Impatien help please-

15 years ago

I need help fast please. I am sure this is posted on here somewhere but I cannot seem to find it. I plant impatiens every year on the north side of my house. It gets hardly any sun at all. 3 years ago I replaced all the soil with new potting soil. During the summer the impatiens start out great and then all of a sudden they start "damping off" and then die. I think the problem may be that the soil is too compact and stay too wet. I have tried to do some researching on what to add to the soil to loosen it up and all I can find is compost. Do any of you have any idea what I can buy to add to my soil to loosen it up before I plant this year? Do I need to add peat moss or is there something else? My new impatiens are sitting on the back porch waiting to be planted until I can find out the answer. Thank you so much in advance for any help you can offer.

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Comments (6)

iris_gal
15 years ago
Peat moss is noted for holding moisture.

Perlite may aerate your soil if that is the problem. It also retains moisture.

I have had the same problem with the double impatiens in containers after 6 months or so. The singles grow year round here and don't exhibit this 'wilting' behavior.
wildlifephotomom
Original Author
15 years ago
iris_gal,
Thank you so much for your help. It is so frustrating to have them look so beautiful at the beginning of the season and then just "melt". Believe it or not I have never had the problem with the double impatiens for some unknown reason. Thank you again and happy gardening.
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oilpainter
14 years ago
Your soil must be mostly clay. The trouble with clay is that it clumps and doesn't let the moisture drain away. Too much moisture and soon your impatiens start to rot.

Add organic matter--manure--at least 3 years old or the bagged stuff. I've discovered a new product that is called composted manure and I use it every where. You can add compost or leaf compost. You can also add kitty liter--the cheap nonclumping kind. This is made of baked clay, like terra cotta pots only in pellet form. It gets between the particles of clay and separates them. Work all these things into your clay. and you will have a better growing medium.

Add some organic matter every spring or fall after that and soon you will have well draining loam and your impatiens will thrive
oilpainter
14 years ago
If your impatiens are already planted work some organic matter in around the plants. Then work the soil around the plants every so often during the summer to keep it loose and draining
taz6122
14 years ago
I worked 2 100lb bags of course sand into my flower bed this year because last year my plants rotted. This year they are all doing great. Sand is much cheaper than perlite if you buy it from a builders supply and will help break up the clay and keep it that way. Perlite will wash away if you get a heavy rain.
oilpainter
14 years ago
If you are using sand make sure it is the coarse sand and not the fine beach sand. Fine sand will clump in with the clay and make an even harder soil. If you add organic matter to the soil every year after, in a few years you will have the best soil