Impatient about impatient seeds

I would like to try and harvest a few impatient seeds from my window boxes this year. Question is, how does one know when it's the right time to do that? There is a cherry red impatient growing that I'd really like to try and have for next year if possible. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I'm unsure what impatiens you are referring to, although most people grow a hybrid, F1 impatien that is an annual, low-growing, prostrate, and produces masses of blossoms in a wide-variety of colors. The New Guinea impatiens are one of the hybrid impatiens. Any of these F1 hybrids will not be able to be grown as the parent plant from gathered seeds since they are a hybrid.

If you purchase hybrid impatient annuals, you can winter over your annuals, then begin-anew with cuttings taken a month or two before your growing season begins. Most people just buy impatiens yearly.

Recently, I have begun growing one of the impatien species. This year, I started impatien balsam (I. balsamina), a species, from seed given to me in a seed exchange. They are now in my gardens and they're blooming. When I gather seeds this fall, I will collect and separate by color so that I can continue to grow these impatiens.

I found that buying the annual seed and annual impatiens was a bit costly and decided to go with the species so that I can enjoy the flowering plants without alot of cost involved.

Here's a webpage that gives a good overview of impatiens
http://www.mrimpatiens.com/

Thank you for your response and help. I think I likely have hybrid impatients as I bought a flat of them at a garden shop here. I also have impatient seedlings I have sprouter which I'm certain are hybrids. I really like impatients, but as you said, they get expensive year after year.

Hi Lynn,

Oh I love balsam impatiens. My mom grew thew when I was little and they are very lovely and very fun to pop the seed pods when your a kid. Sometimes I would just touch the seed pod and they would explode. Fun! I bought some seeds but didn't get around to planting them this year. Next year though.
Have fun with them

Therian,
You can save the seeds from your impatiens but they may not look like your red one. You can collect the little seed pods and save them or let them fall naturally to the ground or in the container they're growing in. I have some coming back and my SIL has a huge bed from just a few plants a few years ago. They are pretty but may not be the colors they once were.

Please don't tell me about impatiens balsamina AKA " touch me nots". I have literally pulled thousands of seedlings the last couple of months. I love this flower but it is a monster-LOL!!

:)