Pansies, Violas, and Panola are great “cool-season” flowers for North Texas, and though they don’t like hot weather, they grow much faster in warm weather. If planted in early October, they will be fuller and larger in four to six weeks than if planted in late November. Just follow these easy steps for more colorful flower beds this winter:
1. Start replacing summer color now, instead of when your summer flowers play out. It’s OK to leave a few pockets of awe-inspiring summer flowers if you want to, but do start your color change out soon. Even if your summer color doesn’t look bad, you’ll get a far better show all winter by replacing them a little earlier.
2. Fertilize them properly with a high-nitrogen fertilizer. Use the traditional blood meal or our own Covington’s Flower & Garden granules to keep your plants well-fed in cooler weather.
3. Young flowers will need frequent watering as long as temperatures spike into the eighties or if they briefly hit the nineties, but as things cool down, make sure to slow down your watering. Check the soil for moisture with a finger if there’s any question about whether your plants are dry. They deal with fungal disease and slowed growth if they stay too wet.
Happy Fall Planting!