Subject: Re: Q: impatiens from seed

From: [email-masked] (john shakula)
Date: 22 Mar 1995 00:01:21 GMT

The Cherry Vanilla impatients seeds I sowed this year came up in 7 days
and have been transferred to flats and are doing well.  They were started
on the surface of vermiculite and *not* covered, merely pressed in to the
surface.  The small plastic margarine tubs were put in ziplock sandwich
bags and placed under a fluorescent lamp.  

My guess is that yours won't be coming up.  Better luck next year!

JR  
    Draper, Utah, USA
    [email-masked]                    

Nisheeth Agrawal (gracie!agrawal) wrote:
: I bought some Burpee impatiens seeds and put them in my trays about 3-4 wks
: ago but haven't seen a single one come up. I have them sitting under a light

: wrong or if takes a long time for them to come up?

: Thanks in advance for any help!

: Nisheeth
: Nisheeth
: [email-masked]
: All opinions are mine and not my employer or anybody else!!

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From: gracie!agrawal (Nisheeth Agrawal)
Date: 20 Mar 1995 18:43:24 GMT

I bought some Burpee impatiens seeds and put them in my trays about 3-4 wks
ago but haven't seen a single one come up. I have them sitting under a light

wrong or if takes a long time for them to come up?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Nisheeth
Nisheeth
[email-masked]
All opinions are mine and not my employer or anybody else!!

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From: [email-masked] (Gary Cooper)
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 1995 01:32:06 +0000

In article <[email-masked]>

> Thanks in advance for any help!

That seems a *leetle* slow for impatiens. What temperature are you
trying to germinate them at? 

For anyone else who has yet to sow impatiens, it's worth remembering
that they germinate better *with* light. A light covering of vermiculite
as opposed to soil helps here.

-- 
Gary Cooper

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From: [email-masked] (Nadine Leenders)
Date: 22 Mar 1995 20:36:02 GMT

I just germinated some Impatiens.  I had them very close, about 2.5"
to the light.  The seeds that germinated fast were in the moister soil.
I got the rest to germinate after I added more water.  I used no-damp
and only lost a couple of seeds to mold.  I had them covered and there
was no heat other than what came from the flourecent light.

--

Nadine Leenders                    | [email-masked]
Computing and Network Services     | (403) 492-9349
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada   T6G 2H1

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From: [email-masked] (Don Bonner)
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 08:30:03 GMT

>Thanks in advance for any help!

You have picked one of the hardest plants to grow from seed.  Fibrous begonias 
are another.  Professional growers use special germination rooms for these 
seeds and start them usually in January for April and May sales.  They need 
sunlight to germinate some don't cover the seed and they need high humidity.

Best of luck.  

If you want impatiens for next year take cuttings before the first frost and 
keep them alive until the spring and then take more cuttings for your plants 
for next year.  Believe it or not impatiens is a perenial where they come from 
originally.
*****************************************************************************
>From each according to their abilities.
To each according to their needs.
                                          [email-masked]
*****************************************************************************

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From: [email-masked] (Jeff Cook)
Date: 21 Mar 1995 18:49:11 GMT

>as opposed to soil helps here.

I haven't tried covering them with vermiculite (this season is my first
try with them), but the instructions on my Park seed packets recommends
sowing them on the surface, without any covering at all.  They're supposed
to be kept moist while they're germinating, so Park recommends covering
them with plastic until the seeds sprout.  This method seems to be working
pretty well -- mine are sprouting very nicely.
--

Jeff Cook                                 [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (john shakula)
Date: 22 Mar 1995 00:01:21 GMT

JR  
    Draper, Utah, USA

: Nisheeth
: Nisheeth

---

From: [email-masked] (Gary Cooper)
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 1995 01:32:06 +0000

-- 
Gary Cooper

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From: [email-masked] (Nadine Leenders)
Date: 22 Mar 1995 20:36:02 GMT

--

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From: [email-masked] (Don Bonner)
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 08:30:03 GMT

Best of luck.

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From: [email-masked] (Jeff Cook)
Date: 21 Mar 1995 18:49:11 GMT

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From: [email-masked] (Gary Cooper)
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 1995 16:59:28 +0000

> pretty well -- mine are sprouting very nicely.

