Hi enjoy,

I think I would empty and wash the boxes and sterilize with Clorox and rinse the Clorox off after maybe 30 minutes. Then I would load the boxes with fresh growing medium. I use Premier ProMix BX, to which I add extra Perlite for better drainage.

But any good growing medium should do, including aged compost.

The above steps are in case it is something in the soil that is causing your problem. I am not an organic gardener, so I don't hesitate to use soluble nutrients like Better-Gro orchid formulas from Lowe's. They are urea-free for use in sterile growing mediums, which lack the microbes to convert urea to usable nitrates and ammonium ions.

MM

I agree that it's worthy considering that the potting medium might be the culprit. Have you been using a fast-draining mix each time? Do your window boxes even drain? Have you been using the same medium each year or replacing it with fresh stuff?

I'm with those two. I do reuse potting mix, but only for about three years at the most. It gets to a point where all the big pieces break down into small pieces and suddenly it's bad drainage, which means good-bye plants.
So...start with a very high quality fresh potting mix this year. If the bag says "soil", you don't want it.

The next question is what kind of care did you give your plants? I don't know about your summers, but I would think that your containers would need water at least every other day, and every single day if they are small. The smaller the container, the more often you must water. (I don't own any outdoor containers that are less than fourteen inches in diameter, and bigger is definitely better.) I routinely use moisture crystals in my pots, and still need to water daily. Some potting mixes have them built in. They are a good thing.

Also, are you fertilizing regularly? Even though alot of good potting mixes have fertilizer built in, it doesn't last long because every time you water, you are washing that fertilizer out the drain holes. (The pots DO have drain holes, right?) It's a good idea to add slow release fertilizer to the soil at planting time (like Osmocote), and THEN give your containers liquid fertilizer every other week. It makes a BIG difference.

Finally, how many plants are you putting in your containers? I love the look of mixed containers with lots of different plants in them, but, the more plants you have, the more water and fertilizer they need, the more they will need pruning, and even then, they may not go for an entire growing season. Also, there are some plants that don't play nice in containers. They are thugs with roots that suck up all the moisture and nutrition from everybody else. None you have grown qualify, but it's a good question to ask when you're purchasing plants.

You have had success in the past, so you CAN do this! Hope this year is a roaring success! :)

I agree, change the soil in your planters....there is a mold? disease?...something that will live in your soil and cause your impatiens to die off....
Try dumping the soil in your planters, clorox-ing the boxes and refilling....then try the impatiens again....and do the new soil thing in the hanging baskets and try calibrachoa....and water....2 times a day at least. If a hanging pot had good drainage...it's impossible to over water.
Linda C

Well, definately good advice. As for the window boxes. I seem to remember that the first year that I replanted them myself, there was mold and the begonias all had to be replaced and from then on I never was able to get anything to grow. I did replace most of the soil and they have drainage holes but the mold may be the culprit. Heck, maybe I should just buy new ones I've been looking for an excuse anyway.

The hanging baskets are in a sunny and very windy at times location. We have severe watering restrictions so I can only water every second day legally. I will try steralizing them as well and then look for more drought tolerant plants ANd use moisture crystals as well. If they don't work then I will simply scrap the idea. It was supposed to be fun when I started this out but if it doesn't work this time, it simply wasn't meant to be with the hanging baskets.

Thanks to all.

I'm surprised there would be watering restrictions on hanging baskets or window boxes! I know there are many places where watering the lawn, etc is restricted. I think the idea of using calibrachoa, browalia, an "anchoring" plant like geranium, plus something trailing like ivy or ? should work for you. I agree with everyone else that the most important things in containers/baskets is great soil, regular fertilizing, and LOTS of water. Good luck!
To donnabaskets, I am interested in your comment about "plants with roots that soak up all the moisture and nutrition". Can you list some of those? Thanks.

Yes, we can water our lawns only once a week and flowers only every second day. I have a disability so I can't carry buckets of water from the house as some people do. One can get a permit to water new grass or trees more frequently but that is all.

proudgrma:
Some "thugs" I have tried in pots include setcreasea (bright purple "Wandering Jew" type plant) and Chinese lanterns. I have learned to look at the roots before I use them in pots. If they have big, thick roots, I proceed with caution. I tried planting these kinds of plants in a smaller pot, then plunging them into a big pot (they had some attribute that I really wanted in my mix). The setcreasea actually broke the smaller plastic pot open! I see this plant in White Flower Farm catalog mixed with other annuals in pots, and I am horrified!