Impatiens are known as bright, fun-loving bedding plants for growing in beds, containers, or hanging baskets for summer displays. They are readily available to buy, and many gardeners simply let them succumb to frost and throw them away at the end of each season.
There is another way, and we recommend that you try it. This is to overwinter impatiens indoors throughout the colder months, and bring them back outside again next year to burst into their bright blooms. It is a simple process, and you won’t need to worry about buying new plants year after year.
Can you overwinter impatiens?
If you have a tropical climate in US hardiness zones 10+, then impatiens can be grown as perennial plants. However, gardeners in colder climates, where they get winter frosts, can overwinter impatiens indoors to enjoy them again the following year. So, let's reveal how easy it can be to overwinter impatiens and care for them indoors over winter.
When to overwinter impatiens
If you are thinking about overwintering impatiens indoors, the first thing to remember is to be proactive. You do this by keeping a close eye on the weather forecasts for your area to make sure you move the plants in good time.
‘It is fairly easy to overwinter impatiens as houseplants, says Kathy Jentz, editor and publisher of the award-winning Washington Gardener Magazine. ‘It is important that you prep them before any frost hits them.’
Protecting plants from frost is important to any aspirations to overwinter impatiens. The plants struggle when the temperature drops below 50°F, and can be killed by a frost. A good rule of thumb is to bring impatiens indoors once nighttime temperatures consistently drop below 60°F.
When it comes to overwintering tender plants, it is crucial to know your first frost date and also keep a close eye on forecasts in case any surprise early freezes are predicted. Be prepared and act quickly to bring impatiens indoors before the frosts.
Kathy Jentz is editor and publisher of the award-winning Washington Gardener Magazine, based in Washington, DC. She is also the editor of three plant society journals: the Water Garden Journal (IWGS), The Azalean (ASA), and Fanfare (Daylily Society Region 3).
How to overwinter impatiens
A simple way to overwinter impatiens is to bring container plants indoors for the colder months. This is easily done if your impatiens have been growing in containers throughout the season; it can be as simple as cutting the plant back by up to a half and bringing them indoors.
If your impatiens were growing in flower beds, all is not lost, though, as there are still options for overwintering them. Dig up the plant, prune the impatiens back in the same manner as above, and put it in a pot filled with a well-draining potting soil for container gardening. A product like this organic potting mix from Burpee is ideal for the task.
Before the plants come indoors, there are two crucial steps not to overlook. One, as Kathy Jentz highlights, is to ‘Inspect them for pests before you bring them in so you don't infect the rest of your houseplants.’ Any pests can be sprayed with insecticidal soap (like this ready-to-use insecticidal soap at Amazon) or knocked off the plant with a spray of water.
The other is to acclimatize the plants to their new life indoors. Just as you harden off plants to go outside in spring, you should do the reverse when overwintering impatiens indoors.
You can do this by moving it into a shadier spot for a period of time before coming indoors for winter. This helps reduce shock as the plant transitions from outside to indoor living, and can prevent impatiens leaves from turning yellow over winter.
An ideal spot to overwinter impatiens indoors could be a sunny, south-facing windowsill, conservatory, sunroom, or porch. A bright spot where temperatures remain above 55°F throughout winter can suffice, but LED grow lights may be required to supplement low light levels during winter.
Keep the impatiens moist, but be careful not to overwater plants, which runs the risk of root rot over winter. And Kathy adds: ‘There is no need for fertilizer until you are ready to plant them back outside next year in late spring.’
An alternative way to overwinter impatiens, which may be an option if you don’t have the space for potted plants, is to take plant cuttings and look after them over the colder months.
This way, you can grow clones of your favorite plants and have new ones for free to enjoy next year. It requires a bit of attention slightly earlier in the year, but it is a reliable way to propagate new impatiens.
Take 4-6-inch stem cuttings in late summer or early fall, and place them into pots filled with well-draining potting mix. Dipping the cuttings in rooting hormone (such as this rooting hormone powder at Amazon) before placing them into the compost will help speed up the process.
Keep the cuttings in a greenhouse or bright windowsill, and they will likely form roots in around six weeks. The cuttings can be potted up into individual pots and overwintered in a bright spot over the winter, ready to go outside next spring after the temperatures rise.
FAQs
Do impatiens come back next year?
Impatiens are tender perennials that can overwinter outside in warmer climates. They can even flower year-round in such tropical zones, but if they do stop blooming, they will come back the following year. However, in colder US hardiness zones, they are killed by frosts, unless overwintered and kept alive indoors. This way, the plant makes it through the winter and can start growing again when it warms up, and you move it back outside next year.
If the sound of taking cuttings appeals, then strike when the iron is hot, as winter makes an ideal time to take hardwood cuttings and expand your collection of trees and shrubs for free. For some inspiration, our guide to plants to propagate in December features seven specimens you can take cuttings off this month, plus reveals expert tips to help you succeed.
This organic potting mix is made from natural ingredients and specially formulated for growing seedlings and cuttings.
A pack of four floral-patterned gardening gloves to protect your hands when potting up. They are made of polyester and PVC and have reinforced fingertips.
This LED grow light is adjustable to sit above plants of different heights, and features a built-in timer to automatically switch on and off.
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