Nothing says spring like a colourful container of vibrant and velvety pansies. Here’s the skinny on how to grow pansies. They’re a cinch.

First things first:

Pansies are pretty annual flowers that like cool weather. Often they are the first plants you see in any midwestern garden centre in early April. Along with hyacinths, tulips and daffodils, pansies are a spring staple. Pansies come in many colours and striations including clear, whiskered, blotched and bicolored. They also come in a variety of sizes from 1 inch in diameter all the way up to 5 inches. I LOVE the Frizzle Sizzle Series from Fedco seeds.

What are ideal growing conditions?

You’ve decided to give them a go, but wondering how to grow pansies best? It couldn’t be easier. Follow these easy steps. Whether you’re planting in the fall or spring, pansies can grow in full sun to part-shade making them quite versatile. Pansies will offer the most blooms with morning sun, but will require a bit more watering as they like to be moist. Choose virtually any container you’d like and fill with a quality potting mix like Moisture Control from Miracle-Gro. Do know that pansies don’t tend to grow very wide, so be sure to space them close together: really pack them in tightly for a lush look. Mass plantings offer so much flashy colour that it can be fun to mix them up, plant in blocks, or even group many containers together for greatest visual impact. Experiment with what works best for you.

Caring for Your Pansies

To keep your beauties blossoming, be sure to feed them regularly. I prefer a fertiliser with 10-10-10 like this one on Amazon from Southern Ag. Remember that your pansies will like plenty of water, especially if they are in a sunny spot, but be certain your soil is well-drained to prevent rotting roots.  

Finally, wondering how to grow pansies that keep flowering long into the season? The answer is to dead-head them. Healthy pansies produce many blooms. To keep your plant growing and looking it’s best, snip off spent blooms to encourage new growth. Not only will this tidy up your plant, but you’ll get plenty of new and colourful blossoms.

Pro Tip: Because pansies are typically planted in close proximity, it’s easy to snip off the wrong stem when deadheading. pinch the dead bloom between your fingers and carefully snip the stem just below. You’re welcome!