Impatiens is a plant that is just as easy to grow in the garden as it is indoors, which is quite rare. In addition, it flowers most of the year.
In the garden
Sometimes sold under the name of balsam, we find these plants as soon as the last risks of frost have been ruled out.
Impatiens, sold as seeds for sowing in March or as seedlings in pots (year round, in houseplant stores), are precious plants to flower shady places in the garden. Plant them as ground cover at the foot of shrubs in beds, in moist and cool soil. Water every day at the beginning or at the end of the day during the dry season: impatiens appreciate water and will flower continuously if they are not lacking.
There are varieties with white, pink, red, orange and multicolored flowers; in the ground, they reach 30 to 40 cm depending on the light. In October, when you clean the deflowering beds, keep a few feet: pot them and place them indoors in a very bright room, sheltered from direct sunlight.
Inside
We cultivate impatiens like an annual plant. Left in the ground, it would not resist the cold in our climates. Enter it before the first frosts that would destroy it. It will resume flowering very quickly. During the winter, be stingy with water: let the compost dry a little before watering again.
If your impatiens tend to have long, slender stems, do not hesitate in the spring to cut 10 cm from the pot. Fast growing, it will be fuller and more flowery afterwards.
Each pruned stem can produce a new plant: place it in a glass of water, you will quickly see roots appear. Then repot in potting soil without breaking the young roots. When your cuttings have resumed, pinch the top of the stems, the plants will branch out.
During the winter, keep the hotpot of impatiens at 10 ° C minimum, in a very bright room. Never place impatiens in direct sunlight and monitor their health: if you notice the presence of white flies or aphids, isolate affected plants so that they do not contaminate others, and treat quickly with an appropriate insecticide.
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