I've read that the fungus can remain in soil for years, which leads me to think that the disease might be around for a while. If your neighbor has it, the organism can blow into your yard...

But remember, not everybody gets it. I grew impatiens last year, in fact I have at least a few every year, without infection yet. Many of my neighbors grow them.

But, I always sow them inside under lights, not wintersown, or I buy a few 6 packs at a local nursery. They usually don't do that well for me because I don't water the thirsty little things often enough in our hot, hot summers.

Karen

In my experience, Zone 5 stays cold too long to really WS impatiens, other than the more native types. The seed really isn't winter hardy and by the time you can WS outside (May) it takes all summer for them to bloom. Just my humble opinion!