Schizanthus - Seeds

Lifecycle: Half hardy annual. Hardy biennial.
Height: 16 to 40 inches (40 to 100 cm).
Growing region: Zones 1 to 10.
Flowers: Spring, summer and/or autumn.
Flower details: Red, yellow, white, pink, purple. Multicoloured. Speckled. Blotched. Orchid-like.
Sow outside: 1/8 inch. In warm areas sow seeds every two weeks from early spring until mid-spring, and in the autumn. In cooler areas start seeds indoors. Spacing 10 to 30 inches (25 to 75 cm).
Sow inside: Germination time: one to three weeks. Temperature 65 to 70°F (18 to 21°C). Two months before expected last frost. Transplant outdoors a couple of weeks after the last frost; temperatures should not drop below 41°F (5°C).
Requirements: Full sunlight. Soil pH 6 to 7. Good drainage. Loam. Fertile soil. Regular light watering; avoid getting plant wet. Provide support. Pinch tips twice, once when the plant reaches about three inches (8 cm) and again at six inches (15 cm). 
How to grow
It is best to grow Fringe flower and other members of the Schizanthus genus indoors from seeds. They should be sown at a depth of 3mm in a rich soil of pH 6 to 7 about 2 months before the last expected frost of spring. It should take about two or three weeks for the Schizanthus seeds to germinate in the dark at a temperature of 15 to 23 degrees centigrade. Once growing, transplant the Schizanthus (Fringe flower) seedlings outdoors in the middle of spring a couple of weeks after the last chance of a frost. They should be grown in a sunny part of the garden and spaced from 25cm (small Schizanthus species), 40cm (medium varieties) or 60 to 80cm (large Schizanthus varieties) apart.