Expert: Long Island Gardener - 5/28/2007

Question
I live in Ms. where the dirt is clay.  I planted some impatients  and used some miracle grow mixed into the dirt before planting.  they started out great now some of them have died anf they look horrible. I planted them in a shady area and one side gets more sun. The side that gets more sun is the side that is doing the worst. I water them everyday because it is so hot here and they look so droopy. Can you help me?

Answer
Have you done anything to lighten up that Clay soil before you put your Impatiens in?

These are easy care plants that bloom in Shade and will take some Sun too.  But they can't do the impossible.

Hard enough to endure the rock hard Clay in the Shade.  Try doing that while frying.  Remember that Perry Como song, 'It's Impossible...'?  It's impossible!  That's like you trying to do a crossword puzzle sitting in the car at the beach.  Do you want the windows closed or open?  If there's two of you, and one of you has the windows open, who's going to bloom?

Add to that Impatiens's need for moisture -- these plants are not Petunias, they need H2O -- and you have a desperate plea for help.   Renee to the rescue.

Here's what you can do:

1.  Make sure these get lots of moisture ESPECIALLY when it's 90 degrees or hotter.  Almost ALL green plants stop Photosynthesizing when it gets that hot.  Not all, but almost all, including Impatiens.

2.  Your soil isn't just hot, it's lethal when it's Clay dried out and baking -- think Adobe Brick, think Parking Lot.  The microbes in the soil bake off and fizzle; the soil becomes sterile and lifeless -- not a good thing for Impatiens.  The MINIMUM you can do is to take Compost OR Humus (do you live near the woods?) OR a bag of aged Manure/Compost (sold at Lowes and Home Depot) and DO NOT ADD ANY SAND to this.  Take a bag of Bone Meal (sold at your Garden Center, get the large bag, you're guaranteed to use this up) and for each Impatiens put a handful of Bonemeal in the hole and mix all the Clay and Compost/Humus/Manure and there you have a lovely place where they can do their crossword puzzles.  Water well, apologize, and wait.  Pinch off any failing stems.  Sit down on the porch, pour yourself a Margarita and enjoy your wonderful life.  C'est la vie. Thanks for writing.  Keep me posted.