How To Grow Pansies Properly

Pansies: How to Plant Them, Grow Them, and Care for Them

Pansies are bright flowers that are sometimes described as having "faces." Pansies, which thrive in milder climates, are a popular choice for planting in gardens in both the spring and the fall. Here is a guide to planting pansies as well as maintaining their growth and flowering after planting them.

About Pansies

Pansies have one of the broadest ranges of brilliant, attractive colors and designs, and their petals are formed like a heart and overlap one another.

They thrive in pots, borders, and even on the ground, making them an extremely versatile flower that can provide reliable color virtually all the time in specific locations. Pansies are beautiful when planted alone in a monochromatic design or in mixed hues. They are also beautiful when planted with other flowers that bloom throughout the incredible season, such as violas, primroses, trailing lobelia, and sweet alyssum. Pansies appear best when planted in full sun.

Are Pansies Flowers That Bloom Annually or Perennially?

Depending on the conditions in your area, the pansy can either be grown as an annual or as a perennial. However, most gardeners consider this plant to be annual because it thrives best in cooler temperatures and becomes unmanageable when grown in warmer climates. Producing heat-resistant pansies that are able to thrive in conditions of prolonged exposure to high temperatures has not been met with much success.

Pansies, on the other hand, are surprisingly hardy when grown in cold weather. They are resistant to frost and can recover even after being exposed to temperatures in the single digits. They are an excellent flowering plant to use for adding color in the fall and early winter since, even if the blooms perish in the cold, the plants usually continue to thrive and can bloom again.

PLANTING

When Should Pansies Be Planted?

• Both the beginning of spring and the fall are good times to grow pansies.
• Growing pansies from seed can be challenging; it is often simpler to purchase mature plants from a garden center or nursery in your area. Plus, you'll receive flowers a lot sooner.
• But if you want to start from scratch, you should start pansy seeds indoors in the late winter, about eight to ten weeks before the last frost of spring, for blossoming in the early spring and summer. Alternatively, seeds can be started in the late summer for blooming in the fall and winter. It could take a while for pansy seeds to germinate (typically emerging in anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks, depending on soil temperature).
• When the soil is ready to be worked in the spring, plant pansy seeds or start seeds inside, the optimal range for their growth is between 45 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit (7 and 18 degrees Celsius).
• Although pansies can withstand a mild frost shortly after planting, it is best to wait until temperatures have stabilized above freezing before putting them in the ground if there is still a significant chance of frost.

Where to Put Pansies in the Garden

• Plant in soil that is rich in humus drains well and is moist. For additional information, please refer to our articles on soil amendments and the preparation of the soil for planting.
• Pansies can survive in either full or partial sunlight, but they do better in temperatures that are somewhat cooler. The optimum spot for planting is one that gets sun in the morning but is shaded throughout the hottest part of the day.
• Plants should be spaced approximately 7 to 12 inches apart. They will grow to a height of roughly 6 to 9 inches and have a width of approximately 9 to 12 inches.

Pansies in Pots

• Pansies are an excellent choice for growing in pots. Just use regular container-friendly potting soil instead of anything else.
• Plant seeds in containers with a diameter of no more than 12 inches so that the potted plants can be easily relocated to a more shady location as the sun's intensity increases. A patio that faces south may be the ideal location at certain times of the year, like the beginning of spring and the end of the season. Move pansies you want to grow in the summer to the east side of your house, where they will get early sun and afternoon shade.

GROWING

Pansies: How to Care for Them

• Keep in mind that pansies require consistent watering. If your pansies aren't doing well, one of the most common causes for this is that they aren't getting enough water; therefore, if your pansies aren't doing well, consider giving them more water.
• You may encourage the growth of your pansies by applying an all-purpose fertilizer to the soil around them. However, if you use a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen, you may find that your plants produce more foliage than blooms as a consequence of your efforts.
• By removing spent or dead flowers, you can stimulate the plants to generate additional blooms and extend the time during which they are in bloom.

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES

• "Jolly Joker," which flowers in the spring and summer and has orange flowers with upper petals that are a deep purple and a purple outline around the flower.
• The Princess Series comes in a number of different colors, including blue, purple, and yellow, among others.
• The Fama Series is a plant that blooms in the winter and spring and comes in a wide range of single-colored and multicolored flower varieties.

WISDOM AND CREATIVITY

• The pansy is a flower that represents "thinking" or "thoughts." The English word "pansy" originates from the French word pensée, which means "thinking." Learn more about the symbolism of these flowers here.

PESTS/DISEASES

• Mosaic viruses
• Downy mildew
• Powdery mildew
• Rot in the crown and rot in the roots
• Rust
• Mold in the grey
• Find the anthrax spores.
• Aphids, slugs, and snails are a problem.

COOKING NOTES

• One of the many flowers in the garden that can be eaten is the pansy. They have a flavor that is similar to mint and forms a gorgeous edible flourish that can be used for salads or desserts.