Pansies: flowering time, planting & winter care

Pansies provide a colourful planting in the autumn and spring. You can find out what to consider when growing pansies here.

The wild pansy (Viola tricolor) gave rise, after years of breeding, to the cultivated forms we know, the garden pansies (Viola × wittrockiana). These cultivated forms feature impressive large flowers that shine not only in typical colours such as yellow, blue-violet or white, but also in orange and red. New cultivars also have spotted, mottled and striped flowers. So-called miniature pansies developed from crosses with horned pansies. They have smaller flowers that can even be double.

Pansy flowering time: autumn and spring bloomers

As a harbinger of the new garden season, you can watch the first pansies blossom cheerfully as early as March. But for fans of the robust long bloomers with the catchy name, spring does not have to be the end of the line. Depending on when you plant seedlings or sow seeds, you can enjoy the colourful flowers of pansies even in autumn.

The following applies:

• Spring flowering (March – July): Plant in spring (until March); sow in February.
• Autumn flowering (October/November): Plant in late summer/fall; sow in early summer (until July).

Pansies planted in early summer can also bloom throughout the winter in mild weather or on a windowsill.

Planting pansies: in pots and beds

Pansies feel at home in Europe and the temperate zones of Asia. As a native of our climate zone, the pansy is very well accustomed to our weather. Therefore, pansies can be planted very early in the year. Even night frost does not bother them. Pansies are also not very picky about the soil and location.

• Soil: water-permeable, nutrient-rich, humus, low in lime
• Soil pH: 6.5 – 8
• Location: Sunny to partial shade

The colourful garden inhabitants are suitable not only for planting in the bed, but also as underplanting for deciduous hedges and perennials or in pots as a splash of colour for the house and balcony. As a symbol of remembrance and memory, pansies are also often found planted on graves.

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Planting time

Pre-sprouted plants are quite insensitive to cold. Therefore, depending on the availability of time and motivation, the plants can be planted from March to October. You should always keep in mind that the planting time will affect the flowering time of your pansies. If planted in the autumn, the flowers are given a short winter break until late spring. Pansies planted in the spring bloom from March until summer. Planting in the spring offers the advantage of a particularly large supply of young plants in the garden centre or specialist shop If you plant your pansies in the summer, you should choose a partially shaded location. Otherwise, the plants that are not yet rooted in the soil may have problems in the midday sun.

Procedure for planting pansies

When planting pansies, there is not much to consider. In the right location with the right soil, the early bloomers are extremely hardy and thrive without much effort. Therefore, they are also wonderful for novice gardeners. After buying the plants, all you have to do is pick up the gardening tools and head to the bed.

• Thoroughly rake the soil and remove weeds and stones
• Planting hole: Twice the size of the root ball
• Planting distance: 20 cm
• Slightly loosen the root ball with your hands
• Plant the pansies; tamp down soil
• Water well; watering water with liquid fertiliser

In the pot, pansies are fine with a pre-fertilised organic soil such as our Plantura Organic Flower Compost. It is best to place the planted pot in a location protected from rain, so that the substrate is not too wet and the flowers do not stick. Good water drainage and the drainage layer of potsherds, perlite or gravel are a must for the plants, as they are very sensitive to waterlogging.

Good companion plants

Due to their long flowering period alone, pansies can be combined in an incredibly wide variety of ways. Just make sure that the small plants are not overgrown by their green neighbours. During spring flowering, they can be combined with other early bloomers such as horned pansies, daffodils, snowdrops and primroses. Flowering perennials such as crane’s-bill (Geranium), spurge (Euphorbia) or funkias (Hosta) provide a floral accompaniment during the autumn bloom.

Sowing pansy seeds yourself

More and more people tend to cover part of their vegetable needs by growing their own plants from seed. However, there is no need to stop at vegetable supply. Instead of pampering the stomach, why not pamper the eye with pansies grown from seed? To do this, simply proceed as follows:

• Fill the propagation tray with growing soil
• Sow seeds on the soil; only press lightly (light germination!)
• Germination temperature: 15 – 18 °C
• Location: bright
• Germination time: about 10 days

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Here, the sowing time has a decisive influence on the later flowering time of the plants. If the flowering period is to be in the spring, the seeds are sown in February and grown indoors. If sown in July, you can already enjoy the colourful flowers the following fall. The seeds can also be sown directly into the bed. When sowing directly into the bed, the distance between the seeds is 20 cm. Make sure that the bed is not in the midday sun. Otherwise, the seedlings will most likely dry up. Also, mixing humus in with the garden soil will get you off to a good start.

Note: The seeds can also be harvested from your own plants. Simply refrain from deadheading withered flowerheads in late summer. After a little waiting, three-lobed capsule fruits form. Simply harvest the still light brown capsules, dry until ripe and then collect the seeds.

Successfully overwintering pansies

The garden pansy has its roots in Central European meadows and paths. The one to two year old pansy owes its winter hardiness to this origin. In the bed, the plants not only withstand decent loads of snow, but even enjoy the cool white. The layer of snow has an insulating effect and protects plants from bare frost. Since a white winter wonderland has become rather rare in the cold season, you have to make sure yourself that your plants get through the winter unscathed. All about overwintering in a nutshell:

• October: prune to just above the ground
• Cover plants with conifer branches, fleece, brushwood, leaves, moss or bark mulch
• Water lightly only on frost-free days
• Do not fertilise
• End of February/beginning of March: removal of winter protection

Pansies in pots are more vulnerable, because the soil there can freeze through much faster. They are also cut back and covered. Fleece is best suited for this purpose. In addition, the entire pot is wrapped with the fleece or newspaper. The carefully wrapped plant spends the winter in a sheltered, cool place and is only watered lightly. It does not need fertiliser. In March, it is off into the fresh air again.

Note: If leaves curl up in severe frost, they smooth out again in milder weather.

Pansies and horned pansies: Differences and similarities

Pansies (Viola × wittrockiana) as well as horned pansies (Viola cornuta) belong to the violet genus (Viola). The two species can even be crossed with each other. But even if the many similarities cannot be denied, there are enormous differences. Garden pansies have higher nutrient requirements, as well as larger flowers. Horned pansies are smaller and more delicate than garden pansies, but have a longer blooming season and are more persistent and hardy.

Although pansies are fairly frugal, they do appreciate a little maintenance. In our special article you will learn how to properly care for wild pansies, so you can enjoy the beautiful, colourful flowers.