Question
hi.

could you please give me advise on growing my own bizzy lizzy from seed, i seem to be able to grow all my other types of bedding plants from seeds but have failed every time with the bizzy lizzy.

i,m a ametuer gardener of 3 years experience living in the midlands of England, my greenhouse is south east facing and partly shaded with cool glass, ive tried various methods, such as lightly pressed seeds into sieved compost, seeds covered lightly with sieved compost, in light, in dark all sorts but fail, following the instructions on the packet is a waste of time, any tips would be most grateful or any names of substistute plants i can grow for the same colourful displays?

thanks .

Answer
Dave, impatiens should be started in a light, soiless mix.  I use a mixture containing perlite, vertimiculite, and other inert ingredients.

For some reason, impatiens are very susceptible to damping-off; a disease that causes young seedlings to drop over and die shortly after germination.  That is why it is very important to use a sterile mix such as the one I described.

Impatiens need light to germinate.  I sow the seed above the mix and then apply a dusting of mix over the seed.  I never press impatiens in.  They will not germinate if the soil is compacted.

I also use a germination heater below the flats.  They need a temperature of 75F or higher to germinate; and even then, they take between 14 and 21 days.

Finally, I cover the flats with a plastic dome until at least one third of the seedlings germinate.  This maintains the high moisture level critical for germinating impatiens.

I hope this answered your question.  Good luck, and have a great weekend.

Regards,

Mike