Overwintering Injured Impatiens: Patience Over Fertilizer

If your New Guinea impatiens was damaged by neem oil but you’ve flushed the soil, provided light, and avoided overwatering, you’ve done everything right. Now, patience is key. Do not apply high-nitrogen fertilizer; it may push weak growth that indoor conditions can’t support.

Plants overwintering indoors enter a semi-dormant phase as days shorten. Fertilizing should wait until January when daylight increases. The exception is orchids and citrus, which can receive time-release fertilizer year-round.

Keep the plant in bright light, water sparingly, and let time tell. Sometimes plants recover against all odds.