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Impatients overwintering and reproducing


Question
I live in New Jersey and I had a great year of impatients.  My question is, Can I remove the seeds and plant them for next year.  Inside,outside, where,when?

Answer
You can harvest seeds, but since impatiens today are hybrids, the seeds will not come "true to type". The plants you will get from seed will not be as nice as the plants you take them from.

My recommendation would be to pinch off a few tips of the branches of your favorite colors. Put these plants in vases (drinking glasses) indoors in indirect light (no direct sunlight) and change water frequently. In 4-6 weeks, roots will form at the bottom of these pinched off tips.

After roots have had chance to settle (good root net formed), you can repot these and grow them in an eastern facing window for the winter. Next spring, transition outdoors after last chance of frost.

You can do the same by digging up a plant and potting indoors for the winter. I like to take cuttings though as it allow you to make more plants from different colors.

If the plants get too big indoors, you can pinch the tips off again and root these in water (discard the large plants).  

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