Pansies: what the heck am I doing wrong??

[Guernica]

I've never had the greenest thumb in the world but my impression has always been that pansies should be relatively easy to grow. At least I seem to remember growing some in grade school without any difficulty...

I planted two garden spots with pansy seeds last year. Both spots are shady in the morning and sunny in the afternoon. Kept them watered, kept the soil acidic - nothing ever came up.

This year I dug up and fertilized the same 2 spots, then replanted more seeds. Thinking I had buried the prior year's seeds too deep, I planted this year's with just a thin covering of soil over them. None of them came up.

So now, I'm trying to grow them in the house as plants in seedling pots, and tried a different, more expensive seed brand just in case it was the seeds themselves to blame. Out of 16 plants potted, only 3 have come up!!!

I've seen pansies grow just about every-dadgum-where without any maintenance whatsoever.

What the heck am I doing wrong?? Any thoughts at all??

Help would be grovelingly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[justplainbatty]

I've never had the greenest thumb in the world but my impression has always been that pansies should be relatively easy to grow. At least I seem to remember growing some in grade school without any difficulty...

I planted two garden spots with pansy seeds last year. Both spots are shady in the morning and sunny in the afternoon. Kept them watered, kept the soil acidic - nothing ever came up.

This year I dug up and fertilized the same 2 spots, then replanted more seeds. Thinking I had buried the prior year's seeds too deep, I planted this year's with just a thin covering of soil over them. None of them came up.

So now, I'm trying to grow them in the house as plants in seedling pots, and tried a different, more expensive seed brand just in case it was the seeds themselves to blame. Out of 16 plants potted, only 3 have come up!!!

I've seen pansies grow just about every-dadgum-where without any maintenance whatsoever.

What the heck am I doing wrong?? Any thoughts at all??

Help would be grovelingly appreciated! Thanks!

Here is a good article http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/landscape/flowers/hgic1169.html I find Mount Helen to be the easiest and the best self sowing. I swear, all you have to do is throw the seeds in the general area of your garden and they will grow. After a year, you will find them growing in the grass, way on the other side of your property! I grew other, larger kinds in garden soil over clay. They did fine for the season as clay helped retain water but they seldom returned the following year.

 

[Guernica]

Thank you so much! I did surf around before I asked, but did not come across that article.

I wonder if the problem is no morning sun...?

 

[justplainbatty]

Thank you so much! I did surf around before I asked, but did not come across that article.

I wonder if the problem is no morning sun...?

Could be, mine always had morning sun. Won't hurt to move them to where they do.

Use your house or an out building to block them from the hottest sun of the day or plant them under larger plants like Irises or something.

 

[Guernica]

OK, it's official, I am a dead-flat-out failure at growing pansies.

All 17 plants I planted from seed INDOORS have now died, as well as the 14 or so I planted outside.

I kinda hate to give up but...!!

 

[justplainbatty]

OK, it's official, I am a dead-flat-out failure at growing pansies.

All 17 plants I planted from seed INDOORS have now died, as well as the 14 or so I planted outside.

I kinda hate to give up but...!!

Just go with Johnny Jump ups, unless you have toxic soil, they will grow. Just spread the seeds around, cover with enough dirt to keep them from blowing away and they'll grow!

 

[Guernica]

Just go with Johnny Jump ups, unless you have toxic soil, they will grow. Just spread the seeds around, cover with enough dirt to keep them from blowing away and they'll grow!

Thanks! I'll give that a try!

 

[lazy gardener]

An other option is to sow a bunch of them in late summer or early fall, with plans to move them as needed in the spring.

 

[Guernica]

An other option is to sow a bunch of them in late summer or early fall, with plans to move them as needed in the spring.

Thanks, I'll try that too!