Pansies, with their cheerful faces and vibrant colors, bring joy to any garden. However, the summer heat can be challenging for these traditionally cool-weather favorites.
But with a bit of extra care and attention, you can keep your pansies blooming beautifully all summer long.
In this blog, I will provide practical tips to help your Pansies thrive despite the rising temperatures. Follow these proven tips to ensure your garden remains a colorful haven throughout the season.
Will Pansies Bloom in the Summer Heat?
The ability of pansies to flower in the summer depends on where you live, summer temperatures, and the variety chosen. It also depends on how much care and attention you give your plants.
In general, as short-lived perennials, they will survive the heat of summer but go into a more dormant period and not bloom. Even the newer varieties bred to tolerate more heat will struggle to flower in temperatures above 70°F (21°C).
Instead, they prefer to save their grand floral entrance for cooler temperatures, when they will flower from autumn to spring or longer in mild climates.
What Temperature Will Kill Pansies?
Pansies are surprisingly hardy and can withstand temperatures as low as 25°F (-4°C). However, when temperatures exceed 80°F (27°C), pansies begin to suffer. Long periods of high temperatures can cause the plants to become leggy, wilt, and eventually die.
Keeping them in environments with daytime temperatures below 75°F (24°C) is best to ensure healthy growth and prolonged flowering. If a heatwave is expected, you can take steps to ensure that they both survive and possibly continue blooming, too!
What To Do With Pansies In The Summer
Here are 11 things we at Gardeners’ Yards recommend you can do for your Pansies during summer. And at the top of the list is how to deal with the issue of summer heat.
Keep Them Cool for Vibrant Blooms
As Pansies thrive in cooler temperatures, keeping them shaded like sunflowers on the hottest day will be the priority. Ideally, they should be planted in areas that receive morning sunlight and afternoon shade to help them remain cool as the day heats up. This will encourage more vibrant blooms. Also, mulching around the plants can help retain moisture and lower the temperature of the soil.
Create a Stunning Mass Planting Display
Avoid growing single plants, as they are small and tend to look lost and overwhelmed among mixed plantings. For a more impressive display of color, plant them closely together in groups of odd numbers. This creates more impact, and the colors tend to harmonize. Group planting will also make maintenance tasks like watering and fertilizing far easier.
Revitalize Growth by Cracking the Roots
When transplanting pansies, gently break or crack the roots to stimulate new growth. It will also encourage the plants to establish themselves more quickly in their new location. Try to avoid purchasing pansies that are pot-bound with their roots poking through the bottom of the pot. These roots will likely be more compact and weaker in growth. Be careful so that you don’t cut the root by any chance.
Maintain Healthy, Nutrient-Rich Soil
A well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter is ideal for pansies. The best way to achieve this is by mixing compost or well-rotted manure with the soil before planting. Then, regularly refresh the soil with a light top dressing of compost to maintain its fertility and structure as the growing season progresses.
Master the Art of Proper Watering
Consistent watering is critical in keeping Pansies happy. The best way is to give them a deep drenching, then allow the soil to dry slightly before watering again. This will help prevent root rot. In hotter climates, watering early in the morning is recommended so that the water is not lost through heat evaporation.
Alternatively, water in the evenings. At all costs, don’t water when the sun is shining unless absolutely necessary, and only water at the base of the plant. If water gets on the plant in sunlight, the leaves and flowers can turn brown and die off.
Find the Perfect Sunlight Balance
Pansies need a balance of sunlight and shade. Plant them where they will receive at least 4-6 hours of sunlight each day, preferably in the morning when the sun is less intense. Afternoon shade is crucial to protect them from the harshest rays and to keep them cool during the peak heat of summer.
Boost Blooming with Timely Fertilization
Feed your Pansies with a slow-release fertilizer when planting. Then, feed with a liquid or water-soluble fertilizer every 2 to 3 weeks during continuous flowering, especially after deadheading. An ideal fertilizer has an NPK ratio of 10-10-10 or 20-20-20.
Promote New Blooms by Deadheading
Regularly removing spent flowers, or deadheading, as it is often referred to, encourages pansies to produce more blooms. Snip or pinch off the faded flowers just above the first set of healthy leaves. This will discourage the plant from setting seed, resulting in a much shorter flowering season.
Encourage Vigorous Growth with Aggressive Pruning
If your Pansies look leggy or sparse, be ruthless and cut them back by about one-third to stimulate new growth. This hard pruning helps maintain a compact and bushy shape while removing damaged or diseased parts.
Will Pansies Rebloom If Cut Back?
Pansies will almost certainly rebloom if cut back. When the plants start to look leggy, or the blooms fade, cutting them back by about one-third is an excellent time. This pruning removes old and spent flowers, allowing the plant to focus its energy solely on producing fresh blooms.
The best time to feed your Pansies is after cutting back. You’ll be surprised by how quickly they recover and start to flower again.
Allow Nature to Take Its Course with Self-Seeding
As the growing season ends, allow some flowers to go to seed. This natural process will likely reward you with self-sown Pansy plants the following year. While self-seeding can be unpredictable, it’s exciting as it often leads to pleasantly surprising new blooms and helps maintain a continuous display of Pansies in your garden.
Relocate for Optimal Growing Conditions
If your Pansies are struggling despite your best efforts, consider relocating them to a spot with more suitable growing conditions. Sometimes, a change of location—such as moving them to a cooler, more shaded area—can significantly improve their health and blooming potential.
Pansies in Pots: Does The Weather Matter?
Potted Pansies are more vulnerable to temperature changes. This is because the limited soil volume in the pots heats up and cools down faster than ground soil. In hot weather, they may require more frequent watering to prevent excessive moisture loss from the soil.
In contrast, during cold snaps, pots can be moved to sheltered locations to protect the plants from frost. Ensuring proper drainage and using mulch can help maintain a stable soil temperature and moisture level; this will be highly beneficial to potted pansies.
Do Winter Pansies Flower In Summer?
Winter pansies can flower in summer, but their performance may decline as temperatures rise. Pansies thrive in cooler conditions and often struggle in the heat. High temperatures can cause heat stress and the plants to become leggy with reduced blooming.
To help winter pansies flower through summer, provide partial shade, maintain consistent moisture, and ideally move potted plants to cooler locations during extreme heat.
Final Words
Keeping pansies blooming through the summer is rewarding and brings lasting beauty to your garden. These 11 tips will provide the best growing conditions for your Pansies to thrive, even in the heat.
From ensuring they stay cool to mastering watering techniques and encouraging new growth through pruning, these simple procedures will help you enjoy vibrant Pansy blooms all season long.
Not only will they bring vibrant color to your garden, but as the flowers are edible, they can add color to your salads, cakes, and appetizers throughout the summer, too!
