“How often to water impatiens” is usually inquired by a lot of gardeners, as impatiens have different watering needs depending on their age and growing conditions.

How Often To Water Impatiens

Well, so long as you have clean water for your plants, you can water them correctly. Read below to learn how to water impatiens.

How Often Should You Water Your Impatiens?

How often you should water your impatiens differs between the types or sometimes the stages the plant is in. Impatiens’s watering needs change according to their stage and their circumstances. For example seedlings have very different needs from established plants.

– Watering Impatiens Seedlings

Impatiens seedlings need as much water and nutrients as they can get so that they can grow quickly. Even though these seedlings need a higher watering rate than the older plants, you should not grow them on a water-logged substrate. What the seedlings need is evenly moist soil.

Watering Impatiens Seedlings

This means that the soil should stay moist (not soggy) and no part should run dry. This is the best type of substrate for impatiens seedlings so that all their roots can have access to water and nutrients. Water the seedlings every day or two in the morning.

– Watering Rate for Impatiens in Window Boxes and Hanging Baskets

When your impatiens plants have grown, they require a slightly different amount of water. Well, the amount of water that you water your impatiens with depends on where the plants are growing. If the plants are growing in containers like window boxes and hanging baskets, they will need water once or twice daily.

Impatiens in hanging baskets need a lot of water and water drains off the substrate quickly. Also, those in window boxes are exposed to full sun, so the water evaporates off the substrate quickly and their leaves and flowers become dry. This is why you always want to check and water the plants.

– Watering Rate for Impatiens Growing in Pots Indoors

If you are growing beautiful impatiens indoors, the watering rate is different because in this case, the substrate is more compacted than the one in hanging baskets and the plant is not exposed to the full sun.

Watering Rate for Impatiens Growing in Pots Indoors

For indoor impatiens, water them only when the top half of their substrate is dry. You can tell that the top half of the substrate is dry when you dip a moisture reader into the substrate.

You will most likely water your indoor impatiens every two to four days depending on the number of plants in a pot. Do not wait until the water starts dripping from the pot before you stop watering them.

– Watering Outdoor Potted Impatiens Outdoors

Impatiens that grow in pots outdoors have the same potting mix as those that grow indoors but are exposed to harsh conditions such as full sun, high temperature, and wind. This means that they will need more frequent watering than those that grow indoors.

Watering Outdoor Potted Impatiens Outdoors

Water your outdoor potted impatiens every one to three days or when the top quarter of their substrate is dry. You should make sure that the substrate is not too compacted and permits water flow so that excess water can drain easily.

– Watering Impatiens Growing on the Ground Outside

If you are growing your impatiens in the ground outside, you should water them less frequently than those growing in pots, as the ground may never be fully dry except if you are growing the plants in sand. Only water the plants when you feel that the soil is dry or the plants need water.

For impatiens growing in the ground outside, water them every two to four days depending on the soil structure. You can also use mulch for your impatiens so that moisture in the soil does not evaporate quickly. Using mulch can help you to reduce your plant’s watering rate even further.

– What are the Watering Techniques for Impatiens?

The watering techniques for impatiens are misting the leaves and the flowers or flooding the substrate. Each has their unique pros and cons. The one is accomplished by spraying the leaves with a spray bottle with water and the other is the more traditional watering we all know.

– Misting the Leaves and Flowers

If you want to keep the impatiens flowers and leaves fresh, you need to regularly mist them with water droplets. You should make use of a spray bottle to mist the leaves every day, especially in the morning.

Misting the Leaves and Flowers

Note that you should not mist the leaves until water starts dripping. Also, ensure that water does not stay on the leaves and flowers for a long time. That is why you should rather mist in the morning – so the plant has time to dry before nighttime.

– Flooding the Substrate

The conventional method of watering every plant is to water the substrate or root. This ensures that your impatiens roots have enough water and the plants can grow healthy.

When watering the roots, do not wait until the substrate starts dripping from below before you stop. Also, ensure that the substrate is well-drained so that excess water can easily leave the pot.

 

What Should You Consider When Watering Impatiens?

What you should consider when watering impatiens are the season you are currently in, the spacing of the plants, exposure to sunlight, temperature, and humidity. Make sure that you remember these important factors so that you can know how much water your impatiens needs. 

  • Season: Season is important, as it controls a lot of factors. The season determines how often rain falls, the temperature, and the humidity. Impatiens growing in summer need more water than those in fall.
  • Spacing: The more compact your plants grow, the easier they can trap water droplets evaporating from the soil. This means that you should be careful when watering your impatiens so that you do not overwater them.
  • Exposure to sunlight: Sunlight or any source of light determines the growth rate of your plants. The more light exposure they get, the more water they will need. Also, sunlight determines the temperature.
  • Temperature: The higher the temperature, the more water your impatiens will need to grow. Also, water can get lost through evaporation in high temperatures.
  • Humidity: The higher the humidity level, the less water your impatiens will need, as a humid room already has enough moisture for the plants.

