Pansies bloom in spring and give your garden great color after winter. Pansies are typically one of the first plants to sprout in spring and continue to bloom until temperatures soar and the plant goes dormant. However, when temperatures drop in the fall, pansies can flourish again if you take the time to prepare them in the spring.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Making the Pansies Bloom Again
Step 1. Tear off the seed pods to help the pansies bloom again
Pansy seeds will grow over prolonged autumns or remain dormant until the following spring in many areas. So, in order to fool the pansies and cause them to bloom again, it will be necessary to remove the pods before the seeds fully form.
To do this, tear the withered blooms off the plant, stopping further growth and fertilize to favor blooms instead of leaves
Step 2. Eliminate any dead blooms regularly
Check your pansies twice a week for any dead blooms. Eliminate all dying blooms from the pansy plant to encourage the plant to direct its energy towards new blooms and growth.
- Eliminate any ruined blooms along with dead blooms.
- Be careful not to accidentally remove any new blooms.
Step 3. Keep the soil moist and apply a phosphorus based fertilizer
Water the plant to keep the soil around the pansies moist. Pansies love moist soil. Try applying a phosphorus-based fertilizer, but avoid applying nitrogen to the area, unless the fertilizer is a slow-release variety, because pansies typically can't handle high nitrogen levels.
If you allow the plant to dry out too much or receive little nutrition it will stop producing blooms and will need to be replanted
Step 4. Eliminate growth and woody stems
Cut the growth and woody stems from the plant as these areas will not produce new blooms. When you allow these parts of the plant to grow out of control, they can absorb the plant's energy, causing it to produce fewer blooms.
Step 5. Check the seed pods that weren't plucked with flowers
If you find pods present, remove them immediately.
If your plant is an heirloom you can try to preserve the adult pod and collect the seeds to start more pansy plants inside
Step 6. Plant a new pansy if the existing one begins to wilt
If the plant stops producing blooms and starts dying, you will likely need to replace the plant with a new pansy to enjoy flowering in the fall.
- If this happens often don't take it as a failure; some areas are simply not suitable for year-round growth of pansies.
- If you can't find new pansies in your nursery to plant in the fall, remember that pansies are easy to start inside starting from the seeds.
- Plan ahead for next year and start seedlings indoors four to six weeks before fall. After the temperatures rise, plant the new seedlings outdoors.
Method 2 of 2: Put the Pansies in a Spot that Encourages Blooms
Step 1. Grow pansies in the right conditions
To get started, you need to consider the location of your pansies. They should be placed in a cool, humid, and protected area of your garden.
Consider placing them under a tree that will provide shade for the pansies
Step 2. Keep the little critters in mind when choosing a place for pansies
While pansies are very hardy, the flowers will be eaten by small animals, insects and anything else that might be in the area, so try to plant them in a protected area.
Step 3. Protect your pansies from bad weather
Pansies will look neglected and not well cared for when placed in an area with lots of rain and wind. Try to give them a safe place in your garden that is protected from the wind.
Step 4. Move your potted pansies out of direct sunlight
If they're in a container, make sure your plant doesn't get sun during the hottest hours of the day.
Move the container during the summer to a cooler area to encourage year-round blooms
Step 5. Learn why pansies tend to interrupt blooms
The reason why pansies interrupt blooms depends on the development pattern of the plant. Pansies bloom in early spring, produce seeds, then go dormant in summer.
