The pansies delight us in the very early spring with their bright variety of colors. The cheerful blossoms adorn the balcony boxes and the flower borders from March to October. Planted in larger groups, they offer a particularly cheerful sight.

Plant your pansies in early spring to enjoy them for a long time

The large-flowered garden pansy is the result of numerous crossings of several species of the genus Viola from the Violaceae family. Closely related to it and from the same genus is the small-flowered horned violet.

Are pansies annuals or perennials?

The garden pansies are biennial, i. H. they flower the following year after sowing. However, if you sow them by July, you can expect flowering as early as October of the same year.

Which location is suitable for pansies?

Depending on the variety, pansies thrive in both sunny and partially shaded areas.

Do pansies need special soil?

Pansies prefer a lime-poor, humus-rich, but not too wet soil. Commercial garden soil is ideal for planting in balcony boxes.

When and how to plant?

Pansies can be bought as early as the end of January/beginning of February and planted in balcony boxes (€109.00) and tubs. Planting outdoors is recommended in March-April, when there are no longer any long-term frost periods to be expected. For healthy growth, the following planting distance should be observed:

  • for larger areas about 10 cm square
  • for planting balcony boxes or tubs approx. 5-10 cm

Can you propagate pansies yourself?

Pansies are propagated by seeds. Most of the varieties of this culture are F1 hybrids and are therefore hardly suitable for seed production. The self-seeding plants often do not have the same flower colour, persistence and abundance as the parent plants. For a specific flower color, it is advisable to buy seeds from specialist retailers. If you don't decide on the color, self-sowing can provide enough new plants at suitable locations.

When do pansies bloom?

The approximately 5 cm large flowers open between February and October, depending on the sowing time and the weather. Plants sown in autumn/winter are frost hardy and, with appropriate care, often bloom into midsummer.

How do you grow the plants?

For a spring bloom, the pansies are preferred cool (up to max. 10° C) in winter. For summer flowering, sow the seeds outdoors in summer. Care should be taken not to sow too densely, otherwise the young plants will shoot up instead of growing bushy and compact, so prick them out in good time if necessary.

What else should be considered when sowing/transplanting?

Pansies sown outdoors in autumn (September) bloom more profusely, are more resilient and last longer.
The undemanding plants can be transplanted at any time - even when they are in bloom.

tips and tricks

Good companions for pansies are tulips and daffodils as well as forget-me-nots.

Category:

Herbs