Growing Colossus Series Mix Pansy Garden Seeds
- Taxonomy: Viola x wittrockiana
- Seed Type: Annual
- Sow Indoors or Outdoors: Sow Colossus Series Mix pansy seeds indoors using a starting kit 12 – 14 weeks before the final frost. Pansies do not grow naturally in the wild and are not recommended for direct sowing. Maintain pansy seeds in complete darkness for germination then place beneath fluorescent grow lights for 16 hours per day with 8 hours of darkness. Harden-off seedlings before transplanting outside into shady and cool spot in the garden or comparable place indoors.
- Days to Maturity: 91 – 98 days
- Hardiness Zone: 4 – 10
- Planting Depth: Plant 3 – 4 seeds ¼” deep
- Plant Spacing: 6”
- Growth Habit: 4 – 5” dwarf mound with a tidy 8” spread covered in enormous 4 – 5” blooms
- Soil Preference: Moist, hummus-rich, well-drained
- Light Preference: Full sun – partial shade
- Diseases/Pests/Troubleshooting: Avoid overhead watering to minimize wetting foliage as Colossus Series Mix pansy seeds are susceptible to fungal and leaf diseases if not properly ventilated. Colossus Series Mix pansies are a dwarfed 4 – 5” tall variety and should be planted on the south end of the garden to avoid being overshadowed. Pansies have no serious pests or diseases, but monitor regularly for slugs and snails.
- Color: Mix of bi-colored blooms with shades of blue, rose, violet, crimson, yellow, and white
Sow Colossus Series Mix pansy seeds indoors using a starting kit 12 – 14 weeks before the final frost. Pansies do not grow naturally in the wild and are not recommended for direct sowing. Maintain pansy seeds in complete darkness for germination then place beneath fluorescent grow lights for 16 hours per day with 8 hours of darkness. Harden-off seedlings before transplanting outside into shady and cool spot in the garden or comparable place indoors. Plant 3 – 4 Colossus Series Mix pansy seeds ¼” deep and 6” apart in moist, hummus-rich, and well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Avoid overhead watering to minimize wetting foliage as Colossus Series Mix pansy seeds are susceptible to fungal and leaf diseases if not properly ventilated. Colossus Series Mix pansies are a dwarfed 4 – 5” tall variety and should be planted on the south end of the garden to avoid being overshadowed. Pansies have no serious pests or diseases, but monitor regularly for slugs and snails. Colossus Series Mix pansy seeds mature in 91 – 98 days as 4 – 5” dwarf mounds with a tidy 8” spread covered in enormous 4 – 5” blooms in a mix of bi-colored blooms with shades of blue, rose, violet, crimson, yellow, and white.
Viola x wittrockiana is a hybrid resulting from tri-colored violas. The pansy only exists as a result of mass crossing and hybridizing of the viola during the 19th century and has never grown naturally in the wild. There is much debate and etymological red tape about interchanging the common terms “pansies”, “violas”, and “violets”. The species wittrockiana pays homage to 19th century pioneering botanist Veit Brecher Wittrock.