Impatiens in my yard come back every year and become invasive to a point where they kill everything else. They bloom really well so that is good. Does anyone else invasive impatiens problem? I have been taking out a garbage container or two every other week to throw away.
Impatiens invasion
NOOO you didn't? I guess they can be considered invasive,, but the butterflies love these, and they are really easy to pull out. Of course, I just spent 3 days digging out woodland phlox that had taken over,, lol.
One man's weed is another's flower...
Elaine
I still like Impatiens. But before you know, they take over the flower bed and kill every thing else there. They are already three- three and half feet tall. Last year they were almost over 4 feet tall by november.
At least your invasive is an annual. Mine this year is passion vine. It has taken over the front yard. I planted it last year for the gulf frit butterflies (host plant) and this year with the rain, it has spread and spread and spread. I have never had much luck with impatiens. Do you have a picture?
I didnt know passion wine would be hardy here.
I will post a picture. The flowers look good but very invasive in Atlanta. When the seed pod bursts, it throws the seeds all over. I am planning to leave the impatients in day lily beds so when the lilies are gone, impatiens can bloom.
I will post some pics. Thwy look stunning anywhere they grow.
This message was edited Aug 10, 2009 9:52 AM
"When the seed pod bursts, it throws the seeds all over"
I wondered how they spread so far. Thanks
From what I have seen, the seed pods are very sensitive to touch when ripe and open with force to scatter the seeds. How far- you have to see it to figure that out.
Don't feel bad. I get the impatiens all over too. I have to go through and watch them all the time and try and dead head the seed pods before they ripen and explode is right or I have them growing in all kidns of other pots. They are beautiful though.
The worst though is the kiss me over the garden gate plants. Thos e are a real nightmare.
Just pulled out impatients from all the hosta pots last weekend. Each pot with atleast 5- 10 impatiens. Wondering if I should start using preen?
Impatiens readily reseed in the right environment and will not generally interfere with other plants. What have you planted that you think impatiens have killed or hindered? Do you think impatiens are allelopathic? I've had them growing in all kinds of situations. Although under ideal circumstances they can be annoying, I've not had them prevent surrounding plants from flourishing.
Laurel
They grow so dense and tall that everything else in bed will suffer due to lack of light. In my yard they are about 3 feet or higher and really dense growth.
man I don't think I would be using any preen. Your liliable to kill off yoru regular plants and still have the darn impatiens growing.
Man just out of curiosity do you have the impatiens that have the flowers all on th etop of the plant and branche s are the one s where the blooms go down the stalk?
One of the better things you could do is when your impatiens come upp or even later is prune them back to the heighth you want, let them flower and then prune them again when the majority of the flower s have bloomed. This will keep them somewhat contained, eithe r that or soon a s you see seed pod s forming, pick them off green , dont let them ripen othe r than a few if you want seed for next year and you can put one of then tiny little netting bags or small piece of pantyhose around the seed pod to keep the seed contained.
I think I will holdoff on Preen. I like the idea of pruning. The impatiens are of the type with the blooms on the top and branches. They do bloom a lot.
Containing the seed pod may be very hard at this time as they are just so many plants all over. Couple of thousands may be underestimation.
Thanks for the ideas.
man, We have the reseeding impatiens, too. By this time of the year they have taken over the beds and the pathways that we have covered in mulch. This spring I lightly spread some preemergent in the beds. This year the impatiens came back in much smaller numbers and look as if I had placed them in the bed. We did not want to get rid of them all, but just did not want them to be so thick. I will do the same thing next spring. Also, I pull up some of the plants when they begin going to seed and throw them around the edge of the woods. Now, we have them coming up in areas that we want to keep natural but have lots of color. I also pull up some plants when they begin to go to seed, put them in large black trashbags, and give them away to others who want some. They can then take them home and throw the plants (and seeds in the bag) in the areas they want them to come up next year.
Thanks for the information Casshigh.
By now the paths and beds are taken over by impatiens. They look great but they are just so many, seems impossible to get rid of some from flower beds.
