How to plant pansy seeds? A step-by-step guide to sowing methods
Pansy is a common wildflower in Europe, also known as cat's face, butterfly flower, face flower, etc. It is a biennial or perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Viola in the family Violaceae, often cultivated by people in parks, suitable for open-air planting, and can be grown in flower beds, courtyards, and pots. It blooms from winter to spring, has extremely high ornamental value, and can also be used medicinally. Let's take a look together at how to plant pansy seeds!
Growth habits
Pansy is relatively cold-tolerant, prefers cool conditions, and likes sunlight. It develops well under conditions of a daytime temperature of 15-25°C and a nighttime temperature of 3-5°C. It dislikes high temperatures and waterlogging, is cold-tolerant and frost-resistant. If the daytime temperature stays continuously above 30°C, the flower buds disappear or petals do not form. When the daytime temperature stays at 25°C, it only blooms but does not set seed, and even if it sets seed, the seeds develop poorly. The root system can tolerate a low temperature of -15°C, but below -5°C the leaves freeze and the edges turn yellow. Day length has a greater effect on flowering than light intensity; poor sunlight results in poor flowering. It prefers fertile, well-drained neutral loam or clay loam rich in organic matter, with a pH of 5.4-7.4.
Seed collection
When pansy blooms, the flowers hang downward; when the fruit matures, it raises up. Harvest immediately when the fruit skin turns white, otherwise the capsule will dry in the sun, split open, and eject and scatter the seeds. The harvested seeds must be dried and stored.
Sowing method
In the Yangtze River basin, sowing is generally done at the end of August and the beginning of September. Choose a plot of sandy soil with sufficient light and good drainage as the seedling bed, prepare it into a seedbed, level it, and then sow. Shallow clay pots can also be used for sowing. The covering soil thickness is 2-3 times the diameter of the seed. After sowing, water once thoroughly and shade appropriately immediately. When the seedlings all emerge, remove the shading material.
Transplanting technique
When the seedlings grow 3 true leaves, they can be transplanted into small pots or a seedbed for cultivation. The spacing in the seedbed is about 4 cm × 5 cm. When the seedlings grow 8 true leaves, a second transplanting can be carried out, planting them in flower beds, flower borders, or large clay pots with a diameter of 12-15 cm, with 3 plants per pot. The spacing in flower beds is 15 li × 20 cm.
Care and management
1. Soil: Pansy has low soil requirements and can tolerate poor soil. It is suitable for fertile, loose soil rich in organic matter, but it is difficult for it to grow well in moist soil with poor drainage.
2. Watering: During the growth process, pansy is best kept slightly dry. If the pot soil or seedbed is too wet during the seedling stage, it is prone to disease. During the vigorous growth period of stems and leaves, the pot soil can be kept slightly moist, but it must not be too wet or waterlogged, otherwise it will affect the normal growth and development of the plant, or even cause wilting and death. If it is rainy during the flowering period or hot and humid, the stems and leaves are prone to rot, the flowering period is shortened, and the seed-setting rate is low.
3. Sunlight: Pansy is relatively sensitive to light. If there is sufficient light and a long day length, the stems and leaves of pansy grow luxuriantly and flowering is earlier. If there is insufficient light and a short day length, pansy blooms poorly or flowering is delayed.
4. Temperature: The suitable growth temperature for pansy is 7-15°C. In spring, the best daytime temperature is 10°C, and 4-7°C at night is suitable. If the high temperature stays continuously above 25°C, the flower buds disappear and petals cannot form. But if the temperature is below -5°C, the leaves freeze and the edges turn yellow.
5. Fertilizing: During the growth period, pansy is fertilized once every 20-30 days. Various organic fertilizers or nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are all suitable.
6. Pests and diseases: The main diseases harming the stems, leaves, flowers, and roots of pansy include anthracnose, rust, gray mold, and root rot. Once the disease occurs, spray a 500-600 times dilution of 50% carbendazim or an 800 times dilution of 75% chlorothalonil.
7. Pruning: During the growth period, pansy should have residual branches and residual flowers promptly removed. For leggy branches, pinch the tips to control growth and promote new branches, making the plant full and well-shaped, and also extending the flowering period.