Every year I grow impatients from seed starting the end of February. Most years the plants are very green and healthy. This year I had an infestation of aphids in the green house around April. I managed to rid the plants after several sprayings. They were planted out May 30th in the garden. I noticed some yellowing of the older leaves. the new ones appear green though. They are a little bit leggy even thoughI pinched the tops of each plant. The fertilzer I used when planting out is Osmocote. I read once you do not need to fertilize impatients.Is this true? Any idea what could be causing the yellowing? |
Yellowing of the older leaves can indicate several things, from overwatering to a lack of nitrogen. In my experience impatiens need a rich soil to grow and bloom well just like any other annual. Amending the soil with compost and then applying a complete fertilizer according to the label instructions should keep them blooming strongly. You may find that the long release fertilizers are sensitive to the soil temperature so that you may want to supplement with a faster release form of nitrogen (either a granular or a water soluble form) early in the season when the plants need an extra boost. |