Sadly, this is the time of year when downy mildew takes a deadly toll on impatiens. Typically it attacks when we have rain after a long hot/dry spell. It is heartbreaking and there is nothing you can do about it. It has plagued my yard since 2012, destroying every impatien in my landscape UNTIL this year. GOOD NEWS. Two new hybrids of downy-mildew resistant impatiens have been developed. One is Imara XDR and the other is Beacon. I was able to obtain some Imara this year. And even though my soil is rife with downy mildew from past years, they have remained completely disease free. HOWEVER, they have not been prolific bloomers. In fact, the only ones that have bloomed have gotten a fair amount of sun. I hope to be able to find some Beacon impatiens next year. If not, I’m going to try the Imara again next year.
Since 2012 I have had to rely on coleus (which can be hard to sustain) and caladiums for color in the shaded areas of my garden.
This year my caladiums are breathtaking! Please email me if you’d like a recommendation on where to buy outstanding caladium bulbs at a good price.
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2020 11:36:46 -0400
From: Leslie Stewart
Subject: Downy Mildew on Impatiens