Why Are My Pansy Flowers So Small? (+How To Fix)

Pansies are the favorite perennial plants grown in every garden. Sometimes they are even grown as annuals. They can bloom prolifically for a long time. But sometimes, the flowers grow smaller in size, or sometimes, it doesn’t bloom.

Why do are your pansy flowers so small? How can you fix the same?

The primary cause of tiny flowers in pansies is unfavorable weather conditions. Pansies grow best when the weather remains sunny throughout the day and the nights remain cool. Other reasons for small flower growth are low light, poor watering techniques, and lack of nutrients.

Pansies are easy-growing plants. If you give them all its necessities in an adequate amount, they will not disappoint you and have a big flush of flowers.

This article will discuss the different reasons behind small or no blooms in pansies and how to treat the problem and keep them blooming bigger and better.

Why are my pansies small?

There are several reasons why the size of your pansy flower is small. Sometimes, these reasons are the same for late or no blooming. Let’s understand the reasons in detail.

Temperature

One of the main reasons for small flowers is temperature. Pansies love cool weather. They cannot withstand scorching weather. 

Pansies take a season to get matured before there is any blooming. Too high a temperature makes them weak and wilted. The flowers fail to grow bigger in such high temperatures.

This happens especially during the summer when the temperatures rise and the sun’s rays become too intense to handle.

In such situations, the pansies fail to grow bigger flowers. Due to the excessive heat, too, they even stop their blooming.

Light problems

Another reason why pansies are producing small flowers is they are not receiving an adequate quantity of light needed for the healthy growth of pansies. 

Pansies are sun-loving plants and regularly need four to six hours of sunlight to grow well and produce flowers.

If they are shaded by big trees or any other obstacles like tall walls or buildings around them, they will not receive enough sunlight. That would result in small flowers in the pansies. 

Another reason they fail to receive enough sunlight is the monsoon season. During this time, the weather remains cloudy, the sun does not come out properly, and it rains most of the time. 

In such situations, the pansies produce small flowers and sometimes no flowers at all.

Water

Pansies enjoy evenly moist soil. When pansies are exposed to the sunlight constantly, the water gets dried up quickly. It would help if you watered them well.

If the plant fails to get enough water, then the plant will not grow big. Due to a lack of water, the plant will not absorb the essential nutrients from the soil.

So you must water them regularly.

Sometimes, gardeners even tend to overwater them. Excessive watering will cause overwatering problems, resulting in pests, fungus, and diseases.

Fertilization

Another reason for the small bloom in pansies is you are not fertilizing them well. If you do not fertilize your pansies, they will grow flowers, but the flowers will be smaller in size. 

You need to fertilize them at least once a month for bigger blooms in the plants.

Season

When you find out that some of the pansies are not producing bigger flowers, some are not even producing any flowers despite receiving all the essentials; it is because of the season. 

Maybe the season is not encouraging the plants to produce flowers. Pansies grow well during the cool springs and fall months. 

Pansies can survive winter frost, they will remain green, but there will be small, less, or no blooming during that time.

If you plant the pansies at the wrong time for your zone, pansies will not stand up to your expectations. It is because the weather around is either too hot or too cold for them. 

Even if they remain green throughout the hot or cold weather, they will produce small and sometimes no flowers.

Deadheading

Pansies need deadheading. If you do not deadhead your pansy plants, they will be leggy, and the flowers will not grow bigger. 

During the early summer, the pansies start producing small and fewer flowers. 

Not deadheading the dead and dried flowers will not encourage the growth of pansies and thus will result in small or no flower growth.

Overcrowded pansies

If you are growing pansies for the first time and that too in groups, you might mistake planting them close to each other, thinking that they will make your garden look fuller.

But, unfortunately, this will lead to overcrowding of the pansies. If there is not enough space between the plants, the plant will have difficulty growing flowers.

This will result in small-sized flowers and sometimes no flowers at all. Overcrowding of the plant creates an obstacle for the growing of flowers.

Size of the root system

This reason is a rare one. Sometimes, gardeners buy small plugs for quick color. These plants have a small root system. 

When you plant them, even if the weather remains cool, they grow small flowers. This happens due to the small root system; they take more time to grow fuller flowers. 

When the roots start to grow in their actual shape, the plant will start growing a good amount of flowers that are also big and fluffy.

How do you make pansies grow bigger?

There are various causes for which the pansies produce small-sized flowers. But, once you know the actual reason, it will become easier for you to fix the problem, and your pansies will start producing big flowers.

You must keep in mind that the flower that has grown smaller will not grow bigger. If those small flowers are in good condition, let them be.

Or, if the flowers are drying, drooping down, or about to die, you must get rid of those flowers once you notice them.

Now, let us see how you can encourage your pansies to produce bigger and fuller flowers.

Provide the appropriate lighting

When you are planting pansies, make sure that your pansies receive enough sunlight the whole day. They are sun-loving plants and need sunlight for four to six hours. 

Make sure there are no tall and big trees, walls, or buildings surrounding your pansy flower bed, as these might act as obstacles for the sunlight to reach the pansy bed.

If your pansies are receiving enough sunlight, then they will produce a big flush of blooms.

