Keeping Impatiens in pots in the house

Question

I just love these flowers. I live in a granny flat and have a lovely window in my kitchen where I have set a shelf for my flower pots. I have no proper garden as such and enjoy potting around with different flowers. I first had my impatiens in pots outside but, unfortunately, it is not a very shady area so took a stem out and put into water in my kichen and it seems to be doing quite well, but the second one I put into a pot inside seems to be stagnated. The ones I have still outside are dying. Can I cut branches off and pot them for inside the flat in different size pots? I notice the one in the kitchen seems to have a white covering over the soil. What do I need to do?

Answer 1

Impatiens don’t make good houseplants. While outside they do best in the shade, indoors they never seem to have enough light or air movement. In the deep south they may behave as perennials, although they need to be cut back hard when they get leggy, but they are most effective used as seasonal annuals, because they tend to die back by the middle of the summer. Of course , you can try rooting cuttings, but if you want flowers from houseplants, I would recommend peace lilies, anthurium, gesneriads, begonias, or maybe certain varieties of shade-loving flowering plants. Do some research, and try whatever takes your fancy. Remember, people with green thumbs also have well-used garbage cans. As for the white stuff on the surface of the soil, that is probably salt residue.