How to Prune & Care for Impatiens

Pruning

• 1

  Prune your impatiens when they begin to look leggy. July or August are often a good time to prune annuals, because it's after a growth spurt, when they are usually no longer compact and bushy.

• 2

  Examine your plants to know where to cut. Look for little nodes--small, green bumps--along each impatiens stem. These nodes are where new shoots will branch out once the tip of the stem is removed.

• 3

  Cut off the tips of the stems with pruning shears or sharp scissors. Make the first cut about 3 to 5 inches above the soil, just above one of the nodes.

Care

• 4

  Feed your impatiens with an all-purpose slow release fertilizer about once a month. Too much nitrogen in the fertilizer will encourage your plants to produce many new leaves but few flowers. If this happens, stop fertilizing your plants, and the flowers should return.

• 5

  Water regularly, about once a week. Too much or too little water will make buds form and then drop off. The stems of impatiens are very fleshy, so they can wilt quickly and lose their leaves.

• 6

  Mulch your impatiens around the base of the plants to conserve moisture and to control weeds.

• 7

  Plant impatiens in the shade to protect them from excessive heat. This will help them recover quicker after you prune them. Harsh afternoon sunlight can weaken impatiens.

• 8

  Check the impatiens regularly for insects. Look under the leaves for insects like aphids, which look like small white specks. Wash them away with the blast of a hose or a spray of insecticidal soap.