Monday, January 23, 2012

Hardy Pansies in New Hampshire?

I planted some hardy pansies three years ago, and they never died off. I live in NH, and the temperature falls to 27 below zero on a regular basis. The flowers stay perfect under the snow, believe it or not!



My question is... how do I keep up with them? They seem to spread out like vines, almost. They are becoming spindly, almost like spider plants spread out, but they aren't invasive. I'm wondering if I should cut them back at all to neaten them up...or would that just kill them off altogether? These are not supposed to be perennials, but I guess they just do very well in the cold weather. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! :)

Hardy Pansies in New Hampshire?
Pansies are technically not hardy...they are biennials. This means that they reseed themselves. The seeds are released and spread by the wind, lawn mower, even foot traffic! This is why they turn up in weird places, scattered about your lawn for example.



Usually, this reseeding lasts about 2 years. Sometimes you're lucky...it sounds like your pansies are doing really well!

Some varieties are more "hardy" than others. Violas or Johnny-Jump-Ups (similar to pansies but have smaller leaves and flowers), for example, are excellent reseeders and come back for years.



If you cut the plants back, the roots will still be intact and the plants will continue to grow. Pruning will delay their growth, but it will not eliminate the plants altogether.



If you want to remove the pansies from certain places, I would advise that you dig them up. You can toss them away if you want to thin out your crop. Or, you can transplant the pansy to a flower bed or other favorable location. The best time to do this is in late spring or summer when the plants are visible and strong. It will also give them enough time to establish a new root system. If you transplant too close to fall, you risk the cold weather and frost, which can harm the plants before they have rooted.
Reply:I also live in NH... trim them back, give them some food and they will be neater and if they are indeed pansies will bloom even stronger when the cooler weather arrives.
Reply:I live in NH also. I would leave them alone if they are returning every year. I do question where you say they are all over the place and spreading. Are you sure they are pansies and not violets? I assume you know the difference between pansies,violets,johnny jump ups and violas. They just don't sound like pansies to me. Any way they are still pretty!
Reply:I love pansies.!

Even though they stay nice under the snow, they are not meant to grow during the winter months. Cut them back in late fall, and watch them regrow in spring. The reason they are spindly is because they are going through the growing spurts, and left uncut. So you get growth and blooms then hibernation, where you will get the length without blooms, and repeat. Your new regown pansies in the spring will be more plentiful with more blooms. Does this make sense?
Reply:please forgive me...... Ty for the title of your question.. It made me laugh. I dont know why picturing a bunch of thriving pansies walking arouind NH struck me as funny, but ty i needed that
Reply:.
Reply:you can trim them up to neaten them out if you wish the root system is obviously well established to take out a few off shoots with out effecting the hardiness of the plant.


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