A good inch of straw, leaf litter, or shredded bark mulch around the plants, but not touching the stems, can help regulate the soil moisture.
6. Overfertilizing
You know the saying “too much of a good thing?”
That definitely applies when it comes to fertilizing plants. If you overfertilize, the plant often becomes bushy and full of foliage at the expense of flowering.
Before you fertilize, it’s always a good idea to do a soil test. This applies to those growing in containers as well.
If you planted in fresh potting soil, assume that the plants don’t need feeding for the first year. But older soils should be tested. Tests are cheap and well worth the cost.
To test your soil, you can reach out to your local university extension office. They’ll have recommendations for local testing companies.
Or you can purchase a test kit online that will provide a detailed analysis of your soil and recommendations for how to amend it.
After testing your soil, you’ll know whether you need to fertilize or not and what product to use.
7. Pests
Sap-sucking insects like aphids, spider mites, and thrips will all feed on impatiens, causing stunted growth plus lack of flowering.
Examine the plants closely to look for the pests themselves or signs of feeding.
Beyond the lack of blooms and stunted growth, you might see yellow stippling or fine webbing on the foliage.
If you see evidence of pests, you can use a spinosad-based product to deal with any of the aforementioned sapsuckers.
Bonide Captain Jack’s Deadbug Brew
Pick up Captain Jack’s Deadbug Brew at Arbico Organics.
Bring Back the Color
I can’t help but smile when I see a cheery patch of impatiens. But a mound of greens that refuses to bloom? That’s a quick way to make me frown.
Were you able to figure out what’s causing your impatiens problems? If you’re still having trouble, pop a description and a few photos into the comments section below and we’ll see what we can do to help you out.
And for more information about how to grow impatiens in your garden, check out these guides next: