Are Pansy Indoor Or Outdoor Plants? (+When To Move Them Outside)

Pansies are beautiful flowers that look like butterflies. They are sun-loving plants that enjoy cool weather. But growing pansies in your living area has always been confusing for some gardeners who are willing to grow them indoors.

The first and foremost confusion that strikes the gardener’s mind is whether pansy is indoor or outdoor plants. So, in this article, we shall understand all about the same.

Pansies can be grown indoors as well as outdoors. According to the U.S department of agriculture, pansies can be grown indoors in USDA zones 3-9, and they can be grown outdoors in USDA zones 9-13. It would be best if you only planted pansies outside when the soil temperature is above 45°F.

Wherever you grow them, you need to give them proper care because they are not in their natural habitat.

So you must check your pansies regularly to understand how they are doing. Pansies are very easy to grow if you take care of them properly. They are one of the most popular annual flower plants.

Today’s article will discuss whether or not pansies can be grown both indoors and outdoors and how to care for them in both ways.

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Are pansies indoor plants or outdoor plants?

Whether pansies are indoor or outdoor plants has been a common and popular question of gardeners. Well, though pansies are mostly seen outdoors in the gardens, the answer is that you can grow them both indoors and outdoors.

Pansies have an incredible capability of surviving the winter seasons. But they do not enjoy the heat and warm conditions.

The ideal temperature range for pansies is between 45-70°F.

When growing them outside, you cannot change the outside temperature, so you have to take care of them according to the weather conditions.

Pansies need enough light and cool weather to grow well. Most houses come with warm and dry conditions that might harm the pansies. If your room is cool and gets good sunlight, then your pansies can be grown well indoors.

If you want to grow pansies with seeds, you can grow them indoors in pots or containers. Start growing with seeds indoors for some weeks, and then you can transplant them outdoors in your garden.

How to take care of pansies outdoors?

Pansies grow well during the spring and fall months when the night remains cool. They absorb sunlight throughout the day.

Pansies start to fall and die when the weather becomes hot during the nights. This mainly happens during the summer.

During the fall months, pansies grow beautiful and big-sized flowers. Pansies can sometimes also tolerate heat during the springtime.

Light requirements

Pansies prefer sites that get full sunlight throughout the day and remain protected when the sun’s rays become intense during the afternoon time.

Make sure that your flower bed is receiving a good amount of sunlight daily as pansies need daily four to six hours of sunlight. At the same time, the flowering site must get protection from the sun’s intense rays during the summer afternoons.

You can use big pots or potted plants as protection by keeping them beside the pansy soil bed.

Also read: How Much Sun Do Pansies Need? (Pansies Light Requirements)


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Soil and fertilizer

Choose the correct landscape to plant the pansies. Dig holes in the soil bed for planting. Spread the roots properly when you plant your pansies.

After that, fill the holes will the soil. Sprinkle some fertilizers on the soil bed and water generously. Avoid fertilizing the leaves and flowers to keep them from burns.

The soil bed you prepare for pansies must be fertile, well-draining, and high in organic matter. Pansies enjoy rich loam soil for good growth.

To make a good soil bed for pansies, layer the soil bed with three inches of organic matter such as compost or earthworms. Earthworms will help create good air circulation for the soil so that the roots can spread flexibly and breathe properly. 

After planting the pansies, you can add fertilizer to the soil to get enough nutrients from the soil. Use a balanced fertilizer for a good result.

Check the acidity level of the soil bed. Pansies do not enjoy excessive acidic soil. The pansies grow well in soil containing pH levels between 5.4 to 5.8.

The low or high acidity of soil can cause deficiency of some crucial nutrients in the plants, which will further cause other problems.

Also read: What Type Of Soil Is Best For Growing Pansies? (+Best Soil Mix)

Watering the pansies

While watering them, keep sure that the soil bed is not too moist. Make the soil bed in such a way that it can drain excess water and at the same time retains moisture needed for the plant to absorb nutrients.

If your flower bed is experiencing overwatering problems, you can add two to three inches of compost with a two to three-inch layer of organic matter to the soil bed.

When you are planting the pansies, make sure to keep enough space in between each plant. This will help them to breathe properly and get enough airflow. Good airflow will keep the plant away from insects and fungus.

When kept outdoors, you cannot move your plant around. So, whenever you are planting them, ensure that your region is favorable for the good growth of the pansies. The best time to grow them outdoors is in the cool springtime or the fall months. 

Also read: How Much Water Does A Pansy Need? (Pansy Water Requirements)

How to take care of pansies indoors?

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When we say growing pansies indoors, it means you are growing pansies in pots or containers.

If your house has a cool room that gets good sunlight penetration through the window, it is good to grow the pansies in that room.

How to plant pansies in pots?

Pansies grow well when the potting mix is well-draining and nutrient-rich. 

Take pots that are nine to twelve inches deep. Fill half of the pot with sand, soil, and organic matters like peat moss, cow manure, and compost. Mix them well and plant the pansies.

