How To Grow Pansy From Seeds

Stage 1

• Germination: 68°F -70ºF

• Light is not required for germination.

A medium covering of coarse grade vermiculite is recommended to help maintain high humidity around the germinating seed for better germination performance. Proper germination takes 3 to 4 days. For optimal germination performance, maintain the plug media at “wet” moisture levels, i.e., the media is glistening, but water will not ooze out from the bottom of the tray and will penetrate only slightly from the top around the fingertip. Avoid germination temperatures above 70°F (21°C) to prevent seedling stretch

Stage 2 (first leaves) timing: 10 days

• Stage 3 timing: (true leaves) 14 days

• Stage 4 timing: (plug finish) 7 days

• Temperature

• Stage 2: 65° to 72°F days; 60°F Nights.

• Stage 3: 65° 70ºF days; 60°F nights.

• Stage 4: 60°-65ºF days; 55°F nights.

• Water-Beginning at Stage 3, reduce the moisture level in the media once the seedlings are established. Stage 4 plugs can be grown under wet/dry cycles to tone the seedlings and avoid soft growth.

Humidity

• Maintain 95 to 97% relative humidity.

• Fertilizer-Beginning at Stage 3, start fertilizing the seedlings twice a week with 50 ppm N from 14-0-14, alternating with a 20-10-20 type fertilizer for pH balance and supplying the required calcium. Increase the nitrogen concentration to 100 ppm after a week, and continue this program until finishing the plugs. Maintain an EC of 0.5 to 0.75 mmhos/cm and a pH of 5.4 to 5.8 at Stage 2; at Stage 3 and 4, EC and pH values can be at 1.0 and 5.6 to 5.8, respectively. A high pH (greater than 6.0) can induce boron deficiency and also encourages fungal black root rot, caused by Thielaviopsis sp.