Appearance

• There are over 300 cultivars of pansies, and they come in solid colors of white, yellow, rich gold, bronze, deep rose, violet, maroon and mixed colors. Some people think the center of the mixed-color pansy looks like a monkey's face. Individual pansy plants reach 6 to 9 inches tall and 9 to 12 inches wide, with dark green foliage.
  
  

Container Care

• Growing pansies in pots is as easy as growing them in the garden. Instead of using garden soil, purchase a good potting mix at any garden center. This eliminates the possibility of transferring disease or pests from your garden to your potted plants. Use a pot with a good drainage hole. Spread the roots out before placing the pansy in its pot. Fertilize with a water-soluble fertilizer such as Osmocote. Follow the directions on the label. Apply it every three to four weeks during the growing season. Water pansies thoroughly and make sure all the excess water drains out. Keep the soil moist, but not waterlogged. If the drain hole is too big and soil is draining out of the pot, place a rock or pebble on the drainage hole, but make sure it doesn't plug up the hole completely.
  
  

Pansies as Perennials

• In cool weather regions, pansies grow as perennials, but where summers are hot they're grown as annuals. If you experience hot summers in your region, it doesn't mean that you have to toss the pansies in the trash once the thermometer starts to rise. Plant your pansies in pots that you can easily move once the summer begins to heat up. Move them to a spot where they can get some morning sun and afternoon shade. If your morning sun is too intense, put them on a shaded porch or patio. You can also bring them indoors to enjoy the cool air conditioning, but place them in a sunny window. When fall rolls around, place the pots outside again.
  
  

Pests

• Pansies are relatively pest free, especially when planted in pots. Since there are some pests and diseases that can attack pansies planted in the ground, it's a good idea to be aware of them. Anthracnose might be the problem if brown areas with black margins appear, and the petals develop abnormally. To control anthracnose, keep the soil around the plant free of debris such as spent flowers and leaves. You'll know that you're over-watering if gray mold appears on your plant. Leaf spot begins small, and then covers the entire leaf and might spread to the flowers. If red-brown pustules appear on the upper side of the leaf and underneath it's light green, rust is the problem. A pest called yellows can turn the leaves yellow-green and stunt the growth of the plant. If the leaves curl and the flower size is small, beets yellows are the culprits. To properly treat for any problem, you need to identify it first. Call your extension office and describe the symptoms your plant is displaying, and the master gardeners there can help you diagnose and come up with the proper treatment.