Secrets Revealed: How To Have
Your Best Impatiens in Fort Lauderdale

Purple impatiens in front
of variegated ginger

click pic to enlarge

See all the colors

Impatien colorcombinations
to consider with pics

Impatiens are easy to grow.
Here are the only troubles you could have

1. It is myth in South Florida that impatiens can't go into your landscape until November or December. Local growers start with small flower "plugs" and grow impatiens in South Florida starting in August. Some growers start and grow impatiens plugs all year long ...including every Summer month. Home owners can start early with reasonable care
   
   
2. Plant as early as possible. October is best. The reason is your price is the same (from Master Gardener), but your free bonus is you enjoy your flowers much longer ...well into our spring season. Why not get 6-7 months of flowers instead of 4-5? Plant early is our advice
   
   
3. Another important reason to plant is early is the look you'll have during the holidays. If you expect luxurious robust flowers for Thanksgiving and Christmas, don't wait until the last minute to order your plants. Start early to allow your impatiens to fully establish themselves in your garden. Avoid a possible shortage of quality plants that is a typical problem in November
   
   
4. Impatiens planted on your East & North sides and in the shade are easier to establish when the weather is still warm. However, in South and West exposures, all that is required is attention to watering. Keeping a moist soil (not wet and NEVER let dry out) is the secret
   
   
5. Home owners who do not rely 100% on their sprinkler system have the best impatiens. The reason is very few sprinkler systems are thorough in coverage. Hand watering, especially in hot exposures, is the trick
   
   
6. When tender flowers like impatiens get dried out soil, they wilt within a few hours. Even after recovering the flowers with watering, there is damage. The affected flowers require days or weeks to get back to same point of growth as before they were stressed. Repeatedly stressing your impatiens this way causes significant decline in overall plant quality and flowering performance
   
   
7. Larger plants are not better than smaller plants. The reason is smaller impatiens grow into your landscape soil faster and more thoroughly. Smaller starter plants actually end up growing bigger with more flowers and lasting longer into the Spring than larger starter plants
   
   
8. Planting impatiens with a high quality time-release fertilizer is the biggest secret of all. Apply 1/2 to one full tablespoon per plant.  Use a flat formulation like 13-13-13, NOT the high nitrogen versions with a high first number like 25-10-10
   
   
9. Impatiens in pots can be tricky. Impatiens are very sensitive to wet feet and fungus from over watering. Usually the over watering is from nature. When we get into a heavy rain pattern, potted impatiens die easily. Consider moving pots under cover is a rain spell is predicted to persist
   
   
10. Cranberry is a weaker plant and tends not to grow as large as the other colors. Try not to mix cranberry with any other color because the other plants might over-size the cranberry impatiens

There are also impatien plants named New Guinea Impatien

Leaves are totally different and far more prominently seen, plant growth is more erect, and they handle more shade hours.  Otherwise culture is about the same, with less water required.  New Guinea Impatien plants usually cost 3-5X as much $$$.  Here are some New Guinea Impatien colors

click pics to enlarge