Pansies - how to grow seedlings at home. When to plant pansies? Pansies landing and
Pansies are one of the first flowers to appear in a country flower bed. Already in spring, delicate bright flowers delight the gardener's eye with a riotous variety of colors: from pure white to deep black with various shades of red, yellow and blue. In the center of pansies there is always an unusual spot of a unique shape and color.
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Since ancient times, various myths and legends have been associated with pansies. This flower is considered a symbol of love, fidelity and renewal of nature. However, gardeners love pansies not for beautiful stories, but for an unusual combination of colors and unpretentiousness. However, even such an undemanding flower has its own characteristics and secrets of cultivation.
First, let's figure out what we will grow: garden pansies, Wittrock's viola or garden violets?
Choose between Viola and Violet to suit your needs
The affectionate name of the pansy belongs to the viola flower or, as it is also called, the tricolor violet, a herbaceous perennial plant from the violet family. There are 300 different varieties of garden violets, grouped into 15 groups.
Groups differ in color and size of the flower, flowering time, height of the bush and other characteristics. Such a variety of varieties will allow even the most demanding and sophisticated gardeners to choose the right type for planting!
The choice of variety depends not only on your color preferences, but also on the region in which you plan to grow and care for the viola. In areas with a warm climate, violets can begin to bloom as early as early April, for cold regions this period is shifted to early summer.
Most pansies are heat-loving plants that love diffused sunlight, so if you live in cooler regions, be careful when choosing a variety.
There are two most famous varieties of Viola:
- - an annual or biennial plant with small flowers. Tricolor violet reaches a height of 30 - 45 cm. This type of plant spreads well by self-sowing. Due to its well-known proven medicinal properties, this tricolor violet often finds its use in traditional medicine.
- Violet Wittrock is a perennial herbaceous plant. It is this variety that can often be found not only in garden beds, but also on summer balconies in flower pots and planters. Wittrock violet flowers can grow up to 10 cm, the height of this plant is 40 cm.
Flowers can be smooth or corrugated at the edges, plain or mix a variety of colors. Wittrock's violet has many varieties, among the most popular are Alpensee with large flowers of deep purple color, Bambini with small yellow flowers separated by dark stripes similar to cilia, snow-white PureWhite, orange SkylineOrange and many others.
Preparing seeds for planting
Once you have chosen the variety that suits you, you need to think about planting. Pansies are planted in a flower bed with seeds or seedlings. If you want to see bright flowers in a flower bed early in the first year of planting, then grow a viola using seedlings. In the second year, planting seeds in the ground in June of the previous year will help to achieve early flowering.
In the first year, the viola is usually planted in early to mid-May. To do this, make small holes no deeper than 1 cm, at a distance of 5-7 cm, put 2-3 seeds in each. After that, lightly sprinkle the seeds of the pansies with earth, be sure to water, and mulch the surface on top to retain moisture.
You will see the first flowers 20 days after planting, that is, at the beginning of summer. If you choose to grow viola seedlings, you will be able to see the first flowers earlier.
Growing seedlings without mistakes
Novice gardeners are sometimes afraid to grow pansies on their own at home and buy ready-made seedlings in the store. You should not buy unknown expensive seedlings when you can grow your own without any problems. This should be done at the beginning of February.
For this you will need:
- Prepare seedling containers with a fertile moist substrate that should be half soddy or leafy soil and half rotted compost.
- Before planting pansies, it is imperative to disinfect the ground, for example, with a fungicide.
- After the earth dries, make shallow grooves in it, put the seeds there and sprinkle with soil. Place containers with seedlings in a dark but warm place.
- The first shoots can be seen in a couple of weeks. When they appear, you need to expose the pansies to the warm sun. In this place, the air temperature should not be colder than 10 degrees.
- When more than two leaves appear on the plant, you need to transplant the plants into separate containers. After that, you can briefly expose and harden pansies on the balcony.
- Once a week, feed the plant with any flower fertilizer, but it is better to choose one that is suitable for violets.
- In early May, seedlings can be planted in a flower bed.
