How to Germinate Swiss Giant Pansy Seeds

Swiss Giant pansies can be grown from seed.

If you love the colorful blooms of pansies, make a place in your garden for Swiss Giant pansies. The flowers on this Swiss cultivar grow to a width of 4 inches and come in a wide range of colors from yellow to purple and maroon to white. Swiss giant pansies grow best in rich, loose soil and prefer to stay shaded from intense afternoon sun. These pansies look terrific along borders, in window boxes or simply in a container on the patio. You can purchase plants or start your own Swiss Giant pansies from seed.

Things You'll Need

• 3-inch plastic nursery pots or seed starting tray
• Potting soil
• Spray bottle

Instructions

1. Fill your pots or the seed starting tray with the potting soil. Leave a space of one-half inch from the soil line to the edge of your pots or trays.

2. Plant your pansy seeds in July or August. Place three seeds in the center of each nursery pot. If using a seed starting tray, plant two seeds every 2 inches with 1 to 1-1/2 inches of space in between rows. Cover the seeds with one-eighth inch of potting soil.

3. Fill the spray bottle with water and spray the soil until it is thoroughly moistened but not wet. Mist the soil every other day to keep it moist. If your weather is dry and the surface soil appears dry, mist the soil every day or even twice a day if necessary. The soil must not dry out or the seeds won't germinate.

4. Move the pots or seed tray to an area where the temperature won't go below 50 F or above 75 F. This could be an area of your home or an area of the garden. If you keep your pots or trays outside, keep them in a spot that remains shaded.

5. Wait for five to ten days. By this time, seedlings start to appear. Not every seed germinates, but the majority of them should. Once the seedlings reach a height of 4 to 5 inches, you can transplant them into the garden.

Tips & Warnings

• If you keep your seed pots or trays outside, protect them from digging cats and squirrels. A covering of chicken wire will suffice.

• When you plant your seedlings, keep them well watered for the first week or two until they become established and adapt to their new home.

References

• "Sunset Western Garden Book;" Sunset Publishing; 1998
• Texas Agrilife Extension: Pansy
• West Virginia University; Pansies; John W. Jett