How to Overwinter Pansies in 7 Steps
Pansies are cool-season favorites that are surprisingly cold-tolerant. We have some tips to keep these frost-proof plants going through the winter so they can spring to life when temperatures rise. Join gardening expert Melissa Strauss for some tips to overwinter your pansies.
Contents
Pretty pansies are a versatile and sweet-smelling addition to the garden. These cool-weather bloomers tolerate cold temperatures and even endure a fair amount of frost. Getting them through the winter in the ground will mean the earliest flowering possible. When it comes to spring flowers, the sooner, the better.
These plants can grow annually in all zones but are only winter-hardy in zones 4-10. With the right care, Zones 7-10 will even bloom through the winter! In Zones 4-6, they will fall dormant in very cold temperatures, but with a little help, they will return in the spring.
Pansies—a hybrid of violas—come in one of the widest ranges of colors among flower types. They have a light, pleasant fragrance and are edible, with a vaguely spicy flavor. They make a stunning addition to baked goods and salads. Let’s talk about how to overwinter yours for gorgeous cool-season blooms.
Step 1: Choose the Right Varieties
When it comes to color and variety, pansies have few rivals. They come in almost every shade, even true blue, the most unusual flower color. There are tricolor, bi-color, contrast veined, and solid color blooms. Petals can be smooth, heavily ruffled, or anywhere in between.
Choosing a variety or more for your garden can be an enjoyable experience. I just love shopping for seeds. An interesting characteristic is the cold tolerance of different colors. Blue, white, and yellow types tend to be more cold-tolerant than their pink, purple, red, and orange counterparts. For Zones 4 and 5, I highly recommend experimenting with these shades.
In warm climates, Zones 6 through 11, anything goes. With proper care, you should be able to keep them alive and blooming through the winter. I’ve listed a few favorite varieties below, but with so many to choose from, I encourage you to look around for those that strike your fancy.
‘Frizzle Sizzle Blue’
|
botanical name Viola x wittrockiana ‘Sizzle Frizzle Blue’ |
|---|---|
|
sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
|
height 6”-8” |
|
hardiness zones 2-11 |
‘Frizzle Sizzle Blue’ is part of a series featuring bicolor or tricolor blooms with ruffled petals. They are showy and colorful and look stunning in a container or a large grouping. The ruffled edges will become more pronounced in cooler weather. These plants prefer moist soil and some protection from the afternoon sun in warmer climates.
‘Black Moon’
|
|
botanical name Viola x wittrockiana ‘Black Moon’ |
|---|---|
|
|
sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
|
|
height 6”-8” |
|
|
hardiness zones 2-11 |
I’m a sucker for black flowers, especially edible ones. ‘Black Moon’ would be an excellent variety for decorating Halloween baked goods. Not to mention, they are simply gorgeous. These are the closest to black I have seen, which is actually a deep purple. You can sometimes see purple on the back of the petals, but the velvety tops look jot black with just a hint of yellow in the center.
‘Clear Crystals White’
|
|
botanical name Viola x wittrockiana ‘Clear Crystals White’ |
|---|---|
|
|
sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
|
|
height 6”-8” |
|
|
hardiness zones 5-9 |
As dark as ‘Black Moon’ is, ‘Clear Crystals White’ is the perfect pure white foil. Plant these two together for a black-and-white masterpiece. This pristine white pansy has just a touch of yellow at the center. The petals are smooth with ever so slightly ruffled edges.
‘Swiss Giant Claret’
|
|
botanical name Viola x wittrockiana ‘Swiss Giant Claret’ |
|---|---|
|
|
sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
|
|
height 6”-8” |
|
|
hardiness zones 5-9 |
Swiss giant pansies have extra-large flowers. The plants themselves are the same size as other varieties, but the blooms are significantly larger and showier. ‘Swiss Giant Claret’ is a rich, velvety red flower with wine-colored markings in the center. The petals can be uniform or have a thin white margin. These are amazing for decorating a cake at Christmastime.
Step 2: Plant Them Early
For the strongest plants to overwinter, plant your pansies early in the season. In colder climates, it can be easier to start these in late winter or early spring. But, with some extra TLC, they will go dormant and overwinter well, springing back to life as soon as the weather warms slightly.
The seeds germinate best when the soil is between 45 and 65°F (7-18°C). If you plant them too early, you’ll end up with weak seedlings and yellow leaves. Adjust your planting time according to your climate. Plant earlier in the fall in cooler climates and later in warm climates. I’m in Zone 9 and will start my pansies in early November.