When growing seedlings indoors, pick pansies twice. The first time it is better to do this when more than two leaves appear on the plant about 14 days after planting.
After that, it is better to seat the viola in individual containers. The second time the seedlings dive in two weeks - 20 days according to the scheme 6 by 6 cm.
Planting and care in the ground in the country and at home
Planting seeds of pansies in open ground, we described above. Seedlings of pansies are planted in a flower bed at a distance of 20-30 cm. This distance is enough for the full growth and development of plants.
Violets grow well on soil, which consists of soddy land, manure, peat and sand in a proportion where the sand will be half as much as the other components.
Pansies are a very unpretentious plant, but they also require care. It is necessary to systematically loosen the soil, remove wilted flowers, fertilize the plant with mineral fertilizers and water frequently.
But for starters, it is important to choose the right place for the plant on the site. Viola can die under the bright scorching rays of the sun, but in the shade its flowers will be small and faded, so choose a place with diffused light.
Leaving the viola in the garden for the winter, do not forget to cover the plant with spruce branches, and open it in the spring to avoid dampening.
The same rules for plant care will apply if you decide to grow a viola on a balcony at home. If you have a southern balcony, then in order to avoid fading flowers in the bright sun, try to slightly shade the place where the container with pansies will be located.
Western and eastern open balconies are ideal for growing pansies. Plant garden violets in ordinary colored pots, balcony boxes or hanging baskets. Each plant needs 1 liter of soil.
You can plant plants at a distance of 10-15 cm. So that the roots can "breathe", pour a few centimeters of drainage into the bottom of the container. Do not wait for the earth at the roots of the plant to dry out - water homemade pansies in time. On hot days, this can be done twice a day.
If in the heat of the plant the stems turn yellow and dry, the flowers fade and fall off, you can prune. Cut off either half of the stem, or, if the bush has completely lost its decorative appeal, cut the plant drastically. Leave only 5 cm of branches with leaves. In a few weeks, pansies will bloom again with beautiful bright flowers!
Pansies are scientifically called Vitrocca violet. They are grown in summer cottages, decorating flower beds, as well as on balconies. The plant is unpretentious: it can be transplanted even during the flowering period and planted in early spring, as soon as the snow leaves. Pansies bloom early and bloom profusely. If everything is done correctly, then their colorful flowers will delight the eye from spring to late autumn.
Varieties of pansies
Small-flowered. The diameter of flowers of small varieties usually does not exceed 4 cm. These include such types of viola as Little Red Riding Hood with bright red flowers or Blue Boy with delicate flowers of a blue hue.
Large-flowered. Viola bushes of a large-flowered variety reach a height of up to 20 cm. Their flowers are usually quite large, averaging 5 cm in diameter. They are located on long pedicels 8 to 11 cm high. This variety includes such species as the Heavenly Queen, Evening Heat, Winter Sun, Jupiter and many others.
Gigantic. The height of the pansy bush of giant varieties can reach 25 cm. Their flowers are large, sometimes exceeding 6 cm in diameter. The pedicels are as long as in large-flowered varieties. Although sometimes they can reach 12 cm. The gigantic varieties include Viola Blue, Golden Yellow and White.
Perennials or annuals?
Pansies can be grown as annuals or perennials. It all depends on the climatic conditions in which the plants are grown and the labor that you are willing to invest.
These flowers are quite frost-resistant, but even in central Russia they are not always able to survive the cold winter.—- Plants that were planted late, had little spread and weakened before winter, are especially vulnerable. Viola does not tolerate wintering in a snowy winter; spring thaws, followed by night frosts, are especially dangerous for flowers.
In order for the viola not to freeze out, it is necessary to avoid lowered damp places for planting, cover the flowers for the winter with material, and in winter carry out snow retention in a flower bed with pansies. In order for the viola to bloom earlier, in early spring it is better to close the flower bed with a film. Growing an annual viola is a more predictable process.
Pansies planting
It is recommended to soak viola seeds for a day in a solution of "Zircon" or "Epin" before starting sowing. The substrate is suitable ready-made, intended for growing violets, it can be easily bought at any flower shop. The further course of action is as follows:
- Pour the soil mixture into the container and carefully level it.
