Can I save my pansies violas? (flowers, growing, yard, input)

[charlygal]

I had about 60 pansy/viola transplants that I took outside to begin hardening off. I put them in a shaded area. When I came back a few hours later, half of them had wilted and fallen over. So I brought them back inside and put them back under the grow lights. This morning, it looks like close to all of them have wilted.

My question is, since the roots are still intact and were fine until a day ago, can I just plant the root ball in the garden and cut back the wilted stems to about 1-2 inches? Will the plant regrow and poduce new flowers?

[luv4horses]

Where do you live? In warmer areas the viola/pansies are already starting to fade due to the heat. The violas may some back next year, and they certainly will have seeded out into the nearby beds, so new plants will come up later. But here in the Raleigh NC area the pansies are probably not coming back.

[charlygal]

Originally Posted by luv4horses

Where do you live? In warmer areas the viola/pansies are already starting to fade due to the heat. The violas may some back next year, and they certainly will have seeded out into the nearby beds, so new plants will come up later. But here in the Raleigh NC area the pansies are probably not coming back.

Thanks for the input. I'm close to your area. *sigh* I guess I'll have to look around for some replacement bedding annuals.

I spent months loving growing those 60 plants from seed. Then to lose them in a matter of hours.

[luv4horses]

This is from the Burpee web site:

"During the hottest months, cut the plants back and mulch to conserve moisture. When cooler weather returns in the fall pansies will reward you with a second show of blooms."

So do not give up all hope. Can you recover the transplants and keep them potted up indoors (where it is cooler) until the fall? It sounds like you would have a better chance if they were established plants, but you might get lucky.

[no kudzu]

I know this is disappointing. Next year maybe start your seeds a bit earlier or direct sow right in the garden. Johnny Jump Up are hard to get rid of once you plant them. I've had some come up clear across the yard where they were never planted so obviously they are a good plant to direct sow. Frankly I don't use pansies very much cause deer eat them and they just aren't as long lasting as other flowers in my garden. But I do lie them around commercial establishments. Such happy faces.