When does the pansy bloom
If you want to know when the pansy blooms and some tips on pansy care and cultivation, let's find out together next.
When it comes to a rich variety of colors and numerous species, there are many such flowers. However, flowers with three or even more colors on each bloom are relatively rare. Today, Qingli introduces such a flower to you. Its common varieties usually have purple, white, and yellow colors in each bloom, hence the name "pansy." Pansies are extremely sun-loving and are mostly planted in parks, flower beds, or courtyards. With proper care, they can also be grown in pots indoors. Placed on the balcony or a sunny windowsill, they are bright and vibrant, full of vitality and very pleasing to the eye.
Actually, the pansy was originally a wildflower in the countryside of Europe and not a valuable species. However, after nearly two to three centuries of cultivation by gardeners, in addition to the three colors in one flower, there are also pure colors such as white, yellow, purple, and purple-black; there are also bicolors like yellow-purple, black-white, blue-white, and red-yellow, as well as multi-color mixes like purple-red-blue-yellow-white. The colors range from cool to warm tones, and even include black. The flower shapes are also diverse, with large blooms, wavy-petaled flowers, and double-petaled flowers.
In contrast to the European countries' emphasis on the ornamental cultivation of pansies, China focuses more on the functional research of pansies: the whole plant of pansies can be used as medicine. The "Chinese Medicinal Plant Atlas" records that pansies can treat diseases such as childhood tuberculosis and coughs; "Compendium of Materia Medica" discusses the神奇 acne removal effects of pansies. More importantly, pansies can also monitor sulfur dioxide. When attacked, their leaves will turn gray and white, with irregular spots appearing between the veins, gradually losing their green color and turning yellow.
Next, Qingli will share some daily care experiences of pansies with you:
One, Potting Soil Selection
1. Pot Selection
Pansies are perennial herbaceous plants with relatively underdeveloped root systems, so there's no need to choose a very deep pot. Most pansy varieties have a height of about 15 centimeters, which makes them small potted plants. Therefore, a shallow medium pot with a diameter of 12-15 centimeters and a depth of 10-15 centimeters is sufficient.
The material of the pot should ideally be clay or ceramic, which has good water permeability and breathability. Other materials for pots are also acceptable, but make sure to leave good drainage holes. You can place a layer of pine bark or willow bark at the bottom of the pot to enhance drainage and breathability. Also, since pansies have bright and varied colors, the color of the pot should complement the flower colors to avoid a cluttered appearance.
2. Soil Mixing Principles
Pansies do not have high requirements for soil and can survive in poor soil. However, to ensure that the plants thrive and the flowers are vibrant, it's best to use loose-textured, organically rich, and well-draining slightly acidic soil. Qingli usually mixes garden soil with pine needle soil (or leaf mold soil) in a ratio of 2:1 to 1:1 (depending on the stickiness of the garden soil, the more sticky the garden soil, the higher the proportion of organic soil like pine needle soil). This not only ensures the basic fertility of the soil but also provides good breathability and some stickiness, allowing the plant roots to firmly grip the soil.
Two, Propagation and Seedling Raising
1. Propagation Methods
The main method of propagating pansies for home planting is by sowing. Other methods such as layering, cutting, and tissue culture are mainly used to preserve the characteristics of good varieties and are usually suitable for professional nurseries or greenhouses for large-scale seedling production.
Pansies can be sown in all seasons and will bloom approximately 3-4 months after germination. If you want to enjoy flowers all year round, you need to achieve this by different sowing times. However, if sowing in late autumn or winter, make sure to keep the plants warm to ensure the germination temperature of pansies, otherwise it will affect germination, delay flowering, and reduce seed production. If you want to see flowers around the Spring Festival, you can use autumn sowing—generally in September, when the temperature is around 18°C, which is relatively cool and suitable for seed germination. It's best to choose mature and plump seeds from the current year for sowing, as they have a higher germination rate than older seeds.
Three, Seasonal Care
1. Autumn Seedling Stage
After planting pansies, it's best to place them in a location with plenty of direct sunlight to promote rapid growth. Pansies are fond of fertilizer, and after the seedlings grow to about 8 centimeters, you can gradually increase fertilization, mainly using nitrogen fertilizer to promote plant growth.
The seedlings that have been transplanted have developed a certain drought resistance, and they are afraid of waterlogging and dislike excessive watering. Watering should follow the "water when dry" principle, keeping the potting soil moist. In dry autumn weather, especially in the north, it's important to spray water on the stems and leaves at noon to keep the surrounding air humid. In the south, during consecutive rainy days, make sure to avoid rain and prevent waterlogging when growing outdoors.
If the temperature is suitable and there is plenty of sunlight in autumn, the growth will be relatively rapid. When the plant reaches a height of 10 centimeters, start pinching the tips to promote the differentiation of lateral branches and lay the foundation for increasing the number of flower buds.
2. Winter Growth Stage
In winter, it's important to keep the plants warm and move the pansies indoors to ensure the minimum temperature does not drop below 10°C, otherwise the plant growth will be inhibited and it will affect the flowering during the Spring Festival. Temperatures below -5°C can even cause frost damage to the plants.
Pansies are sun-loving plants, and winter sunlight is gentle, so even direct sunlight is harmless to the plants. Sufficient sunlight not only greatly improves the efficiency of photosynthesis in the leaves but also allows the synthesis of more nutrients and various plant hormones, making the plant branches strong and leaves lush with many flower buds. Additionally, the ultraviolet light in the sun can kill some of the eggs and molds exposed to it, reducing the incidence of diseases and pests.
If temperature and sunlight conditions meet the growth requirements of pansies, winter can also be a peak growing season for them, but it also requires sufficient nutrition to support their robust growth. If the plants lack fertilizer, not only will the flowers be small and pale, causing the variety to degenerate, but the plants will also have a weak resistance to diseases and easily become infected with various molds.
3. Spring Blooming Stage
If managed properly, pansies sown in autumn will usually start to show flower buds from late December to early January of the following year. After showing flower buds, switch to a phosphorus-potassium fertilizer as the main nutrient, with nitrogen fertilizer as a supplement, and apply a complex microelement fertilizer once. Excessive nitrogen fertilizer can cause the stems and leaves to grow excessively, resulting in soft stems, more leaves, and fewer flowers. Do not apply foliar fertilizer to prevent fertilizer from getting on the flower buds, causing them to fall or get injured.
The frequency of fertilization can depend on the fertility of the soil. If the original soil is fertile, you can apply fertilizer once every 25-30 days or not at all, otherwise, apply every 15-20 days, still following the principle of thin and稀 fertilization. Cake fertilizer water or various fruit peel fermentation waters make good phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, and you can also choose some commercially available gardening fertilizers such as "Flower More" or "Flower Friend" series, which are not only effective but also have no unpleasant odor.
Pansies do not bloom for a long time, but they can continuously produce flower buds. Removing the spent flowers immediately after they bloom can reduce the nutritional consumption during seed development and promote continuous flowering, of course, unless you want to save seeds. The duration and intensity of sunlight should be maintained, as sufficient sunlight can also make the flower colors more vibrant.