Garden Care Guide

Busy Lizzie Care

Impatiens walleriana

A free-flowering annual used to brighten shaded areas. It should never be left in direct sun and its soil should be kept constantly moist; it is especially susceptible to downy mildew.

Frost-tender (protect from frost) · 2 °C / 36 °F

Monthly care calendar

Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.

January
  • General care: It is out of season.
  • Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately 2 °C.
February
  • General care: It is out of season.
  • Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately 2 °C.
March
  • General care: Prepare the soil in shaded planting areas and enrich it with compost or well-rotted fertilizer.
  • Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately 2 °C.
April
  • Watering: If there is no rainfall, water 1-2 times a week. Water newly planted plants more often than established plants during the first year; the root system is still shallow.
  • Fertilizing: Give liquid fertilizer once a month.
  • Pruning: To make them bushier, pinch the tips of saplings (pinching).
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Good time for planting and transplanting.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
May
  • Watering: Water 2-3 times a week. Water so that the soil is wetted 10-15 cm down from the surface. Water a newly planted specimen more often than established plants during the first year; its root system is still shallow.
  • Fertilizing: Give liquid fertilizer once a month.
  • Pruning: Regularly remove spent flowers at the base; this encourages new flowering. Extend flowering by regularly removing spent flower stalks. Lightly shorten shoots that grow too long. Encourage compact growth while preserving the plant's integrity.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Suitable period for planting and transplanting. Flowering begins. Apply mulch 5-7 cm thick over the root zone; it conserves soil moisture and suppresses weeds. Do not press mulch against the stem.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
June
  • Watering: Water deeply 3-4 times a week, early in the morning. Water so that the soil is wetted 10-15 cm down from the surface. Frequent shallow watering pulls the roots to the surface.
  • Fertilizing: Give liquid fertilizer once a month.
  • Pruning: Regularly remove spent flowers at the base; this encourages new flowering.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Flowering continues.
  • Pests & diseases: Check fresh shoot tips for aphids (small clusters of green or black insects). If there are few, you can knock them off with a strong spray of water. Check the undersides of the leaves for clusters of whiteflies. A yellow sticky trap is the easiest way to monitor their numbers.
July
  • Watering: Water deeply 3-4 times a week, early in the morning. Water so that the soil is wetted 10-15 cm down from the surface. Frequent shallow watering pulls the roots to the surface.
  • Fertilizing: Give liquid fertilizer once a month.
  • Pruning: Regularly remove spent flowers at the base; this encourages new flowering.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Flowering continues. Keep it in a position sheltered from midday sun; scorching at the leaf edges is a sign of burn.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the undersides of the leaves for whitefly clusters. A yellow sticky trap is the easiest way to monitor density.
August
  • Watering: Water deeply 3-4 times a week, early in the morning. Water so that the soil is wetted 10-15 cm down from the surface. Frequent shallow watering pulls the roots to the surface.
  • Fertilizing: Give liquid fertilizer once a month.
  • Pruning: Regularly remove spent flowers at the base; this encourages new flowering.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Flowering continues.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the undersides of the leaves for whitefly clusters. A yellow sticky trap is the easiest way to monitor density.
September
  • Watering: Water 2-3 times a week. Water so that the soil is wetted 10-15 cm down from the surface.
  • Fertilizing: Make this month's feeding the last of the season; afterward, the plant needs to prepare for winter.
  • Pruning: Regularly remove spent flowers at the base; this encourages new flowering.
  • General care: Flowering continues.
  • Pests & diseases: As nights cool, the risk of downy mildew increases.
October
  • Watering: If there is no rainfall, water 1-2 times a week.
  • General care: Flowering continues. It is removed at the end of the season; it is replaced with a seasonal change of plants.
November
  • Watering: If needed, very little.
  • General care: With the first cold, the plant deteriorates. It should be pulled up and cleaned away at the end of the season.
  • Pests & diseases: Do not put diseased plant residues in the compost.
  • Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately 2 °C.
December
  • General care: It is out of season.
  • Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately 2 °C.

The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.

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