How to Grow Purple Pansies

Spade a seedbed to a depth of 8 inches. Amend with compost or other organic matter until the bed drains well. Add manure or a 5-10-5 fertilizer the spring prior to planting pansy seeds. Check the pH with a home test or send a sample to your local university extension office, it should be 5.4 to 5.8 for best pansy performance.

Water the prepared seedbed thoroughly and allow it to drain before spreading seeds in July or August. Sow seeds 4 to 6 inches apart and cover with no more than 1/8 inch of soil. Lightly spray the bed with water. Keep the seeds and emerging seedlings moist with frequent light waterings in the mornings. Erect a temporary sun shade if the seedbed dries out too quickly.

Wait until the seedlings are about six weeks old to transplant them to their permanent locations. Choose stocky plants with six to eight good leaves. Carefully dig the young plants, disturbing their roots as little as possible. Space them 7 to 12 inches apart or plant individuals in pots. Complete transplanting between September and October to allow the seedlings four to six weeks to reestablish themselves before freezing weather begins.

Apply 2 to 4 inches of pine mulch to pansy beds when air temperatures regularly drop below 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover the plants as well as the soil to protect them from dry, freezing winds. Remove the pine mulch from the plants when air temperatures rise in the spring.