How to grow Pansy

Viola x wittrockiana

Deadhead to prolong bloom. Pinch to keep bushy. Soil should be moist but not soggy. Remove plants when they die back from summer heat.3

Growing Pansy from seed

Germinate on surface of a damp seed sowing mix. Apply a fine sprinkling of vermiculite, just covering the seed. Place in propagator or seal container inside a plastic bag till after germination – 10-15 days. If seeds do not germinate in 10-21 days, place container in fridge for 2 weeks, then return to indoors. After germination, transplant when large enough to handle into 3" pots. Acclimatise to outdoors 10-15 days before planting 9" apart.

Sow at a depth of approx. 0.0 inches (0.0 cm) and aim for a distance of at least 8.97 inches (23.0 cm) between Pansy plants. Soil temperature should be kept higher than 18°C / 64°F to ensure good germination.

By our calculations*, you should look at sowing Pansy about 90 days before your last frost date .

How long does Pansy take to grow?

These estimates for how long Pansy takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

Days to Germination How long does it take Pansy to germinate?
12 days

Average 12 days | Min 3 days | Max 34 days (23)

Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out Pansy?
+ days

Average days | Min days | Max days (0)

Days to Maturity How long until Pansy is ready for harvest / bloom?
+ 66 days

Average 66 days | Min 25 days | Max 360 days (11)

Total Growing Days How long does it take to grow Pansy?
= days

When should I plant Pansy?

Our when to plant Pansy estimates are relative to your last frost date.

When to sow The number of days to sow Pansy before or after your last frost date.
90 days before Last Frost Date

Pansy Etymology

Pansy means thought, as the bloom looks like a thinking person. 1

Pansy Folklore & Trivia

William Thompson began creating the pansy in 1813 crossing various viola species, a popular weed in Europe.1

Other names for Pansy

Pensé, Viola

Viola x wittrockiana, Viola wittrockiana

Misspellings: Pansies, Pansys, Pense, Viola x wittrokiana

Footnotes

1 Wikipedia entry on Pansy

2 “Common Knowledge :)”

3 Cornell University entry on pansy


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