How to Start New Guinea Impatiens

New Guinea impatiens are tender perennials that are usually grown as annuals or indoor container plants. They are taller and have larger flowers than common impatiens, and they tolerate more sun. New Guinea impatiens are grown from cuttings taken from the tips of the stems. They are more expensive when purchased as bedding plants than common garden impatiens, which are grown from seeds.

Small individual containers
Root medium
Tray (optional)
Water
New Guinea impatien plant
Soda straws
Popsicle sticks
Plastic bag

Instructions

- 1
  Fill the individual containers with rooting medium. If you are using small pots with saucers, place the pots on their saucers. If the pots don't have saucers, place them on a tray.
- 2
  Moisten the rooting medium thoroughly. If water runs out the bottom of the container, empty the saucer or tray. Don't leave the containers sitting in water.
- 3
  Use scissors or pruners to take 1-inch cuttings from the tips of the New Guinea impatiens stems. Cut just above the point where a leaf is attached to the stem.
- 4
  Remove any leaves attached to the lower half of the cutting. Make a hole in the center of the rooting medium with your finger and insert the lower half of the cutting into the medium. Firm the soil around the cutting with your hands.
- 5
  Cut the soda straws in half and insert them in the soil around the edges of the container. Place the plastic bag over the top of the containers. The soda straws hold the bag away from the cutting.
- 6
  Remove the plastic bag when roots form. Root formation takes one to three weeks.

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