Pansies have been around for a long time. The were invented in the 1800’s, that’s right invented. They are made up of many different flowers being crossbreed until the pansy came to be. These small but beautiful flowers come in a wide verity of colors making them prefect for planing that prefect flower garden of your dreams. This blog is all of the basic information you will need to start your own pansy patch.
Sun – Pansies need 6 hours of sunlight a day but are also sensitive to extreme heat and sunlight. The sun and heat can cause pansies to have problems growing or to wilt. If your pansies look droopy you can put them under shade when the sun is at its peak in the day. Partial shade are the best growing conditions for pansies.
Soil – Soil that is rich in compost and well draining but also can retain moister. Pansies don’t like being dry but they also don’t like sitting in pools of water.
Spacing – It is recommended that you space your pansies 6 to 8 inches apart but they can survive closer together. So if you don’t have a large space you can still grown them.
Water – Pansies need 1 inch of water a week but remember to check the soil moister before you water. If it is still wet wait a couple of days for it to dry a little more before watering.
Food – Fertilize your pansies once a month with fertilizer that has a low nitrogen level. If pansies get to much nitrogen they will grow bushy with tiny flowers.
Annual or Perennial – Pansies are actually perennial and if they aren’t killed off by snow and frost will come back year after year. You can over the flower bed with hay and thick blankets to keep them warm durning the winter season.
Climate/Hardiness – They are not very hardy plants and do not like frost and snow. They are tolerate cooler temperatures as long as they aren’t freezing temperatures. Anything lower than 45°F/7°C well most likely kill them.
Harvest – Pansies take between 10 to 12 weeks to seed from flowering. You can harvest the blooms before that if you only want the flowers and put them in flower vases inside.