Impatiens from Seed Not Flowering

Question

I bought a packet of impatiens and started the seeds indoors around February/March then transferred them outdoors about a month ago. The plants are long and leggy (about a foot long) and one or two can’t grow any taller so they are falling over. Problem – there is no sign of a flower. They are planted mainly in the shade (about an hour or two of full sun). I chopped down the tree this weekend that provided most of the shade. They will now get about 3 or 4 hours of sun 1-4 pm. Is there anything I can do to help them flower? If not, I’ll pull them out and buy something else.

Answer 1

Other than giving them additional sunlight, you might want to add some phosphorus to the soil to help with blooming. Bone meal is a good source for this, or use a fertilizer that has a higher phosphorus ratio.