New Guinea Impatiens

New Guinea Impatiens
Impatiens x hybrida
(im-PAY-shuns)
Synonyms: Impatiens hawkeri

This picture is from work. The New Guineas did real well again. They were on drip irrigation and that seemed to be to their liking. I have been using Osmocote time released fertilizer when I plant annuals and it has been working great. Some annuals need another boost of fertilizer in the mid-season and for that I have been using Miracle-Gro liquid fertilizer. Sometimes that seems a little weak so I am going to have to put more Osmocote or try using a granular type for the second application.

New Guinea Impatiens were introduced to the market in the early 1970’s. Their wild success has spawned many new introductions since Longwood Gardens and the USDA collected the first plants. The original plants only vaguely resemble the large flowered and compact plants at the nursery today. One of the big differences between New Guinea Impatiens and the bedding type of Impatiens is the New Guinea type is grown from cuttings. Where the regular type of Impatiens is usually grown from seed. The New Guinea Impatiens are also a little more sun tolerant from my experience. I never plant them in full sun, however, that requires too much watering to keep them looking good all day.

These flowers do pretty well in the greenhouse and we usually take a couple indoors for the winter.