Detailed Guide to Impatiens Growing Methods and Care Techniques

Impatiens, also known as henna, is an annual flower native to southern China and the tropical plains of Asia. It has many varieties and rich flower colors, including red, pink, purple, yellow and white, as well as bicolor forms, and is very showy. It is generally divided into two major groups, single-petaled and double-petaled. Single-petaled plants are conical, tall and sturdy, and can reach up to 80 cm. The flowering order rises section by section from the lower part upward, and the flowering period can last up to 1 month. Double-petaled varieties are shorter, generally less than 40 cm, with a flat-topped form; at flowering, the area near the terminal bud is all flower buds, and the flowers open neatly all at once from the top to the lower part, with a flowering period of about 10 days.

Propagate by sowing. In the south, when early spring temperatures rise above 15°C, sowing can be done in the open ground; north of the Yangtze River, sowing can be done in a greenhouse in late spring. Germination is rapid and uniform. After thinning and transplanting, the seedling stage is about one month, and the seedlings are about three inches tall. Single-petaled varieties can be planted out in the garden with a plant spacing of 30×40 cm, or grown in pots, with 1 plant per 7-inch flower pot. Double-petaled varieties, because of their shorter plants and especially their short flowering period, are not suitable for planting in the garden, but are suitable for potted ornamental display, with 3 plants per 7-inch flower pot. Impatiens likes warmth and prefers moist, well-drained fertile soil. It requires plenty of sunlight and sufficient water and fertilizer. On sunny days, water 2-3 times daily, and apply fertilizer once a week. Pinching is not necessary. From sowing to flowering takes 60-80 days, and after flowering the plant sets seed and dies. If sown once a month, in the south flowers can be enjoyed from early May to mid-to-late November, and in the north flowering is from early July to the end of September; before dying in winter, sowing cannot be done again within 70 days, otherwise early growth is vigorous, but in the middle and later stages the plant cannot flower because of low temperatures and then dies.

Impatiens fruit ripens unevenly, especially in single-petaled varieties. Seeds should be collected in batches. When the olive-shaped fruit turns from green to yellowish-white, first pinch the fruit tightly with your fingers in the early morning and then pick it; otherwise, if seeds are collected in sunlight, the fruit easily splits open, and the seeds can pop out up to 2 m and be lost. After the seeds are sun-dried, sealed storage can maintain germination rate for one year, and storage in a refrigerator can preserve them for 3 years.

Impatiens has relatively few pests and diseases. The common disease is powdery mildew, which can be effectively controlled with an 800-fold aqueous solution of chlorothalonil, tuijunte or thiophanate-methyl, once a week for three consecutive times. The fundamental cure is still to improve the environment. As long as there is plenty of sunlight and air circulation, powdery mildew will not occur, while shade, dampness and poor ventilation are the root causes of infection.