In spring and autumn, pansies can impress with their magnificent blooms. But how are they to be cared for and how do you overwinter them successfully?
Pansies (Viola × wittrockiana) don't just stand out because of their name. They impress with their colorful, characteristic flowers, which shine out of plant bowls or the bed from March onwards. But despite their imposing appearance, pansies, like almost all members of the violet genus (Viola), are incredibly modest and, with the right care, extremely robust. Even sub-zero temperatures are not a problem if proper winter protection is provided.
Proper care for pansies
In a semi-shady to sunny spot in the garden or on the terrace, your pansies can loll serenely towards the sun and form many colorful flowers. You don't even have to dig deep into your bag of tricks for this. Apart from a nutrient-rich, well-drained soil, the robust little plants don't need much to be happy. No wonder they are among the most popular bedding and balcony plants. If you want to extend the flowering phase, simply clean wilted inflorescences and broken plant parts regularly.
Watering pansiesn
Pansies are extremely sensitive when it comes to waterlogging. If there is too much moisture, the plants are susceptible to root rot or leaf spot disease. The substrate should therefore never be wet, but always moist. Low-lime rainwater is recommended for irrigation.
Fertilize pansies
In terms of nutrient requirements, the pansy is quite frugal - fertilizing is therefore not absolutely necessary. It is sufficient to add humus, compost or a long-term fertilizer to the soil before planting the pansies. This serves as a long-term supply of nutrients. Our Plantura organic flower fertilizer is such a long-term fertilizer and gives the pansies its nutrients gently and sustainablyoff.
Potted plants get a light fertilizer every two to four weeks. For this purpose, liquid fertilizer is added to the irrigation water. Instead of resorting to commercially available mineral fertilizers, you can use an organic fertilizer. These are more environmentally friendly and sustainably promote soil life. For example, our purely organic Plantura organic flower & balcony fertilizer is an excellent choice. The same applies here: more is not always better. If over-fertilized, pansies tend to grow in length and become diseased. In addition, root growth is inhibited.
Summary: caring for, watering and fertilizing pansies
- Location: Sunny to partially shaded
- Soil: rich in nutrients, permeable to water
- Cleaning withered inflorescences
- Watering: keep substrate moist but not wet; very sensitive to waterlogging
- Fertilizer: Mix in slow-release fertilizer or humus/compost
- Potted plants: every 2 - 4 weeks liquid fertilizer in the irrigation water
Successfully wintering pansies
The wild pansy (Viola tricolor) is at home in meadows, along roadsides and on fallow land in Central Europe. The wild form must therefore also be able to tolerate a bit of snow. She has passed this hardiness on to her domesticated relatives. Planted in the bed, garden pansies also tolerate winter temperatures. How hardy the plants are, however, varies from variety to variety. But with a few simple steps you can increase the probability of a successful overwintering for each variety:
- October: Cut back to just above ground
- Cover plants with conifer branches, fleece, brushwood, leaves, moss or bark mulch
- Neither water nor fertilize
- End of February/beginning of March: Removal of winter protection
The cover of the plants not only serves as protection against longer periods of frost. It also protects the plants from frost in snow-free winters. If the root balls are frozen, the plant cannot absorb water. If there is no protection from the winter sun, evaporation of water occurs and the plant dies. Potted pansies need all-round winter protection. They are cut back, covered with fleece, and the pot is wrapped with fleece or newspaper. The pots are then overwintered in a sheltered, cool place such as the basement or the gazebo. Covered plants will grow well in wintereasily poured. There is no fertilization. From the beginning to the end of March, the plants are freed from their comfortably warm sleeping bag.
Note: If snow falls, it should stay on top of the pansies as it acts as a warming blanket.
Growing pansies perennial
The commercially available pansies are annuals or biennials. After the second year, the little plants have left the flowering phase of their lives behind and cross the threshold of well-deserved old age. Beauty is an ephemeral attribute. It's up to you whether the "step-grandmother" has to give way to younger, more handsome specimens or whether it can spend a quiet retirement in a corner of your garden.
Read this article for more tips on planting pansies.