- 1). Wait until at least 30 days prior to the first frost in your region and locate an area of the yard that has dark soil and that receives full sunlight. Full sunlight exposure helps to warm the flower in winter months, but in the south, choose a partially shady location. The soil should not be soggy, but areas that stay moist are desirable.
- 2). Dig a planting hole that is the same depth as the soil plug around the pansy roots. Remove the pansies from the nursery pot and insert the soil into the hole. Backfill the soil until it reaches the top of the root system. Plant additional pansies in the same manner, spacing them at least 6 to 8 inches apart.
- 3). Fertilize the pansies immediately with a granular, slow-release fertilizer and using the amount specified by the package instructions. Fertilizing fall pansies helps boost the root growth before freezing temperatures set in.
- 4). Water the soil to at least a 6-inch depth and then repeat as needed up to the first frost to help the roots establish. Reduce watering in winter to only once per week if no rain or snowfall occurs.
- 5). Spread a 2- to 3-inch layer of straw mulch around the base of the pansies to protect the root system from cold winter temperatures. Monitor the weather forecast for periods of extended cold or deep freezes. Cover the pansies completely with straw prior to these events and remove it once temperatures moderate.
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