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Jul 3, 2023 8:50 AM CST
Thread OP
Homer, NY, USA
I have two potted impatiens (New Guinea?) in the house. Just two weeks ago, one had over 50 flowers on the one, and 40 on the other. Then both plants started getting yellow leaves. I thought it was a watering issue and had a long discussion with people here about Perlite. I didn't transplant them, but I have been very careful about their moisture level. They'ved continued to get sicker every day, dropping 5 - 10 leaves and 3 - 4 flowers each day. The sickest plants have a small bit of white stippling on the topside of the still green leaves. Nothing that rubs off. Both plants have brown patches inside the leaves that are only evident if you turn the leaves over.

I wonder if this is downy mildew, a deficiency disease or still a watering issue. Is there anything I can do to cure the plants if it is downy mildew?

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Jul 3, 2023 11:02 AM CST
Name: stone
near Macon Georgia (USA) (Zone 8a)
Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Plant Identifier
When were these purchased?
2 weeks ago?

I plant these things out in the shade garden while they're fresh purchased.

If you plant them in the ground, you may see some improvement... eventually.
Keeping them going in the original nursery pot? Kind of doomed from the start.
As a general rule of thumb, They sell those things when they need repotting.
Avatar for Engineeringtech
Jul 3, 2023 11:10 AM CST
Thread OP
Homer, NY, USA
stone said: When were these purchased?
2 weeks ago?

I plant these things out in the shade garden while they're fresh purchased.

If you plant them in the ground, you may see some improvement... eventually.
Keeping them going in the original nursery pot? Kind of doomed from the start.
As a general rule of thumb, They sell those things when they need repotting.


They're not in nursery pots. I bought them almost a year ago. Transplanted them the day after I got them. Too much direct sun at the cemetery, so I brought them home. I Transplanted them a second time, sometime later. They were extremely healthy a month ago. As I said, one had 50 flowers on it, and the other 40.
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Jul 3, 2023 11:25 AM CST
Name: Al F.
5b-6a mid-MI
Knowledge counters trepidation.
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How long have you had the plants and how long have the plants been in the same pot? Do you flush the soil when you water, i.e., water until the entire soil column is wet and at least 20% (roughly) of the total volume water applied exits the drain hole? Do you allow the plant to 'reabsorb' any water that collects in the collection saucer? When did you last fertilize? with what?

The plant has the look of one that is either in extreme need of nutrients, or one that has a high level of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil. Dissolved solids accumulate as unused nutrients and/or as the minerals in your irrigation water accumulate. This affects nutrient uptake in several ways, 1) high salinity limits water uptake, 2) since it limits water uptake, and nutrients are assimilated via the nutrient stream that depends on water for delivery of the nutrients, it therefore limits the amount of nutrients taken up, 3) high salinity is almost always accompanied by a type of deficiency, antagonistic deficiency) that occurs when too much of nutrient A can affect uptake of nutrient B, C, D, ..... . Example: Use of high phosphorous fertilizers ("bloom-boosters") for containerized plants can limit uptake of at least 6 nutrients, nitrogen, potassium, calcium, copper, zinc, and especially iron, so the balance of nutrients in the soil/ soil solution is important.

Other potentialities include over/under-watering, soil compaction, root congestion, insect herbivory, and the possibility of downy mildew or, downy impatiens mildew, or other pathogens that commonly attack weakened plants.

Answers to the questions would help narrowing down the issue.
Al
* Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for. ~ Socrates
* Change might not always bring growth, but there is no growth without change.
* Mother Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.
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Jul 3, 2023 11:34 AM CST
Name: stone
near Macon Georgia (USA) (Zone 8a)
Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Plant Identifier
Engineeringtech said: They're not in nursery pots. I bought them almost a year ago. Transplanted them the day after I got them. Too much direct sun at the cemetery, so I brought them home. I Transplanted them a second time, sometime later. They were extremely healthy a month ago. As I said, one had 50 flowers on it, and the other 40.


Hmmm...
Apologies...
I thought I was seeing typical decline of a plant purchased and left in original pot.

I wouldn't be able to suggest methods for growing indoors, but they generally grow easily when set out in the ground...

Have you tried rooting any cuttings?
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Jul 4, 2023 6:14 AM CST
Thread OP
Homer, NY, USA
Thank you for your replies. As I said earlier these plants are a year old. I give them plant food about once every week and a half. No, I rarely water until water comes out of the drain holes, because I've had problems with root rot and black leg on many of my indoor plants. Then it's "off to the races" with anti-fungals. I do realize my watering practices can lead to a buildup of salts in the pots. So a couple days ago I thoroughly drenched this inpatients making sure a lot of water flowed out of the drain holes. I do not let the pot sit in the pan water. Yes, you are right about the plant food Tapla. I just checked.. The food I've been using, (pushed by the nursery) is high in phoshorous. Guess that is a bloom booster. What do you suggest?
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Jul 4, 2023 6:33 AM CST
Name: Sally
central Maryland (Zone 7b)
See you in the funny papers!
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Al will have something to say about that fertilizer. Smiling

they are 'regular' Impatiens, by the way. My understanding of plants that are mostly used as annuals, like these, is that many will decline after a certain bloom period.

IF the reason for decline is the salts, they are still in for a long recovery period.
You may have sentimental reasons to keep these, (cemetary?) but I'd suggest trashing them and getting new ones- should be common enough at nurseries- at least in spring when more bedding plants are offered. To my mind, a new plant of the same type is a better tribute/memento than the sick plant that was acquired in honor of a lost loved one. I read so many posts from people who hang on to a sick 'tribute' plant and I just feel that is sad. Group hug

I hope I haven't digressed too far from your question. I am assuming, as often happens here, that your core question is 'what would you do with these plants?"

You could try rooting some of those tips in fresh soil.
Plant it and they will come.
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Jul 4, 2023 6:41 AM CST
Name: stone
near Macon Georgia (USA) (Zone 8a)
Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Plant Identifier
sallyg said:
You may have sentimental reasons to keep these, (cemetary?)

but I'd suggest trashing them and getting new ones-

should be common enough at nurseries...

if your core question is 'what would you do with these plants?"

You could try rooting some of those tips in fresh soil.


Thumbs up

Personally, not a fan of throwaway plants...
But these common ones are common because of the ease of propagation...

Learn to propagate by experimenting with the easy ones... move on to the less common.
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Jul 4, 2023 11:31 AM CST
Name: Al F.
5b-6a mid-MI
Knowledge counters trepidation.
Japanese Maples Deer Tropicals Seed Starter Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Region: Michigan
Houseplants Foliage Fan Dog Lover Container Gardener Birds Wild Plant Hunter
@sallyg .... already said it. Smiling If a fertilizer producer were to be asked to justify the product for use on containerized plants, they couldn't do it, other than to say, "We can't, but the public thinks they need it, and it's a lot easier to provide it than to try to educate them". @Engineeringtech Please don't take that as a shot over your bow or a criticism. I chose those words because they came directly from Dave Neal, CEO of Dyna-Gro Nutrition Solutions.

There was a debate on another forum re the use of bloom boosters. The person I was having the discussion with was adamant that bloom booster fertilizers were no problem for potted flowers, and called Dyna-Gro for confirmation, Unfortunately the customer service rep advised her to use their own bloom formula, 3-12-6. I wrote to Dave and asked "What's up with that advice, it can't be right, can it"?

The reply:
You are correct. We market a high P (Liquid Bloom) because people "believe" [his emphasis] they need this. As you have noted, our Foliage-Pro does a great job start to finish. However, it is simpler to give the market what they think they need than to try to reeducate it. There is some evidence to believe that low N helps to convince a plant to stop its vegetative growth and move into its reproductive phase (flowering), but environmental factors are probably more important. P is typically 5th or 6th in order of importance of the six macronutrients. There is little scientific justification for higher P formulas, but marketing does come into play for the vast majority of users who lack any real understanding of plant nutritional requirements. Therefore, the market is flooded with a plethora of snake oil products that provide little benefit and can actually do harm. For example, one exhibitor at a hydroponic trade show had a calcium supplement with 2% calcium derived from calcium chloride. Can you guess what continued application of 2% chloride would do to plants?
I hope this answers your question and am sorry for Zina's inaccurate response.
Cordially,
Dave Neal, CEO
Dyna-Gro Nutrition Solutions
2775 Giant Rd.
Richmond, CA 94806
800-Dyna-Gro, Fax: 510-233-0198
grodave at aol.com
www.dyna-gro.com
* Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for. ~ Socrates
* Change might not always bring growth, but there is no growth without change.
* Mother Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.
Last edited by Calif_Sue Jul 5, 2023 10:21 AM Icon for preview
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Jul 8, 2023 7:01 AM CST
Thread OP
Homer, NY, USA
To you "throw away" gardeners who just like to toss plants when they're not beautiful anymore... Seems awfully cruel to me. And what exactly do you learn by doing that?

I never set out to take up this hobby. I knew nothing about plants. 4 1/2 years ago I bought some Pelargoniums at a roadside stand for my parent's grave. A few days later the cemetery cut down all the trees, and they got sick even though I watered them regularly. So I brought them home and nursed them back to health. I took them back the cemetery for another try, and someone sprayed the plants with Round Up or some other substance burning holes in the leaves. I brought them home again and nursed them back to health. At some point I developed an attachment to my plants and started CARING about them.

I went to a nursery several times looking for some flowers that would survive the shadeless cemetery and was recommended Impatiens and a Geranium Rozanne. THEY got very sick too. So I brought them home to nurse back to health, and formed an attachment to them too. Understand I don't have any animal pets because I have a Parkinson's like condition and can't take care of them. I live alone. I have no family in this state. Very few friends. So these plants have become my pets and I'm not going to give up on them and toss them in the trash until I know they are gone. This particular Impatiens looks too weak to survive a transplant outdoors. I don't even have a good place to put her.

I never went looking for a "bloom booster". I asked the nursery where I bought the plant what plant food they would suggest to keep the plant HEALTHY. They sold me "Jack's Blossom Booster". I thought it was just a catchy name for a plant food. I didn't know I was buying something to boost flowers at the expense of the plant's health.

Anyway, I have stopped using "Blossom Booster". I have done my best to wash he soil with a good long drench of water. She is still producing a few flowers while losing leaves. 80% of the stalks are bare of leaves. A plant that works so hard at pleasing God must be worth my effort. If you know what I should be doing to nurse her back to health, please tell me.
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