By now, most pansies are in the ground. Now it is time for winter care to improve their performance! UGA Extension has an excellent publication on growing pansies – Success with Pansies in the Winter Landscape: A Guide for Landscape Professionals. It provides info and the practices that help us get the most from our pansies.
Here are some examples of info from this publication. Did you know?
- Once the weather cools and soil temperatures drop below 60° F, pansies grow better when fed a liquid feed program using a fertilizer containing at least 50 percent of its nitrogen in the nitrate form.
- Fertilizers containing more ammonia can be used more once soils warm in the spring – starting about March 15.
- Reduce fertilization during warm weather to control plant growth.
- Pansies grow best in soils with a pH of 5.4 – 5.8. Higher pH encourages boron and iron deficiencies while making plants more susceptible to black root rot.
- Removing frost-damaged and old and faded flowers improves the looks of the bed, encourages more flowering and can reduce disease incidence.
- You can trim lanky branches to produce stocky plants with more branches and flowers.
Several insects and diseases affect pansies. For help identifying these problems, contact your local Extension Office.
For more information, see the entire publication here.