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Annuals/impatient hanging baskets

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Expert: - 5/15/2008


Question
do you have to pick off old bloom to keep the plant growing.  how much sun is to much

Answer
Alverdia,
Everyone loves impatiens because they produce constant color and they don't have to be deadheaded - you can just water them when dry (could be every day in hot weather) and fertilize once a month and the basket should look great.  (Always water before fertilizing - never feed a thirsty plant!)  These plants do well in half day sun...I'd say that morning sun is ideal, with afternoon shade, but they'll put up with afternoon sun and morning shade too. About the only thing that will cause them to stop blooming is absolute total shade...they need at least three hours of direct sun to bloom.

I hope this helps!
C.L.

Annuals

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C.L. Fornari

Expertise

Annuals suggested for specific situations (sun, shade, windowboxes etc) New or unusual annuals are a particular interest of mine, and I grow many of these from seed. I am happy to help problem solve, answer questions about maintenance, and guide you to sources of unusual plants.

Experience

I am a garden writer/speaker/consultant and host of a weekly gardening radio program in the Northeast. I have been gardening all my life for my own pleasure, and started as a professional gardener and garden communicator 15 years ago. I work part-time at a garden center, selling and tending shrubs/trees/annuals/perennials...and doing some propagation and design work. I often think that all these professional activities serve to put a somewhat legitimate framework around a serious case of plant-lust.

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