When to Plant Impatiens Seeds?

Impatiens are available in a variety or rich, solid colors.

Impatiens come in a wide array of both solid colors and bicolored varieties. These annual flowers are ideal for adding quick color to flower beds, border areas and vegetable gardens. These sun-loving flowers also add pizzazz to flower boxes, patio containers and indoor planting pots. Propagating impatiens from seed is an inexpensive way to fill your house and garden with color.

Impatiens Propagation

Impatiens plants are annuals, growing from seed in the spring and dying back with the first frosts. To grow impatiens, you must start new plants from seed each year. Often, impatiens will self-propagate by self-dispersed seeds. Though self-seeding is a viable method for the plants to self-propagate, it does not give the gardener much control in the garden. A more reliable way to get the impatiens you want is to start new plants from seed every year.

Starting Impatiens Seeds Indoors

To have a crop of blooming impatiens ready for the garden early in the spring, start the seeds indoors in midwinter. Impatiens take eight weeks to mature to a suitable transplant size from seed. Plant impatiens seeds indoors or in a greenhouse early enough so that they are ready to plant outside two weeks after the last frost date in your area. Plan to start impatiens seeds six weeks before the last common frost date.

Starting Impatiens Seeds

Plant impatiens seeds in a seed-starting flat filled with damp, sterile seed-starting mix. Keep the soil at 70 F. during the germination process. A heating pad, designed for starting seeds, is helpful for keeping the soil temperature consistent. Once the seedlings emerge, continue growing the plants at 55 to 65 F. Move the seedlings outdoors during the day for a few hours at a time the week before planting outside. This hardening off period helps the impatiens seedlings adapt to the outdoor environment and minimizes transplant stress.

Collecting Impatiens Seeds

Collecting seeds is a way to propagate your impatiens without spending money on new seeds each year. Impatient seedpods dry and swell in late summer. When the green seedpods turn slightly translucent, the seeds are ready to harvest. Clip the seedpods from the flower stalks. Hold the impatiens seedpod over a paper bag or envelope and gently squeeze it. The seedpod will burst open to reveal small, round seeds.

References

• West Virginia University Extension Service; Impatiens; Richard K. Zimmerman
• Iowa State University Extension: Growing Impatiens in the Home Garden
• University of Vermont Extension Department of Plant and Soil Science; Impatiens; Dr. Leonard Perry