Expert: C.L. Fornari - 9/20/2008

Question
I have a huge impatients plant and would like to bring it into the house. Can impatients survive in the house during the winter months and then taken outside when spring comes.
I do this with my geraniums and they do very good.

Answer
Peggy,
It is really tempting to want to save all of our summer annuals at this time of year because they look so good!  You could bring the impatiens plant indoors but they are very prone to  whitefly infestations and usually go down hill. Professional growers propagate them by taking cuttings at this time of year and over-wintering those, and then they pot these up in January, pinch them back and fertilize and you have a small plant in May.

You can bring your impatiens in because why not? But if they go down hill or get bugs, you can just put them out again. The good news is that impatiens are inexpensive and can be purchased again in the spring.

all the best,
C.L.