Hi there,
I am completely new to gardening and recently bought an orange star impatiens and after clearing the soil of weeds by hand planted them into to make a flower bed area with the soil. I then added some growth food pellets and watered in. But now the impatiens are losing their petals and shrivelling up...
If anyone out there could tell me what to do to save them I'd be grateful!!!
Difficult to say without a picture but here are some suggestions.
Is it in too much sun? They do prefer semi-shade.
Has there been a rapid change in temperature? Was it in a tunnel or a shop where it was warm and the temp outside where you are is colder?
Have you watered the foliage while the sun is on the plant?
What type of soil have you planted it in? Is it too open and free draining?
Impatiens like moisture retentive soil.
Have you watered too much? They need a drink not a bath.
Any of those help?
Is it in too much sun? They do prefer semi-shade.
Has there been a rapid change in temperature? Was it in a tunnel or a shop where it was warm and the temp outside where you are is colder?
Have you watered the foliage while the sun is on the plant?
What type of soil have you planted it in? Is it too open and free draining?
Impatiens like moisture retentive soil.
Have you watered too much? They need a drink not a bath.
Any of those help?
Impatiens are pretty, but I consider them something of a whineypants in the garden. They need like Jess said, a sheltered location, they really don't do well with much sun, they like moisture retentive soil, they're "impatient" for water, but get them too wet, and they'll croak on you too.
Can you post a picture, and maybe we can pinpoint the problem easier?
My neighbor's husband stepped on her impatiens while cutting the shrubbery... she was wondering why some of them looked so bad, then realized it was in the shape of a shoe (very small bed of them, so at first glance, half were crumpled).
Can you post a picture, and maybe we can pinpoint the problem easier?
My neighbor's husband stepped on her impatiens while cutting the shrubbery... she was wondering why some of them looked so bad, then realized it was in the shape of a shoe (very small bed of them, so at first glance, half were crumpled).
I agree, in my experience and all the books I have read, impatients really do much better in an area that is more shady than sunny - a partial shade area. One year I had a very impressive mass of impatients planted in all the partial shade areas I could find. They looked very nice although some people thought it was a bit too much. 
I thought they brightened up the area, providing lots of bright colours throughout the summer in a not too sunny area. 
I thought they brightened up the area, providing lots of bright colours throughout the summer in a not too sunny area. How in the world could anyone say that there are too many impatiens?? When they're bad, they're bad but when they're good...they're beautiful. I think they may have been jealous.
I plant these ever year and the experience is different every year even though I do everything right. Once, they got so big and beautiful, they killed a small bush nearby. The next year...nothing. I really believe it's the stock you end up with.
I plant these ever year and the experience is different every year even though I do everything right. Once, they got so big and beautiful, they killed a small bush nearby. The next year...nothing. I really believe it's the stock you end up with.