Everything it’s crucial that you know about this cold-hardy pansy.
Just because the cold comes around doesn’t mean you have to give up color in your garden.
Winter pansies (Viola hiemalis) are perfect forwintertime flowerbeds.
Credit: Southern Living, 2006
Read on for all it’s crucial that you know about winter pansies.
Plus, winter pansies can return for three years or more.
While winter pansies are very tolerant of the cold, they grow the best in sunlight.
When planting your pansies, consider their location.
Fortunately, they’ll be back and blooming after some attention.
They should also be facing the sun for optimal growth.
Water
Depending on how wet your winters are should determine how often you water your pansies.
If your pansies are in a pot and covered on your porch, they need regular watering.
Be wary of overwatering your pansies, as this could cause the plant to develop root rot.
Check the dryness level by sticking your finger into the soil.
If the soil is moist, it should be okay.
Temperature and Humidity
Winter pansies thrive in temperatures ranging from 45F to 65F.
Temperatures that drop too low can stunt flower development and cause the foliage to turn pale green.
Pansies do not tolerate excessive humidity.
Moisten the soil with plain water first, then pour on the fertilizer.
Feed your pansies every two to three weeks during the season, ensuring they have enough nutrients to grow.
Types of Winter Pansies
Winter Pansies are available in several varieties and cultivar types.
Deadheading spent blooms or pinching back pansies at the stems with your fingers will extend the blooming period.
Removing older flowers will allow new buds to absorb nutrients and the plant to flower for longer.
This process also helps prevent pansies from becoming too leggy.
Any time damaged or diseased growth emerges, remove it before infections can spread.
Next, take off those damaged, curled-up leaves.
Snip them off using small scissors designed for trimming foliage.
After all this preening and clipping, your pansies may look thin and hungry.
Nourish pansies with extra fertilizer to help them continue to flourish.
Use a water-soluble, liquid fertilizer such as Miracle-Gro All Purpose Plant Food 15-30-15.
Moisten the soil with water first, then add the fertilizer.
Propagating Winter Pansies
Pansies grow well from seed, but propagating through cuttings is still possible.
How to Grow Winter Pansies From Seed
Growing pansies from seed is relatively easy.
If planted later in the fall, the roots will grow smaller than pansies planted earlier in the season.
Potting soil with plenty of drainage holes is best for planting pansies.
Adding compost to amend the ground can help add nutrients if necessary.
If starting seeds indoors, use wet soilless mix in a seed-starting tray.
Gently place seeds throughout the soil and cover them entirely.
Pansies should develop roots within one to three weeks.
Pansies handle repotting relatively well if the new container has rich, moist, and well-draining soil.
Overwintering
Winter pansies go dormant after temperatures drop to 25F but will survive to 20F.
Continue watering pansies throughout the winterincluding before a hard freezewhich is especially true for pansies in pots.
Remove slugs and snails by hand when possible.
Some diseases that impact winter pansies include powdery mildew, root rot, gray mold, and spot anthracnose.
Avoid overwatering and too much sun exposure to help prevent these fungal and bacterial diseases from developing.
Fertilizer also helps to encourage showy blooms, especially a time-release or slow-release fertilizer that extends flowering.
Deadhead spent blooms to see a second showing of flowers throughout the winter before temperatures drop too low.
With proper care conditions, winter pansies can bloom for several months.
Pansy leaf spots are treatable with fungicides if detected early.
Leaves Turning Yellow
Yellowing leaves are often a sign of overwatering.
My friends up North dont.
They cant plant them until the spring.
Our climate is exactly right for pansies.
They tolerate our kind of cold, so were able to have those happy little faces all winter long.
Start Early
I like to plant them not long after they become available in garden shops.
That way, the roots have a little time to establish themselves.
Keep the Soil Moist
Before a hard freeze, dont forget to water your plants.
You dont want the ground to be dry when that cold comes, because the roots will freeze.
If the soil is wet, itll insulate them instead.
