Commmon Name:
Impatiens: Regular, New Guinea & Double Varieties
Scientific Name:
Impatiens
Flower/Foliage Picture:
Plant Picture:
Evelyn's Notes:
Don't be embarassed if you don't know what we mean by single (also called regular) and double impatiens. Single and double refer to how many petals are in the bloom. Single have just a single row (like a daisy) and double look more like a rose with many petals filling each flower. New Guinea have much bigger single flowers. All Impatiens are fast-growing, heavy blooming plants that give your garden lots of vibrant color. Remember: Impatiens are not supposed to be a permanent plant; enjoy them for the color they give to you and replace them when they are worn out.
Growth Habits:
When the weather gets cold in the late fall, your impatiens will start to lose its inner leaves. If it doesn’t freeze during the winter, then you have a good chance of getting another year of beauty! Start to feed as soon as it gets a little bit warm. Soon you should see some new leaves begin to grow from the bare inner branches. After your plant is actively growing, then it is safe to prune back those ‘leggy stems!’. It is ok to cut them back up to Labor Day, otherwise wait until spring when you see new leaves
Shade/Sun:
Impatiens are a light shade plant; this can also mean direct sun for a couple of hours during the early morning or late afternoon. Coastal areas, regular impatiens in the ground can learn to take full sun. They will need more nitrogen than normal. Generally, the hotter and drier it is, the less direct sun they can take. New Guinea impatiens like 2 to 3 hours of soft sun, but aren’t pretty in full sun. Experiment to find out just how much they will take in your area. The more light they get without burning, the more blooms they will have.
Feeding and Watering:
Watering: They require plenty of water, daily, when grown in pots. Establish your own schedule by watching to see when they wilt; then water often enough to prevent them from wilting. Fertilizing: Use a liquid fertilizer every two weeks for fastest results or use a time release fertilizer. New Guinea impatiens DI NOT like to be over fertilized. For them, stay away from high nitrogen fertilizers. Start to feed again after new growth begins to appear in the spring.
Flower/Foliage Color(s):
Differs by variety but generally white, pink, red, and orange with lovely combinations. Foliage of New Guineas is very pretty and flowers are much larger with very intense colors.
Season(s) Carried at Weidners:
Spring/Summer
Container or ground?
Pot or container, basket, or in the ground are all good choices.
Particular Pests:
Impatiens are easy and mostly pest free. However in the last few year a number of virus diseases have come along. All virus's are not curable. Some times your plant can survive but even then they are like a Typhoid mary spreading their virus death through insects like thrips. Ugh.
The links below are to the instructions we give out at the nursery. This page contains additional and expanded information.
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