How to Take Care of Impatiens
Impatiens are beautiful, easy-to-care-for annuals that bloom in the late spring until the first frost. Their colors include pink, white, red, lavender and even orange. You can mix them for a beautiful rainbow of colorful flowers. They are perfect for flowerbed borders, sidewalks or a container. And impatiens bloom nicely in the shade without much care. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Place impatiens in shaded areas of your yard, in front of shrubs or near trees that offer shade. Or place them in containers on a covered porch or deck. They prefer an area with two to four hours of filtered sunlight during the day, notes the Iowa State University Extension.
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Set the plants in well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. Add lime to soils that show a low pH in a soil test.
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Space impatiens about 6 inches apart in moist and fertile soil. Mulch between plants to cut down on weeds and retain the moisture in the soil.
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Fertilize impatiens in early and later summer with a 13-13-13 fertilizer, 3 pounds per 100 square feet.
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Water your plants frequently especially if you are not getting much rain. They can wilt easily during dry spells, so water often.
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Cut back stems to within 3 inches of the plant base if plants become leggy as the summer progresses, to spur new, bushier growth, recommends the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
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References
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