Impatients Are Out This Year And Next Year, Do Not Purchase Any This Year.

The Greenhouses in Ontario are strongly advising people not to purchase Impatients because of the mold problem.
What will happen is they will flower until mid June or late June then thats it folks.

Your wasting your money, we love them and now we are looking at some serious Begonia planting as a replacement plant for the colour and the long lasting flowers.

They actually have posted signs in their garden centers advising people not to buy these plants.


A few links of hundreds for your browsing pleasure below.

www.nytimes.com...

www.canadiangardening.com...

www.greenhousegrower.com...

www.hicksnurseries.com...

This looks bad fellow gardeners and it may last for years to come if you don't clean up your garden beds completely after removeing all your diseased plants.

We rely heavily on these plants for summer long blooms and garden filler, we are looking at going heavy in the Begonia area for the same results but unfortuneatly it will cost more money for this.

I suppose we can expect Monsanto to come to the rescue any second now......counting down 1....2.....3......
This is going to be a big factor to people whom have depended on these plants for years for the easy care and very bright colours.

Regards, Iwinder

So what the experts are calling for is for people to be patient
...about impatients.

originally posted by: rival
So what the experts are calling for is for people to be patient
...about impatients.

You are correct my friend, that and now Bananas as well.........Link below

www.economist.com...

Odd it is, mold being a problem.
Want to bet somebody can and will solve this for a price?

Regards, Iwinder

Depends where you get them from.
I live in SE Michigan and had impatiens last summer.

They looked great all summer.

Some places didn't carry them because their sources has bad plants....and I guess the mold is a problem.
But not all growers had the problem.

I also worked at a nursery a few years back.
Watering them is always a problem...as they are in tightly packed flats...and the flats are displayed very close too each other.
So, it's been at lest a minor problem for a long time.
Nurseries also fertilize way more than the average homeowner...to keep the stuff blooming. I don't know what the fertilizer would do to mold...feed it or whatever...

a reply to: DontTreadOnMe
Thanks for posting and I was sure you would show up and share your wisdom with us all here.:-)

I think from what we have seen in our city that this year is going to be bad for them. Every Green House has signs up saying to avoid these plants this year.

When you read their sheets on the mold problem you sure take notice of the fact that if you do indeed plant them you are going to pay for it for the next two years easy.

Your plants in Michigan must be from a different Nursery or your just lucky.
Begonias are good but they cost a lot more that impatients for sure, but we won't be denied our colour fest for the summer:-)

Regards, Iwinder

a reply to: Iwinder

Since I'm lazy...I plant my impatiens in pots rather than in the ground.
I was told that may have saved me...didn't buy contaminated stock and my soil isn't contaminated.
Although if it's in the soil...why wouldn't it attack other plants? Okay, the article says not all plants are susceptible.
To me...begonias are more susceptible to over-watering than impatiens are.

But, the place I got them at had healthy stock ...I'll have to see if they have them this year....

If you can find them...try planting them in pots using fresh soil.
And, using local top soil/potting soil, usually sold in bulk, that has not been sterilized could carry mold spores. Many gardeners will put the plants out for recycling and spread the disease.
Use a good quality bagged potting soil.

I'm also getting away using from them as much.
My front shade garden is mostly hostas and ferns. Various shades of green, with white and yellow accents...and they come up every year. The ferns add a tiny bit of the red color to the mix.
I do have a rose bush on either end....the kind that can take some shade. Those are the only other color.

a reply to: [post]

How can they know that mold will grow months in advance in conditions they can't predict. What if you grew them from seed?' This just doesn't make sense. I already bought some and I'm in southern Virginia so my temps are already what would be up north next month. And there were no signs up in the store. Lowe's.
There's not much left of the plants after the first frost. So I can't understand how they could contaminate the soil either.

a reply to: AutumnWitch657

Did you plant any last year?
Were they from seed or did you buy plants?
Did they do well?

It seems the mold can get into the soil as well as become airborne.
It can also end up in compost made from contaminated yard waste that is not sterilized.
The was more info in the NYT article...I didn't read the others.

Here in Georgia they are selling them everywhere. Home Depot, Lowes and local nurseries. It's ridiculous that they are putting sales before safety.

I bought some at one nursery and, before I planted them, I decided I needed more. I went to another location of the same nursery and an employee at that location told me they weren't selling them there due to the fungus.

I was like - whaaa!? How can the same nursery sell at one location and not another!? I was pissed that the other location had sold me the impatiens but relieved to learn about the problem and so glad I hadn't planted them yet.

So yeah - get the word out because, apparently it can spread to other plants.

I have a shade garden up front hostas and ferns. I grew impatiens last year and didn't have a problem. I got plants but some reseeded from the plants the year before.
If you do begonias instead you can take cuttings dip the ends in rooting hormone and stick the potting soil. They will root in about a week and then you can add them to the garden. This way you can get a lot of plants if you just buy a,few and take cuttings. You can do the same with impatiens. sad reply to: DontTreadOnMe

a reply to: Iwinder

Perhaps grow them from seed rather plug or plant? We were warned here in the states this year about Petunias. Funny how all of the warned plant trends are those that are not trademarked or patented.

Kansas Department of Agriculture Taking Measures On Petunia Cuttings Shipped From Dümmen El Salvador Farm

www.greenhousegrower.com...

Do you know what other plants are susceptible? Will it affect my ferns or hosts ?
I have a collection that is several years old. I have a holly fern that is three years old and beautiful. I have a royal fern over twenty years old that grows four feet tall and is five feet wide. I'd hate to loose these plants. My autumn fern is set to get a new home this year because it struggles where it is. I think it's too close to the foundation and may be getting lime from the concrete. I have pine trees that add acid to the soil but none up front. t reply to: kosmicjack

Ok for all you shade gardeners here is a great list of plants to add color to your shady areas. We can survive without the impatiens.
www.bhg.com...=4

a reply to: Iwinder

Thanks for the heads up! ...I've been planting impatiens directly into the soil but won't this year - will either use pots or avoid them all together.

As Antar said, interesting the problem plants are the ones that aren't patented.

a reply to: antar

Might be a good idea to check out heirloom seeds....there's a reason they've been around as long as they have.....
Here's one site for them...although balsam is the only impatiens they have.
www.selectseeds.com...
and
swallowtailgardenseeds.com...

To those still planting in pots...the sites I read about it a few weeks ago said that the mold can still spread as it spores and is dispersed through water and wind. It can still contaminate from pots.

I won't even buy plant varieties that are displayed next to impatiens at the nursery. But that's just me.

a reply to: kosmicjack

Yeah, that would be true if you had contaminated plants in the area.
The article said wind could carry it.

I seem to remember the nursery I used last year telling me pots were okay.
AFAIK, this mold can be anywhere....it just hits impatiens. Gotta wonder why it's bothering the plants all of a sudden....what weakened them...overuse of chemicals????

a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

Or over-hybridization?

a reply to: kosmicjack

Yeah, I guess.
But you see how close they keep them in the stores....same with the greenhouses.
They're pretty hard to water and a breeding ground for trouble, IMHO.

They must be pumping them with fertilizers and other chemicals to keep them looking primo....and to get them to bloom fast and keep them healthy???

I know they have tanks with fertilizer in some of the nurseries....they run the hoses from the tanks. To keep them looking greenhouse perfect. Never knew that until I worked at one they used the tank.

I must apologize to all posters and readers on this thread, After I posted the the thread and a few posts, my time was cut short due to medical issues beyond my control.
I am now back home and ready to post, I have never before started a thread then not participated just so you know.
Sorry again,

Iwinder