Southern gardeners, with mild winters and hot summers should start pansies in late summer. Transplant outdoors as soon as the cooler temperatures of fall come around when the pansies will bloom continuously through winter and early spring.
Varieties
Pansies come in a wide range of colors and patterns. Some flowers have blotches ("faces") and there are even multi color varieties available. The size of the flowers generally falls into 3 categories:
- Large
- Size: 3-4 inches
- Include: Accord, Majestic Giants, and Swiss Giants
- Medium
- Size: 2-3 inches
- Include: Joker, Imperial, and Crown
- Small
- Size: 1-2 inches
- Include: Crystal Bowl, Universal, and Maxim
Sowing the seeds
Fill the pots or seedling flats with moist, but not wet, soil-less growing media.
The seeds are fairly small but still large enough to handle with your fingers. You can also empty the seeds into a bowl and use the tip of a moist wooden toothpick to transfer the seeds.
The seeds should be placed at the surface and not buried. Some references recommend that you cover the seeds, but I have had best results by simply pressing them into the mixture without covering. If you have any vermiculite you can sprinkle a fine layer (1/8") on top to retain moisture around the seeds.
Freezing or cooling seeds in order to achieve germination is not required.
Initial Watering.
After sowing, place the seed flat in a pan of tepid water and allow the mixture to wick up moisture from below until the top of the material starts to glisten and turns black. Remove the flat from the water and put aside to drain. A few minutes later you can cover the flats with plastic to retain high humidity. Under normal circumstances it should not be necessary to water the flats again until germination.
Germinating Temperature.
This cool season annual germinates at cooler than normal temperatures. 68-70 F (20-21 C) are ideal. Place the flat at room temperature , e.g. consistently 70-75 F. The moist seed starting mixture will always be a little cooler and germination should incur in 10-15 days from sowing. Temperatures above 75 F (24 C) can inhibit germination. Pansy seeds germinate irregularly and will continue to germinate during a relatively long period (up to two weeks).
Even under the best of conditions, the germination percentage for pansy is usually low (50-60%) and it is a good idea to buy more seeds than you need. Sow 2-3 seeds to a cell, for example.
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