New Guinea impatiens: Diseases and Remedies (3-minute Read)

NOTE: The terms New Guinea impatiens and Impatiens hawkeri are identical in this text; in reality, Impatiens hawkeri is New Guinea impatiens’s biological word.

There are impatiens that provide a spectacle of blooms in any sunny garden location. Similar to their shade-loving cousins, the common impatiens form small clumps of foliage with colorful flowers.

These fast growers will bloom early in the season, and some varieties will last well into fall, when planted just after the last threat of a frost. A low-maintenance and high- performance option for gardeners wanting a showy seasonal display is offered by the New Guinea impatiens.

Why does my Impatiens hawkeri roots have rot?

Root rot on your New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri) can be fatal if not treated with care. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you follow our guide to keep your plant alive if the symptoms occur: Root soft and blackened.
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Why does my New Guinea impatiens have gray mold spots?

Gray mold spots are a specific fungus that regularly harms flowers and spreads swiftly. If you notice any brown (or gray) spots, this fungus is probably to cause. You risk your plant dying if you ignore these warning indications.

Our Solution

The solution is quite logical when you know the cause of the problem. Most of the time, it is due to overwater of the Impatiens hawkeri. We advise you to remove the infected parts of the plant, cut off the infected roots and leaves, then repot your plant using sterile potting soil and a clean pot.

Why does my New Guinea impatiens have leaf spots?

Leaf We provide you with all the information you need to identify and save your plants if they display signs like leaves that suddenly change color or wilt/droop. This sort of sickness is one of the most aggravating for New Guinea impatiens owners.

Why are my New Guinea impatiens leaves turning yellow?

Yellowing leaves are arguably the most prevalent issue in the gardening world. Overwatering or a lack of nutrients are the 2 main causes of this issue.

Reduce your watering frequency when you fear your plants are being overwatered, and follow these steps to determine whether they may be lacking in nutrients:

Each deficiency produces a different yellowing on the Impatiens hawkeri in question, here’s how to spot them:

  • Magnesium deficiency starts as yellow patches between leaf veins on older leaves. Veins stay green as yellow moves from the leaf center out. Leaf edges turn yellow last.
  • Another indicator of iron deficiency is yellowing between leaf veins, but young leaves on plant tops and branch tips are first affected.
  • Sulfur deficiency starts with the newest leaves, turning them yellow throughout.
  • Potassium deficiency shows itself when leaf edges turn bright yellow, but the inner leaf stays green. Older leaves show symptoms first, and leaf edges soon turn brown.
  • A lack of nitrogen is indicated by a widespread yellowing. Older, inner leaves are the first to yellow. As the yellowing progresses, it eventually touches young leaves as well.

Our Solution

You only need to respond to the signs mentioned above. A gardening store expert will be able to provide you advice on how to purchase a specific soil to treat a potassium or nitrogen deficiency. Additionally, you can reduce how often you water your plants.

Is my New Guinea impatiens sunburned?

It is quite easy to find out if your New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri) has been burned by the sun. Just like on us, your plant will change color in this case, it will start to turn yellow or white.

Sunburned

As we saw above, the leaves of your New Guinea impatiens can also change color if it receives too much water or insufficient light.

However, there is a way to tell if it is sunburn; look at the bottom of the yellow leaves, the ones that have a shaded area closer to the root, if this area stays greener, it is probably sunburned, not something else.

Why are my New Guinea impatiens leaves turning brown?

Most of the time, leaves of a New Guinea impatiens that turn brown is a sign that your plant has been sunburned, it has probably been exposed to too much direct sunlight. Don’t panic, your plant probably won’t die from this, but its growth will take a hit.

Should I leave my Impatiens hawkeri in direct sunlight?

No! If your Impatiens hawkeri (or New Guinea impatiens) has the symptoms described above, don’t leave it in direct sunlight, that’s the reason why your New Guinea impatiens is in such a state!

Our Solution

As explained in the paragraph above, the solution is simple, just place your New Guinea impatiens in a place where the light does not reach it directly, in this way and with a correct watering, your plant should resume its life rather quickly.

Why are my Impatiens hawkeri leaves drooping or wilting ?

This typically occurs when your Impatiens hawkeri gets dehydrated. Large plants are more at risk since they naturally require more water than smaller plants.

Drooping

You may quickly determine if your Impatiens hawkeri plant needs water by under-weighing its pot; if it seems light, the soil and roots are probably fairly dry and require water.

Our Solution

If the soil in the container is completely dry, you must first moisten it to guarantee that your plant’s roots absorb the benefits of the water. One common mistake is to drown the New Guinea impatiens right away after a dry time because you think it needs a lot of water.

This is the case, but giving too much water at once is the best way to finish it off, you should actually water the soil normally, resuming a quiet watering rhythm.

Caring Tips for Impatiens hawkeri

Water Occasionally

Water is necessary for your plant to live, but timing and amount of watering must be balanced. Overwatering could have disastrous effects on your own name, as we already mentioned.

You can tell if your plant needs water by touching the soil; if it still feels damp, it’s usually preferable to wait a few more days.

Always keep temperatures stable

It is also a good idea to keep your Impatiens hawkeri at a stable temperature (especially if it is kept indoors!). At GreenShack, we generally recommend staying in the 65 and 85 degrees F range. Of course, do not place your Impatiens hawkeri near a source of hot (or cold) air such as A/C units, radiators or the like.

Keep your New Guinea impatiens Dust-Free

This one relates to indoor plants. Just like your furniture, dust collects on the leaves of your indoor plants. The issue is that this can block the photosynthesis process from starting, which would cause the plants to gradually lose their color.

For your New Guinea impatiens, this would be a true descent into hell, and it would also appease the pests.

To remove the dust, gently rub the plant’s leaves with a microfiber cloth. Dust can be removed more easily with a damp cloth, but stay away from corrosive substances like rubbing alcohol!

Keep drainage in mind

If you have a tendency to overwater, you need to keep an eye on your drainage, we advise you to opt for a pot with drainage holes if it is not already the case and a saucer.

You can add volcanic rocks (or any other pebbles with holes) to the bottom of your pot in the interim if your pots don’t already have holes in them. This will help to form a channel so that the water doesn’t pool there for too long (preventing the rot of the roots!).