|
| Pansies and cabbage in a late-winter landscape. |
Pansies continue to be the most popular cool-season bedding plant in Louisiana. They are normally planted in October through November and last through early to mid-spring. Pansies have long been known for their reliable landscape performance.
Numerous pansy varieties are on the market. Some are large-flowered. Some are medium-flowered. Some are small-flowered. Some have clear or solid-color flower petals while others have blotched flower faces. Normally, clear-faced flowers are the most popular for landscape use, but some folks like the colors of the blotched flowers in mixed plantings. There is something for everybody in the pansy family.
The new pansy varieties that have come out the last couple years have been the "XXL," "Majestic Giant II" and "Colossus." These are larger-sized pansies that have flowers 4 inches across. Medium pansies have flowers about 2.5-3 inches across, while smaller pansies have flowers 1.5-2 inches across. If you want a truly dwarf pansy, try Johnny jump-ups (also called violas) – they work well in containers and usually last 1-2 weeks longer into the spring than pansies do. You may also be interested in panolas, which are hybrids between pansies and violas. Panolas have been named Mississippi Medallion plants.
When planting, a well-drained, sunny location is recommended. Acid soil is also important – a soil pH of 5.0-5.5 is recommended for best pansy performance. Normally a soil temperature of 58-60 degrees is recommended for planting pansies. The recommended pansy planting date in Louisiana goes from mid-October in North Louisiana to mid-/late November in extreme South Louisiana. Use a three-to-four-month controlled-release fertilizer at planting time. Another light application in late February or early March may be beneficial. Pansies begin to decline with the arrival of warmer nights in the spring. Normally April signals the end of pansy season in the Baton Rouge area. Plants tolerate cold temperatures – most references list foliage being tolerant to somewhere between 10 and 15 degrees and flowers being tolerant to about 20-22 degrees.
Pansy flowers are available in many colors. Blue, rose, pink, yellow, white, purple, red, scarlet and other shades can be used to brighten any landscape. Be aggressive and plant in masses for the best visual enhancement. Some people like to interplant pansies among daffodils and tulips – this is a good combination. Match the bulb flower size to the flower size of the pansy variety you use.
Tall and spindly growth on pansies can be taken care of by pinching. Removal of faded flowers also encourages continual bloom or faster rebloom should be plants become stagnant.
Pansy are not overlooked at garden centers in the fall, but we need to remember how to properly use them in the landscape to achieve the maximum performance.