Water
Impatiens need a lot of water. The soil shouldn’t dry out too much, and that’s part of the reason why they don’t do well in full sun – they tend to dry out too quickly.
When the surface of the soil begins to dry, add more water. If the plants start to droop, you’ve waited too long.
Fertilizer
Feed the plants with a flower-specific fertilizer once a month, after the flower buds have formed.
Down to Earth Alfalfa Meal
Alfalfa Meal from Down to Earth is an excellent option. Arbico Organics carries half- and five-pound boxes.
In containers, a slow-release fertilizer at planting time can also help maintain steady nutrients.
Container Growing
Impatiens do exceptionally well in pots and hanging baskets. Use a lightweight, water-retentive potting mix, and ensure the container has adequate drainage.
Because container soil dries out faster, be prepared to water more frequently.
Keep an eye on container-bound plants for signs of root crowding—if they seem to dry out too quickly or stop blooming, it might be time to repot.
Cultivars to Select
Impatiens are usually grouped according to series, which is a marketing term used to group collections of plants with similar characteristics.
These will usually share the same growth habit and cultural requirements while being different from one cultivar to the next in terms of color, or patterns seen on the flowers.
Accent
The name is on the nose with this series from Syngenta. These dwarf plants produce relatively massive flowers in comparison to other varieties, which makes them the perfect garden accent.
These reach a height of 10 to 12 inches and spread 10 inches. The large flowers are up to two inches across, and seeds mature in 70 to 77 days.
You’ll find Accent series cultivars in red, pink, orange, salmon, lilac, violet, and white, as well as ‘Peppermint Mix’ (a combo of pinkish-red and white flowers) and other seed mixes, plus unique ‘Star’ cultivars with red, orange, violet, or salmon-colored blossoms that have white star-shaped centers.
Accent ‘Red Star’
Accent ‘Red Star’ seeds and a variety of other color options are available in packages of 500 from True Leaf Market.
Beacon
The Beacon series comes to us from PanAmerican Seed Company, and this flower was bred to be resistant to downy mildew.
It was first introduced in 2020 and can now be found across the country thanks to its ability to withstand this widespread disease.
The seedlings tend to cost more than other cultivars, but the price will be well worth it when your touch-me-nots make it through the season unscathed.
Beacon ‘Paradise’ Mix
These hardy flowers are available in red, violet, salmon, coral, orange, rose, and white. The plants grow 14 to 18 inches in height and spread 12 to 14 inches.
Beacon ‘Paradise’ Mix is available from Burpee in packets of 25 seeds or bundles of 24 live plants in a mix of colors including white, red, coral, and violet.
Imara XDR
Imara is a name that symbolizes strength, but what’s with the “XDR”?
It stands for extra disease resistance, with thrilling flowers to boot! This series, which was introduced in 2019 by Syngenta Flowers, is highly resistant to downy mildew.
With cultivars in red, orange, pink, purple, salmon, rose, and white, as well as mixes and colorful options with white stars at their centers, the plants have a height and spread of 10 to 12 inches.
Imara XDR
Seeds are available from the Park Seeds Store in packs of 30 via Amazon. This mix includes a variety of solid-color cultivars.
Maintenance
No doubt part of the reason impatiens are so popular is because they need hardly any maintenance to look fabulous. They are self-cleaning, which means you don’t need to remove the spent flowers to see new blossoms.
You don’t need to pinch them back, either. They have a naturally bushy, compact shape without any effort on your part. However, feel free to pinch away if you want – it won’t hurt anything.