Looking for a few tips and tricks to keep your pansies blooming strong all the way through early spring – and even into early summer?
Thanks to their love for cool weather, pansies are a top pick for gardeners looking to add a splash of color to their landscape in early spring – and in some areas – even late winter. Pansies flourish in temperatures that cause many other annuals to wither. Not only can they endure chilly conditions, but they also perform at their best in them.
Unlike most delicate blooms that fade at the first sign of frost, pansies are remarkably resilient. In fact, so resilient that they are able to withstand light freezes, unexpected frosts, and even a dusting of snow – all while continuing to produce vibrant flowers!
How To Keep Pansies Blooming Big Well Beyond Spring
As great as pansies are, one of the biggest challenges gardeners face with the flowering annual is keeping them in bloom once the warmer days of spring and early summer arrive. As temperatures start to rise, these cool-weather lovers often begin to weaken, with their once-vibrant flowers fading and their growth slowing.
While their beauty is undeniable in the cooler months, many gardeners find themselves frustrated when their pansies start to struggle just as the rest of the garden is coming to life.
It’s true that pansies don’t thrive in extreme heat, but that doesn’t mean they have to be short-lived. With just a bit of extra attention and proper care, it’s actually entirely possible to extend their blooming period for many weeks.
In fact, with a little fertilizing, deadheading and good watering – pansies can continue to flourish not only through late spring but even into the early weeks of summer, bringing long-lasting color to flower beds and containers in the process.
How To Fertilize Pansies To Keep Them Blooming Big
To keep pansies producing continuous blooms, they need more than just regular deadheading and trimming. Providing them with the right nutrients is also essential for maintaining strong, healthy growth. And, of course, an abundance of flowers. However, the type of fertilizer you choose plays a major role in how well they perform.
Unlike many other flowering annuals that thrive on high levels of phosphorus to fuel blooming, pansies have different nutritional needs. As acid-loving plants, they require a balanced supply of nitrogen and potassium, while needing only a minimal amount of phosphorus.
This unique preference sets them apart from other popular garden flowers. So how much phosphorus should you use? For optimal flowering, a liquid fertilizer with an N-P-K (Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium) ratio of around 20-10-20 is ideal.
Fortunately, several fertilizer brands offer specialized formulas designed specifically for pansies and petunias, which also have the same requirements. These blends help keep the foliage lush and green while encouraging an abundance of colorful blooms. Affiliate Link: Jack’s Classic 20-6-22 Fertilizer
Since liquid fertilizers are quickly absorbed by plants, they provide fast results, ensuring pansies remain vibrant and healthy. The trick to fertilizing pansies effectively is to apply nutrients in smaller, more frequent doses rather than giving them large amounts infrequently.
Listen In To Our Latest Podcast Below!
A diluted application, using half the recommended strength every seven to ten days will provides the perfect supply of essential nutrients. This steady feeding schedule will allow your pansies to thrive and bloom far longer.
Deadheading
Another big key to keep your pansies blooming is deadheading. This is the process of removing faded flowers as soon as they start to wilt. Not only does this keep the plant looking neat, but it also helps encourage new blooms to form more quickly.
When old flowers stay on the plant, they drain energy that could be used for fresh growth. Instead of producing new buds, the plant wastes nutrients trying to sustain dying blooms. By removing these old and fading blooms, you allow the plant to focus its energy on creating more flowers. See our article: How To Deadhead Annual & Perennial Flowers – Get More Blooms On Your Plants!
In addition to regular deadheading, another great way to revive pansies is by cutting them back in late spring. Trimming them down to just a few inches above the soil encourages fresh, healthy growth that can produce even more blooms.
If your pansies start looking weak or leggy, give them a good pruning and follow up with fertilizer to help them bounce back. With a little care, they’ll keep adding color to your garden for a month or more longer!
Watering
Last but not least, you need to water pansies properly to keep them healthy and blooming for as long as possible. Pansies prefer consistently moist soil – but not overly wet conditions.
The best advice when watering is to water deeply whenever the top inch of soil feels dry, ensuring the moisture reaches the roots. However, avoid letting the soil become soggy, as pansies are prone to root rot in overly damp conditions.
The perfect time to water pansies is in the morning. This allows the foliage to dry out during the day, reducing the risk of fungal diseases. If you’re growing them in containers, check the soil more frequently since pots dry out faster than garden beds.
During warmer weather, pansies may need more frequent watering, especially if they start wilting. st. If it’s still damp, wait until evening to see if they perk back up before adding more water. Watering at the base of the plant will help prevent water from splashing onto the leaves, which can lead to mildew or rot.
Give Your Pansies More Shade
Finally, if you’re growing pansies in pots or containers and can move them as summer temperatures rise, you can extend their blooming season significantly!
During late winter and early spring, when the air is still crisp, placing pansies in a sunny spot is ideal. Since the sun sits lower in the sky, they need as much direct light as possible to stay healthy and flourish. At this stage, full sun provides just enough warmth to keep them thriving.
However, as late spring turns into summer, conditions shift dramatically. The sun becomes more intense. And if pansies remain in direct sunlight, they will quickly start to struggle. For those growing them in containers, this is the perfect time to relocate them to a cooler, shadier spot. This will protect them from excessive heat and keep them blooming longer.
Here is to keeping your pansies blooming bigger and longer then ever this year!
This Is My Garden
Follow Our Facebook Page For Great Gardening Tips And Advice! This Is My Garden Facebook Page
This Is My Garden is a garden website created by gardeners, for gardeners. Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books and speaking for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. They publish three articles every week, 52 weeks a year. Sign up today to follow via email, or follow along!