I was waiting for "Kennett Paper" gardening columnist Duane Campbell to address this topic, but he hasn't yet so I will take up the charge. It seems that a disease called downy mildew has been wreaking havoc on impatiens this summer. The cause is a water mold, and symptoms are yellowing of foliage, stunting, defoliation and a whitish powder on the undersides of the leaves.
According to the newsletter from Groff's Plant Farm in Kirkwood, "Unfortunately there is no cure and once plants are sick, the only thing to do is bag them up and put them in the trash. DO NOT compost diseased plant material." Groff's advises not planting impatiens in any affected soil for 3 to 5 years; you can substitute begonias, New Guinea impatiens and coleus, which are mildew-resistant.
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