Pansies - care and treatment

Flower & Garden Magazine, Nov, 1999 by Lois Trigg Chaplin

HARDIER THAN YOU THINK

Few bedding plants rise to glory in the fall like the pansy, a cool-season annual. In many parts of the United States, you can plant pansies in the fall and they will explode with color immediately. They are surprisingly cold-hardy and their bright faces can bloom all winter long -- at the very least, they wait out the cold to bloom again with the first warm spell.

PLANTING AND CARE

Pansies will grow in the winter throughout Zones 6-9. Fall-planted pansies grow twice the size and produce more flowers than those planted in spring because their root systems have more time to become established. Plants should be set out at least four weeks before the first frost to give them time to establish their roots before cold weather arrives. This helps them to better endure winter weather.

More Articles of Interest: Pick a pack of pansies; Colorful pansy pots; Plant pansies now in your patio pots; How Many Fertilizers Do You Need?; Sunflowers - Brief Article

Gardeners may be concerned that pansies will be killed in winter, but many selections tolerate temperatures as low as 15 degrees Fahrenheit before their tops are killed. Research shows most of the popular selections of pansies are hardy to Zone 6. `Bingo,' one of the most cold-hardy selections, survived winter trials at Michigan State University.

Pansies need at least six hours of sun; plants growing in shade will produce fewer blossoms. They also need good drainage. If the soil stays wet and soggy through winter, the plants may rot.

Set transplants at the spacing recommended on their label, which will probably be from 6 to 12 inches apart. In the cooler reaches of their hardiness zones, such as the mid-Atlantic and the Midwest, you may want to set plants a little closer together so they will fill in faster.

Water regularly when the weather is dry. Mulching with pine straw or bark chips helps to retain moisture and protect roots from winter cold. Because pansies are heavy feeders, you will be pleased with their performance if you fertilize them well. A timed-release plant food that mixes easily into the soil at planting will feed your plant for many months.

Because fall-planted pansies will have their roots in cool soil, it is best to select a product such as Pansy Booster, which contains nitrate nitrogen, the form most available in cool soil. Mix the fertilizer into the soil before setting out the plants or put a little into the hole while planting (follow the label directions). Read the fertilizer labels carefully, looking for nitrate nitrogen as an ingredient listed in the fertilizer analysis.

Reapply fertilizer in late winter to boost growth and blooms. Removing the faded blossoms will stimulate flower production. In areas where fall planting is best, the weather begins to get too hot in the summer for pansies. Flowers get smaller and plants look weak and stressed. This is the time to replace them with annuals that can beat the heat.

IN THE LANDSCAPE

Pansies (Viola x Wittrockiana) can be planted among bulbs, in mass or in drifts with other flowers in beds and borders. Pansies planted as companions to daffodils and tulips will cover bare ground before the bulbs come up. When the bulbs do bloom, you'll have two levels of color -- one at the ground, and one above with the daffodil and tulip blossoms. It is important to plant the pansies either first or at the same time as you plant the bulbs. Otherwise, you might dig up or damage the bulbs when setting out the pansies. Pansies are also a perfect match for irises, filling out the bed in winter.

Because they are low, pansies are ideal for the edge of a flower border or in a bed next to a terrace or walk. A neat growth habit will keep them from spilling out of their beds. Their evergreen winter foliage can also serve as a seasonal groundcover.

Pansies work well in containers and window boxes, too, because they won't outgrow their pots. Combine them with ornamental kale, parsley or ivy in containers.

DIFFERENT SELECTIONS

Modern pansies enjoy one of the showiest color ranges of any annual -- the traditional whites, wines, blues and yellows, plus newer pastel shades of watercolor yellow, light pink, baby blue, pale apricot, vibrant tropical oranges and grapes. Many selections have bicolor, streaked or even blotched petals, providing interesting color variation in a single blossom.

Pansies come in three different flower sizes. The largest (3-1/2 to 4-1/2 inches) include the old-fashioned `Swiss Giants' and the newer `Accord' and `Majestic Giants' series. These big blossoms are popular for cutting or putting in miniature bouquets. Medium-size flowers (2-1/2 to 3-1/2 inches) include the `Crown' and `Imperial' series. The `Imperial' series is known for vigorous growth and unique pink shades. Among the most talked-about pansies are the Multifloras (1-1/2 to 2-1/2 inches), also known as landscape pansies because they are tough, long-lasting and so profuse that they work well for large landscape beds. Although the blossoms are smaller than those of other types, they produce so many blooms that it's difficult to see their foliage. They are also the most heat-tolerant group, often lasting until the final days of spring. Some noteworthy ones in this group include `Crystal Bowl,' `Universal' and `Maxim' (all strong bloomers from fall through spring).

Featured Download

Speak Like a CEO

Pansies - care and treatment

Flower & Garden Magazine, Nov, 1999 by Lois Trigg Chaplin

Find Research Guides for:

Find Featured Titles for: News

Most Popular Articles in Home & Garden

Most Popular Publications in Home & Garden