Busy Lizzie

Busy Lizzie Care

Impatiens walleriana

What is the plant

The herbaceous plant Busy Lizzy is a member of the Balsaminaceae family. The plant is native to Asia and Africa. It prefers to grow in tropical climates.

The bush grows to about 2 feet in height (0.6 m). Its shoots are decorated with pale red or dark green alternately arranged leaf plates. They are quite wide and have a serrated edge. Its solitary flowers can be single or double. They have a vibrant hue that can vary greatly (except for blue and yellow shades). When the blossom fades, the plant produces a capsule-shaped fruit in its stead. It opens easily after ripening, and many little seeds fall out.

If you’ve recognized any mistakes feel free to notify us about it. This would help us to provide only the best-quality information.

Humidity

High

Lighting

Full Sun

Temperature

10°C - 16°C

Hardiness zone

10 - 11

Difficulty

Medium

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Always keep the substrate moist. Water your plant as soon as you notice that the top soil is starting to get dry. If the soil in the pot dries out, it causes the buds to drop and the edges of the leaf plates to wilt.
Pruning
Busy Lizzie is a pretty much fast-growing plant. When its stems become really long, they get weak and produce fewer flowers. If you want your Busy Lizzie to bloom all summer, you have to pinch off the ends of the stems after the flowers fade. This will encourage new blooming. You may want to do this throughout the whole blooming season.
Fertilizer
It may not be great to use organic matter fertilizers as they tend to have a negative effect on the bloom. Mineral potassium-phosphorus fertilizer in liquid form would be perfect for the plant. The bush will grow and develop appropriately, and blossoming will be timely and plentiful. Apply this top dressing to the foliage or under the root once every 1.5 weeks.

Disease diagnosis

Check your plant’s health

Ease your plant care routine with PlantIn's personalized system.

Sunlight
Busy Lizzy is known for its light-loving nature, yet it has to be protected from the blazing sun. It is suggested that it be placed on an eastern window sill with soft lighting. The flower is illuminated with special lighting in the winter. Throughout the day Busy Lizzie will need about 14 hours of daylight. The plant requires less intense sunlight during dormant time.
Soil
You can use a store-bought universal soil for planting. A slightly acidic soil mixture made at home is also appropriate: mix leaves and soggy soil with perlite or sand in a 3:1:1 ratio. place a drainage layer of expanded clay or charcoal at the bottom of the plant tank.
Propagation
Cuttings are the simplest and quickest approach to propagate your impatiens walleriana. In May or June, place healthy, well-developed bushes in the shadow for a brief time. When the plant's shoots begin to stretch, cut off about 3-6 in (8-15 cm). Immerse them in water and wait till they root.
After the bloom fades, a capsule fruit replaces it. Inside the capsule you can find a vast number of small seeds that can be stored for roughly eight years. To propagate your Busy Lizzie with seeds, do the following. Fill your container with peat-like soil mix. Water the soil thoroughly with hot water and let cool down. Then press the seeds into the substrate without covering them with soil. After that, stretch plastic wrap upon the container. Place the pot in a warm well-lit room with a temperature about 75 degrees F (23-24 degrees C) and wait till the seeds sprout. Avoid direct sunlight. After you see the shoots waking up, take off the cover and let sit. Don’t forget to sprinkle the soil if it starts to dry out. After 2-3 weeks the sprouts will be ready for individual repotting.

Ease your plant care routine with PlantIn's personalized system.

Temperature
In the cold season your Busy Lizzie will feel the best at the temperature of 50-60°F (10-16°С). In the spring and summer – no higher than 70°F (21°С).
Container
It is recommended to plant the bush in a tiny pot, which may even be a little constrained, in order for it to bloom wonderfully on a regular basis. A decent container is usually 7 in (17 cm) in diameter. As a result, the plant will focus all of its energy on the production of buds rather than root growth.
Fun fact
One feature of the plant is reflected in the Latin name of the plant - Impatiens, which can be translated as "impatient" or "sensitive".
After flowering Busy Lizzie creates seed boxes, with up to 100 seeds ripening inside. These boxes break at the end of ripening and blast out seeds for a considerable distance. This happens even if the flower is very lightly touched.