- Cut grooves in the soil, spread viola seeds in them and sprinkle them with ground ground in the palms of your hands. Water the crops carefully.
- Cover the container with film or glass and put it in a cool (about +15 °C) place.
The first shoots will appear in 7-10 days. When the viola germinates, the box with crops, freed from shelter, is placed under diffused lighting and the ambient temperature is lowered to +10 ° C. Seedling care involves regular moderate watering and fertilizing with a weak solution of mineral fertilizers every 15 days. In the phase of the first pair of true leaves, the grown bushes dive into separate pots, and after 2-3 weeks they are transferred to a permanent place of growth. 
In open ground, plants are planted in pre-prepared shallow holes, sprinkled with earth and watered. In order to avoid thickening of plantings between adjacent specimens, it is recommended to maintain a distance of 15–20 cm. The culture transfers the transplant painlessly and takes root in a new place in just a couple of days. Pansies grown through seedlings bloom in late May - early June.
Choosing a place for pansies
For my violas, I choose light partial shade. In the shade, the flowers quickly shrink and stop blooming, and in the bright sun, and even in our hot and dry summer, they are hot, then the plants are sluggish, and the tips of the leaves begin to turn yellow.
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Still cheerful eyes do not like too wet soil, do not tolerate dampness, so it is better not to plant them in the lowlands.
Sandy, clayey, heavy soil is not suitable for these flowers. On fertile, loose and moisture-intensive violas, they will bloom longer and require less maintenance. 
Soil preparation for pansies
Viola grows well in loose, well-drained, organic-rich soils. The distance between seedlings should be within 15 - 20 cm for compact and 25 - 30 cm for other varieties. When placed in containers and hanging baskets for pansies, any ready-made garden soil with a small pinch of a long-acting complex fertilizer will do. When planting seedlings, make sure that the top level of the earthen coma of each plant coincides with the ground level at the planting site.
Sowing seeds of pansies
In the middle lane pansies are best grown as a biennial.
Seeds should be sown in the summer of the previous year. The best sowing time is early July. With a later sowing, the seedlings turn out to be a little bushy and do not have time to get stronger before winter. With early sowing, the seedlings outgrow, bloom in the fall and go into overwintering weakened, often rot. Seeds can be sown on the ridges in rows, sparsely.
Shoots appear in 6-12 days. They should be ripped apart. In this state, the seedlings overwinter. In spring, plants can be transplanted into flower beds. Feeding area 25×25 cm.
Pansies can also be used as an annual crop. To do this, seeds should be sown in March in a room or greenhouse, seedlings should be picked in April, and planted in the ground in May.
With this method, the plants bloom longer, but less abundantly, the flowers become smaller. For autumn flowering, seeds should be sown in April-May.
pansies care
The most important thing is watering. Its intensity depends on the type of flower. For plants with large, strongly colored flowers, you need a lot of moisture, so you need to water more often and more abundantly. But you can only water when the soil is slightly dry. If the soil remains wet, even if the flowers have not been watered for a long time, you do not need to do this - the roots are guaranteed to rot from stagnant water. In summer, so that pansies do not suffer from heat, it is useful to spray them every morning. 
Experienced flower growers say that it is not necessary to water the viola every day (except for very hot weather), but every other day. After watering or rain, be sure to loosen the soil in the area with the viola. Pansies do not like sudden changes in temperature. If there is little snow in winter, plants will freeze to death at very low temperatures. Flowers can also die in the spring - on those days when there are frosts at night, and during the day the sun is very warm.
In order to prevent the death of flowers in winter, you can additionally cover them with snow; in spring, plants can be protected from frost with an ordinary plastic film, equipping it with a kind of greenhouse for the night. When pansies begin to bloom profusely, faded buds should be removed from the bushes in a timely manner. This will help to appear faster and bloom new and will not allow fruiting - after it pansies no longer bloom.
