Don’t Give Up On Pansies!
I’ve had several customers tell me they just haven’t had good luck with pansies. After asking a few questions, I discovered they all had the same problem—the pansies were planted in poorly draining soil.
Pansies don’t do well in soil that stays wet. In fact, they prefer things a little on the dry side. Here are a few ways to prevent drainage problems so you can enjoy beautiful, blooming pansies throughout the winter months ahead.
Don’t Overwater
Sounds simple, but we all have a tendency to just water the pots! Check your containers before watering to make sure the soil is actually dry and they need water.
If your pansies are planted in the ground, check the soil there too. Our plants don’t require as much water as we give them throughout the summer, so begin cutting back on the amount and frequency of watering as we move from fall into winter.
Reset Your Sprinkler System
If you haven’t reset your sprinkler system from its summer settings, now is the time to do so. As the weather cools, our lawns and flower beds don’t require as much water as they do during the hotter summer months. Adjust your sprinklers to water less frequently throughout the fall and winter.
Get Your Hands Dirty—or Use a Moisture Meter
We can look at the surface of the soil and think it looks dry, but that doesn’t tell us how much moisture is still down around the roots.
The easiest way to check is to stick your finger into the soil and feel how wet it is, or use a moisture meter for a quick reading. Either method can help you determine whether your pansies actually need water before you reach for the hose.
Planting in Poorly Draining Areas
If an area doesn’t drain well, you can create a raised planting area to keep your plants above the wet soil. This can be done by creating a mound or longer berm using garden soil (not potting soil) and planting into the raised area.
Cover the area with mulch to blend it into the rest of your landscape bed, and you’ve created a much better-draining environment for your pansies.
Install Drainage Solutions in Your Landscape
Sometimes a wet flower bed needs a more permanent drainage solution, such as installing a French drain or piping downspouts away from your landscape beds.
If you’re unsure what may be causing the problem, feel free to contact our store and send us photos. We’ll do our best to help determine the right solution for your drainage issue.
Make Sure Your Pots and Planters Drain Well
Planting pansies in pots and planters around your home is a great way to add winter color in a variety of areas. Just make sure your containers have adequate drainage holes in the bottom so excess water can escape.
If a pot is sitting directly on a solid surface, its drainage holes may become blocked. Place the container on pot feet or small blocks of wood to raise it slightly off the surface and allow water to drain freely.
And remember—use the finger test or a moisture meter before watering to make sure the soil actually needs it.
These are just a few ways you can turn a wet, poorly draining situation into one that is dry enough for pansies and other plants to bloom beautifully.
If you have questions about how to solve a specific problem, please give us a call at (903) 753-2223. You can also text a photo to (903) 339-0922, and we can help determine a solution or answer your questions.