Okay, so, I’ve been growing impatiens in my garden for a while now. They’re those pretty, colorful flowers that brighten up shady spots. But lately, I’ve been running into some trouble with pests and diseases, and I wanted to share my experience and what I’ve been doing about it.
First off, I noticed some of my impatiens’ leaves started to look weird. They turned a yellowish-green color, and it wasn’t a healthy kind of yellow. They got all curled up too. I thought maybe spider mites were to blame cause they do that to plants, and I’ve seen them before on other plants in my yard.
I realized that my plants weren’t growing as tall as they should, and they weren’t flowering much. That’s when I started to get really worried, I mean, what’s the point of growing impatiens if they don’t give flowers. I read online that they get a disease called “downy mildew” and I think that’s what was attacking my plants.
Here’s what I did:
-
First I got some systemic fungicides that I read are helpful with downy mildew, as they say they are absorbed by the plant to fight against it. I picked up two kinds: Subdue MAXX and Segovis, because they are systemic and I read they work great when you drench the soil with them.
-
I followed the instructions on the labels and applied them to the soil around my impatiens. I just poured it right in. I was careful to cover all the affected plants.
-
I also started watering my plants less frequently and made sure the water didn’t splash on the leaves. I heard downy mildew likes wet conditions, so I figured keeping things drier would help.
Downy Mildew
It took a while, but I think the fungicides are starting to work. Some of the leaves are still a bit yellow, but they’re not dropping off as much, and I see some new, healthy growth. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that my impatiens will make a full recovery.
-
Then, I noticed these tiny bugs called thrips hanging around the flowers. I knew they could carry viruses, so I sprayed them with insecticidal soap, which I do to all my other plants that have bugs. It’s not too harsh, and it seemed to do the trick.
Thrips
So, that’s my story about dealing with pests and diseases on my impatiens. It’s been a bit of a headache, but I’m learning a lot. I’m hoping my plants will bounce back and give me a beautiful show of color this year.
