Growing Tips From a Pro for SunStanding New Guinea Impatiens
December 7, 2017 
SunStanding New Guinea impatiens hybrids spruce up the landscape with vibrant blooms that explode with color in both sun and shade areas, and they hold up well in heat and humidity. A 2016 introduction from Dümmen Orange, SunStanding impatiens are compact plants available as standard unrooted cuttings or as quick-turn cuttings, which work well for direct stick in packs and small containers.
Amy Morris, Owner and Head Grower at N.G. Heimos Greenhouses and Millstadt Young Plants, trialed a handful of SunStanding impatiens in the fall/winter of 2016. She says the trial took place in three different greenhouses with three different growers, and all had success. The plants were easy to grow and consistent in bloom time and growth habit. They also performed well outdoors in full sun at the nursery’s Southern Illinois location.
“We ordered 650,000 SunStandings from Dümmen Orange and grew them in 306 productions as a quick-turn. They cut production time and no additional spacing was necessary,” she says. “It is a six-week crop that is great to turn floors with.”
Morris says growers scheduling SunStanding impatiens need to be aware that a few varieties in the series are more aggressive and some are a week slower to bloom. She says Dümmen Orange was very helpful in letting N.G. Heimos pot them in its open house trial so it could match up what worked best for the operation’s production needs.
Morris’ Recommendations for Growing SunStanding Impatiens Successfully
Growing Media: Peat/coir mix
Propagation: 72°F to 78°F, 68°F to 70°F finish; run light mist during the day, pull off mist after a week
Irrigation: Water regularly, allowing the plant to dry down before the next watering.
Fertilizer: Provide fertility early, 75 to 125 ppm nitrogen as constant.
Lighting: No artificial lighting is necessary. Provide good light conditions or high light toward finish.
Pinching: No pinch, naturally self-branching.
Planting/Scheduling: Production time scheduled for five weeks, finishing near Memorial Day.
Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs): Start with daminozide at 1,000 ppm. Southern growers could use lower rates of Paczal. Water management is key to less PGR use. Some varieties need minimal PGR.
Pests and Disease: Always scout for mites and thrips. Growers can see Botrytis if they are keeping the cuttings too wet. Once again, water management is key.
For recommendations from Dümmen Orange for producing SunStanding impatiens, visit https://goo.gl/PrcNps for standard cuttings and https://goo.gl/UEoHt3 for Quick Turn cuttings.
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