The Pansy is one of my favorite bedding plants for Fall through early Spring. This is a cooler season bloomer that I enjoy by applying just a few easy growing tips.
These beauties date back to the 15th century representing remembrance and introduced into horticulture in the early 1800's. It was a crossbreeding program that led to their cultivation.
Pansies are winter hardy plants; they do well in the spring for zones 4-8 handling light freezes for short periods. In warmer climates, zones 9-11 they thrive from Fall to Winter sometimes even reseeding themselves.
Since I am in zone 8, the challenges are few and with some simple tips I can keep them healthy and blooming over winter. Especially this year because the sun has been continuous.
The color combinations are delightful, and I do my best to keep them happy in the mix of my lettuce bed using terra cotta pots.
This year it was the white pansy that caught my attention. With just a dot of yellow in the center they bring forward this sense of freshness that uplifts when a day goes completely wrong.
Pansy Containers and Tips
Since pansies are hardy, they can handle being planted directly in the ground as a bedding plant, just remember to add mulch. Many businesses and government offices plant them for a colorful landscape.
I prefer to plant in raised beds or containers and this year I did something different by starting a few by seed. The rest I purchased from a local nursery because they had the best variety!
My containers consisted of raised beds and terra cotta pots. Any container would work just remember when planting in the Fall or Spring to have drainage holes because they will get waterlogged which can cause root damage.
I started some by seed and they were slow to germinate and grow. Around November I had these strong and healthy plants not quite big enough to produce blooms. I thought, no worries they will be perfect for Spring.
The others were all placed in terra cotta and recently I did some transplanting to change things up. It was a week where 70-degree temperatures were present, and I wanted to play in the dirt.
Sometimes these bloomers can double in size and it's a good idea to make sure they haven't outgrown their containers.
One of those healthy white pansies was moved it into my grandmother's ceramic tea pot. I had already placed a drain hole inside and if it gets really cold, I can bring it indoors during those periods.
Because many of my purchased pansies doubled in size, I transplanted them into larger pots to extend their life. As they continue to bloom, I am harvesting seeds because the honeybees are still showing up to pollinate.
When the temperatures drop to freezing, I gather the containers, place them inside the raised bed where I am growing lettuce and cover with a tarp.
They will stay covered until the temperatures are back above freezing and when February arrives, I offer them a natural fertilizer.
Natural Fertilizer to Optimize Pansy Growth
I make my own fertilizer because Pansies need nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. I have created a mix that will optimize their growth when we move closer to Spring.
This one is easy to implement if you have the ingredients available.
- Nitrogen is for foliage growth; I use coffee grounds.
- Phosphorus is for root development and blooms; I use banana peels.
- Potassium is for overall plant healthy I use wood ash.
I take these three at a cup each and chop that banana peel to make sure it blends. Then I mix them together with a little soil before adding a bit to the top of each planter.
If you have to make another batch to complete the task do that because the additional is great for rose bushes.
Another good option is to use a fish emulsion, and you can get this from the nursery. I just use our pond water where minnows and tadpoles thrive. The pond is how we water our entire garden.
The main thing is to not over think these details; see what natural ingredients you have and make them work for you.
For more on natural growing tips get my book, Garden Up Green. I included an entire chapter on natural fertilizer that is a game changer for new, beginner and seasoned gardeners.
I'm hoping these Winter growing tips will help keep your pansies healthy. For those of you in colder zones, if they are still green, bring them indoors until Spring.
Encouraging Goodness,
Carole West
Post a Comment