There’s a great feeling of satisfaction that occurs when your plants first start to form flowers, but it takes care and attention to get most plants to this stage.
In fact, there are many environmental factors to consider, plants need nutrition, water, and sunlight, but they must all be in the right balance.
Getting this right will help to ensure you are successful when growing your pansy and viola flowers, these tips will help.
Before we start, don’t forget that pansy and viola flowers grow best in the spring and the fall, they are not fans of intense heat.
Choose The Right Flowers
The first step is to ensure you’re using quality plants or seeds. For this you need to locate a reputable supplier in your area, you can’t cultivate your own seeds until you’ve grown the first plants.
Top Tip: not everyone is green–fingered or has the time to grow flowers, if this is you then I recommend a flower subscription, you’ll have beautiful flowers delivered every month as though you’ve grown them yourself.
Seed or Plants?
It has to be said that pansies can be difficult to grow from a seed, it is generally better to purchase seedlings that have already established themselves. These will flower much quicker!
However, if you wish to use seeds you need to be aware that they take between 1-3 weeks to germinate, it is advisable to start the seeds inside approximately 8 weeks before your last frost is due.
Of course, if you’re after a fall flower then you’ll need to start the seeds off in late summer.
Once the soil temperature is between 45°F and 65°F you should move your plants into the soil and their permanent position.
It is important to note that while these plants can handle a light frost if you regularly have freezing temperatures you should wait a little longer before planting them.
The best location for pansy and viola plants is in well-draining soil with partial sun. Although they can flourish in full sun it will be more difficult to prevent them from getting too hot.
Each plant should be approximately 8 inches apart, when fully grown they’ll be up to9 inches tall and 7-12 inches wide.
Maintenance
The most important part of looking after your pansy and viola plants is to keep them watered. Ideally, water them morning and evening, but, if they’re not doing well give them some extra water during the day.
Fertilizers can be good to provide your plants with nutrition. But, you’ll need to avoid the nitrogen-heavy ones, this will encourage foliage growth instead of flowers.
Once the flowers fade or have died, remove them from the plant by snipping or breaking them off just below the head. This will encourage more flower growth.
Pest & Diseases
As with any plant, it is important to be aware of which diseases and pests can damage them. Pansy and viola flowers are particularly susceptible to anthracnose, leaf spots, root rot, aphids, spider mites, and slugs.
Check out this guide to find out all about these pests and diseases, and how to deal with them.
With a little amount of work, you’ll have the best pansies and violas on your block unless your neighbors have used a flower ordering service….
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