Question
My impatiens get 'leggy' about July each year. How can I prevent this? If pruning is the answer, how do I prune them correctly, it appears to me as if the flowers are always apparent on the top of the stem and pruning would remove the flower buds.

Thank you

Answer
You've hit the nail on the head, my friend.  'Pruning' -- or, more correctly, 'pinching' -- will remove several buds and delay blooming.  But only for a very short time.  Impatiens are floriferous this time of year.  Consider this:  Each slice off the top stimulates branching and will multiply flowers several times.

Pinch a quarter of your Impatiens tomorrow.  Wait 2 days, then pinch another quarter.  By the beginning of next week, you will have pinched all of them.  There will be a slight interruption of flowers, but not completely, and not even noticeably.

How to pinch:  Look at each stem and imagine 2 stems replacing it halfway up.  Just above a node -- the bump where leaves sprout -- cut with sharp scissors or a razor blade.  You can root the removed stem in water and it will grow into a full fledged bloomer quickly, ready to be pinched.

How this works:  Nodes are areas on a stem with high concentrations of plant growth hormones.  The highest concentration of all is located at the end of the stem or branch; the highest concentration in the plant is at the tip of the longest stem or branch.  When you remove a stem, the hormones spring into action and trigger growth of multiple stems to replace it.  Neat, huh?  Wouldn't it be nice if people could do that to their brain cells after a night of drinking their friends under the table?

Fertilize after you pinch to get the ball rolling.  Hope this is clear.  Any questions, let me know.  This should be a piece of cake.