If you are talking about the common bedding impatiens...I did wintersow them once. I started them quite late like mid-April, because they do not need any chill and cannot take the cold. They did grow, but very slowly until it really heated up. If you want them to be like the store bought ones that you plant out around the last frost date that are already flowering and fill in quickly for instant gratification...you may be disappointed.

On the other hand at the end of the season when the store bought ones may be getting root bound and battered looking, the seed started ones will really outshine them. That may just be my experience though.

In general I have stopped wintersowing any of the warm season annuals for containers that are cheaply and readily available to buy. With the erratic spring weather here they are just easier to buy. I also just direct sow most of my warm season annuals that go into the ground after the last frost date: zinnias, sunflowers, marigolds, 4 o clocks, nasturtiums etc.

Molanic thank you for the reply. Yes I am talking about the common bedding impatiens. I would prefer to buy them but it is looking like they may not be available again commercially this year.

I am going to experiement with my annuals and do half WS and half direct sow.

Impatiens walleriana didn't do well wintersown for me either. If I grow them from seeds, I do it inside under lights. Very easy to grow. But they're also readily available here by the flat or 6 pack cells.

Impatiens balsimina wintersow very well though. Now, I just rely in volunteers for these.

Karen

Karen, lovely, lovely foundation planting.

My experience was similar to molanic's - I had success with germination, and they grew well, but slowly. They really didn't catch up till the end of the season.

You just reminded me about the problem with impatiens and the fact that they may not be available - darn, I had forgotten. Or more likely, blocked it out, lol. Having lots of shade, impatiens are a mainstay in my garden. I may have to dig out my seeds and just be patient. I'd rather have them for half a season at the end of summer than not at all!

Dee

If you already have impatiens downy mildew in your area, you probably won't be able to grow them in your garden this summer. The spores spread by the wind and quite some distance. So one outbreak in a neighborhood means everyone gets it pretty soon. Once you have it in your soil, the spores last for years.

I have a very shady yard and I don't know what I'm going to use for pops of colors. This year I'm going to wintersow a buunch of colorful coleus and some torenia and see if they will do the job.

I hope someone is working on resistant varieties.

kimka, good point! My neighbor just across the street was able to find a few last year and they did die on her quickly from the downy mildew. So I guess I will avoid them. I have plenty of other stuff to sow so it is not like I will have a void! LOL

I just love impatiens. I too hope they develope something resistant.

I did read that the New Guinea Impatiens don't seem to have the problem. Too bad I'm not a big fan of them!

Kimka, in my experience, coleus is similar to impatiens - easy to WS, good germination, but slow growth. But perhaps you being in a warmer zone will speed things up for you. Good luck! Torenia is a lovely shade annual but I've never WSown it. Perhaps this is the year for me to try... :)

I heard the same thing about the New Guinea impatiens, but I too am not a big fan. I may have to give them a try this season though!

Dee

The effect is much more informal, but Impatiens balfourii, poor man's orchid, is an annual species Impatiens that is wonderful in part to full shade. It is a great winter sower, and it re-seeds too. -It's not invasive though and is easy to pull out where you don't want it. Remy sells it over at The Sample Seed Shop. See here. (Scroll down.) It does not get downy mildew.

Caladiums are a good shade alternative- the white and colorful types really pop in the shade.

Oh, that Impatiens balfourii looks right up my alley. Thanks, Susan! My wintersowing plans just changed.

PV