What To Do With Pansies When They Have Finished Flowering?
Pansies are a popular choice of flower gardeners, due to their wide range of colors, sizes, and shapes which make them an ideal choice for beds, borders and containers alike. As a cool-season annual, these flowers provide a splash of color during the cooler months of the year when other plants are dormant or not in bloom yet. But what should you do with them once their blooms have faded? Read on to learn more about caring for your pansy plants after flowering is finished!
When Do Pansies Flower?
Pansy plants usually begin to bloom in late fall or early winter and will continue blooming until spring or early summer, depending on the variety and region in which you live. In mild climates, these flowers may even bloom into late summer though this is rarer than in cold climates where perennials will usually die off as temperatures heat up in the summer months.
How To Care For Pansies Before They Finish Flowering
Before your pansy flowers have finished blooming it is important to provide them with some basic care such as regular watering, deadheading spent flowers, and fertilizing regularly with a balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10 NPK (Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium). Additionally, if your plants suffer from any pests or diseases it is important to treat them immediately to keep them healthy until the end of their blooming season.
Pruning and Deadheading Pansies
Once your plants have finished blooming it is important to prune them back by cutting off all spent flowers at their base as well as any dead or diseased foliage that may have developed during their flowering season.
This will help keep your plants looking neat and tidy while also encouraging new growth for future seasons of blooms! Additionally, if you find that your plants are becoming overcrowded then you can divide them at this stage by carefully digging up the clump of plants and separating each individual root ball before replanting each one in its new location.
How To Divide And Move Pansies
If you decide that you would like to move your pansey plants from one location to another then this can easily be done by carefully digging up the clump of plants before dividing each individual root ball before replanting each one in its new location.
It is important to remember that when transplanting these types of perennials it is best done during the cooler months while they’re still dormant so as not to stress out the plant too much during its transition period!
Feeding Pansies When They Finish Flowering
Once your pansy flowers have finished blooming it is important that you continue feeding them with a balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10 NPK (Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium). This will help keep your plants healthy so that they will be ready for next season’s bloom!
Additionally, if you find that your soil has become depleted over time then adding some compost or mulch around the base of your plants will help restore soil fertility levels and give them an extra boost of nutrients before winter sets in!
Overwintering Pansies
In colder climates where temperatures can drop below freezing point it may be necessary for gardeners to take extra steps to protect their perennials from frost damage such as covering them with fleece or bubble wrap over winter months or moving pots indoors into sheltered areas if necessary.
In addition, adding a layer of organic mulch around the base of each plant can also help insulate their roots from extreme temperatures while also helping retain moisture levels within soil which should help ensure that they stay healthy until springtime arrives!
Dividing Perennial Pansies
If you decide that you would like to divide your perennial pansey clumps into individual plants then this can easily be done by carefully digging up the whole clump before separating each individual root ball before replanting each one in its new location – this process should ideally be done during cooler months while they’re still dormant so as not risk stressing out the plant too much during its transition period!
Planting New Pansy Varieties
When planting new pansey varieties it’s important to keep in mind what type of flower colors you would like, whether you’d prefer single colored blooms or multi colored petals, what size pansey variety would look best within your garden design, how much sun exposure each particular type requires, whether they need full sun all day long or just part shade – all factors which need careful consideration before making any purchases!
Planting And Growing Annual Pansy Varieties
For those looking for quick results then annual pansey varieties are probably best suited as these types only last one season before dying off but produce an abundance of colorful blooms throughout spring and summer months – providing great value for money compared to purchasing perennials every year!
When planting annuals it’s best practice to wait until all danger of frost has passed (usually mid spring) before sowing seeds directly into soil or transplanting seedlings into larger pots – both methods should provide plenty of vibrant color throughout summer months!
Conclusion: General Advice On Caring For Pansies When They Finish Flowering
Pansy’s are an easy-to-care-for flower that provide abundant blooms throughout cooler months – making them ideal choices for beds, borders, containers and even window boxes alike! Once blossoms have faded however it’s important not forget about caring for these beautful little flowers – prune back spent flowers at their bases, remove dead/diseased foliage, feed regularly, overwinter if necessary, divide perennials when overcrowded, plant new varieties, sow annuals directly into soil/transplant seedlings into larger pots – following these simple steps should ensure that these little beauts continue providing plenty of color throughout future seasons too!