CELEBRATING 26 YEARS! Welcome to My weekly series! ASK PROFESSIONAL Linda K. Lillie of Sprigs & Twigs Linda K. Lillie has been President of Sprigs & Twigs, Inc. for the last 26 years. She is a graduate of Connecticut College in Botany, an accredited NOFA Organic Land Care Professional, a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national award winning landscape designer for her design and installation projects. Hi Linda, I was having wonderful luck with my impatiens until a week ago. Several leaves started to turn yellow and the blossoms began to shrivel. Do you think it is a fungus or perhaps a parasite may be killing the roots? What is your opinion? - Margaret Hi Margaret, The most common reason Impatiens leaves turn yellow is because of improper watering, i.e. too much water. Allow the soil to dry out between watering's. Actually allow the plant to show you when it's time to water. The plant will droop a little and that will be the sign you need to water. They should only need watering every 2-3 days. Make sure there is a hole in the bottom of the pot to allow for drainage of excess water. When you water, only water in the morning and allow the plant to dry out during the day. Too much water stresses the plant and hinders the plant roots from breathing and creates an environment that encourages fungal diseases to set in. Every year before planting impatiens, you need to sterilize your pot and plant them in new planting soil, so you do not get 'Impatiens Blight'. I would start by adjusting your watering and see what happens. Sprigs &wigs EMAIL OR MAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO: info@sprigsandtwigs.net or Linda Lillie, Sprigs & Twigs Inc, PO Box 245, Gales Ferry, CT 06335 SPRICS & TWIGS VOTED THE BEST BY DAY READERS EVERY YEAR! WWW.SPRIGSANDTWIGS.NET CELEBRATING 26 YEARS ! Welcome to My weekly series ! ASK PROFESSIONAL Linda K. Lillie of Sprigs & Twigs Linda K. Lillie has been President of Sprigs & Twigs , Inc. for the last 26 years . She is a graduate of Connecticut College in Botany , an accredited NOFA Organic Land Care Professional , a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national award winning landscape designer for her design and installation projects . Hi Linda , I was having wonderful luck with my impatiens until a week ago . Several leaves started to turn yellow and the blossoms began to shrivel . Do you think it is a fungus or perhaps a parasite may be killing the roots ? What is your opinion ? - Margaret Hi Margaret , The most common reason Impatiens leaves turn yellow is because of improper watering , i.e. too much water . Allow the soil to dry out between watering's . Actually allow the plant to show you when it's time to water . The plant will droop a little and that will be the sign you need to water . They should only need watering every 2-3 days . Make sure there is a hole in the bottom of the pot to allow for drainage of excess water . When you water , only water in the morning and allow the plant to dry out during the day . Too much water stresses the plant and hinders the plant roots from breathing and creates an environment that encourages fungal diseases to set in . Every year before planting impatiens , you need to sterilize your pot and plant them in new planting soil , so you do not get ' Impatiens Blight ' . I would start by adjusting your watering and see what happens . Sprigs & wigs EMAIL OR MAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO : info@sprigsandtwigs.net or Linda Lillie , Sprigs & Twigs Inc , PO Box 245 , Gales Ferry , CT 06335 SPRICS & TWIGS VOTED THE BEST BY DAY READERS EVERY YEAR ! WWW.SPRIGSANDTWIGS.NET