Planting Guide – Starting Pansies from Seed

So I kind of have a mini obsession with pansies. I like to plant a new batch of them in my garden every fall. At our last house I had a whole hillside of them and I LOVED watching them break through the soil every spring and fall. If you’ve never grown pansies before, you should give them a go. They are super easy to grow and instead of paying $1-2 per plant, you can grow an entire flat of them for less than $2.00.

How to Grow Pansies from Seed:

Pansies are a cold-hardy brightly colored flower and although they are typically annuals, here in the Northwest they are treated as perennials. In other parts of the United States they will also will overwinter in zones as cold as zone 4. Plus over time, they spread. Which if you ask me is a total bonus.

Plant pansy seeds outside in groups of 4 every 4″-6″ {or per seed pot if starting indoors in the refrigerator like I do}.

Although pansies are easy to grow, they seem to germinate a little better if they are started in moistened soil in the refrigerator for 5-7 days to break the seeds dormancy. Pansy seed requires darkness to germinate but once the seedlings pop though the soil I then place them under grow lights.

Plant the seeds about 1/8″ deep and then thin the seedlings to 1 plant every 4″-6″ once they are about 1″ tall.  I like to to start my pansy seeds indoors about 6-8 weeks before transplanting outside. Pansies like part sun to shade conditions so keep that in mind when you are planting them.

~Mavis