Hey poisondartfrog, Thank-you so much for the follow-up. I've taken starts like this before on some of my other house plants, and when I've broken plants outdoors or wanted a start and couldn't get one. My landlord cut back a lilac bush clear to the ground a couple years ago; I was in shock. It was the most beautiful thing you've ever seen, cut to the ground. (Shaking my head in disbelief.) Since all the starts are coming from the very large roots, it's hard to find a start. What I did was broke of pieces and took them inside to a vase of water. I've done this with many plants. I am going to try your method with my best plant this year into some perlite. Wish me luck! It's nice to finally know how to get starts from them; they are one of my very favorites and I would just love to keep the original. I'll try to remember to let you know how it goes. (I'll be honest. : ) ) Again, thank-you and Happy Gardening! Brenda

I am not to sure the NGs will make seed. I have never gotten any from them but I think they should. To try take the powdery stuff off the male flower and place it on the tip of the female flower. That is the part that looks like a nose or a finger. Impatiens balsamina blooms differently where ever it is growing for you in Zone 11 I would think almost all year. Pulling out some where they are not wanted wouldnt hurt. If you do it carefully you can plant them where you do. Most doubles you buy comerically dont set seed. There are seed packets you can by of double but its not 100% but the chances are good. I would guess after a while the seeds they may produce will be single or simi double. Its not a mutation that is very strong.

From what I have gathered in my communication with the breeding companies.... No you cant. Funny thing is you can buy seeds of doubles but they dont seem to set seed. I was told they have no reproductive organs.

Hi, I saw these at the garden center one year, but thought the plants were kind of pricey, so passed them up. Then I saw the seeds at Stokes, and thought the seeds were kind of pricey ($7.60 for 50 seeds), but not bad compared to the plants. And I have had pretty good success starting plants under a fluorescent shop light in my cellar for the past couple of years, so I decided to give it a try. When the seeds came, and I took a look at the growing directions, I realized why the plants are pricey! They seem to have VERY specific requirements. I will try them, since I have them now, but I will be very surprised if I end up with more than one or two plants. Now I understand why they charge the price they do.