Impatiens Care

Impatiens, a gorgeous flowering plant, is most commonly found in the tropics and Northern hemisphere. Besides being known as impatiens, these plants are also called jewelweed, balsam, and touch-me-not. There are many varieties found in these annual blooms like New Guinea impatiens and double impatiens. One of the most wonderful things about this plant is that you can find many different colors of flowers like red, white, blue, pink, and purple. Ranging from about 6 inches to 2 feet tall, impatiens are truly a sight for sore eyes. They can be planted in shaded areas as they require filtered or partial lighting. And this is the reason, caring for impatiens doesn't really make a gardener to do a lot.

In our article today, we will go over the proper care of the plants. Whether you have planted the impatiens in your flower garden or in a container for your balcony, the following information about how to care for the plant and flowers will keep their vibrant colors alive.

Instructions to Care for Impatiens

Now, there are regular and double impatiens available. Depending on which flowering plants you have in your garden, the instructions to care for impatiens will not differ. So when you read the instructions mentioned below, do apply the same directions for double impatiens and all varieties as well.

But, before we get to the instructions on caring for impatiens, while planting them, remember this - they are one of the most easiest plants to grow and care for. If you follow each and every instructions mentioned below, you will definitely have a garden or balcony filled with magnificent looking impatiens. Since these flowers bloom from spring to fall, the seeds should be planted way before spring arrives.

Sunlight Requirements
As we mentioned earlier, while growing impatiens, they don't really need direct sunlight to survive. They are delicate plants and will prefer a shaded area instead. Their requirements are shaded or filtered lights so that the flowers can stay fresh rather than droopy. But just in case, even after planting them in a shaded area, there happens to be a time in the day when the sunlight does reach that location, even though after being wilted in the sunlight, once the sun is gone, they will return to their perky appearance.

Soil and Water Requirements
As with any plants and trees, watering impatiens is needed. Keep the soil moist when needed, but make sure not to over water it. We don't want the soil too squashy. If the soil condition is ideal, as it contains organic materials, then you may not even have to water the plants for sometime. But here, you need to keep a check on when it rains or not. If it doesn't rain for a week or maybe even two, then you might have to water the plants to keep it from wilting. Also, the amount of mulch added to the soil plays an important role into how often you need to water them. For proper planted or potted impatiens, you need to water them every day whenever it's sunny.

Their preference on soil is mostly neutral to alkaline soil. So make sure the pH level of the soil is between 6.0 to 6.5. Now, a good way to know if your impatiens require water is by looking at their leaves or even the stem. They quickly begin to wilt when proper watering is not done. So whenever you spot this change, immediately water the plants as they will recover very swiftly. Now, if you are worried about over watering, you can acquire the drip irrigation system that will help keep the moisture level in control.

Pruning Requirements
It is known that impatiens don't just grow in height, but also in width. So if you suddenly happen to find their stems growing longer around the garden area, you will know it's time to prune them. What you can do is punch 3 to 4'' of the stems' tips using your fingers. Or for better results, you can clip the stems to hold the blooming process on a temporary basis. Also, when you prune the stems, the shape of the plant in general will be more appealing and the new impatiens flowers will grow more quickly.

Fertilizer and Mulch Requirements
To tell you the truth, for ideal care for the plants, you don't really need to add rich fertilizers in the soil. As we mentioned earlier, the addition of organic materials will be more than enough. Now if you have poor soil, for any reasons, you can add a spoon of slow release granular fertilizer to the soil. But do make sure to take it easy with the fertilizer as impatiens are very delicate. As for mulching requirements, add a layer to the soil as it will prevent any moisture loss. Overtime, this mulch will decompose and will in turn provide the necessary organic materials needed for the soil to flourish.

Apart from these necessary instructions, you also need to watch out for pests, insects, and diseases attacking the plants. There are some insects such as spider mites, mealy bugs, and aphids that will latch on to the plants. In such cases, you need to make sure that the mulch used in the soil is clean and dry at all times. And if you follow the guidelines mentioned in the article, you won't find any issues with either the plants getting wilted, or being infected by any diseases.