Horticulture : News
DATE: August 24, 2010
HARDIN COUNTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE
201 Peterson Drive
Elizabethtown, Kentucky 42701-9370
BY: Amy Aldenderfer
County Extension Agent for Horticulture
Fall Panies Give Profusion of Colors Next Spring
Right now it’s too hot to think about planting anything in dirt that acts more like concrete than soil. Start thinking about planting pansies now, so that as soon as rain softens the baked earth, you can have the best color selection.
Fall-planted pansies have larger, more abundant blooms than spring-planted pansies. One reason is that pansies grown as winter annuals have time to develop a good root system in the fall and early winter.
Set plants out in mid- to late- September so root systems will become established before winter temperatures freeze plants to the ground. Apply mulch to the soil after planting to help moderate soil temperature and moisture fluctuations. Bark mulch is attractive and does a nice job of insulating the soil. If temperatures drop below zero, a light covering of clean straw will help protect the plants.
Pansies are winter hardy in the upper South. (This includes Kentucky.) The flowers are not damaged at temperatures above 15 degrees F. (Are you wishing for cooler temperatures yet?) Blooms may close and bend down at temperatures just above 15 degrees, but flowers open normally when temperatures increase. Anytime the temperature is below zero, the top burns, but don’t worry, the plants will flower in the spring.
University of Kentucky variety trials demonstrate the superior performance of fall-planted pansies compared to those set out in the spring. Although fall-planted pansies have some blooms in the fall and winter, they put on a real show is the spring. Plants emerge with multiple stems and usually are at least twice as large as those planted in the spring. Fall-planted pansies normally begin to flower in March or earlier, depending on late winter weather. It's as not unusual for plants to have 35 to 50 flowers blooming at one time throughout May.
Spring-planted pansies do tolerate summer heat better than those planted in the fall. However, they grow vigorously for only a short time and their floral display, size and number of blooms are mediocre when compared to fall-planted pansies.
Another advantage of fall-planted pansies is that they give us a profusion of color when few plants produce a colorful floral display in the spring garden.
The early spring floral display is usually limited to flowering bulbs, such as tulips, daffodils and crocus. Pansies put on an equally spectacular display, providing color and combinations of color not found in other spring flowers. Pansies are well adapted to cool spring weather and remain attractive the entire spring season.
Following these gardening tips will ensure that you have a bountiful supply of colorful pansy blooms next spring.
• Plant pansies in full sun, either a southern exposure or out in the open.
• Use a tilled bed rich in organic matter with a mulch of wood or bark chips.
• Apply a general purpose, liquid fertilizer when plants begin to emerge in the spring.
• Use a black plastic mulch or plant pansies against a southern wall for earlier blooms.
For more information, call your Hardin County Cooperative Extension Service at 765-4121 or contact us via email: Amy.Aldenderfer@uky.edu or visit the website: www.hardinhort.org.
NOTE: Bring your plant samples, bugs and diseased plants to the Heartland Festival’s Ag Village and talk to a Master Gardener about your plant issues!
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
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