The pansies are biennial plants. This means that they must survive the winter following sowing in order to bloom the following spring. If sown very early, the first flowers may appear in late autumn and the pansies bloom all winter long.
also read
- Pansies are poor eaters
- Pansies are biennial or perennial
- The planting time for the pansies
Sufficient winter hardiness has been one of the breeding goals since the beginning of the 19th century, along with the early flowering period and the size of the flowers. When buying seeds you should therefore not only pay attention to the color, but also to whether the desired variety is sufficiently winterproof.
Plants that you have grown yourself are frost-resistant
The garden pansies (Viola wittrockiana) and horned violets (Viola cornuta), which we buy in autumn, are resistant to the cold. In contrast, the plants offered in spring that were grown in frost-free greenhouses are comparatively sensitive to cold. An experienced gardener therefore sows his pansies himself in summer for the spring bloom. The self-grown plants stand out
- Robustness,
- persistent and profuse bloom as well
- a greater frost hardiness.
A little winter protection can't hurt
Nevertheless, the pansies native to the temperate climate can freeze to death in very cold, snowless winters or dry out in a very sunny location. It is therefore advisable to protect the plantations with a layer of straw, leaves or brushwood in severe, permanent frost and a lack of snow cover. In frost-free weather, the plants should be watered sparingly every now and then.
Tips & Tricks
The pansies cannot be overwintered in the window boxes (€ 106.25 at Amazon *). For your balcony you can prefer the young plants in winter in a cool room.
