AboutC.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.
Question I live in West Central Texas. One month ago (May) I planted impatiens in two identical planters. At the time, both were blooming well. I used a root stimulator as well as a wetting agent. Also included was a granular fertilizer. I used a Cedar mulch. I placed both containers on the front porch flanking my front door. The sun does not reach them but there is ample indirect light. After one week, both stopped blooming. Buds just fell off without opening. I figured that maybe they needed some sunlight so I moved them to the back patio. Now they are receiving dapple sun through 2PM then very little sun. One of the containers has begun to put on buds and is blooming slowly. The other has not responded to the move. These are not New Guinea impatiens. Yesterday they received a good rain. What do you think could be the problem? Oh yes, I also used a liquid fertilizer on them both when they were on the front porch. (Approx 2 weeks ago)
Answer John,
Your instinct to move them so that they get more sun was a good one. Although Impatiens do fine in some shade, they need at least a couple of hours of sun to bloom well. Hopefully the dappled sun that they are getting now will be enough.
You're overdoing it a bit on the fertilizer - since there was some included when you planted, and the plants were undoubtedly fertilized when you bought them, and you've given them a liquid feed, hold off on any more until into August! Sometimes too much fertilizer will make a plant grow but not bloom.
Be sure that when you water you aren't getting the foliage wet - stick the can or hose underneath the foliage and water them well when the soil is dry. Wetting the foliage, especially later in the day, can cause fungi to grow that can also cause flower buds to drop off and leaves to be spotted.
Usually after moving to more sunlight a plant might take a couple of weeks to begin flowering again, so don't be too impatient. If they are getting enough sun, and you aren't splashing the buds and leaves, and you hold off on the fertilizer for awhile, they should come into bloom soon. In the future when you fertilize (later in summer) water the plant well and let the water soak in for an hour or so before fertilizing with a liquid.
