Which Soil Type Is Best for Planting Pansies?

Soil

• Select a well-draining loamy soil rich in organic content for your pansies. A pH between 5.5 and 7.0 is best. Amending any well-draining soil with organic matter such as manure or compost will be ideal for this flower. Pansies should be started indoors and transplanted about two months after the seeds have been sown. Add a balanced fertilizer such as 5-6-5 or 10-10-10 to the soil when you first transplant the pansies in the spring and again every four weeks until late fall.

Placement

• Pansies can be grown in containers, window boxes or flower beds. Containers should be 9 to 12 inches deep to accommodate the roots. Pansies should ideally have full sun. If this is not possible, an area with plenty of morning sun is the next best situation. Plant the pansies between 7 and 12 inches apart as these flowers will spread quickly. These cold-loving plants will flower in the spring and fall when temperatures are between 40 and 60 degrees F.

Watering

• Pansies should always be planted in well-drained soil. You can accomplish this by raising the flower beds slightly or providing small drainage trenches beside your pansy beds. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings. A single weekly watering of about an inch of water should be sufficient. When you water your pansies, water the soil at the base of the plants; do not water from overhead. These flowers are sensitive to excess moisture.

Mulch

• Pansies can fall victim to a variety of fungi. Colletotrichum, Myrothecium, Alternaria, Ramularia and Cercospora species can all infect pansies. Leaf spots are the most common indication that you are dealing with a disease from these fungi. A thin layer of organic mulch on top of the soil surrounding your pansy plants will help prevent spread of these diseases. The fungi is typically present in the soil and mulching will prevent any soil from splashing up onto the leaves of the plant when you're watering. Do not apply more than 2 inches of mulch, however, as excess mulch can seal too much moisture into the soil and cause other problems such as root and crown rot.