Grow Your Own

     Besides growing another container vegetable crop in 2020, I will continue to gown my own impatiens from the seeds I gather and dry this fall.  Impatiens are a staple of the suburban landscape, and it's extremely easy to harvest their seeds.

Pretty!
I grew these impatiens from 2018's seeds.

Impatiens produce seed pods at the end of the season.  When the pod gets plump and develops distinct ridges, it's time to carefully pinch it off the plant.  Use a light touch because pressure will cause the pod to explode, spraying seeds all over.

I spread the pods out on paper towels and I cover with another towel.  The pods with dry and pop.  The towel that you placed on top will keep the flying seeds contained.  After the seeds have dried (I usually forget about them for weeks and weeks), separate the seeds from the dried green pod material, and store the seeds in an envelope.

You can separate by color.  If you pick pods from a red flowering plant, you get a red flowering plant next year.  I haven't observed any deviation from that, but I suppose there could be some cross pollination that produces a color that varies from that of the parent plant. 

     Impatiens are like weeds.  The seeds germinate quickly, and they grow fast.  Oh, you can also snip cuttings off of a mature impatien plant, stick them in some dirt, and they will take root.

     Cool Fact:  Impatiens are also know as Busy Lizzie plants because of the way the seeds shoot out of the pods.