Expert: Mike Mascio - 5/1/2007

Question
I planted impatiens from seeds in a small greenhouse kit and they sprouted very well, I just transferred them to a bigger pot, we placed them outside and the leaves turned white. I live in upstate NY and it was sunny and about 60' today. Please help, these are a gift my young children want to give.

Answer
The plants suffered from sun scald. This condition results from sudden exposure to the sun.

Impatiens are shade loving plants, but what happened here will occur to any plant grown indoors unless it is hardened off. Hardening-off is a process that entails slowly acclimating a seedling to the outdoor conditions. You place the seedling in a protected area, such as on a covered porch, for four hours the first day. You then continue the process for an additional two hours each day for the next two days. You can then move the plant from the porch to a semi-shaded area for six hours the following two days. By day seven, you can move the seedling completely outdoors for a full day. In the case of impatiens, they do best, however, when planted in an area with dappled sun.

There is little you can do to correct the condition in short order. They will recover within a few weeks once the grow their next two sets of leaves. Just be sure to not expose them again to full sun.

I hope this answered your question. Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike