Pansy Growing Guide

Viola tricolor var. hortensis

Pansy

Crop Rotation Group

Miscellaneous 

Soil

Any good garden soil with average or better drainage.

Position

Full sun to partial shade in warm areas.

Frost tolerant

Good. Young plants set out in autumn survive winter cold in many areas.

Feeding

Encourage fast growth by mixing a balanced organic fertiliser into the soil before planting. Drench plants with a liquid fertiliser every three weeks to support prolonged blooming.

Companions

Combine petite pansies with other hardy annuals such as dusty miller or dianthus. Pansies also combine well with chrysanthemums, marigolds and other popular autumn flowers.

Spacing

Single Plants: 25cm (9") each way (minimum)
Rows: 25cm (9") with 25cm (9") row gap (minimum)

Sow and Plant

When starting pansy seeds indoors in late winter, barely cover the seeds with moist seed starting mix. Grow the seedlings under bright lights until they are large enough to transplant outdoors. Most gardeners save time by buying pansies as bedding plants.
Our Garden Planner can produce a personalised calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.

Notes

Pansies come in an endless variety of colour combinations, many of which have markings called "faces". Mini-pansies are heavy bloomers that often reseed. Perennial forms are often called violas.

Harvesting

Despite their small size, pansies make nice blossoms to cluster together in a vase.

Troubleshooting

Hot summer weather often leads to the demise of spring-planted pansies.

Planting and Harvesting Calendar

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Pests which Affect Pansy