How to Grow Autumn and Winter Flowering Pansy Plug Plants: An Easy Guide
Pansies are a brilliant choice for adding colour to your garden during the autumn and winter months. They’re easy to grow and flourish even in cooler weather, making them ideal for brightening up your garden when many other plants are taking a break. Here’s a step-by-step guide to growing your autumn and winter flowering pansy plug plants. You can follow the same instructions for planting your Violas too, as they are from the same family.
Step by Step Growning Instructions.
1. Unpacking Your Plug Plants
When you receive your plug plants, open the containers immediately. It’s important to water them while they’re still in their protective packaging, and then allow them to acclimatise for an hour or two. You can do this by placing them on a windowsill or outside if the weather is mild.
2. Prepare Your Growing Area
We always recommend that you grow them on in 6-cell trays or similar for the first 4–6 weeks. This allows the plants to grow and establish themselves before moving them to their final spot. Our recommended 6-cell trays are perfect for this stage, providing each plant with enough space to develop strong roots without becoming overcrowded.
3. Using the Best Compost
For the best results, use the highest quality multipurpose peat-free compost you can find. Peat-free compost is environmentally friendly and provides all the essential nutrients your pansies need to thrive. Fill each cell of the tray with compost, leaving a little space at the top to allow water to soak in properly.
4. Planting Your Pansy Plugs
Gently remove the pansy plug plants from their packaging, being careful not to damage the roots. Make a small hole in the centre of each compost-filled cell, just deep enough to cover the roots, and place a plug plant in each one. Firm the compost gently around the base of the plant to ensure it’s stable.
5. Watering and Feeding
After planting, water the pansies well, allowing the water to soak in thoroughly. Keep the compost moist but not waterlogged as the plants grow. Pansies prefer to stay hydrated but can suffer from root rot if overwatered. If you’d like to give your plants an extra boost, consider feeding them with a balanced liquid fertiliser every few weeks, following the instructions on the packaging. Or for a continuous feed through the season try a slow release feed, such as Miracle-Gro Premium All Purpose Continuous Release Plant Food which you mix into the compost when you plant these into your growing pots.
6. Positioning Your Plants
Pansies thrive in a sunny or partially shaded spot. Place them where they will get plenty of light but aren’t exposed to harsh midday sun, which can dry out the compost too quickly.
7. Caring for Your Pansies
As your pansies grow, they’ll start to fill out and produce flowers. To encourage continuous blooming, regularly deadhead (remove) any faded or dead flowers. This will prevent the plant from putting energy into seed production and instead focus on producing more blooms.
8. Transplanting to Larger Containers or Garden Beds
After 4–6 weeks, when your pansies have established a strong root system in the 6-cell trays, you can transplant them into larger containers, hanging baskets, or directly into your garden borders. The pansies are ready when you can see the roots develop around the compost in the cell trays or you see roots coming through the holes at the bottom of the cells.
Remember to use high-quality peat-free compost and water them well after transplanting.
Final Tips
Frost Protection: Pansies are hardy, but if a severe frost is forecast, it’s a good idea to cover them or move them to a sheltered spot to protect the blooms.
Pest Control: Keep an eye out for slugs and snails, which can be attracted to the tender leaves of young pansy plants. Use organic slug pellets or barriers to protect them.
With these straightforward steps, you’ll enjoy a vibrant display of pansies throughout the autumn & winter and all the way through the spring months, brightening up your garden when most other plants are resting. Happy growing!
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