Expert: Mike Mascio - 4/4/2004

Question
I live in St. Louis, MO and want to know when is the best time to plant impatients and other annuals?  Plus, when is it a good time to put together a hanging basket to be outside? THANK YOU!

Answer
Amy, most annuals are started from seed 6-8 weeks prior to your last expected frost date.  In St. Louis, your last frost is normally around May 1st.  Impatiens and begonias are a little different.  They need to be started 12 weeks prior due to their slow growth rate.

In regard to transplanting outdoors, always wait until the weekend following your last frost date, just to be safe.  Some hardier annuals, such as snapdragons and pansies, can be set out 4 weeks sooner.  But these are the exceptions.

If you're planning to arrange your own hanging baskets, the same rules apply.  Unless you have a sunroom or an artificial lighting system set up in your home, wait until the dates I've specified.  Otherwise, the plants will get spindly due to the lack of proper light.

I hope this answered your question.  Have a great weekend.

Regards,

Mike