Before planting, water the plants a little bit. After planting your pansies into the potting mix, water them again so that the soil receives enough moisture.

After that, press them well into the soil and fill the plant’s surrounding will rest of the soil mix. Water your plant well.

Light requirements when the pansies are growing indoors

Place your pansies near the window, where they can receive enough sunlight, at least six hours daily.

During summer afternoons, you can relocate the pot from the window or use curtains to filter the intense sun rays. 

Keep your pansies in a room where there is good airflow. This will protect your pansies from insects and fungus attacks.

Watering the pansies as indoor plants

Pansies need to be watered regularly for their survival. They need to remain moist. To check the moisture, you can use your finger. 

If the soil is not sticking in your finger, it means it is time to water them. Provide the pansies with one inch of water when the soil dries up.

Do not overwater your pansies, as that might result in root rot. If there is root rot in your pansies, you will need to repot it to save the plant.

Fertilize the indoor pansies

Fertilize the pansies well. When the pansy plants produce flowers, fertilize them properly to make them grow big and look appealing.

Fertilize your indoor pansies with a well-balanced liquid fertilizer twice a month. You can dilute the fertilizer and make it half-strength.

Choosing a pot for the pansies

Choosing the ideal container for pansies is an integral part of growing them indoors. Pansies will grow well in any container or pot that contains a sound drainage system for draining excess water. 

You can use small terracotta pots and keep them together on a table. Don’t forget to place them near a window so that they receive enough sunlight throughout the day.

You can also use hanging baskets for pansies and hang them near the window.

Other containers you can use are galvanized buckets or creative and colorful bowls.

Another thing you should keep in mind while planting them in pots is the space. If you are growing each pansy plant individually, then small pots are a good choice.

But if you want to grow a group of plants together in a bigger pot, you need to keep about six, eight, or ten inches of space between the plants. This will help to plant to receive good airflow and prevent suffocation.

Whichever container you use for pansies to decorate your indoor space, it must contain suitable drainage holes to drain excess water to prevent overwatering problems.

Other caring tips

Some caring tips go for both indoor and outdoor pansy planting. These are:

Deadheading and removing spent flowers: To encourage good plant growth and flower blooms, you need to remove all the dead and dry flowers.

Fertilizing: Always use a balanced fertilizer to promote the growth rate of the plant. This will also help in fast growth and increase the flower size.

Pruning: Trimming the leggy pansies helps to stimulate the growth hormone of the plant. This helps prevent the plant from getting broken or damaged due to its leggy growth and also helps in encouraging better growth and more flower blooms.

When to take pansies outside?

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The best time to plant pansies outside is during the cool springs and fall months. The weather remains cool during the nights, and the sunlight is quite bright throughout the day, and the amount of heat is relatively low. As pansies enjoy the sun along with cool weather, this time will be the ideal time for taking them outdoors.

Pansies are usually grown in outdoor gardens. If you plan to grow pansies in summer, you can grow them indoors. When they mature, you can transplant them in your outdoor garden when the conditions are favorable for them.

While planting them outside, choose an ideal spot for planting the pansies. Water the pansies well immediately after you finish transplanting them.

Plant the pansies outside during the fall months, six weeks before the first fall frost. Plant them after the daytime, when the temperature starts dropping below 26°C. 

It is not at all a good idea to move pansies outside during the summers. The heat is excessive, and the sun rays remain intense during the afternoons, which might cause harm to the pansies.

The pansies can tolerate temperatures up to 21°C. If the temperatures are higher than that, avoid taking the pansies outside.

Final words

Pansies can be grown both indoors and outdoors. You need to take care of them and provide all the ideal requirements wherever you plant the pansies.

  • Keep them or plant them in a spot where they will receive sufficient sunlight throughout the day.
  • Water the pansies well after making sure that the soil is ready for watering. After transplantation, water them thoroughly to let the plant adjust to the changes and get some moisture.
  • Fertilize your pansies well with a balanced fertilizer that can provide all the essential nutrients. Avoid using fertilizers containing a lot of nitrogen.
  • Pansies enjoy rich loam soil. Prepare a soil mix that is fertile and supports proper drainage. This will help the pansy plants hold enough moisture and, at the same time, drain excess water.
  • While growing them indoors, choose the correct pot that has working drainage holes to avoid overwatering.
  • While repotting, use a new pot and fresh soil mix to avoid bacterial or fungal infection from the old pot or soil mix.
  • Whether indoors or outdoors, keep deadheading to stimulate the growth of the plant and flush blooms.

Ref: The University of Arkansas, BritannicaUtah State UniversityWikipediaThe University of GeorgiaThe Pennsylvania State UniversityThe Royal Horticultural Society, Plant Hardiness Zones.

Richa

Hello everyone, My name is Richa and I am here to make you a better gardener by creating an in-depth and helpful resource for all the fellow gardeners out there. If I could help even a few people understand their plants better then I call it a success for my efforts.

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