ALABAMA A&M and AUBURN UNIVERSITIES

PANSIES ARE EXCELLENT PLANTS FOR FALL GARDENS IN ALABAMA

AUBURN, OCT. 8---Pansies are popular plants throughout Alabama. They’re easy to grow and their instant color can perk up a home flower garden. Pansies also are resistant to most diseases and pest damage and have a pleasing fragrance.

Pansies come in a variety of colors including red, yellow, blue, violet, white, pink and maroon, says Dr. Dave Williams, an Extension horticulturist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Some have faces or dark blotches in the center. Yellow and blue flowers seem to have the strongest scents.

In Alabama, it’s best to plant pansies after mid-October or early November when daytime temperatures drop below 85 degrees.

Williams says pansies grow no more than 9 inches in height. The foliage is medium green with oval or heart-shaped leaves. Pansy blooms range in size from 1½ inches to 4½ inches depending on the variety.

When choosing pansies from a nursery, Williams says, select flower colors that suit your garden design. Also, choose plants that are stocky with dark-green foliage and have few blooms but many buds.

Choose a planting site that receives morning sun and has good drainage. If necessary, add fertilizer to the soil before planting, Williams adds. Upon receiving plants, water them well while they’re still in the containers. Dig a shallow but wide hole for each plant, and space the plants 6 to 10 inches apart. Make sure holes are wide enough so the roots of the plant will not be cramped.

 Place plants in the holes with the soil surrounding the roots still intact. Cover the plant roots with garden soil and water thoroughly. Mulch around the plants to help conserve moisture and reduce weed growth.

By late fall pansy plants should be filled with blooms and should display brilliant color throughout the winter.

SOURCE: DR. DAVE WILLIAMS, Extension horticulturist, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, (334) 844-3032.