Do you have any groundhogs/gophers around?

Jen

If they get dry, impatiens will drop their leaves. I would guess they got dry while you were gone.
Linda C

Impatiens here in NC are not doing as well as previous years. After reading-up on the subject; I found that Impatiens do develope disease problems, Please see link beliow.........Dianne

Here is a link that might be useful: Solving Impatien Problems

To All - THANKS for the input. To dianne1957 I also found that link and didnt solve my problem.

As to janetr - earwigs are a potential - how to you get rid of them. Also any clue on how to deal with pill bugs would be helpful. I'd prefer non-nasty chemical ideas if possible.

I think after nighttime searches and pondering, Linda might get the award! Linda and my overly kind watering neighbors. I actually think what happened is that the plants were dry and weak and then they got "sheared" by an energetic sprinkler! Upon closer inspection the top of the "sticks" looked like they were cut - and all at a very similar level. If you think about if you let impatiens wilt then blast them with spray you could very easily sheer the top leaves and basically pinch them back!

Thx again for the input & at least I've provided the giggle for the day.

Japanese Beetles attacked my impatience this year! They ate the leaves and some flowers. The little sticks you mentioned were probably the stems of the blooms.

Earwigs have been eating some of my impatiens. Impatiens don't seem to be their favourite food, though - they love clematis, but I digress. I've found you don't ever really get 'rid' of earwigs - this year doesn't seem to be as bad as others, though.

I found rabbits eating my impatiens. The one, in particular that I found, just sat there, stared at me while I wildly ran across my yard to shoo him away, and looked like he was thinking, "Who does she think she is, interrupting my breakfast???"

I've had a similar problem with impatiens this year, north of Pittsburgh. The flowers are being "eaten" around my circle very systematically. The garden is fenced so I don't think it is bunnies. Could it be earwigs? They've been horrible in the house this year!! Never seen it like this in 20 years here and we had a very mild winter. How do you get rid of earwigs? Do they like beer, like slugs? TIA!

I was glad--but sorry--to see this thread. I have had my garden for many years. I have a lot of shade so lots of impatiens in large beds and not near each other. Impatiens has been a fail-safe plant for me, giving color after my perennials stop.

This year has been a catastrophe. One bed after another has been denuded of leaves and flowers. All I have left is stems.

Last week, I put a slug product everywhere tho I have never really had a slug problem, just a few here and there. I also used Liquid Fence as deer and bunnies both eat impatiens--but they usually eat the whole plant.

I am mystified and devastated. My garden is essentially ruined as it would take til Labor Day to bring the impatiens back, even if I knew what to do. Never thought of earwigs tho I have had a few in the house--but just a few.

Has anyone read anything from their state or county extension agent on this problem?

There is a very good chance that what you are seeing is a disease called impatiens downy mildew. A white, velvety coating of spores forms on the underside of the leaves. The leaves will prematurely drop leaving bare, leafless stems (green sticks) often with a tuft of tiny green leaves near the top. Since your plants have already defoliated, the evidence (leaves with visible sporulation) are on the ground, see if you can find some of these and look at the underside. At this point the sporulation probably looks more gray and matted verusus fluffy and white. This disease is being seen throughout the southeast, up the east coast and great lakes region.
http://ccesuffolk.org/assets/Horticulture-Leaflets/Impatiens-downy-mildew.pdf
Much more information can be found at www.endowment.org

Here is a link that might be useful: Impatiens downy mildew

This is being discussed on another thread.

ginny, experts recommend that all parts of the plant be pulled, bagged and disposed of. Remove all traces of leaves on the ground also - they are the carriers of the downy mildew. Google IMPATIENS DOWNY MILDEW everyone for more information. I've read recommendations to not plant impatiens in the same spot - sometimes the spores remain after several years. It's a stinkin' garden tragedy on an epic scale.

I live in Western NC and am having the same problem with my Impatiens. In my front yard I have some planted around a Flowering Cherry Tree and in my back yard some planted in pots. In the last two weeks all the flowers and leaves have been eaten.

I had the same problem last year and a varmint of some sort ate away all my white blooms!! I think tjsangel is right on point!!

I've never had anything eat my impatiens but earwigs do eat other things especially the new ones just hatching out. They hatch out in the hundreds and are ravenous. I have found a sure nonchemical way to get rid of them and not harm anything else.
Mix up equal parts of dark corn syrup or molasses, cooking oil and full salt soy sauce. It's easier to do this in the containers. Put about 1/2 inch of it in a small container and bury it up to the rim where you have a problem with them. Cover the container but leave a small space for them to crawl into the container. After a bout with crows digging out my containers for a free meal I now cover them with a stone.

The corn syrup or molasses attracts them. The oil doesn't allow them to crawl out and the salt in the soy sauce finishes them off. The soy sauce also makes it dark so they think it's just a hole to hide in for the day.

The first time I tried this was just after I planted a bed with marigolds. In one night they chewed those marigolds down to the nubs. I put the bait out in a baby food jar the next evening and checked it in the morning. That jar was full to the brim of little gray baby earwigs. Now I put it out when I plant. I never seem to get rid of all of them but it does cut down on the number. I've stopped mulching because it gives them an alternate place to hide.

What have you tried to stop this?!

What works??!!

Hi pcreed,

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Since you have not seen what ate your blossoms, we can presume that the culprit must do its harm at night. I recommend going out at night with a good flashlight and try to catch them in the act, whatever they are. I think that both earwigs and slugs (and snails) tend to be nocturnal feeders. Eating just the blossoms is kind of mysterious.

ZM

we live in ill and all summer we have had a beautiful patch of impatients in all colors we have bunnies ,birds and squirrels in yard and they have never touched them however in the last two weeks all of a sudden every morning we are missing blooms you can tell something bit them off leaves and stems are intact but flowers gone and it happens during night have not seen any earwigs slugs ect just bit off flowers cant figure it out