Yup - the advantage of vermiculite is that it allows some light
through and yet also holds moisture.

-- 
Gary Cooper

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From: jakirwi@oacs (oanews)
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 13:05:48 GMT

I started 3 varieties of impatiens in January - Blueberry, Sultani and
Dwarf.  They are all doing well and have been transplanted to several
pots.  What I've noticed is that each type had a very unique growing
pattern, even though I provided the exact same conditions for all
three.

Half of the Blueberry Impatiens became very tall - they are sturdy and
in pots - but tall.  The others are shorter and more filled out.  The
Sultani and Dwarf Impatiens look very different from the Blueberry,
and seem to be filling out better.   During germination, the Blueberry
were the fastest, followed by the Sultani.  The Dwarf were very slow,
and only about half planted were successful.  The Dwarf are growing
the slowest as well.

All were put in trays with Jiffy Mix - *very sparse covering* - a  
fixture 2 inches above which has flourescent grow bulbs - and I
always made sure there was water in the seedling tray.  I guess I've
been fortunate that I haven't had a damping off problem - I just
never let them dry out in the least bit.  

So, what's my point?  Well, I think that your seeds may have been
what I call 'duds' - maybe they were just old.  I've tried planting
year old seeds a few times - left overs - and not one would come
up.  Or maybe you didn't keep them wet enough - or your covering
may have been too heavy.  I'm finding that each variety has it's
own idiosyncricies on top of all these restrictions - so it
could be a combination of things.  The response that impatiens
are difficult to grow from seed is pretty accurate based on my
experiences so far.  They are one of my favorite flowers, and
every year I spend too much money on pre-potted plants - so I
thought I grow my own cheaply this year.  I started in January 
and they are just now beginning to look like the real thing!
They take a *lot* of time and patience - good luck on your
second round!

- jean

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From: [email-masked] (NicksTimon)
Date: 26 Mar 1995 00:25:14 -0500

I put jiffy peat pellets in a glass dish and then place the seeds on top
of the expanded(after you soak them)pellets and then cover with plastic
wrap. In a warm window, my seedlings come up in 4-6 days. The biggest
obsticle is the damp-off fungus that attacks if you don't give air
circulation after the seeds emerge. Keep moist but never WET!
[email-masked]

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From: "G. Bisco" <[email-masked]>
Date: 26 Mar 1995 14:05:36 GMT

> pattern, even though I provided the exact same conditions for all

I have had the same experience: different varieties doing
very different things under the same conditions. The two varieties
I have this year are an open pollinated mix from J.L. Hudson and a 
double flowered type called Rosette from Burpee. The open pollinated
mix was vigorous in germination and growth and I would go so far as 
to say they are easy from seed. But I had a terrible time with the 
Rosette doubles. The Rosette appear to germinate by producing leaves 
first, then a stem, and finally tiny roots. Most of the seed 
germinated but not many survived under my normal conditions. 
I have had better survival by germinating them on moist paper towels 
in plastic sandwich bags, leaving them in their until they show a 
significant amount of root, then transfering to 3/4 inch soil cubes 
enclosed in plastic bags to keep humidity high. So Rosette doubles appear to be difficult
from seed.

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From: [email-masked] (B GOOGLE)
Date: 29 Mar 1995 20:41:06 -0500

I have always had trouble starting Imatiens from seeds.  So, this last
fall I brought in a Bay Tree that had been growing in a pot on the patio
next to a container of dusty miller and impatiens.  Imagine my surprise
when around Christmas time I had several wonderful Impatien plants
volunteering in the Bay Tree pot and they have been blooming their heads
off all winter.

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 30 Mar 95 09:03:42 -0600

> volunteering in the Bay Tree pot and they have been blooming their heads

Single-flowered garden impatiens are much easier to start from seed
compared to their double-flowered brethern (?!?!) (All right, I need
caffeine this morning!)

Follow the directions on the package carefully for double impatiens.
They seem to take longer to germinate and are weaker growers than
the singles, in my experience.

Kay Klier  [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (B GOOGLE)
Date: 29 Mar 1995 20:41:06 -0500

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 30 Mar 95 09:03:42 -0600