Busy Lizzies just keep dying on me, why?

Davesnave

My Impatiens tinctoria is just re-surfacing after withstanding -15C here last winter. I'm gobsmacked.



It looks a lot better in this picture than in real life, as it's quite a coarse plant. Bit of fun for a sheltered corner though.

gardenroute

I'm impressed davesnave, never seen that before.
Bad news OP; in recent years there has been a new disease called impatiens downy mildew. I used to use lizzies all the time as they were reliable colour for the whole summer. I noticed problems two years ago and last July I looked at my bedding displays and decided to give up on them. This year I will (note future tense) be planting begonias instead. It was a damp summer last year which probably made it worse, but I'm not paid to put out sub-standard displays so I cannot risk lizzies again.
IDM came from the ~Netherlands a few years ago and is spreading across the country. The only thing you could do is treat with a copper-based fungicide, but this is not guareentted to work.
Low temps and dampness will cause problems for lizzies but more and more of the 'pros' are switching to other plants.
On a positive note this disease is also affecting the Himalayan basalm Impatiens glandulifera.

Orange_King

Should these plugs be left in direct sunlight or do they need to be shaded until they have developed more?

peter_the_piper

All plugs should be kept out of direct sunlight but in good light.

Orange_King

Have tucked them in to the bottom shelf of the greenhouse so hope that they will fare much better now. Thanks