Caring for pansies during the flowering period
Pansies will actively develop and bloom if they are periodically fed. To feed these flowers, complex mineral fertilizers are used. It is strictly forbidden to fertilize these flowers with organic components. During the period of abundant flowering, in summer, on the bushes, it is necessary to remove faded buds in a timely manner in order to allow new ones to bloom. In addition, this procedure will prevent the fruiting of plants, after which, pansies stop blooming. 
To grow them successfully, planting seedlings at home is done in nutrient soil. On poor and sandy soil, plants will become smaller, losing their decorative effect. You can improve the composition of such soil with the help of vegetable compost. Five kilograms of the substance are added per 1 m2. Pansies are very fond of the sun, so they can only be grown in a well-lit place. Under this condition, the plants will bloom for a long time and profusely. In a shady place, due to lack of light, the bushes become pale, and the flowers on them become small. After the end of the flowering period, spring varieties are dug up, and summer species are planted in their place.
To obtain seeds at home, healthy and compact spring bushes are selected. They are planted on a seed bed and watered periodically. Since pansies are cross-pollinating plants, a certain space must be observed when planting different varieties. This allows you to get seeds with all the signs of the mother bush.
After the seed box turns yellow, the seeds are collected. It is very important not to be late here, because after ripening the box cracks, and the seeds fall into the ground.
Feeding Pansies
Top dressing for pansies must be applied regularly, namely, they should be carried out at least twice a season. The main top dressing is carried out when the plant is gaining buds, with fertilizers such as nitrophoska and Agricolka. Subsequent top dressing is done during the rapid flowering of the plant, using a fertilizer called "Agrikolka-7".
To feed pansies, you need mineral fertilizers with potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus and other trace elements included in their composition. After planting, seedlings need to be fertilized with superphosphate, saltpeter. It is forbidden to introduce fresh manure into the soil where pansies live.
From the moment the temperature drops, the volume of top dressing is reduced and, preparing the plant for wintering, cover the flower bed with sawdust, peat or other insulation.
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Reproduction of pansies
Propagation by cuttings is important to preserve the variety you like for the next year. Also, from one mother plant, you can get a lot of young Annies from cuttings. 
For cuttings of pansies, apical cuttings with 2-3 nodes are taken. Planted in a dark place with moist soil. Planting depth 0.5 cm, planting cuttings should be dense. At 1 m? 400 cuttings. Pansy cuttings take root perfectly in water and in the ground. We cover with cellophane to keep high humidity. Rooting occurs after 3-4 weeks.
If cuttings are taken in May and June, such plants bloom in August of the same year. When cuttings are taken later, pansies from cuttings will bloom the following year. Such plants are covered and left in the garden to winter.
Cuttings help not only propagate the hybrid, but also rejuvenate the plantings. Since at the age of 3, Pansies tend to grow to the detriment of flowering. 
What problems may arise
If you notice that the flowers have become smaller, then the reason is the depleted soil. Apply organic fertilizer at the rate of 5 kg per sq.m.
Pansies can be overpowered by aphids, but they are easy to deal with. The store has special tools for this, and such a folk remedy as a soap solution is still relevant in the fight against this pest. In a sunny place, the flowers of pansies are larger and brighter, but the flowering period is shorter than that of pansies, which grow in partial shade. Although their flowers will be smaller, the flowering period is longer.
If you want to collect seeds from your own plants, then transplant the strongest bushes to a separate (seed) bed and do not forget to water it. I remind you that pansies are self-pollinating plants, so if you do not want to mix varieties, plant them away from each other. Seed pods are considered ripe when they turn yellow and turn to the top (in August). But don't be late, these boxes have one peculiarity - to randomly crack.
When the boxes are collected, take out the seeds, dry them and send them to be stored in the refrigerator.
That's the whole wisdom of growing this delicate, touching flower. If you have something to add or dispute, welcome to the comments. And don't forget to click one or more buttons of social networks where you are registered. Share information with your friends and family.
To create a colorful velvet carpet in your paradise, pansies, which are known under the elegant name of viola or under the academic name - Vitrokk's violet, will help to create. The traditional colors of this culture are purple and yellow. Over time, breeders have bred about 200 varieties with stunning shades. So the garden violet became a luxuriantly blooming and beautiful decoration of the garden.
