← Plant Guides

How to Grow Splash Select

Wikimedia Commons

Splash Select

Impatiens walleriana 'Splash Select'

flower

Splash Select is a vibrant impatiens cultivar known for its distinctive splashed or variegated flower patterns, combining contrasting colors on delicate petals. This compact, mounding variety thrives in shade and partial shade gardens, producing continuous blooms throughout the growing season. It's an excellent choice for shaded beds, containers, and hanging baskets where colorful flowers are desired.

When should you plant Splash Select in your zone?

Get a personalized planting timeline — when to start seeds, transplant, and harvest — based on your USDA zone and local frost dates. Free to start.

Get my Splash Select timeline →

Example Splash Select timeline · Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6b)

  1. Plant Splash Select

    Around Apr 17

    Near Pittsburgh's average last spring frost.

  2. Tend & protect

    Late spring–summer

    Watering, feeding, and pest-watch reminders.

  3. First Splash Select blooms

    Around Jun 1

    ≈ 45 days after planting

Sample dates for Pittsburgh, PA. Sign up to get exact Splash Select dates for your own zip code.

Growing Conditions

☀️
Sun: Partial shade to shade, 2-4 hours of indirect light daily; avoid full sun which causes scorching
💧
Water: Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged; water when top inch of soil feels dry; more frequent watering needed in containers and hot weather
📏
Spacing: 10-12 inches
📅
Days to maturity: 45-60 days to first blooms
🌱
Planting depth: Surface sow or barely cover seeds; do not bury; transplants at same depth as nursery pot

Soil

Type: Well-draining, moisture-retentive loamy soil rich in organic matter
pH: 6.0-6.8
Amendments:
Compost Peat moss Perlite for drainage Aged manure

Growing Zones

Find your zone →

Thrives in zones 3-11; grown as annual in cooler zones, perennial in warm zones

3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b 10a 10b 11a 11b

Sign up free to see if Splash Select grows in your zone — and get a personalized planting timeline.

Get my Splash Select timeline →

Growth Stages

1

Seedling

2-3 weeks

Tiny seedlings with 2-4 true leaves emerge; plants are delicate and low-growing

Keep soil moist with misting; provide bright indirect light; avoid damping off with good air circulation; do not bury fine seeds

2

Vegetative Growth

3-4 weeks

Compact mounding form develops with multiple stems; foliage is glossy green, lanceolate leaves appear along stems

Pinch back growing tips at 3-4 inches to encourage bushiness; maintain consistent moisture; fertilize every 2-3 weeks with balanced fertilizer; provide shade

3

Flowering Initiation

2-3 weeks

Flower buds form at leaf axils; plant becomes increasingly compact and full

Reduce nitrogen fertilizer; switch to bloom-promoting fertilizer (higher phosphorus); maintain even moisture; continue shade conditions

4

Flowering & Blooming

8-12 weeks (until frost)

Abundant distinctive splashed/variegated flowers appear continuously; petals display contrasting color patterns on white, pink, or coral base colors

Deadhead spent flowers to encourage continuous blooming; maintain consistent moisture and humidity; keep in shade; fertilize every 2 weeks with diluted bloom fertilizer

5

Decline

Variable, until frost

Flowering slows in fall as temperatures drop and daylight decreases; foliage may yellow

In zones 10-11, plants may overwinter indoors; elsewhere, treat as annual and compost after first frost; save seeds if desired

Companion Planting

Plan your garden →

Plant with:

Hostas Ferns Begonias Coleus Torenia Caladiums Impatiens other varieties Astilbe

Avoid planting near:

Full sun loving plants that compete for same space Impatiens plants with different disease susceptibilities

Common Pests

  • Increase humidity with misting; rinse leaves with water spray; use neem oil or insecticidal soap if severe

  • Remove with alcohol-dipped cotton swab; spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil; improve air circulation

  • Yellow sticky traps; spray undersides of leaves with insecticidal soap or neem oil; quarantine infested plants

  • Remove and destroy infected plants; control thrips with insecticides; choose disease-resistant varieties

  • Improve air circulation and drainage; avoid overwatering seedlings; use sterile seed starting mix; fungicide spray if needed

Uses

🌿

Garden Beds & Borders

Ornamental

Creates stunning splashes of variegated color in shaded garden areas; the distinctive splashed petals add visual interest to foundation plantings, shade borders, and woodland gardens. [source]

🌿

Container & Hanging Basket Growing

Ornamental

Excellent for containers, window boxes, and hanging baskets where its mounding habit and prolific flowering create cascading displays of color throughout the season. [source]

🌿

Cut Flowers

Ornamental

Delicate variegated flowers can be cut for small arrangements and bouquets, though they have a relatively short vase life of 3-5 days. [source]

🦋

Pollinator Attraction

Wildlife

Flowers attract hummingbirds and bees to shaded gardens where other nectar sources may be limited, supporting local pollinator populations. [source]

Harvest Tips

Not traditionally harvested; enjoy blooms continuously throughout growing season by deadheading spent flowers. For seed saving, allow a few flowers to develop seed pods (small capsules), dry on plant, then collect seeds when pods turn brown and papery, typically in late summer.

Fun Facts

  • 🌱 The name 'Impatiens' comes from Latin meaning 'impatient,' referring to the plant's seed pods that explosively burst open at the slightest touch when ripe, scattering seeds up to several feet away.
  • 🌱 Splash Select flowers feature unique variegated or splashed petal patterns where contrasting colors overlay or streak the base color, making each flower variation slightly different.
  • 🌱 Impatiens are one of the few ornamental flowering plants that actually prefer shade, making them invaluable for gardeners struggling to grow colorful plants in low-light conditions.

Gardening Terms

New to gardening? Learn about terms used in this guide:

Annual Compost Cultivar Damping Off Deadhead Full Sun Partial Shade pH Pinch Back True Leaves
Shop Splash Select plants and related plants at Plant Addicts →

Join 30,000 gardeners planning their gardens with LizPlants.

Get your personalized Splash Select planting timeline

Tell us your zip code and we'll calculate exactly when to start Splash Select seeds, transplant seedlings, and harvest — based on your USDA zone and local frost dates. Includes calendar reminders and printable task lists. Free to start.

Get my Splash Select timeline →