From my perspective as an impatiens plant, light is my primary energy source for creating flowers. If I'm not flowering, the most likely issue is that I'm not receiving the right amount or quality of light. While I am famously known for thriving in shade, "shade" does not mean "total darkness." If I am planted in deep, full shadow, I simply cannot photosynthesize enough to produce the surplus energy required for blooming. My energy goes purely into survival and maintaining my green foliage. Conversely, if I am placed in intense, direct afternoon sun, I become stressed. My leaves may scorch, I lose water too quickly, and I must divert all my resources to repairing damage and staying hydrated, leaving nothing for flowers.
You might be feeding me, but you could be giving me the wrong kind of food. If you use a fertilizer with a high nitrogen (N) value, you are essentially telling me to focus all my energy on growing lush, green leaves and stems. Nitrogen promotes fantastic vegetative growth at the expense of reproductive growth (flowers). I need a fertilizer that encourages blooming, one with a higher phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) content—the second and third numbers on the fertilizer package. Alternatively, you might not be feeding me at all. I am a heavy bloomer living in a pot with a finite amount of soil nutrients. I quickly deplete the available resources and need regular feeding to sustain the energy-intensive process of producing continuous flowers.
Please consider my foundation—my roots. If I am in a container that is too small, my roots become pot-bound. They circle around, become tangled, and have no room to access the water and nutrients I need. When I am root-bound, I am under significant stress, and my priority becomes survival, not reproduction. Similarly, if I am planted in garden soil that is too compacted or heavy with clay, my roots struggle to breathe and expand. They need oxygen as much as they need water. Poor soil conditions or a cramped pot directly hinder my ability to uptake the necessary elements to support flowering.
Water is the lifeblood that transports nutrients throughout my system and keeps my cells turgid. I am notoriously thirsty, and inconsistent watering causes me immense stress. If you allow me to wilt severely between waterings, I will go into survival mode. I might drop my existing flower buds to conserve water and energy for my main structure. Chronic under-watering will permanently reduce my flowering capacity. On the other hand, if my roots are constantly sitting in soggy, waterlogged soil, they will begin to rot. A rotting root system cannot function, leading to a decline in my overall health and a complete halt in flowering.
Finally, consider the simple act of deadheading. When my flowers fade and die, they begin to form seed pods. Producing seeds is the ultimate goal of my life cycle, and it requires a massive investment of energy. If you do not remove these spent blooms (a process called deadheading), I will direct all my resources into seed production instead of creating new, beautiful flowers. By pinching off the old, dying flowers, you signal to me that my mission to produce seeds is not yet complete. This encourages me to redirect my energy into producing more blooms to try again, resulting in the lush, floriferous display you desire.