The violet family has many features in planting, care, and cultivation. To enjoy such beauty both in spring and autumn, you need to know some of the nuances. You should also choose the right variety for planting. 
Flower characteristic
The shades of the petals are so saturated that even in the photo pansies look incomparable. You can see this charm in early spring, when it gets warmer. Some varieties delight the eye throughout the summer, because they easily tolerate hot weather. Others feel great in the velvet season, as they can even withstand frost. Among other things, varieties were bred that are resistant to low temperatures. All this diversity is classified as follows. 
Frost resistance
These plants can bloom even at the end of February. Low temperatures in the morning or light frost will not spoil the delicate flowers. Gardeners carefully select winter-hardy specimens for their summer cottage. These varieties mainly include:
For all winter-hardy varieties, the compact size of the shrub is characteristic (flower diameter reaches 6 cm). Some varieties of this viola throw abundant blooms. It is they who delight the owners with their charm for a long time.
Flower size and shape
They are of small caliber: 3-5 cm (Snow Maiden, blue boy and little red riding hood). Buds bloom from small sinuses. Pansy flowers are solitary, but in combination they make a chic look. Such giant varieties look especially luxurious:
The pedicel of such titans reaches 10-12 cm in length, and the diameter of the flower is more than 7 cm. They can be monophonic, as well as with exquisite spots or patterns. Among the large-leaved varieties, the most popular are:
The length of the branched stem is 10 cm, and the diameter of the flowers does not exceed 5 cm. The delicate petals of the tricolor violet have both smooth edges and wavy (jagged). 
The corrugated petals of the Flamenco, Chalon Supreme and Rococo varieties have an exotic look, as well as an unusual variegated color (hatched color in the center). 
Color spectrum
Vitrokk's violet color palette is striking in its diversity. In the flower bed, tricolor specimens in dark shades of blue, purple and red look unusual. Violas, snow-white with a greenish tint, will become a breathtaking property of the garden. At the same time, blue, lilac, yellow and burgundy (with bizarre spots) exhibits will bring a touch of romance to the suburban area. 
Varieties with contrasting stripes, a border and incomparable eyes look special near the house. Such a colorful description of pansies is endless, because it is difficult to consider all 250 varieties at a time.
bush height
Low-growing cultures reach 15 cm in height, and giants - up to 30 cm. In diameter, a viola bush can grow from 6 to 12 cm. Since this plant tolerates shaded areas well, it can be safely grown in a garden between trees.
The flowering period can be artificially extended. To do this, it is necessary to constantly remove fading flowers, preventing them from turning into seed boxes.
flowering period
As already noted, pansies are able to delight with their stunning flowering in the season of the year desired by the owners. So it can:
- March or April;
- summer months (withstand heat and drought);
- autumn period (quietly tolerate snowfalls and lower temperatures).
Therefore, garden plants can be transplanted into pots (plastic boxes) and decorate balconies, house facades, loggias, and windows with them. To do this, periodically loosen the earth and water the plants.
It is important to ensure that the soil is not wet for a long time, because the roots may begin to rot.
Landing Secrets
The first step is to choose a variety and a suitable place for it on the site. Many housewives prefer large-caliber varieties. Single-flowered specimens look amazing in a flower bed surrounded by other flowers. However, as experience shows, it is violas with small petals that are the hardiest. 
Such crops survive in the rainy season, and with sudden changes in temperature. Therefore, in the northern regions it is better to plant small-flowered varieties, because in the southern latitudes the inflorescences become smaller. The same applies to giant varieties if they grow for a long time in a hot and dry climate.
It is better to plant a crop in an open area. Access to heat and direct rays should be at least 5-7 hours per day. It is worth watering the flower beds once a week. Maybe twice, depending on the weather.
Landing place
It is important to consider that pansies are perennial and annual plants. This means that they are bred for one year, or two or three. The growth period largely depends on the labor that the gardener is ready to invest in these garden exhibits, and processing technologies. It was noticed that if you feed the earth with fertilizers, at least once a week, the stem grows faster, and the inflorescences become more magnificent. 
