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I bought two pots of beautiful bright red impatients abut 2-3 months ago.
One of them has since died. It simply started wilting and regardless of what I did, it shriveled and died. I concluded it must have been root rot.
I was careful to not over-water the remaining one and when I saw the first signs of wilting I was sure this was going to follow in the other one's foot steps.
But then it rained and the plant came back up beautifully. Granted it no longer blooms right now like it bloomed the first few weeks I got it from the nursery...but it still has some flowers.
What bothers me is the plant starts drooping and looking unhappy long before the soil looks like it's in need for water. There were times when the soil was almost wet and it still started to droop and then the rain came, and it came back up. So does it mean it wants A LOT of water?
Could it be the other one died from too little water instead of the root rot I suspected?
On the one hand I am afraid to over-water because of fear of root-rot, on the other hand it really looks like this plant wants water long before the soil becomes merely damp. It seems to like it literally soggy. But then what about the root-rot warnings?
I read Impatients are so easy but to me they seem to be the hardest from what I have. My African Violets, Geraniums, Peace Lily and a Neanthe Bella Palm Plant are all a breeze compared to these fussy, thirsty yet still prone to root-rot impatients. What gives?
As for begonias, I ALWAYS - mathematically! - manage to kill them.
They all eventually rot. So I gave up on this flower even though I love them so much at the nursery!
I also love the look of Impatients but I seem to be on the edge with their care. Haven't mastered them yet.
Is it planted in full sun or shade? The typical variety of impatiens you see at garden stores can only take morning sun. There is a variety (New Guinea) that can take a full days sun.
agreed - normal impatients are a partial shade plant. High sun will do them in.
New Guineas are much more sun tolerant, but even then are very very thirsty.
I am always tempted by impatients, but truthfully I just don't have enough shade and they'd be dead by June.
But they are fantastic for people in the more "woodland gardens" settings. My friend had a lot of very tall trees -- so they get a filtered "dappled" sunlight in their yard. They plant impatients (like 2000 seedlings) everywhere. It is phenomenal.
Of course its also got a picturesque creek, rhododendrons the size of VW vans, and a pond.
agreed - normal impatients are a partial shade plant. High sun will do them in.
New Guineas are much more sun tolerant, but even then are very very thirsty.
I am always tempted by impatients, but truthfully I just don't have enough shade and they'd be dead by June.
But they are fantastic for people in the more "woodland gardens" settings. My friend had a lot of very tall trees -- so they get a filtered "dappled" sunlight in their yard. They plant impatients (like 2000 seedlings) everywhere. It is phenomenal.
Of course its also got a picturesque creek, rhododendrons the size of VW vans, and a pond.
Mine are never fussy, thirsty or prone to root rot.
Mine are all in the shade. All six flats of them, each and every year.
Where are yours?
They are in a pot in the shade. I never placed them in the sun. We are however in the South, but since I got them, we had the most beautiful Spring ever, not too hot at all.
now they have much fewer flowers and leaves and some of the leaves are getting burned, scrunched.
As soon as it gets a tad hot they start drooping even though the soil is still wet. I mean, you don't feel like watering again when the soil is clearly damp-wet to the touch, right? And yet, if it rains over them, they DO get better...until they go back to droopy again.
It's just a very fussy, difficult plant to me even though I read so much about its "ease of growing". ...
I have had worse luck with New Guinea impatiens, like yours, than I do with run-of-the-mill impatiens, even though the New Guinea variety is supposedly more sun-tolerant.
They do need a lot of water. Try watering them deeply every day, or every other day, and see what happens.
I have had worse luck with New Guinea impatiens, like yours, than I do with run-of-the-mill impatiens, even though the New Guinea variety is supposedly more sun-tolerant.
They do need a lot of water. Try watering them deeply every day, or every other day, and see what happens.
they look like regular impatiens to me. Could you have something in your water? well water. I grew impatiens by the flat in my Atlanta (south) garden in deep shade and they reseeded themselves every year. Has it been that hot where you are/ you are in atlanta aren't you. if it is this bad in May I certainly would not try to grow them in July and August.
but if your leaves are burned and crunchy they must be getting too much sun from someplace if only for a little while.
could it be too much heat from the window they are close to?
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