Propagation: What seeds will you be collecting?, 1 by Illoquin

Illoquin wrote:
Now you have me on a roll!!!! Pansies should be started now or in the next 3 weeks for your area. In about 2 weeks I'll start mine. If you start them inside, they might germinate better (since it will be in the 90s here next week) but I direct sowed last July and they were fine.

Here's the life span of pansies: They germinate. They grow a little. They bloom all through cool weather in the fall. And in MA, that's a good long time! They freeze and try to bloom every time the temperatures are above freezing. In spring, they go - go -go. When it's hot, the sun is at its highest., they poop out and go to seed -- the timing is the key. They set seed in July and they want to be sowed then, too.

I know I am on the wintersowing forum, but pansies are the worst seed for wintersowing that I can think of because their flowering cycle is at odds with the ws timing.

Shirley showed a photo of a pansy just starting to bloom, and it might fry in July & Aug and I doubt it will ever grow to the size and stature they can attain, but I would be interested to see what they look like in a months' time.

Where to plant pansies for the winter is also a key to getting them to be monster sized. They need winter sun, but not blazing bright. They love to be near paving (driveway, sidewalk, patio) which holds heat. I don't think a deck counts. If they are sort of cozied in, they are happiest and I plant mine sort of close together with some shelter from trees or pines. They do not like to be out on a penninsula, in full sun (think of the angle of the sun here, too, in winter the sun is very low) or where the west wind blows (I'm making that part up).

Here are some photos of mine. The clear crystal colors in this post were direct sown from old seed I just scattered July 2006. This photo is from May.

Suzy