Pansies
Pansies, without question, are one of the most exciting plants of spring. I don't believe any other plant causes the excitement that pansies do. When people first see them in the spring, smiles are everywhere.
There are some who believe pansies need to be planted in the fall for spring bloom. We believe the best spring pansies are still planted in the spring. In most cases the fall pansies take so much longer to get going the following spring than fresh spring plants. I won't say fall plantings don't work for spring, but generally spring planting is more successful. There is no difference in the varieties, it's just when they are planted. Also, the term "winter" pansy is a marketing concept. All pansies are cold tolerant. Some varieties of pansies, however, have been hybridized to be more heat tolerant to last longer into the warm season.
Pansies love cool weather and snow does not hurt them. (Actually when they are covered in snow, do not brush off the snow.) As soon as the soil is thawed from winter they can be planted. Most years in the tristate area, this usually is in March, although I remember some Februaries when this was do-able.
As you take them out of the pot to plant, it's best to loosen the roots. Plant them level in the soil of your container or in the bed and water them in well. After they're planted, sometimes when springs are unusually cool, it's difficult to tell if the soil is truly wet or if it's just cold soil. Probably the soil is dry if you haven't watered too recently, so go ahead and water well. Pansies do get thirsty, so be sure to check them; however they need to be dry between watering's.
Pansies don't require a lot of fertilizer but occasionally fertilizing with Jack's All Purpose is great!
Dead-heading is not necessary but it does help them to look fresher. Sometimes, if the season is unusually warm, dead-heading will prolong the bloom time. It does curb the build up of seed pods. If annuals believe they have produced enough seed they sometimes feel they don't have to bloom any longer; they've done their job! Personally, I dead-head my pansies twice a season.
Panolas are a relatively new hybrid, a cross between a pansy and a viola. They have a high bloom count like violas with a gorgeous color spectrum like pansies. The blossoms are medium size and there are lots of them. Panolas are great because they are very showy and full of color. A.J. Rahn Greenhouses carries this new variety as well as a full color complement of pansies and violas.
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