Hummmmmmmm - I had to read awhile before I realized you guys were talking about what I call "Touch Me Nots", or sun Impatiens. Yes, these can become invasive, but I just let them go where they will and pull them if they get in the wrong place. Depending on your soil and water, I have had them over my head with a stalk almost as big as my wrist.
We have both the reseeding impatiens which is a shade plant and the Touch Me Nots which is more a sun plant. They both are very similar with their seeds popping open when ripe. Makes me think they may belong to the same family. TMNs too can be pesky. I pull up most when they are young plants and leave a few here and there for color and seeds for the next year.
Yes both types can be weedy but I wouldn't call them invasive (I prefer the gentler name - volunteers) since they are so easy to pull up and get rid of. TMNs are also called Balsam Impatiens (Impatiens balsamina).
I like some volunteer impatiens in some of my pots but when they take over then I prune back hard or pull them out. They are really tender perennials - if you bring them in for winter then they continue to grow and flower.
Anyway when some things refuse to grow, then grow impatiens! Here is a pot of volunteers.
Oh goodness -- I would LOVE some of your "garbage" impatiens!! I want to plant some in containers in a shady area where not much else grows right now (other than weeds). I'd rather have impatiens than weeds! I'm only half-joking about this... I'd be more than happy to come haul some of your impatiens "weeds" for you! :D Even just a little bit would make me ecstatically happy! (It doesn't take much to thrill me, I know. LOL)
MrsJohnnyG, the impatience will be going to seed in a few weeks if you want to come over to Cartersville then to get some and pick the colors. You can then throw them around where you want them to come up next year. Just don't mulch over where you throw them or else the seeds may not come up or you will have fewer to come up next summer. We are easy to reach from I-75 and are in the Cassville area, north of Cartersville Be glad to share with you.
Thanks so much, Casshigh! I'm in Dallas, very close to Cartersville. So I can scatter seeds now (or in a few weeks, rather) and they'll survive over the winter and sprout and grow? (Can ya tell I'm a newbie gardener with total lack of confidence?!!! LOL) I actually have a packet of impatiens (30 seeds) but wasn't sure what to do with them at this point... they say they're packed for 2009 so I was afraid I had wasted them.
I know that ours will come back if sown in the fall, but I don't know about the packet of seeds. I know that all impatiens are not vigorous reseeders. If I were you, I'd refrigerate the seeds in the packet on your refrigerator door until frost is over next spring and then sow them according to the directions on the pack. I use the bottom shelf on our refrigerator door for storing seeds. I'll D-mail you in a few weeks when the seeds are ready to start popping and maybe you can come over to get some plants. There maybe other plants that we can share, too.
No expert here - but it seems to me that if you just sow them now, it would be the same as if nature did it - mine are ready to pop now. Talking about TMNs
My Touch Me Nots are popping now, too. The reseeding impatiens are not yet ready and that is what my last email is in reference to.
Thanks so much! I'll refrigerate the seed packet just to be on the safe side. I really appreciate the offer of some of yours once they pop too -- thanks so much again!
wow i love them but dont own any. the pics make me want some for next season.
They have taken over my front yard, but with the rains they are blooming a lot. A lot of hummers in my yard all over. I guess I will have to find a way to control them.
They will all melt away with the first frost here in Georgia. I am sure they will comeback next year like they have for the past several years.
I controlled Touch Me Nots - reseeding Balsam Impatience by using corn gluten meal from the feed store. It works to inhibit germination and I just spread it in the spring. Worked very well. Last time they only had pellets so I used those right before a rain, they burst open and work well. Then I mulch over top.
Bingo, no more problems with annuals. Feeds the perennials!
Hey, can you use that for reseeding weeds?? lol
>> Hey, can you use that for reseeding weeds?? lol
Corn gluten meal? Absolutely! I just spread 50 pounds of it on my lawn and will do the same in the spring to keep that nasty crabgrass from sprouting. Great stuff!
my brother lives in Marietta and they have that kind of invasive impatients in their yard too. Can't get rid of them and I can't get them to grow in mine...
MrsJohnnyG, you have a Dmail. Impatiens seeds are ready.