| I want to plant some of the New Guinea Macarena Impatiens in my back yard around a fountain. The site gets a lot of sun during the summer but I have found that other New Guinea impatiens do fairly well there if I keep it well watered. I would like to know what type of soil I need to grow the Macarena properly. I think that my soil might be too heavy and stays wet too long because other impatiens sometimes rot and die. Do they need fertilization or trimming back/down? Are there any other New Guinea impatiens that get as large as the Macarena? |
| Keeping the soil moist is a key requirement for successfully growing New Guinea Impatiens. You can improve the soil prior to planting by incorporating organic matter to help loosen your heavy, clay soil. Begin by spreading 4"-6" of aged compost, leaf mold, peat moss or aged manure over the bed and digging it in to a depth of 6"-8". Then plant your Macarena's. To help your new plants thrive, fertilize monthly with a diluted liquid fertilizer. 'Spectra' hybrids, including 'Sweet Sue' and 'Tango' can grow to 2' high. You can pinch your plants back once or twice when they're young to encourage side branching, but they won't require additional pinching during the growing season. |
