How to Plant Impatiens Seeds? A Detailed Guide to the Growth Process

I once heard in an opera the name “Fengxian,” and I imagine she lived up to her name, extraordinarily beautiful, gifted at singing and dancing. The impatiens flower in the plant kingdom, I think, is just like her, bright and lovely in appearance, like a graceful young maiden. Let us take a look below at exactly how it is planted and what uses it has.

How to Plant Impatiens Seeds

1. Find a patch of loose, fertile, slightly acidic soil, or find a container such as a flower pot. Fill the container with about 80% loose soil, and keep a small portion of dry soil aside for later use.

2. In the container, evenly sprinkle a little water, but do not make it too wet (spray a few drops, just slightly damp is enough). Scatter the prepared impatiens seeds on top of the soil. You do not need to scatter them too densely; just keep an appropriate distance between them.

3. After sowing the impatiens seeds, cover the seeds with the reserved dry soil. The layer of dry soil on top only needs to be a very thin layer, just enough to cover the seeds; do not spread it too thickly.

4. In the early stage, you can first cover the top of the flower pot with a layer of plastic film, as this helps the impatiens seeds grow. If the weather is warm, you can also skip the plastic film.

5. Place the flower pot in a spot that receives sunlight, but prevent excessively high temperatures and direct sun exposure. Water once each morning and evening, and avoid watering the impatiens seeds at noon. Do not water too much.

6. After the impatiens seeds sprout, transplanting is needed. I generally wait until the impatiens has grown 4 leaves before transplanting. During transplanting, try to avoid direct sun exposure, and do not transplant them too densely; a plant spacing of about 30 cm is sufficient.

7. After planting in place, water promptly and keep the potting soil moist regularly, but do not let water accumulate, and be careful not to let the soil stay overly wet for a long time, otherwise the roots and stems are prone to rot.

The Growth Process of Impatiens

1. One week after the impatiens seedlings emerge, the first pair of true leaves grows (sown in April, germinates). Start applying liquid fertilizer 10 days after sowing, once every other week.

2. During the growth period, the impatiens quickly grows lush leaves and begins to form flower buds. Impatiens also reacts quite negatively to adverse environments such as high summer temperatures, dry soil, and low air humidity, and may even develop curled leaves, withered tips, leaf drop, and even plant death.

3. Impatiens blooms. During the May flowering period, impatiens needs pinching, additional fertilizing, and waterlogging prevention. From June to August, pest and disease control should be carried out.

4. Impatiens sets seed. From September to October, seeds can be saved for planting.

Uses of Impatiens

1. Impatiens seeds are also called Jixingzi, and the stems are also called Tougucao; both can be used as medicine and have the effects of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, promoting diuresis and detoxifying, and unblocking meridians and penetrating the bones. Fresh grass pounded and applied externally can treat boils, swelling and pain, and insect bites. The seeds are an antidote medicine and have the effects of unblocking meridians, promoting labor, resolving phlegm, and reducing masses; pregnant women should not take them. The whole plant pounded into juice is used externally to treat bruises and injuries. After pounding the petals and adding thick substances such as garlic juice, they can dye fingernails; after dyeing the nails several times, they can completely cure fungal nail infection. The seeds contain saponins, fatty oil, sterols, polysaccharides, proteins, amino acids, and volatile oil. It is cultivated in all provinces in the north and south of our country.

2. The tender leaves of impatiens can be blanched in water and then mixed with oil and salt as a cold dish.

3. For ornamental use, in addition to being used in flower borders and bonsai arrangements, it can also be used as a cut flower.

4. Henna: In India, the Middle East, and other places, it is called HENAA. It itself carries natural red-brown pigment. Middle Eastern people began cultivating this plant very early and used its juice to dye their nails and adorn themselves. According to records, Cleopatra used henna to dye her hair. The famous Indian body painting also uses it for coloring.

5. Snake repellent: According to news reports, Huang Yongzhao, a researcher at the Chongqing Natural History Museum and an expert on amphibians and reptiles in our country, introduced that impatiens can also repel snakes. According to his account, some folk methods for repelling snakes that have been passed down to this day in our country, such as the folk method of using sulfur, realgar, and garlic to repel snakes, in some viper-producing areas in the south, there has been a custom since ancient times of planting impatiens around the front and back of houses.

Common Diseases of Impatiens

1. Impatiens powdery mildew.

Symptoms: This disease mainly occurs on leaves and tender shoots. It generally begins to occur in June, and after July the leaf surface is covered with a white powdery layer. Subsequently, small yellow granular spots form in the white powdery layer, and the color gradually deepens, finally becoming dark brown.

2. Impatiens brown spot disease.

Impatiens brown spot disease, also called impatiens leaf spot disease, occurs in both the north and south of our country.

Symptoms: The disease mainly occurs on leaves. The lesions on the leaf surface are initially light yellowish-brown small spots, then expand into round or oval shapes, after which the center becomes light brown, with brown edges and inconspicuous concentric rings. On severely affected leaves, the lesions join together, causing the leaves to become withered and yellow, until the plant dies.

3. Impatiens damping-off disease

Symptoms: The pathogen mainly infects the root and stem area, causing the affected part to turn black or become constricted. When moist, white mold-like matter grows on it. After the plant is infected, the leaves can be seen wilting and drying out within a few days, and then the entire plant dies.

Impatiens has so many uses, but for girls who love beauty, they prefer its effect of dyeing nails and decorating themselves. Its juice not only has a beautiful color, but using it to dye nails is also relatively less harmful to the human body. This natural decorative material is also very convenient to use, and therefore has received favorable reviews from women.