Colorful impatiens!
Planting, Growing, and Caring for Impatiens
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Impatiens are one of the rare annual plants that will provide colorful blooms in shady gardens—so they’re also perfect for hanging baskets or containers on porches. Learn how to plant, grow, and care for impatiens.
About Impatiens
Impatiens are very popular as both a bedding and hanging plant. Also called “Busy Lizzies,” these beauties are low-maintenance and don’t even need pinching! The genus name, Impatiens, is a Latin word describing how its seeds shoot out of its pods when ripe (the slightest touch can make a ripe impatiens seed pod burst open and scatter its contents).
Ornamental impatiens are primarily from two groups, Impatiens walleriana and New Guinea impatiens, Impatiens hawkeri. The two look different, but growing them is pretty much the same. I. wallerina cultivars are less tolerant of sunshine than the New Guinea hybrids, and the latter has larger foliage.
Of short to medium height, most impatiens varieties grow 8 to 15 inches tall, although some types reach 30 inches. They are perennials in frost-free areas but are grown as annuals or houseplants everywhere else.
Use impatiens for a splash of all-season color in any area that receives partial shade. Because of their shallow root system and low height, impatiens are ideally suited to containers like hanging baskets, window boxes, or deck railing planters. They also work well in the “filler” role in larger containers.
Growing
Impatiens are not fussy and, if planted in the correct location, will thrive with little effort–one of the reasons they are popular.
- The most important thing to remember about impatiens is to water them regularly. Keep the soil moist but not too wet. If the plants dry out, they will lose their leaves. If you over-water the plants, it encourages fungal diseases.
- Container-grown impatiens will benefit from fertilizer applied every two weeks when watering.
- Deadheading, while not strictly necessary, will improve their appearance and encourage more blooms.
Overwintering Impatiens
Impatiens are hardy in zones 10-12, but even a light frost will kill them. If you have a favorite color you’d like to overwinter, either take cuttings or dig up the plant and bring it inside. Depending on your available sunlight and day length, a grow light may be necessary.
Propagating Impatiens
Impatiens can be easily propagated from stem cuttings–a great way to get more of a favorite color or gift it to a friend. At the end of the growing season, taking cuttings and growing them over the winter may be easier than digging up entire plants and trying to keep them alive in the house.
- Inspect your plant to make sure it is pest-free.
- Sanitize your shears with alcohol.
- Choose several strong stems and snip them 4-6 inches below the bloom.
- Remove the flower and all but the upper one or two pairs of leaves.
- Place the cuttings in a clear glass container filled with clean water. If your water is treated by your municipality, let the water sit on the counter for 24 hours first to allow most of the chemicals to dissipate.
- In a week or two, when fine white roots appear, transition the cuttings to the soil in one of two ways:
- Plant them in individual pots filled with moist potting mix.
- Add a bit of potting mix to your glass container daily until it is completely filled with soil after a week. After filling the jar with soil, remove the plants and repot.
- Lollipop series (I. walleriana) ‘Fruit Punch Rose’ is a compact, well-branched variety with superbly vivid colors.
- Tom Thumb Series (I. balsamina) is a dwarf variety with large, double, brightly colored flowers.
- Beacon® impatiens are highly resistant to downy mildew and will keep blooming reliably until frost.
- Swirl Series (I. walleriana) has pretty pink and orange flowers with petals in red.
Andy Wilcox
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There could be a few reasons. Crowding can inhibit flowering. So can lack of moisture. You want well-draining soil so the plants do not sit in water. And do not look to fertilizer; New Guinea impatiens do not need heavy fertilizer. The lighting on your New Guinea impatiens sounds reasonable. However, if you can give them more sun you might get better results; plants that get higher light levels often flower more quickly. One more thing: the plants may have been bred/grown to bloom at the time of sale; it’s not an unusual practice. (And, yes, they will bloom again.)
I would like to ensure good results by doing companion planting with New Guinea Impatiens. Could you provide some plants that will provide good results?
Ah, that we could all “ensure” good results. Plants with the same “likes” are a good choice, such as “wet feet” (moist conditions) and sunlight (and light shade). Some suggested companions include asparagus ferns and/or elephant ear for a contrasting scale.
Some say these plants look best in mass plantings. Consider that each plant may spread into an 18-inch mound. So the best companion plants may be more new guinea impatiens.
Do you remove the wilted bloom or cut the stem off to remove the wilted bloom of the New Guinea Impatient?
Pinching off the wilted bloom is perfectly fine. If your plant starts to look leggy, however, you can pinch the stems farther back (3 inches) to encourage denser growth.
How long does it take from planting seeds to getting blooms? Thanks.
If you seeds are in a packet, Marilyn, check the back of it; most indicate this detail. Usually the guidance is up to 21 days, but you should expect to see sprouts in the first two weeks.
I'm a complete beginner gardener. I have a basic question about spacing. I bought a pack of six so the plants aren't very big yet. How far apart to I space these little plants?
See the planting advice above.
Want to buy red patient plants. I need about 20-25 plants.
