Pansies are here!  In East Texas we plant pansies in the Fall and they bloom throughout our winter season whereas in Northern states they are planted in the spring.  If you’ve moved from the north to our southern location plant your pansies now.

At least 4 hours of sunlight per day is needed to keep them blooming and healthy. If you have deciduous trees, your yard will be sunnier in the winter than in the summer once the leaves fall from the trees. You may have plenty of sun to grow pansies in the winter if that is the case.

Pansies are also heavy feeders and require fertilizing every 2-3 weeks to ensure they have enough nutrients to grow and bloom properly.  You can also use a time released fertilizer that continues to feed for a longer period of time.

Remember to look at your N-P-K numbers on the fertilizer.  One that has a larger middle number will help produce blooms and healthy roots.  A balanced fertilizer (13-13-13) will give equal amounts of the essential nutrients.  There are specific fertilizers for bedding plants that also work well in granular or liquid form.  Any of these will help your pansies stay healthy and bloom more when used as recommended.  Too much fertilizer can damage your plants so follow the directions.  More is not always better.

If we experience ice/snow the open blooms will be lost, but not the plant itself.  As soon as it melts you will soon see new buds form and your pansies will begin blooming again.

They do prefer well drained soil and are prone to root rot when consistently overwatered or grown in too wet of an area.

Pansies come in so many varieties of colors, with or without faces – we all have our favorites. They brighten dreary winter days with their happy blooms and are a must have flower in beds or containers.