Since every overwintering of plants in the house is associated with a certain amount of space and effort, many gardeners buy new hard-working Lizzies every year for the annual culture. However, it is also relatively easy to propagate the perennial flowering Impatiens walleriana yourself.

The hard-working Lizzie is best propagated by seeds or cuttings

Collect the seeds of the hard-working Lizzies yourself and store them properly

It is not for nothing that the hard-working Lieschen is also colloquially referred to as balsam: the seeds, shaped like a candle flame, grow larger and larger after the individual flowers have faded, until they finally explode at the slightest touch. In order to be able to harvest as many seeds as possible from these sensitive seed capsules, a special technique is required. To do this, close your hand as completely as possible around a seed capsule before you trigger its "slingshot effect" with a gentle pressure. Then spread out the seeds and dry them flat before storing them in a dry, dark place in a screw-top jar until sowing in spring.

So you can grow your hard-working Lizzie yourself from seeds

The cultivation of hard-working Lizzies from seeds is relatively easy and, due to the toxicological harmlessness of these plants, it is also possible without hesitation on the windowsill. When growing young plants from seeds, the following factors should be considered:

  • the seeds germinate in the light and should only be lightly pressed onto the substrate
  • an even temperature between 18 and 22 degrees Celsius is ideal for the germination phase
  • a cover over the cultivation vessels ensures that the substrate is evenly moist

The Busy Lizzies, which are grown on the windowsill from March onwards, can be trained to be a little more compact in growth before planting out in the garden or on the balcony after the Ice Saints by shortening the top shoot tips once or twice.

The propagation of the hard-working Lizzies by cuttings

Since different varieties of the hard-working Lieschen can interbreed with each other, propagation from seeds often leads to surprising color mixtures. "Colourfast" offshoots, on the other hand, can be obtained by propagating cuttings, which can be carried out in parallel or as an alternative to overwintering the mother plants. For this purpose, head cuttings about 5 to 10 centimeters long are placed in seed pots (€16.68) in autumn and rooted indoors at room temperature. As a rule, the first roots form after about 3 to 4 weeks.

tips

You can also root the cuttings of your hard-working Lieschen in a glass of water. When transplanting the rooted cuttings into the ground, be careful not to break off the delicate roots.

Category:

Vegetable garden