How to Get the Seeds From the Impatient Flower
Impatiens may be one of the easiest summer annual flowers from which to harvest seeds. The small green swellings on the plants are bursting to give you their seeds to protect and nurture through the desolate winter and plant again when spring brings sunshine and warm rains. Starting your impatiens from seed in the spring can also save you lots of money compared to buying plants from a greenhouse or nursery each year. The process of harvesting impatiens seeds is simple and is a great activity in which to involve children in the garden. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Watch your impatiens. When pollinated, the flower will fall off and the green swelling on the plant will grow into a seedpod.
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Carefully pick the seedpod when it is swollen and place it into a paper bag. It may be helpful to place the paper bag over the seedpod before picking it, as impatiens get their name from the seedpods' propensity to burst without notice.
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Close the bag and shake it, unless the seedpod bursts on its own once it is placed in the bag.
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Pour your seeds into a tray or paper plate inside the house and allow them to dry for about a week. Pick out any debris or leaves that may have gotten mixed in with the seeds.
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Store the dried seeds in an envelope and place the envelope in a dry place until spring.
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Tips & Warnings
Mature impatiens seeds are brown. If the seeds are white, they are still immature.
In the spring, start your impatiens seeds inside eight to 10 weeks before the last frost. Impatiens seeds need light to germinate so the tiny seeds should be sown on the soil's surface.
Impatiens is best grown in shady locations. With too much sun these plants wither fast. They also require daily water and the plants must have moist water at all times.
Impatiens seedpods are likely to release their seeds at any time. Use caution in picking the seedpods and transferring them to the paper bag, or you may lose the seeds.
