When to Plant Pansies
- Spring pansy plantings bring early season color to United States Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 5 to 9. As long as the temperature remains cool, these spring pansy plantings flourish. Pansies are hardy enough to withstand cold snaps and a hard frost. Northern gardeners plant them while the ground remains cool. If starting pansies from seed, sow seeds inside in flats eight to 12 weeks before transplanting. Harden the transplants or buy nursery-grown pansies and plant them three weeks before the last frost in the pansy garden's climate. Those who reside in USDA zones 7 and warmer can plant pansies in the fall and enjoy the blossoms throughout the winter. Purchase transplants at local nurseries or plant homegrown pansies in the ground in late September for blooms that produce all winter long in most cases.
- Pansies like moist, well-drained soil with a large quantity of organic material. Improve the soil with a ½-inch offering of slightly acidic compost for best results. When choosing a spot for the pansy border, remember the annual likes sunshine in spring, but prefers partial shade as the temperature warms. Pansies self-seed in most climates, so watch for miniature plants when preparing the spring flowerbed.
- Few diseases and insects attack pansies. However, in wet areas slugs and aphids may prove damaging. Treat slugs by spreading slug bait; kill aphids with insecticidal soap. Treat pansies with an all-purpose fertilizer in spring and fall. During the blooming season, deadheading the flowers coaxes additional blooms. Trimming pansies back when hot weather arrives lessens stress on the plants. The reward may be a second, fall bloom.
- Add pansies, violas and violets to salads and other dishes. Both the flowers and the leaves are edible. Harvest freshly opened blossoms in the morning when the pansy's oils are most concentrated. Include the sepals for added taste when harvesting the blossoms. Pansy leaves have a pleasant, tart taste.