Favorable conditions for planting and caring for pansies will be the following parameters:
- Soil type. Dry soil mixed with sand or stones is not suitable for viola. The earth must be fertilized in order to saturate the young roots with nutrients. It must contain enough moisture.
- Degree of shading. It is important to find the golden mean here. A thick shadow will lead to the degeneration of the plant, and the scorching sun will lead to its destruction.
- Good care. Takes care of regular watering of sprouts. Around the rhizome (at a distance of 2-3 cm) should be made from leaves or dried grass. Periodically, you need to pluck damaged stems or petals.
When an amateur gardener has decided on a place and has chosen a suitable variety, then you can begin the sowing process. There are several ways to do this.
Landing time
The first option is to independently grow pansies from seeds. When to plant depends on the period in which the gardener wants to get a luxuriantly flowering crop. These varieties germinate well at a temperature of 16-18°C. So, if you sow the seeds in a container in winter (at the end of January), then after 2-3 months the seedlings can be transplanted into the soil. It is important to correctly calculate the date of the last frost in advance. 
You can see what time they were last year, and count 3 months from that date. This will be the date of diving into the open land, only next year.
Those who plan to see this beauty in their garden in the fall should sow during July. Then by September, when the heat subsides, the sprouts will be ready for transplanting into the ground.
Perennial crops can be immediately sown in open ground in the middle of summer. However, the sun can scorch tender sprouts, so they should be covered with greenery, but so that there is no greenhouse. Until the end of August, the seedlings must get stronger in order to successfully survive the winter. To do this, they must be watered every 7 days and fertilize the soil, alternating mineral and organic top dressing. At the end of summer, the sprouts are transplanted to another place. At the same time, it is important not to let them bloom, because this will deplete the plant before wintering. 
As a result, in the spring you can take a lovely photo of pansies and enjoy their delicate fragrance.
Landing nuances
Garden violas, although not very fastidious flowers, still require special treatment. When sowing seeds, you must follow a number of simple rules:
- loosen and slightly moisten the soil;
- mix the seeds with sand so as not to sow too thickly;
- it is not recommended to bury the seeds deep in the ground;
- they need to be watered with a watering can with a small strainer so as not to wash away the seed with water;
- store the tray for the first week in a dark place;
- then it is important to place the container in a more lit room;
- periodically, a box with seedlings that are already 25 days old is taken out into fresh air (at a temperature of + 6 ° C) in order to harden the sprouts.
When transplanting seedlings into open ground, it is important to adhere to a special system. You need to dive culture in early May. And literally in 3-4 weeks inflorescences will appear. Tuber transplantation is advised to be carried out in the evening, when it is cool and there is no sun. They should be planted at a distance of 25 cm, because they are able to grow. If weather forecasters promise frosts, then the beds should be covered with straw.
Strong winds can damage the plant. Therefore, it is important to make a protective fence for a flower bed with a viola.
Care and protection from pests
Pansies will bloom profusely with the right care and favorable conditions. Winter without snow is a detrimental factor for plants. Therefore, the beds are advised to cover with mulch and a special tarp. Among other things, it is important to follow the following:
- The soil should always be soft and moist. Therefore, the soil must be constantly loosened. Moisten the soil only after it is completely dry.
- Feed with fertilizer. You cannot do this with fresh manure. It is better to use humus in a proportion of 5 kg per sq. m or compost.
- The place must be well ventilated.
- Make a piece hut to protect from direct rays.
- Shoots with defects should be pinched off immediately.
- Remove dried leaves.
These simple rules contribute to the lush flowering of the viola. Yet the danger for her is pests. These may be such manifestations:
This plant is not really whimsical. Therefore, pests and diseases almost in rare cases interfere with the vegetation, as well as the lush flowering of the crop. As a result, you can always enjoy the beauty of pansies.
How to grow pansies - video
Pansies (botanical name viola) are rightfully considered universal, they can be grown both in the country and on the balcony. They won the hearts of many flower lovers with their beauty, ease of planting and unpretentious care. They can be transplanted even during the flowering period, from early spring (April) to autumn, with a short break.