How to Tell That Your Impatiens Are Dying of Dehydration

To tell if your if your impatiens are dying of dehydration, you will see certain signs. For one thing the leaves will turn pale, thereafter the stem will become dry, the flowers will fall off, and there will be stunted growth. Dehydrated impatiens are truly easy to recognize. 

  • Pale leaves: When your plants do not have enough water, they will no longer maintain their fresh leaves and the leaves will lose their color, turning pale or white.
  • Dry stem: When the stem, branches, and petioles of your impatiens are dry, they only signify that the roots are not absorbing as much water as the plant needs. This means that the plant is dehydrated.
  • Falling flowers: Plants need a lot of nutrients and water to maintain their flowers. Without water, the flowers fall off so that the plants can conserve water and energy.
  • Stunted growth: Water is important for every living organism. Impatiens that lack water will not grow as fast as they should.
  • Dry substrate: Well, the amount of moisture in the substrate can tell you if your plants need more water or not. Always monitor the substrate.

How to Tell That Your Impatiens Are Overwatered

To tell if your impatiens are dying of overwatering you will see very clear signs such as a weak stem, root rot, powdery mildew and downy mildew, flowers that are falling and leaves that are falling off from the plant.

  • Weak stem: Check the bottom parts of your impatiens stems. If they look weak and feel very soft to the touch, it means that the substrate has more water than what the plant needs.
  • Root rot: Root rot is caused by fungi that attack plants growing in the water-logged substrate. When your plant’s roots start dying, they attract fungi and the fungi can attack healthy roots. Other fungi that can attack overwatered plants are powdery mildew and downy mildew.
  • Falling flowers: Impatiens can tell you that they are overwatered when their flowers fall without giving any sign.
  • Falling leaves: When the roots of your plants die due to overwatering, the leaves will start to fall off. The lower leaves usually fall first.

How To Treat Overwatered Impatiens

If your overwatered impatiens are dying, revive them with these tips:

  • Prune the plants: Remove your impatiens from the substrate and prune off every dead root and leaf. After pruning the leaves and roots, rinse the remaining healthy ones with clean water.
  • Repot them: You can change the pot if you want to, but make sure that you change the substrate. If you want to use the old substrate, amend it first.

How To Treat Overwatered Impatiens

  • Amend the potting mix: You can amend the substrate by baking it at 180 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Baking it will kill every harmful microbe in it. 
  • Reduce the watering rate: To ensure that your impatiens do not suffer from overwatering anymore, water them less often.

So long as you use these tips, your plants will grow healthy.

Frequently Asked Questions

– Can You Propagate Impatiens in Water?

Of course, you can start your impatiens in water like some other plants. You should collect a cutting with a length of around 6 inches or more. If there are leaves in the cutting, remove the lower ones. Keep the cutting in a glass cup and pour clean water into it.

Every two to three days, check the water for dirt and replace it immediately. If you have a rooting hormone, you can encourage the cutting to grow quickly by dropping a few drops of the hormone in the water.

Your impatiens cutting should produce roots in less than ten days and should be ready for transplanting in less than two weeks. Note that the cutting needs access to light and a suitable temperature.

– Do the Different Types of Impatiens Have Different Watering Needs?

The different types of impatiens do have differing watering needs. Just like other plants they have their own needs and requirements.

For example, regular impatiens thrive in the shade but the newer hybrids can take full sun. You should always remember rules such as the finger tip test to know when to water. 

– How Often Should You Water Impatiens Seeds?

You should diligently water impatiens seeds on a daily basis.You should do that until they germinate. Once they germinate you can take off the plastic covering, plant in separate containers and only keep the soil moist from then on.

Conclusion

Now, growing impatiens is easier for you, as you know the best watering techniques and rates for your plants.

Remember the following points from this article:

  • Impatiens seeds need their substrate to be evenly moist while older plants should be watered when the substrate starts to dry up.
  • You should consider the season, plant spacing, temperature, humidity, and other factors before and when watering your impatiens plants.
  • Impatiens can lose their flowers when they get too much or too little water, so ensure that you give them just the right amount of water to maintain their bloom.
  • When treating your overwatered impatiens, remember to fix their potting mix if you want to reuse it.
  • Grow your impatiens in well-drained soil so that excess water can easily leave the pot.

Go check your plants right away to know if they need water or not, as planting impatiens is now easier for you.

5/5 - (20 votes)
Evergreen Seeds
Latest posts by Evergreen Seeds (see all)

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR