Complete Advice for Growing Impatiens (Busy Lizzie)
Planting, Ongoing Care, Pests & Diseases and FAQ
Impatien (Busy Lizzie) is one of the best tender annual plants to grow in a part sun/part shady spot in the garden. Its versatility and summer long performance makes it an essential summer addition in pots and containers. Impatien is adaptable to most garden situations and weather conditions and over the last few years has proven its worth to gardeners.
Impatien Beacon “Bringing a light in the darkness and colour to the shade” aptly describes the Impatien Beacon range, the gardeners favourite Busy Lizzie. This updated strain of Busy Lizzie has replaced the older type of Busy Lizzie that was prone to downy mildew.
Impatiens Double Glimmer is an exciting new variety with vibrant rose-like double blooms that will flower in a sunny/part shady spot in the garden.
Planting Impatiens.
When you receive your Impatien plug plants
Using a good quality peat free compost, pot up your plug plants individually into 13cm pots. Once your plug plants have been potted on and labelled, water them in well and grow them on for around 5-6 weeks before planting out. Check plants regularly and do not allow the compost to dry out completely. Impatien plug plants need to be grown in a bright, warm frost free place like a greenhouse or windowsill indoors before planting outside in May/June depending on frost warnings in your area.
Where to plant Impatiens
Impatien have a shallow root system making them ideal plants for display in pots, containers or window boxes. They will happily grow in beds and borders where they will flower all through the summer and autumn until the first frosts turn them to mush. Prepare the area to be planted by enriching the soil with compost or organic matter to help the soil be more moisture retentive, but not waterlogged. If pots are going to be used and will be on a hard surface, use pot feet to help with drainage.
When to plant Impatiens
Plant Impatien into their final outdoor flowering positions during May when all risk of frost has passed in your area. Tender annual plants will not tolerate frost so it is worth checking upcoming local temperatures before planting out. Gradually acclimatise your plants to outdoor temperatures over a period of a week or so before planting out. You can do this by bringing the plants outside into a sheltered spot during the day and returning them inside at night when temperatures are lower.
How to plant Impatiens
Choose an area that has fertile, well-draining soil or if planting into containers, line the base with broken crocks to help with drainage. Using fresh peat-free compost, apply a slow-release granular fertiliser to the soil at the time of planting. Space plants approx. 25-30cm (10-12”) apart to give them plenty of room to grow without being too overcrowded.
Ongoing Care for Impatiens
Watering Impatiens
Impatien plants are not drought tolerant and will require regular watering throughout the growing season. Do not let them dry out. A tell-tale sign of plants needing water will be wilting leaves and flowers dropping off, so check plants regularly and water accordingly. Because Impatien are sensitive to too much heat and direct sun you may find that they wilt on very hot days even though you are watering regularly. The good thing with Impatien is that once the cooler temperatures of night time return they will generally bounce back.
How much sunlight do my Impatiens need?
Impatien need sunlight to grow and produce flowers but ideally they prefer a sunny morning and dappled shade in the afternoon. When grown in pots, the more sun they receive the more watering they will require. A combination of too much water and deep shade can cause the plant to stretch (become leggy with stem growth) and will reduce flowering.
Feeding Impatiens
Once the blooms appear, feed fortnightly with a liquid feed such as Miracle-Gro Performance Organics Liquid All Purpose Plant Feed or Empathy After Plant Basket & Patio Seaweed Feed and continue to feed throughout the growing season. Using a feed, whether it is liquid or granular, choosing one that is lower in nitrogen will encourage blooms rather than an abundance of foliage growth.
Deadheading Impatiens
Impatien do not generally require deadheading. They are ‘self-cleaning’ which means that the plant removes old blooms itself which in turn allows new flowers to form.
Pruning Impatiens
Generally, Impatien do not need to be pruned. However, in later summer if your plant is looking leggy you can lightly prune it by removing a third of the plant’s vegetation. This will promote new blooms and also improve the overall appearance of the plant.
