Re: Impatiens Downy Mildew

**H*@aol.com**

This was a really serious problem in the Hamptons last summer.  I  visited 
one high end garden center who had a whole truckload go bad within  days.  
They told me their wholesale grower wasn't shipping them any more  and the 
next thing I knew I had an email from an extension pathologist asking me  for 
a list of my ten best shade annuals.

At this point I think the problem will get worse before it gets better as  
the spores can remain viable in garden soil for up to five years.   That 
means anyone who has planted infected plants will probably have a repeat  
problem no matter how 'clean' the new plants are.  If the five year  viability is 
true then any gardener who has had a downy mildew problem with  impatiens 
might be best advised to leave them out of their  garden for five years or 
until more is known.

With the potential economic ramifications for landscapers and landscape  
contractors I suspect the demand for these impatiens will be such that 
wholesale  growers will simply cut them out of their product cycles.  For how long 
is  the big question.  

I'll be doing an update in my column early in the spring.

Andrew

Andrew Messinger
The Hampton Gardener is a  registered trade mark and is published every 
week in The Southampton Press, The  Press The Easthampton Press and online at 
27east.com 

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