Caring for Pansies in Mid and Late Winter

Unpredictable winter temperatures can take a toll on your prized pansies. While pansies need at least 4 hours of direct sunlight on warm sunny days to grow and bloom, the occasional warm days of midwinter can deceive the plants into forcing out blooms earlier than desired. Extreme colds and lack of sunshine also does irreparable damage. Here are some tips to make sure your pansies survive the harshest of winters and be ready to bloom when spring finally arrives:

1. If your pansies have been planted in containers, create more warmth by placing the containers together and against the walls of your house.

2. On severely cold days, take the containers to a warmer place like your outhouse or garage.

3. You can also cover the pots with plastic bags for a cold night taking care that the plastic does not come in contact with the plant. Remove the plastic bag before sunlight reaches the pansy plant the next morning.

4. Make up for the lack of sunshine for several days by giving a fertilizer boost till you start receiving moderate sunshine. Remove all spent blooms before fertilizing.

5. Occasional warm days deceive the pansies into thinking that spring has arrived and they start growing leaves and blooms. But the cold that follows makes it difficult for pansies to adjust to the change. Cover the plants and soil with a pine straw blanket to insulate.

6. Remove any flowers that show up earlier than desired and make sure to clip off any yellow leaves that show up.

7. Take these steps to save pansies from aphids that show up when pansies start showing signs on growth on warmer days. First, remove the mulch which will stop air circulation, then saturate the buds and leaves with insecticidal soap, clip leggy growth and trash it. Fertilize once the weather is cool again.