Starting Pansies

Pansies and Violas. I passionately adore them. I keep vases full of them around my home all year and tuck them into every bouquet I can at my markets. As with any flowers, I encourage you to do what works best for you when starting them. Starting environment and an appropriate climate are vital to how flowers grow and thrive. I am in zone 8a bordering on 8b, at the southern end of an island in the Pacific Northwest with a constant sea breeze flowing through my garden. Our temps tend to be a few degrees milder than the areas around us. Our frosts come later and stop sooner than those just across the water. This plays into the success of our flowers that enjoy cool nights such as sweet peas and pansies. I’ve tried several methods for starting them and this is what brings me the most success.

1. Pansy and viola seed should be stored in a 40 degree Fahrenheit cooler or refrigerator when not sowing.  You can start them up to 12 weeks before your last frost for spring and summer flowering, by providing an ideal temperature and adequate lighting.
2. Sow 1-3 seeds per cell on the surface of the soil.  I do not cover my seeds, as I have found they germinate quicker on the surface without covering, and the use of humidity domes keeps the moisture level ideal. If you are not using humidity domes, a very light covering of soil will aid in maintaining moisture.  It is absolutely vital that the seeds never dry out. Pansies and violas germinate best between 60-68 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Pansies like cool roots and will grow into the hardiest plants when they’re grown as naturally as possible. I immediately move mine to my unheated greenhouse after germination, although I do have a small heater that keeps my greenhouse from dropping below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Water often, slowly and deeply. Pansies love particularly cool damp soil that their roots can stretch down towards. If you find your pansies are leggy, they are likely not getting enough light. Although pansies can be happy with some shade, they do need ample light, a minimum of 6 full  hours of sun each day to thrive.
5. Harden off for at least a week, and then carefully transplant into the garden a few weeks before the last frost depending on your zone. Pansies are hardy and can withstand mild frosts and even snow. I transplant mine out when they reach about 1″ in height. I have most growing in full sun and a few in partial shade. Be sure to continue watering deeply, so there is always cool damp soil at their root base. Debud until they acclimate and establish, and deadhead often to ensure continuous blooms.
6. If you want to achieve long stems on your pansies so they are suitable for bouquet work, I recommend planting them no more than 2-4″ apart in a raised bed or among others flowers they can climb with for support. I have several raised beds devoted entirely to pansies, but I also grow them among my roses, phlox and sweet peas.

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