Viola, or pansy, is a biennial herbaceous plant. It attracts gardeners with its unusually shaped and colored flowers, as well as its wide range of shades. Its distinctive feature is the dark spot in the center. Viola is very popular even with novice gardeners because it is easy to care for, tolerates winter cold well, and blooms profusely. It blooms for the first time as early as May, and continues until October.
Thanks to its small stature, pansies are perfect for borders and pots. Pansies never grow taller than 15 cm. They transplant well, even when in bloom.
Viola: Growing from Seeds and When to Plant – Depending on when the gardener wants the first bloom, there are different planting times for viola. For seedlings, seeds are sown in the ground in February over several periods. For spring blooms in the second year, they are sown in June-July. Pansies are planted in their permanent location in late August-September. Before planting, the seeds should be soaked in a solution of epin, zircon, or EM-1.
When planting seeds outdoors, it's important to remember that planting too early will result in the plant developing buds in the fall, weakening it. In this case, the viola may not survive the winter cold. Planting too late prevents the young shoots from strengthening and preparing for frost. However, gardeners have found the optimal time for planting viola outdoors is June-July.
Before planting, prepare the site. The location should be in full sun. Some partial shade is also acceptable. The soil should be nutritious and light. Before planting seeds or seedlings, loosen the soil and then water.
Planting viola from seeds is very simple: make shallow furrows and scatter the seeds into them. No more than 60-80 seeds should be planted per square meter. Viola is planted in small clumps of 2-3 plants per clump. The distance between the holes is about 5 cm. Next, the seeds are covered with a thin layer of soil, and a layer of sawdust is added on top.
The first shoots can be expected within 1.5-2 weeks. If the seeds were planted during hot weather, you'll need to lay a covering material (film) over the bed. Once the first shoots emerge, the viola will require careful care to help it grow stronger and prepare for winter.
Along with the viola, I also plant it in your small flowerbed. muscari. It looks very beautiful.