How to Grow New Guinnea Impatiens Seeds
- 1). Fill a flat with seed-starter mix and irrigate it. Sow the seeds on the surface. Cover them with a thin layer of starter mix. Mist the soil to hydrate the seeds. Continue to maintain the seeds moist through germination and early seedling development.
- 2). Plant New Guinea seedlings outdoors two weeks after the last spring frost. Select a site that receives morning sun and afternoon shade. Loosen the ground and incorporate 2 inches of compost into the soil to improve air and water circulation underground. Till 1 lb. 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet into the flowerbed. Rake the surface to smooth it out for planting.
- 3). Dig holes as deep as the seedlings' roots are long. Multiply the diameter of the root balls by 2. The result indicates the number of inches you need to place between plants. Space seedlings with 4-inch-wide root systems 8 inches apart, for instance.
- 4). Plant the seedlings and refill the holes with topsoil. Irrigate them to the root zone at planting. Continue to water the New Guinea impatiens to keep the ground consistently moist.
- 5). Feed the plants a complete water-soluble fertilizer every third watering. Prepare the nutrient at the weakest recommended rate listed on the manufacturer's label.
- 6). Collect and discard the dead flowers that the plants drop to the ground. Trim spindly impatiens back to a leaf node to induce bushiness and renewed flower production.
- 7). Weed the flowerbed diligently and address problems as they arise. A local nursery or the county cooperative extension service can help you if something is attacking your New Guinea impatiens. Ask about the least toxic methods of control.