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

Water after checking the soil

Give your pansies a good amount of water. Water them regularly to keep them from drying. But do not overdo it. 

Pansies enjoy evenly moist soil, but they do not enjoy damp, soggy, or wet soil. If you overwater them and do not allow them to dry between the waterings, your pansies will not grow any flowers.

Keep the soil uniformly moist and let the soil dry up in between the watering sessions.

Avoid wetting the leaves to prevent pest and fungus attacks.

Before watering, check the soil with your finger. If the soil sticks to your finger, then your plant probably doesn’t need water. But if you feel the soil is dry and hard, it is time to water them.

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

Don’t skip fertilizing your pansies

Even if your pansies get sufficient air, water, and sunlight, they will sometimes produce small flowers. This is due to the lack of nutrients.

When you keep watering your pansies regularly, all the nutrients slowly get washed away through the water. So, it is necessary to provide your plant with fertilizers.

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient that helps in filling your plant with big flowers. Nitrogen boosts the plant’s immune system and results in a strong plant with big leaves and flowers.

Pansies enjoy nitrogen more when it is in its nitrate form, significantly when the soil cools down during the late fall season and the winters. 

Whenever you are buying fertilizers, check the labels and instructions on the fertilizer bottles.

Go for liquid fertilizers during cold weather conditions as that will help in easier absorption of nutrients. Liquid fertilizers help in better absorption and faster reaction.

Also, keep one thing in mind. Do not give fertilizers that contain a high source of nitrogen. High nitrogen fertilizers will only make the plant look big. The foliage will look bigger, but there will be no production of flowers.

Whatever fertilizer you use, always use a balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) for your pansies. They work well for them.

Fertilize your pansies every two to three weeks with liquid fertilizers to promote the remarkable growth of the roots and the plant. Phosphorous fertilizers, for example, bone meal, will also help in producing bigger and fuller flowers.

Also read: Do Pansies Need Fertilizer? (What Type, How Much & More)

Deadhead for better growth

If you want big and fluffy flowers in your pansy plants, you must deadhead them. Remove all the weak, dried-up, and dead flowers from the plant. Also, along with deadheading, prune your leggy pansies.

If you get rid of these dead flowers, it will boost the growth hormone of the pansies. It will further promote the growth of new flowers. These new flowers will grow fuller and fluffier than the previous small flowers.

Prepare the perfect soil bed

If you want good growth of flowers in your pansy plants, you must make the soil bed favorable for them.

Pansies grow well in a rich, fertile, and well-draining soil bed.

So, when you are preparing the soil bed for your pansies, make sure that the soil is fertile and aerated. Proper air circulation will help the roots spread flexibly and breathe well. 

Well-aerated soil will prevent overwatering problems. To make your pansies work best, add some compost or rotted manure to the soil. This will do a great job of organic fertilizer for the pansies.

This soil mix will nourish the pansies. It will further promote the production of big and fluffy flowers that will make your garden look beautiful.

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

Maintain space in between the plants

Pansies grow up to six to nine inches tall and spread about ten to twelve inches. So, you need to give them enough space to grow.

If you are growing pansies in groups, maintain a space of about six, eight, or ten inches in between each plant. This will help them to grow flowers without any obstacles.

Keeping enough space will also help in getting enough airflow.

Though space of less than six inches will make your flower bed look fuller, the flowers will get overcrowded.

Such an environment will be ideal for pest infestations and other diseases due to lack of airflow. So, it is better to keep enough space in between each pansy plant.

Best time to grow pansies

Pansies grow best during the cool spring and fall months. It is their ideal time for full growth of the plant and growth of flowers.

If you do not want small flowers in your pansy flower bed, you should plant them when the ideal season arrives. Wait until the right time arrives. 

If you start planting and growing them when the weather is too hot or cold, there won’t be any flowers in your plant. Even if some plants struggle to grow flowers, the flowers will grow small and ultimately become weak.

Wait for the right time and right season, and then start growing pansies in your garden.

Final words

Flowers that have grown small and do not show any improvement might not change into bigger sizes. But you can take care of the plant to let them produce big flowers in the later blooms.

Water your pansies regularly to keep them from drying. Pansies grow best in evenly moist soil. But they do not like damp soil. Water them only when required to avoid overwatering.

Fertilize your pansies every two to three weeks to make the flowers look big and beautiful. Use liquid fertilizers for good and fast results. Do not forget to read the instructions before applying them to the soil bed.

If anytime you find that you have overwatered your pansies, add organic mulch to your soil. Spread the mulch about two inches over the soil. This will help to hold moisture that is needed for the plants to absorb the essential nutrients.

Deadhead your pansies and remove all the spent flowers to encourage another fuller flush of pansy blooms in your garden.

Plant them in their ideal season. Have patience and wait for the perfect timing of their growth.

Keep observing your pansies regularly to check how they are doing. Take immediate steps once you notice any signs or reactions that are indicating problems. Determine the problems and treat them accordingly.

---

Ref: The University of Arkansas, Britannica, Utah State University, Wikipedia, The University of Georgia, The Pennsylvania State University, The Royal Horticultural Society.