In cool climates, the objective is to get these started early enough for them to establish strong roots before a freeze. These will go dormant during the coldest months and come back nice and strong in the spring.
In warm climates, you should be able to keep your pansies blooming through the winter. Depending on your Zone, you may need to give them some protection. But generally speaking, these will be winter bloomers in Zone 7 and South. They take about two to three months from starting the seeds until they bloom.
In warm climates like Zones 9-11, it’s helpful to start your pansies indoors, where it’s cooler. You can start them as early as September and transplant them when the temperature drops.
Step 3: Choose the Right Location
If you want to see your pansies thrive, choosing the right location with the proper conditions is important. These plants prefer full sun and do their best flowering in full sun. However, in warm climates, your pansies may not last long if they get too much exposure.
In cool climates, prepare a space that gets as much sun as possible. Farther south, find a spot with full sun in the morning but some shade in the afternoon. This is when the sunlight is most intense, and it will cause your pansies to wilt faster.
They like rich, well-drained soil with a neutral to slightly acidic pH. Before you plant these, amend the soil with compost or manure. This will make the soil slightly more acidic and provide nutrients throughout the year.
Consider working some fertilizer into the soil at planting time as well. Because you want strong flowers and roots, give them a formula that is higher in phosphorus. Excess nitrogen will lead to more green growth and less energy applied to flowering and root development.
Avoid planting in heavy, dense soil that gets waterlogged easily. While they like moisture, heavy, wet soil is a fast route to root rot. Pansies work very well in containers. If you decide to plant them in pots, mix some compost and fertilizer into your potting mix.
Step 4: Keep Them Hydrated
Overwinter your pansies by keeping them moist but not waterlogged. If you’re starting them from seeds, keep the soil moist while they germinate. Water young and newly planted pansies daily until established, and then decrease this gradually until you’re watering once weekly.
As the season wears on and the weather gets cooler, decrease watering so that the soil dries slightly between waterings. This will help to harden them off, making them more resilient in cold weather. Don’t allow them to dry out entirely, as this will cause them to stop flowering and make them intolerant of frost.
In cool climates, when your plants go dormant, stop watering them. Dormant pansies do not need water, and depending on the weather, you’ll risk damaging or rotting the roots. In mild climates where you experience freezing temperatures for shorter periods, keep the soil lightly moist to keep them healthy. Dry plants are more vulnerable to frost.
Step 5: Protect Them From the Cold
Pansies are very frost-tolerant and will continue to grow and bloom down to temperatures in the mid-20s. At around 25°F (-4°C), though, the foliage will turn gray, and they will go dormant. Below 20°F (-7°C), they will die back to the ground.
To keep the soil warm and insulated, spreading some mulch or straw on the ground around your plants is a good idea. A hard freeze will force them into dormancy even if you manage to protect the tops. Covering them with mulch or straw will help the soil retain moisture and give some insulation even in warmer climates. It’s a great idea no matter where you live.
Another factor to consider is wind damage. Freezing wind can be hard on your garden, even plants that are as cold-tolerant as pansies. Consider giving them a space that has a bit of shelter or planting them near other, larger plants that can act as a windbreak.
Step 6: Fertilize
How you fertilize should hinge on your climate. You shouldn’t fertilize when your plants are dormant. In cool climates, give them fertilizer in the late summer to help them develop strong roots. A low-nitrogen formula is best because it will help them focus energy on roots rather than top growth.
Stop fertilizing during the fall or winter when they are dormant. In spring, when they come out of dormancy, give your plants a fertilizer that is higher in nitrogen to get them on the right track. A balanced formula is appropriate for spring fertilizing, but you can also give them a high phosphorus formula at this time, as well.
For warm climates, fertilize your plants every two to three weeks for as long as they are growing. A high-phosphorus formula is best if you amend the soil ahead of time. If not, use a more balanced formula so they get enough nitrogen.
Step 7: Maintain
Once your pansies start blooming, deadhead them regularly. The more flowers you cut, the more flowers you will produce. When you deadhead, cut the entire flower stalk at its base. This helps the plant direct its energy into producing more flowers.
Aside from this, just maintain your plants as usual. Keep an eye on them, checking regularly. Deadhead weekly to keep them from getting leggy and underproducing. If they get leggy and sparse, feel free to cut them back. Remove no more than 1/3 of the plant at a time; pinching stems back to just above a set of leaves.
Key Takeaways
With the right care and conditions, you can grow these sweet, cool-season flowers through the winter in warm climates. Even in cold climates, pansies will tolerate a lot of cold and spring back to life as soon as the weather permits.
