Is it safe to plant impatiens? - Ask Extension
I have had downy mildew in a flower bed that I used for impatiens. I have planted other flowers in that bed for 4 to 5 years. Can I try the newer Be...
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Is it safe to plant impatiens? #780505
Asked January 20, 2022, 11:15 AM EST
I have had downy mildew in a flower bed that I used for impatiens. I have planted other flowers in that bed for 4 to 5 years. Can I try the newer Beacon variety of impatiens this year and expect to avoid downy mildew?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Ramsey County Minnesota
Expert Response
According to experts at University of Maryland Extension, impatiens downy mildew has the potential to overwinter in infected plant debris in the soil. However, we don't know how long the pathogen remains viable there.
Plants designated resistant to a particular disease should not be considered immune. Nevertheless, it's reasonable to plant Beacon impatiens or another downy mildew resistant variety in the bed on an experimental basis.
This year it may be best to try growing mildew resistant impatiens in a new location or in a small portion of the old bed to see how they fare. Then plant more in the future or not depending upon the results.
Learn more here:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/downy-mildew-impatiens
Plants designated resistant to a particular disease should not be considered immune. Nevertheless, it's reasonable to plant Beacon impatiens or another downy mildew resistant variety in the bed on an experimental basis.
This year it may be best to try growing mildew resistant impatiens in a new location or in a small portion of the old bed to see how they fare. Then plant more in the future or not depending upon the results.
Learn more here:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/downy-mildew-impatiens
The Beacon variety has done really well in recent trials, but I would still try to exercise some good cultural practices as a preventive measure. Even though Beacon has shown a high resistance to downy mildew and would likely survive exposure, if there's heavy disease pressure in the environment, they may start exhibiting some symptoms (like leaf discoloration) or damage.
Some general things to do would be to:
- Clear the area of any leftover plant debris
- Sanitize your gardening tools between each use on different plants
- Ensure the plants have enough space to promote good air circulations so leaves can try quickly after rain
- And water from the bottom of the plant rather than the top.
Hope that helps!
Some general things to do would be to:
- Clear the area of any leftover plant debris
- Sanitize your gardening tools between each use on different plants
- Ensure the plants have enough space to promote good air circulations so leaves can try quickly after rain
- And water from the bottom of the plant rather than the top.
Hope that helps!
