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My impatiens aren't flowering!

cincinnatishade

16 years ago

I live in SW Ohio in an area with a lot of shade. In the past Impatiens have always been a great option for color with very little sunlight.

For some reason this year the pots that I have on my front porch and the window boxes I have at the front of the house have stopped flowering. They did great after I first planted them, filling in nicely and flowering profusely. Now, although the plants look healthy and full, I have almost no blooms.

I read somewhere that although impatiens need a lot of water, they do best if the soil is allowed to dry out a bit before watering... so I tried watering less, but that doesn't seem to be helping.

I also wonder about a different fertilizer I used this year.. a miracle grow product that you sprinkle on and then is supposed to release fertilizer with each watering. Are they getting too much fertilizer? Is there anyway to correct that?

Any ideas that anyone has would be great... really missing our color this year.

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Comments (8)

greenhouser
16 years ago
I never heard of the fertilizer you mentioned. Why not try one called a bloom booster with a high middle number (phosphorus). Use one that you mix in the water and mix it thoroughly before watering.
lmdm
16 years ago
I have the EXACT same problem! I've been all over the internet searching for an explanation to this and have inquired at several nurseries in my area. No one has offered anything other than a guess at what might be causing this. I have successfully grown impatiens for 20 years. All of a sudden, about three years ago, the impatiens I put in two of my pots stopped growing buds. It became the mystery of the summer. No explanation at all made sense, so I got over it (not easily) and planted coleous. Okay, they do fine there. But now this year, the impatiens I planted in other areas (same as always) are displaying the same symptoms!! I'm beside myself!! They are thriving and growing nicely as plants with green healthy leaves, but NO buds! I relie on the color that these lovely plants add to my gardens every year, carefully choosing a palette that I work into everything, and now I just have a lot of GREEN. I'm looking for answers to this mystery everywhere and nothing makes sense. I've tried all the usual suggestions and still no difference. Have you had any luck at all? Help needed......... Best, LMDM
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jjjenkins
16 years ago
I don't have any answers for you, but I planted some Impatiens from seed this year and they didn't bloom for months. The stem grew thick like a tree and it produced huge leaves, after a couple of months they started blooming. So, maybe Mother Nature's just having some fun.
tom8olvr
16 years ago
I'm having the same problem (but this is my first year in a new location). Do they have seed pods? Mine are loaded with seed pods (that burst when watered/or in the wind) and I'm thinking the plants are putting their energy into producing seed rather than blooming???
pfreeh64
6 years ago
I tried planting my impatients from seef this year in a large planter. Lots of healthy green plants but zero blooms. I have planted impatients for over 20 years and always had beautiful blooms but this is the first time from seeds. They are getting morning sun as always and still no blooms!
HU-17604741
3 years ago
I'm done with impatients. The last two years I can't get them to bloom. I've cut them back. I've watered more, watered less, moved the pots, to more or less sun. I can't figure it out. I thought these were supposed to be easy to grow. Not for me.
EL BADR REAL ESTATE
6 months ago
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DrivhusSenter
6 months ago
It's frustrating when your impatiens suddenly stop blooming. Several factors could be contributing to the lack of flowers. First, the change in fertilizer may indeed be a cause. The high nitrogen content in some fertilizers can encourage leafy growth at the expense of blooms. I'd recommend switching to a balanced fertilizer with a lower nitrogen content. Also, impatiens prefer moist but not waterlogged soil, so let the top inch of soil dry out before watering. Lastly, make sure they're not getting too much shade. Impatiens do need some indirect light to flower well, even in shady spots. Good luck!

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