Starting with Seeds: Pansy

given light feedings using nitrate nitrogen fertilizers, and kept moderately dry, will stay compact. If the pansy stems stretch they can be pinched back but this will add 2-3 weeks to the flowering time. Account for this when determining sowing time.

Most pansies are basal branching. This means that 4-5 leaves will grow out of one point on the stem near the soil level. Do not pinch back any of these leaves. If the stem elongate ("stretch") it can be pinched back eventually. This typically happens in high temperatures and if fed excessive amounts of ammonium and nitrogen fertilizer.

Transplanting Outdoors: Hardening Off
Pansies can tolerate frost, but they will usually only flower when spring temperatures reach 60-70 F (18-20 C) during the daytime.

Most pansies need a cool period in order to induce flowering (usually 45-55 F). This can be accomplished by moving the plants to an outdoors cold frame a few weeks early. If you plant pansies in fall, for winter bloom in warmer climates, make sure you buy cultivars specifictly sold for southern gardens (fall planting). These cultivars usually bloom without this vernalization requirement. "Universal Plus", "Contessa", and "Ultima Beacon" series are good choices.

When planting outdoors, make sure they are hardened off first which means the plants will not sustain damage from the cold night temperatures. Move them outdoors a few hours during on a mild day and back indoors at night. Gradually increase the time the plants are left outdoors during the next 10-15 days. After two weeks the pansies can be planted in the flower beds.

While the pansies can tolerate freezing temperatures after being hardened off, they will be damaged if exposed to these low temperatures right after being transferred outdoors. Keep them at minimum 50 F (10 C) for the first two weeks and gradually introduce them to more and more sun every day. A floating row cover, or a cold frame, is very useful in the early morning hours when the temperatures typically can be very low. If not properly hardened off, the pansies may be set back (delayed flowering) even if they are not damaged.

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Sources used:
- "Commercial Pansy Production", D.A. Bailey, North Carolina State University, Leaflet 521
- "Pansy Production and Marketing", Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities, ANR-596

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