Impatiens are such a beautiful, versatile group of plants that they easily earn the position they have held for several years as the number one bedding plant in the country. Their success reflects their ability to be used in so many ways. In addition to using them for bedding and in containers, window boxes, baskets and raised planters, they work beautifully tucked into woodland or worked into a perennial border. There are over 850 species of impatiens native to the warm, moist areas of Australia, New Zealand and South America.
Prized for both their beautiful flowers and their ability to perform well in shade, the family includes the standard type of impatiens we have grown in the garden for years (Impatiens walleriana) as well as new hybridized introductions including double-flowered varieties and New Guinea-type impatiens. Also new on the scene is a great new series of yellow and apricot impatiens grown from seed. Balsam, an old-fashioned garden favorite, is in the family, too.
The basic care of impatiens is the same no matter what type you are growing. They all need well-drained soil that remains consistently moist, but not wet. When grown in containers, use Bachman’s Mighty Earthä potting soil. Impatiens are known for their shade tolerance, but they do need a lot of light to bloom well. They just have trouble with the direct afternoon sun, especially if they are even the least bit dry.
Impatiens are heavy feeders and should be fertilized every week or two throughout the growing season with a water-soluble formula that is high in phosphorous, such as Bachman's Might Bloom™ 10-54-10. Impatiens are self-cleaning, that means they will shed the old flowers so you won't have to pinch them off. But they do profit from pinching to encourage branching. All impatiens are very frost tender so don't rush to put them out too early in spring.
Troubleshooting Impatiens
Not Blooming Lack of bloom is most often caused by too little light. It may also happen right after transplantation when the impatiens are expending most of their energy developing new roots. Look carefully to see which is the case:
Are buds not developing?
It could be that the plant is growing roots.
Are buds developing and dropping off?
Could be caused by the stress of too much or not enough water.
Are buds developing and then disappearing?
Slugs or squirrels might be eating them.
Not Growing If this is happening early in the season, it's probably because the soil is too cold. When this happens, impatiens may have trouble recovering and growing once the soil is warm. They are also heavy feeders and should be fed regularly.
Legginess Many varieties of impatiens need pinching to encourage branching and to limit their height.
Pest Problems Impatiens aren't just a favorite of gardeners, they are loved by deer, slugs and rabbits as well as a variety of insects, including aphids, thrips and spider mites. Bachman's horticulturists will be glad to help you with your options for dealing with these problems.
Disease Problems Occasionally, impatiens will develop spots on the leaves, moldy fuzz on the blooms or a root rot. If this happens, speak with one of Bachman’s horticulturists for assistance.
Types of Impatiens
Standard Impatiens This is the type of impatiens we have all used in our gardens for years. Their single flowers come in a wide range of solid colors (white, pink, rose, red, purple, lavender) and habits. There are also some swirled and picotee varieties. When picking out impatiens, always look at the tag for information on the height and spread of the plant. Too often gardeners pick out their impatiens based just on the color of the blooms. But that exact color may come in a tall, medium or short plant. The different types are called series. One of the best compact, spreading series is called Super-Elfin. Accent is a good medium size series. Blitz 3000 is a series of impatiens that grows tall. Unless you are careful, you might end up picking out three plants whose blooms are identical but the plants will grow to different heights. There are many other series on the market, so be sure to check the tags.
Double Impatiens With larger, showier blooms that look like miniature roses, double impatiens have come a long way in the past few years. The older varieties tended to be too tall and leggy, but the new varieties are much more compact. One of the most exciting new types of double impatiens is called the Fiesta series. The flowers on the Fiesta series are held well above the foliage.
New Guinea Impatiens These plants have a lot going for them. Their flowers are much larger than other impatiens, with colors that almost glow. The foliage is larger and the plants are more upright than spreading impatiens. Some of the varieties have variegated leaves. New Guinea impatiens were developed as impatiens that would tolerate more sun than others and they need more light than other varieties to bloom. But our summer sun can be too intense for them unless you can be absolutely sure they have adequate moisture. Fortunately, New Guinea impatiens are rather forgiving. If you find them wilted, water them immediately and they are likely to recover.
Hybrid Impatiens The Seashell series of hybrid impatiens offers some incredible colors not available in other types of impatiens and plants that are slightly more upright than standard impatiens. The Seashell series comes in a true yellow and fruit colors such as papaya, apricot, passion, peach and tangerine. Another hybrid series is called Firefly. It is a compact plant with small, delicate flowers in a range of colors.
Seeds vs. Plants
If you have the time and the room, growing from seeds is one way to insure you will be able to find the varieties you want. The standard impatiens plants you buy at the garden center are seed grown. But not all varieties of impatiens can be grown from seeds. Double impatiens are propagated both from seeds and cuttings, and some of the exciting new double varieties, like the Fiesta series, are only propagated by cutting, so you'll have to buy those plants. Almost all New Guinea impatiens are grown from cuttings, especially the new varieties.
Recommended Products
Bachman's Mighty Bloom™ water soluable fertilizer
Bachman’s Mighty Earth ™Potting Soil
Quality Bachman's-Grown Plants
Gardening Tools and Gloves
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