New Guinea Impatiens Help

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SavvyDaze Lady's Island, SC(Zone 8b) Jun 01, 2013

I am a bit confused about how to take care of New Guinea Impatiens. I have 2 New Guinea 'Harmony Coral' Impatiens and 2 New Guinea Impatiens 'Paradise Salmon' planted outside. (1 Paradise Salmon is in a pot). I bought them mid-March. While they have flowered consistently, they haven't really grown much & 2 of them seem to be thinning out at the bottom. Exactly how much sun do New Guinea Impatiens need every day? I researched them and find conflicting information. Some say light shade, part shade, full shade, and some even say they can take full sun. I have mine in either filtered shade or bright shade. Should I move them to an area that gets morning sun (2 hours) and than some late evening sun?

Also, I know not to fertilize them until they show signs of new growth, but what exactly is the best fertilizer for them? I read to give them an feed of liquid All Purpose Miracle Gro a few times throughout the growing season, however there are All Purpose Miracle Gro fertilizers with different NPK ratios. Do they prefer more Nitrogen & Phosphorus than Potassium, or should I just go with one that is relatively balanced? Or should I just fertilize them with Fish Emulsion?

Any advice is appreciated!

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flowAjen central, NJ(Zone 6b) Jun 02, 2013

here's some good info for you
http://www.ehow.com/how_5506704_care-new-guinea-impatiens.html

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Diana_K Contra Costa County, CA(Zone 9b) Jun 02, 2013

NG Impatiens need more sun than 'regular' Impatiens. In some places they can handle all day sun, but in most places a fair amount of morning sun, or bright dappled light all day is better.
Both types need good drainage, but plenty of water.
I would use the labeled amounts of fertilizer, or a bit less, and see how they respond.
For the NG Impatiens with really spectacular leaves I would tend to go higher nitrogen. Probably all 3 values the same, plus trace nutrients. Especially the potted plant. Potting soils leach the fertilizers away so fast, it might be worth looking into a slow release like Osmocote, or add fertilizer at every 2-3 waterings.
For Impations (NG or other) grown more for flowers, I would look for lower nitrogen. maybe 5-10-10 or similar ratios. Or even 0-10-10 if your soil already has some nitrogen available to the plants.
Of course the fertilizer program will depend on what is already in the soil.

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