Pansies are a low-growing perennial up to 30 cm high from the violet family, although they can also be grown as an annual due to self-seeding. They are planted in the foreground of ridges, borders, in and on. Her colors are iridescent and variegated. Viola Tricolor (for the southern regions), Altai (for the middle lane), Wittrock are popular.
Place and soil
Choose a site for planting pansies sunny, with a variable shadow. In a shady garden, flowering is weak. The soil is fertile, loose with good air aeration. Heavy and clay soil is filled with peat, sand and a full range of mineral fertilizers at the rate of 30-40 g per 1 sq.m for digging. On sandstone and poor soil, flowering is scarce.
Landing
You can grow pansies both by seeds, by planting in open ground, and by seedlings grown at home.
In May, after the end of the period of return frosts, flower seeds can be planted sow directly into open ground, having previously treated with a solution (soak for a day). Pansies are planted in grooves - at the rate of 50-60 seeds per 1 m, or in holes at a distance of 5-7 cm from each other, 2-3 seeds each. The seeds are laid to a depth of 1 cm, covered with loose earth, moistened and mulched with sawdust to retain moisture for a longer time. In a week, young sprouts will appear, which need to be shaded for 2-3 weeks. When 2 true leaves appear, pick, remove weak seedlings. Flowering will begin in the same year, but wintering can be extremely difficult. If you plant pansies in July, then flowering will come only next spring, but wintering will be painless. It is not advisable to plant flowers later than July, as they will not have time to get stronger and most likely will die in winter.
Planting pansy seeds for seedlings takes place in the first decade of March. It is better to use the soil for sowing ready-made, from the store, adding a little sand. If this option does not suit you, then the substrate can be prepared independently using equal amounts of garden, turf soil, sand, peat and humus. Before laying out in seedling boxes, it is better to sift and steam the substrate to disinfect pathogens. Spread the seeds over the surface of the soil, moisten from the sprayer and cover with a film. Put on germination in a dark and warm place where the temperature is kept within 20-22 ° C. After 7-10 days, when sprouts appear, the crops should be transferred to a bright place, regularly moisten the soil and remove the film or glass.
When 2 true leaves appear, the seedlings are picked into separate pots or according to the 5x5 cm scheme, removing the weak ones. Seedlings are planted in the holes so that the roots feel free at the bottom. If they are long, then they need to be pinched. If the seedlings are too long, then they need to be deepened into the hole to the cotyledon leaves. After picking, the soil around each seedling is slightly compacted and watered.
With further watering, the soil may sink, add the missing one without affecting the cotyledon leaves. Seedlings of pansies are grown in a bright place at a temperature of 15-17°C. 2 weeks before transplanting seedlings to a permanent place in open ground, start hardening off.
Seedlings of pansies are transplanted at the end of May-June according to the scheme 15x15 cm or 20x20 cm. Please note that when transplanting, the root collar of the flowers should be slightly deepened (by 1 cm). Then pour and mulch with a layer of peat (up to 5 cm).
The seedling method of growing pansies is good because the percentage of flower loss is less than planting in open ground.
Care for pansies
For abundant and long-term flowering, one condition is required - regular watering. Flowers do not tolerate drought.
Top dressing is applied every 10 days, starting from the 10th day after planting. Use fertilizers "Kemira" or nitrophoska, alternating with a solution of bird droppings or mullein. Fresh manure must not be used!
Faded pansies are cut off, leaving shoots up to 5 cm long above the ground, so that after 2-3 weeks new shoots form and the next wave of flowering begins.
Pansies give self-sowing, so if the set seed pods are not removed in a timely manner, when they dry, they can crack, crumble and even shoot, ending up in an unexpected and possibly unnecessary place.
For the winter, pansies must be covered with mulch. It protects roots from temperature variability in early spring. A layer of mulch should not completely cover the flowers so that they do not “suffocate” in the spring. To protect against frost, make snow retention.
Harvest pansy seeds when the seed pods turn pale in color. Seed germination lasts 3 years.