Staking Impatiens
Impatien are self branching and do not need staking.
Dividing Impatiens
Impatien are sent out to you as individual plug plants ready to be potted up and grown on. They do not require dividing. Transplant into their final flowering positions in pots or in the garden border in early summer.
Overwintering Impatiens
In the UK, Impatien are treated as tender annual plants. Plug plants of Impatien are bought in the spring, grown on and planted out in early summer. They will be in flower throughout summer and autumn until the first frost, when they may be lifted and placed onto the compost heap to rot down.
Pests & Diseases
Tips to help stop common pests and Dieases.
Good plant hygiene is essential for healthy plants. The modern Impatien plants are relatively free of pests and disease, but occasionally problems may occur. If your plants are suffering from drought-stress, for example, if they are not getting enough water, they can be more susceptible to disease. Using clean, disinfected plant pots, trays and garden tools initially when potting on Impatien will help to stop any diseases being passed on.
Common Pests that can eat Impatien
Slugs and Snails
Slugs and snails can attack Impatien foliage and flowers mostly at night when temperatures are lower and moisture is in the air. Try not to water susceptible plants in the evening as wet soil around plants attracts slugs. Gardeners will usually notice holes in the leaves of young tender plant growth and a slime trail left behind on the plant and the soil. There are safe organic products avaiable that you can use, such as Neudorff Oganic Sluggo Slug and Snail Killer , which will help keep them at bay. Encouraging wildlife like hedgehogs, frogs, birds and ladybirds into your garden will help you control pests in the garden.
Spider mites
Spider mites are more of a pest in the drier conditions of a greenhouse when Impatien will be young and growing on before being transplanted outdoors. They are minute, making them hard to spot but they feed on sap via the leaves. As they are a type of arachnid, sometimes they can produce webbing. If you think you may have an infestation, look at the leaves and you will see that spider mites have the characteristic of a two-spotted appearance on their bodies. The upper side of the leaves can often have a speckled appearance. Use an appropriate treatment spray.
Common Diseases that can affect Impatien
Downy Mildew.
This disease is less of a problem on newer stronger varieties of Impatiens, like the Beacon and New Guinea varieties, known for there resistance to the disease. However the initial symptoms of Impatien downy mildew appear on leaves close to branch tips, showing as a patchy yellow-green mottling. This is often accompanied by stunted growth and decreased flowering. The most notable sign of the disease is the presence of a white, fuzzy substance that forms on stems, buds, and the lower surfaces of leaves. Plants affected generally don't recover and can spread the disease to other impatiens. So it is best to take the affected plants outand dispose of safetly to try and avoid further preading of the disease.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my Impatien plant have flowers all summer?
Yes. Impatien are bred to flower continually until the first frosts of late autumn. Ensure that you give them the right conditions, water and feed regularly and you will have beautiful blooms all summer.
Why have my Impatien got long stems and not many flowers?
It is probably because they are in deep shade and are struggling for enough daylight as well as sunlight. Also a combination of too much water and deep shade can cause the plant to stretch (become leggy with stem growth) and will reduce flowering.
What can I use to treat spider mite on Impatien?
Good hygiene practices are the best way of preventing many diseases on plants. Treating plants as soon as you notice problems can reduce the effect of damage to your plants. Spider mite and whitefly may be kept at bay by using a ready to use organically based spray such as Neudorff Bug & Larvae Killer. You can also use a weak solution of washing-up liquid and spray over infected plants.
Do rabbits and squirrels eat Impatiens?
Rabbits are not too keen on eating Impatien and will only eat them if there is no other food source around. Squirrels do not eat Impatiens.
Do deer eat Impatiens?
Not such a problem for many gardeners in the UK but deer will eat Impatien if they happen to stray into your garden and are hungry. They like the sweet taste, water and nutrient content. Deer are sensitive to any type of change in their environment, like sound and smell as well as sight. Hang CD's, shiny objects or empty tin cans that can tinkle in the breeze to deter deer.