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Impatiens, with their stunning blooms adorning lush green foliage, make an excellent choice for annual flowers. What’s even better is that they’re low-maintenance, requiring minimal effort to keep them blooming beautifully throughout the entire summer season.
Absolutely! Impatiens truly stand out when it comes to adding vibrant hues to shady spots. With their abundant soft petals boasting a myriad of colors, they effortlessly brighten up even the darkest corners.
Speaking of colors, impatiens offer a dazzling array that spans the entire spectrum of the rainbow and then some! They’re like the ultimate performers in shaded gardens. Finding a variety that complements your theme or setting is a breeze, thanks to the wide range of styles and colors available.
How To Keep Your Impatiens Blooming Like Crazy
Impatiens are surprisingly low-maintenance and quite easy to care for as annual plants. In fact, achieving healthy, flourishing impatiens boils down to just three key factors. And it all begins with choosing the perfect spot for them to thrive!
#1 ) Providing The Right Light For Impatiens
Starting off with growing stunning impatiens involves picking a spot that shields them from excessive sunlight yet provides just the right amount of light for optimal growth. This rule applies whether you’re planting them in flower beds or in hanging baskets, pots, and containers.
One of the primary reasons impatiens may not thrive is being placed in an unsuitable location. Either it’s too scorching and sunny, or excessively dim and shady. (It’s worth mentioning that New Guinea Impatiens or Sunpatiens can tolerate full sun exposure.)
The ideal lighting conditions for impatiens involve finding a spot that gets no more than 1 to 2 hours of direct sunlight per day. It’s crucial that this sunlight isn’t during the middle of the day.
Afternoon sunlight can be too intense for standard impatiens on a daily basis. It tends to drain moisture from the stems excessively, resulting in unhealthy and stressed plants. Instead, aim for locations that receive full sun either in the early morning or late in the evening as the sun sets. This ensures optimal conditions for their growth and well-being.
#2) Fertilizing For Success
When impatiens are healthy and flourishing, they can produce an abundance of blooms per plant. However, all those blooms consume a significant amount of nutrients from the soil. These nutrients must be replenished regularly to ensure continuous flowering throughout the season.
Without providing plants with extra nourishment, they will inevitably exhaust their energy before the end of the growing season. However, the method of supplying these nutrients also affects their blooming cycles significantly.
Impatiens thrive in shady environments rather than direct sunlight. To optimize their performance, it’s best to keep impatiens away from direct afternoon sunlight, as the intense rays can be too harsh for these shade-loving plants to tolerate.
When it comes to annuals like impatiens, liquid fertilizers emerge as the top choice. They swiftly absorb into the plants through both roots and foliage, providing a quick infusion of nutrients. This enables the plant to channel ample resources towards generating fresh blooms and flowers.
Impatiens particularly thrive when they receive a lighter dose of fertilizer administered at regular intervals. By providing a reduced amount of fertilizer but doing so more frequently, you can maintain a steady growth pace for your plants.
However, it’s essential to avoid overwhelming the plants with too much fertilizer all at once. Excessive feeding can result in excessive foliage and root growth at the expense of blooms. This is especially problematic for impatiens grown in containers, pots, and baskets, as it can cause them to outgrow their space and become root-bound prematurely.
What To Use For Fertilizing – How To Keep Impatiens Blooming
Homemade compost tea and worm casting tea are fantastic options for fertilizing impatiens. They can be diluted to half strength, providing a gentle yet consistent flow of nutrients when watered. This ensures that the plants receive the nourishment they need without overwhelming them with excessive amounts of fertilizer.
Commercial fertilizer blends such as Nature’s Care are fantastic options for nourishing both flowers and vegetables alike. When it comes to impatiens, diluting them to half strength ensures a gentle yet consistent growth rate.
There are also many excellent commercial organic liquid fertilizers on the market that perform well too. Products like Natures Care All Purpose Plant Food can be mixed at half strength to work well.
For best results, fertilize impatiens every 7 to 14 days with a half-strength mix.
#3) Watering
The last major factor in maintaining robust blooms on your impatiens? Proper watering! Impatiens thrive when they receive an adequate amount of water to support their peak performance. However, it’s crucial not to go overboard with watering.
When impatiens roots become saturated with water, it can spell disaster for the plant. To gauge when it’s time to water, simply insert your finger into the soil to a depth of about an inch. If it comes up dry, it’s time to water. Conversely, if the soil feels moist and retains moisture, hold off on watering for the time being. This helps prevent the risk of over-watering and ensures optimal growing conditions for your impatiens.
Indeed, proper watering is paramount for successful impatiens cultivation.
It’s essential to avoid letting plants go too long without watering. When plants are allowed to dry out excessively, it can cause damage to their cell walls, ultimately leading to weaker and less healthy plants over time. Regular watering helps maintain the proper moisture levels necessary for optimal plant growth and vitality.
Don’t Forget That Soil! How To Keep Impatiens Blooming Strong
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