How to cultivate Pansy
The editor introduces the experience of cultivating Pansy and the management methods for Pansy planting and maintenance. Next, let's proceed with the introduction.
How to cultivate Pansy? English name: Pansy, Scientific name: Viola tricolor, Place of origin: Europe, Family and Genus: Violaceae Viola, Characteristics: Perennial herb, often cultivated as biennial, prefers cool environment, relatively cold-resistant. It can be produced under protected conditions and used for New Year's Day, Spring Festival flower beds, and flower mirrors. Main varieties include "Crown," "Benga," "Baby Benga," "Atlas," "Honor," "Crystal Palace," "Delta," and other series. Colors include solid colors: red, yellow, violet, orange, blue, light yellow, white, and rose. In the "Large Flower Noble," "Benga," "Atlas," and other series, there are also bicolor varieties: red and yellow bicolor, white spotted, rose spotted, blue spotted, etc. The same genus also has the small coin series and princess series, which are also ideal flower bed materials.
The plant height of Pansy is generally between 15-20 cm. Due to its cold and heat resistance, the flowering period can last until the eve of Labor Day, without the problems of early bolting and leaf rot seen in ornamental kale. Pansy can tolerate low temperatures, so it occupies a relatively important position in the production of flower bed flowers in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River during winter.
Seedling raising: There are about 700-800 seeds of Pansy per gram. Under protected cultivation, the general sowing time is from July to October. It is recommended to use a loose artificial medium for sowing, which can be bed sown or box sown. If conditions allow, seedling trays can be used for sowing. The medium should have a pH value of 5.5-5.8 and an EC value of 0.5-0.75, and should be disinfected. After sowing, maintain the medium temperature at 18-22°C, keep it shaded from light, and the seeds will germinate in 5-7 days.
First stage: 5-7 days after the radicle emerges, the medium must always be kept moist. Coarse vermiculite or chaff can be used as mulch, just enough to not see the seeds. After sowing, it is necessary to cover with a double-layer shade net to ensure soil moisture and prevent poor root growth due to direct sunlight after germination. No fertilizer is needed during this stage.
Pansy seeds often germinate unevenly, with a difference of up to a week in seedling emergence. Keeping the soil medium moist during this period is crucial, as poor management can easily affect seed germination. To ensure flowers for the New Year, the sowing time is generally controlled between July and August, which is the high-temperature season. Without proper cooling measures, seed germination and seedling growth will be severely affected. In Hangzhou, a germination room or artificial cooling or choosing a semi-shaded or mountainous location for seedling raising is usually chosen, or seedlings can be purchased directly from seedling production units.
Second stage: The first true leaf appears (10-15 days), and the suitable soil temperature for seedling growth is 17-24°C. After two true leaves have grown, a light fertilizer can be applied, with urea concentration controlled at 0.1% or less, or 20-10-20 water-soluble fertilizer concentration controlled at 50ppmN. This stage is still the high-temperature summer season, so attention should be paid to pest control and ventilation. Disease prevention should focus on preventing diseases by regularly spraying fungicides (such as chlorothalonil or thiophanate-methyl at 800-1000 times) to prevent seedling damping off.
Third stage: Seedling stage, young plants grow rapidly, and bed-sown seedlings can be transplanted once to seedling trays or seedbeds. Plants can be fully exposed to light, and if the temperature exceeds 35°C, only a little shading is needed at noon to cool down. Water and fertilizer management includes top-dressing with urea and 20-10-20 water-soluble fertilizer, and an appropriate amount of compound fertilizer (concentration controlled at 0.1%) or 14-0-14 water-soluble fertilizer (concentration 100ppmN). Fertilizer concentration should not be too high to avoid fertilizer damage. Before watering, allow the soil to dry out first, but ensure that the leaves of the plant do not show signs of wilting. Proper ventilation should still be maintained to prevent disease occurrence.
Fourth stage: The root system is fully formed with 5-6 true leaves. The temperature and humidity requirements are the same as in the third stage, with water control increased and the frequency of using compound fertilizer or 14-0-14 water-soluble fertilizer increased. Strengthen ventilation, and after the seedling hardening stage, prepare for transplanting into pots. Pansy requires a higher amount of boron. When boron is deficient, new leaves become cup-shaped and wrinkled, the plant is weak, and the seedling stage is particularly severe. The solution is to add 2ppmN of boron to the water with a fertilizer machine once a week to alleviate boron deficiency.
Transplanting/Repotting: For seedlings raised in trays, they can be transplanted into pots when they have 5-6 true leaves. For bed-sown seedlings, they can be transplanted once when they have 2-3 true leaves to trays or seedbeds, and then directly transplanted into pots when they have 6-7 true leaves. According to the specifications for large-scale production of winter bedding plants, a 10×12cm nutrient pot is generally used for potting, which can be done in one step without the need for repotting. Seedlings from trays have less root damage and are easy to survive; open-field seedlings should be transplanted in the evening or on cloudy days to increase survival rates. Potting soil should be loose and fertile.
Light regulation: During the seedling raising period from July to September, avoid direct sunlight at noon. After the seedlings are potted, they should be provided with full light conditions, as insufficient light can lead to excessive vegetative growth and is not conducive to flowering.
Temperature control: Pansy is a biennial herbaceous flower that requires relatively low temperatures for growth. The optimal germination temperature is 18-22°C, and the optimal growth temperature is 12-18°C. To meet the supply of flowers for the New Year, the cooling problem during the seedling growth period must be addressed first. Temperature control after potting, if you want to achieve a certain plant diameter, can be cultivated under protected facility conditions. Although greenhouse production can achieve a certain temperature, it is necessary to pay attention to ventilation, otherwise, it can easily cause etiolation and disease.
Cultivation management: Pansy has a certain degree of cold resistance and can be produced in the open field during winter, but the plant shape is not ideal, so it is generally produced under protected facility conditions. Pansy grows very fast, and daily maintenance should pay attention to water and fertilizer control. Over-wetting can cause stem rot and disease, while over-drying can cause plant wilt. In October and November, when the temperature has started to drop, Pansy can tolerate some dryness without affecting normal plant growth. Generally, slight wilt of the plant leaves is considered acceptable.
Frequent application of thin fertilizer is recommended. During the growing period, 0.2% urea and compound fertilizer can be alternated, or 50-100ppmN of 20-10-20 and 14-0-14 water-soluble fertilizers can be alternated. At the initial flowering stage, only compound fertilizer or 14-0-14 water-soluble fertilizer is applied, and at the full flowering stage, the fertilization interval is appropriately extended. Pansy production generally does not use pinching to control height. Diseases and pests: The main diseases of Pansy are seedling damping off and stem rot during the growing period; the main pests are cutworms and aphids.
Market quality: The production uses a 10×12cm nutrient pot and can be marketed when the first flower shows color to the full bloom stage, with a crown diameter generally between 12-15cm, a full plant shape, uniform and consistent flowering, and tolerance to transportation.
The detailed explanation of how to cultivate Pansy and the management methods for Pansy planting and maintenance shared above, hope this article can bring you help in green plant management!