Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => General Gardening => Topic started by: allotmentann on October 17, 2012, 16:53
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Just a little question I have been wondering about for a while. Most pansy varieties are sold as hardy perennials and yet they are nearly always grown as annuals, why is this? And will my pansies come back year after year if I leave them to their own devices? Is it simply that they are often used as bedding plants and are discarded to be replaced by something else in flower, or is there more to it than that? Thank you :)
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I think they're actually biennial
They are treated as hardy annuals as they last a season and are generally worn out and get composted. You can make them last a bit longer by dead heading, trimming them, feeding to get the most from them, but I think beyond two seasons would be pushing it.
They are so very easy to grow from seed so there's no need to try and keep them as you can raise a fresh batch as required
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I think they're actually biennial
They are treated as hardy annuals as they last a season and are generally worn out and get composted. You can make them last a bit longer by dead heading, trimming them, feeding to get the most from them, but I think beyond two seasons would be pushing it.
They are so very easy to grow from seed so there's no need to try and keep them as you can raise a fresh batch as required
I always let mine go to seed and self germinate. I then transplant the seedlings to where I want them for the following season.
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Interesting replies both, but both indicate the plants are annual/ biennial not perennial as they are sold. I have not thought about letting them self seed, I might try that. I might also plant an odd one in the garden and leave it to see what happens :) (Although I might not know then if it is the same plant or a new self seeded one unless I check very regularly!).
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If you're growing F1's they won't come true from seed though :)
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:lol: Always a catch! Still trying to find out why they are sold as perennials, another answer I have found is that they are perennial but tend to get very leggy after a while. I can imagine that this could be true :)