Question
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW TO PRUNE IMPATIENTS AND BRING THEM INSIDE FOR THE WINTER,,,I LIVE IN PA AND HAVE PULLED ALL MY IMPATIENTS, GERANIUMS, AND BAGONIAS OUT AND BROUGHT THEM IN,,I HAVE GROWING LIGHTS AND WOULD LIKE TO START MORE PLANTS FOR NEXT SPRING,,,I PRUNE THEM BUT HAVE VERY LITTLE LUCK WITH GETTING THEM TO ROOT. YOUR HELP IS MUCH APPRECIATED,,,CINDY,,ALSO WHAT DO YOU DO WITH GREEN SAND,,,,I WAS TOLD TO START CUTTINGS IN THIS,,,THANK YOU

Answer
I love having my impatient plants inside during the winter-the blossoms make the cold tolerable-I live in zone 5b-Nebraska!!  I keep mine in the east and south windows and they thrive!!  I have used grow lights in the past to force grow the plants.

  Geraniums can also bloom in the winter.  I cut the stems  back only when I want the plant to bush out more or if it is getting too straggly looking.  Water sparingly-only when dry. Trim off dead or wilting stems.

  When you want to propagate your plants, I've found it is best to take a cutting (a slip) and just put it in water-I put 5-10 in a glass of water-make sure that the tops stay well out of the water.  In a few weeks you will see little hair-like roots developing.  I let those roots grow (I do trim them from time to time so they don't get too long-2"-3" is long enough)but I like them to become more dense before planting.  Then I plant them in little individual pots filled with 1 part potting soil and 2 parts vermiculite and let them grow. As they outgrow their pots you can transplant them into larger pots and combine stems.  Continue to use some vermiculite in the soil-you can use 2 parts potting soil to 1 part vermiculite when combining them into a larger pot.

I've never heard of green sand!!

 I take quite a few "slips" (cuttings) from each impatients plant when I bring them in.  Pruning the original plant back to about 4" will promote new growth.  Again, prune again when they get longer and spindly--each cut you make will develop into 2-3 new stems. Put those trimmings into water to start new plants! I use root stimulator-just a pinch.

 I don't cut back the begonias quite as much.   They don't like to be "bare".  But if there are some longer stems, cut them and put them in water to root. For begonias I do add a little potting soil and vermiculite to the water as the weeks go by-eventually you'll have it ready to put into a pot. I use root stimulator-just a pinch. This plant should blossom most of the winter.

 A BIG "TO DO" when bringing plants in from the outside is to buy some Jobe's Plant spikes with insecticide and put a couple in each pot.  The insects are in the dirt so you need to get them at their source.  You'll probably find  those spikes at a nursery.
Have a "Bloomin" winter!!
Sijka