens New Guinea prefers bright locations. Too shady a location punishes the plant with poor growth. Conversely, the plant should never be exposed to the blazing midday sun. Burning of the leaves and flowers would result. The rays of the morning and evening sun ideally reach the Noble Lies. The location under a roof overhang is therefore particularly suitable. This also offers protection from rain. How well the plant can withstand rainfall ultimately depends on the variety. The breed Impatiens New Guinea is considered to be very robust in this regard.
The plant proves to be a little more undemanding in terms of the substrate. With conventional potting soil, it is already frugal. However, it should be humorous, relaxed and, above all, permeable, because waterlogging means that the noble liqueur is going to die. Here it is important to find the healthy mean between a constantly moist, but never too wet floor.
Cultivation opportunities
There are many ways to put the noble liqueur in the limelight:
- as a color accent in the bed
- in tuffs
- as grave decoration
- to the border
- at the edges of trees
- in a bucket under a roof overhang
- in the pot on the windowsill
Plant neighbors
- Blue pillows
- Elven spur
- Hostas
- Hussar button
- Tuberous begonias
- Daisies
- Verbenas
- Convertible rose
to water
After the gardener has planted the Edellieschen, it only requires moderate watering. Only later does the need increase. Then it is important to ensure that the substrate is always kept moist. In this case, moist means that the soil must not dry out, but that waterlogging should never form. In addition, the gardener only pours the soil, not the leaves. Trapped rainwater is best. From September, Impatiens New Guinea needs a break that includes reduced watering.
Tip: If it is a bedding plant, a layer of mulch saves the gardener a lot of work. This protects the soil from drying out, even in strong sunlight, and in this way reduces the amount of water required.
Fertilize
In order to promote flowering, it makes sense to give it a fertilizer. Commercially available fertilizer is perfectly adequate for this. It is administered every two weeks during the growth phase and every six weeks in winter.
Cut
In the case of the rather small noble lizards, the pruning is of course not aimed at inhibiting growth. On the contrary, with the targeted shortening of the leaves, the gardener creates a bushier growth. By removing dead flowers, the plant has more energy to invest in making new foliage. Newly forming fruit capsules are only interesting for reproduction. If this is not provided, they should be removed immediately. It also happens that flowers stick to the leaves. The gardener should conscientiously pluck these as well, otherwise there is an increased risk of the Impatiens New Guinea of gray mold
ill.Multiply
In view of the beautiful appearance, it is no wonder if there is a desire for several noble lizards. What luck that there are no costs for this, as propagation is very easy. The gardener even has several methods to choose from. On the one hand, sowing the self-obtained seeds is conceivable. Propagation by cuttings is particularly simple.
Propagation via cuttings
- Cut cuttings in late summer
- young, not yet lignified shoots are suitable
- Length 5-8 cm
- Remove buds and leaf roots
- Mix peat and sand
- Fill substrate into growing pots
- Stretch the foil over the pots and prick small air holes (prevents water from evaporating)
- Repot shoots after two to four weeks
- fertilize for the first time after six weeks
- Put outside from mid-May
Propagation by sowing
- harvest the seeds from the mother plant between May and August
- dry in an airy, dry place
- Keep seeds in a light-protected place until March of the following year
- Prepare growing pots with nutrient-poor soil
- Press the seeds in gently
- Moisten the substrate with water from a spray bottle
- Store the growing pots in a bright place out of direct sunlight
- temperatures of 22 ° C are optimal
- Prick out shoots 3-4 cm in length
- use conventional potting soil for the new pot
- Plant nobles outdoors after the ice saints
Attention
It is advisable to hold the fruit with one hand when harvesting, as spring herbs such as Impatiens New Guinea hurl their seeds explosively when touched. The seeds spread uncontrollably in a radius of up to four meters in the garden and allow new plants to grow out of the ground in undesired places.
Note: Did you know that the propagation of cuttings is similar to that of the mother plant, while a completely different flower color can appear during sowing?
Overwinter
Since Impatiens New Guinea is not hardy, only houseplants are perennial. By digging up outdoor plants before the first frost and moving them into the house or a warm winter garden, the gardener can also hibernate those specimens. The winter quarters should be bright, but not too sunny. Temperatures of 15-18 ° C are ideal. For the winter, the gardener does not water Impatiens New Guinea again until the top layer of substrate has dried. The fertilizer application is reduced to once a month.
Diseases and pests
As a cultivated form, Impatiens New Guinea is more robust against diseases than the original plant, the hard-working lizy. However, the plant is not entirely immune to parasites. The most common pests include:
Spider mites
Conditions that cause a spider mite infestation
support financially:- dry room air
- occur mainly in autumn and winter
Symptoms
- cobweb-like threads on the leaves (become visible when the plant is sprayed with water)
- light speckles on the upper side of the leaf
- later lightly discolored leaves
- dried up leaves
measures
- Increase humidity
- Do not place nobles near the heater
- Spray the plant regularly with water
- Rapeseed oil solutions
- Neem solutions
Thrips
Conditions that promote thrips infestation:
- occur mainly in closed rooms
- low humidity
Note: Once thrips have settled on Impatiens New Guinea, they multiply in no time at all. The Edellieschen will not perish, but the pests cause great optical damage. It is not uncommon for people to come into contact with the animals. However, there is no health risk here.
Symptoms
- not visible to the naked eye (body size <1mm)
- silver-gray spots on the leaves, occasionally on the flowers
- brown parts of the plant in an advanced stage
- deformed leaves
Attention: Thrips are easy to confuse with spider mites. However, a clear finding is imperative, as both pests require different treatment.
measures
- Soapy water
- put the plant in the fresh air for a few days
- Put predatory mites or lacewings on the plant (natural predators)
Note: The use of fungicides leads to permanent resistance of the pests.
Aphids
Conditions that promote aphid infestation:
- a warm, dry or very humid location
- often without unfavorable conditions
Symptoms
- visible to the naked eye
- green, black, white, yellow or red animals on the plant
- mostly found on the petiole and the underside of the leaf
- stunted or curled leaves
- Honeydew (sticky film on the leaves)
measures
- Spray the plant with a water jet
- manual removal
- Beneficial insects (e.g. B. Ladybug)
- Neem oil
- Nettle manure
- Stock from field horsetail
- Water-detergent solution
Attention: Treatment must be carried out as quickly and effectively as possible when symptoms occur, but fungicides containing chemicals are by no means the means of choice. Homemade home remedies are also successful, even if they only take effect after several applications.
If the home remedies do not bring about any improvement due to a very strong infestation, the gardener is best to ask about organic pesticides in specialist shops.