How to propagate pansies
Propagated by seeds (self-sowing or organized, collecting seeds) or cuttings. For the second method of reproduction, the tops of green cuttings are taken, they are cut into 2-3 knots. They are planted immediately in open ground in June to a depth of 0.5 cm in a shaded place (under the trees) very close to each other, they should be in contact. Then compact the soil a little, water and spray from above. Rooting takes place in about a month. From one bush you can get up to 10 green cuttings. In the early days, it is necessary to regularly water and spray with water so that they do not wither. Flowering of young plants will begin this year. Later cuttings will allow flowering to occur only in the spring of next year. It is better to transplant cuttings to a permanent place in the spring.
Tricolor is better known as pansies or Ivan da Marya. The plant is herbaceous, biennial or annual. Sometimes it occurs in a perennial form. Currently, many varieties and hybrid forms have been bred, which are very popular in the design of flower beds and gardens. There are both spectacular large-flowered forms and undersized ground cover varieties.
Many gardeners purchase ready-made seedlings of pansies in the spring and grow them in their annual form. Next summer, you need to invest in seedlings again. We will try to figure out how difficult it is to grow a tricolor viola and when to sow pansies for seedlings.
Terms of sowing seeds for seedlings, preparation of seed material and soil
Sowing dates
In order to get plants that bloom in the spring and delight the eye all summer, pansies in most temperate regions need to be grown from seedlings. The timing of sowing depends on several reasons, one of them is the purpose of pansies.
If seedlings are needed for sale, then it is better to sow in January and even at the end of December, then by the spring season you can sell seedlings that not only picked up buds, but also began to bloom. However, in this case, it will be necessary to arrange additional light for seedlings for several hours a day. If flowers are needed for planting in your own garden, then you can start sowing in the third decade of February and continue until the end of March. You can calculate the optimal time for sowing seeds based on climatic conditions.
The reference point for the countdown will be the date of late spring frosts. If, for example, they fell on May 20 last spring, then 90 days must be subtracted from this date and the planting date is February 20. This number should be guided by when sowing viola tricolor seeds for seedlings. When sown in these numbers, additional light is no longer required for seedlings. It is important to know that for growing in a two-year form, the seeds of pansies are sown in the summer, in July, immediately.
Preparing seeds for sowing
Seeds of pansies do not need special pre-planting preparation. It is important to purchase varietal seeds from trusted garden centers or stores. For several hours before sowing, it is enough to soak them in a solution of citron or another stimulant.
Soil preparation
If a modest amount of seeds are intended for cultivation, then they can be sown in wet peat tablets or ready for violets. If there are a lot of seeds, then the purchase of tablets and soil will require significant amounts.
Video about the proper care and reproduction of viola (pansies):
In this case, in the fall it is better to prepare leafy soil and rotted compost. Mix these ingredients in equal proportions and fill planting pots or boxes a day before sowing, and moisten the soil well. Viola can be sown the next day after this.
Sowing seeds and first care
Seeding methods:
- the easiest way is to spread the seeds on top of the soil and put in a dark place at a temperature of +20 +22. Cover the plantings with a film and remove it every day for 10 minutes.
- you can sow the viola with embedding in the ground. With this method, the seeds are laid out in grooves about 0.5 cm deep. The distance between the grooves is 1.0-2.0 cm. The same gap is between the seeds. There is no need for a dark place. Also, crops are covered with a film with mandatory ventilation.
Watering and feeding
Viola is very responsive to watering. In hot summers, it can be watered daily with a moderate amount of water. Immediately after watering, the ground around the bush is mulched. When watering, you need to focus on drying the top layer. If it is wet, then the plant should not be watered, otherwise an excess of water will lead to decay of the root system.
In order for the flowers to be bright, pansies need to be fed regularly immediately after rooting. This will happen about two weeks after landing. You can apply fertilizer at the same time as watering. For these purposes, any complex fertilizer is suitable, for example,.
To prolong the flowering of pansies, you need to try to regularly pinch off flowers that have already faded. If, to the best of his ability, the gardener fulfilled simple requirements, then a bright viola carpet will delight the eye until frost.
