Growing Colossus Series Mix Pansy Garden Seeds

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 inch deep and 6 inches 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 inch 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 inch dwarf mounds with a tidy 8 inch spread covered in enormous 4-5 inch 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.