Pansies will pretty up your yard

By David Carter | The Natchez Democrat

Published Saturday, October 13, 2007

Today I will address some of the popular calls we have been receiving lately about how to turn productive spring and summer planting areas into good fall and winter areas. So here are some suggestions for flower beds and vegetable gardens.

Q. What are some good cool season flowers?

One of the most popular plants to add color and one that copes well with our winter is pansies. With over 180 varieties to choose from, the pansy sits on the throne as the most popular fall and winter flower. Like most flowers the key to success lies in bed preparation. Pansies do not perform well in tight, heavy soil.

Amending the planting area is one of the best ways to have success over these conditions. Add organic matter such as fine pine bark, manure, compost, peat moss or sand. Incorporating a 3-to 4-inch layer of organic matter with the native soil allows the bed to be built up and provides excellent drainage.

Pansies are heavy feeders. Feed them with a light application of slow-release fertilizer monthly or a diluted, water-soluble 20-20-20 every other week. Pay attention to soil moisture levels because cold fronts often drastically dry beds. A good planting choice may be to try planting red tulips with blue and white pansies or yellow tulip varieties with their complementary violet-colored pansy for a great cool season landscape.

Other good cool-season annuals to plant in October include Shirley poppies, forget-me-nots (myosotis) bachelor’s buttons, larkspurs and Johnny-jump-ups. If you are planting spring bulbs this fall (narcissus, hyacinths, crocus, etc.) it is a great idea to sow some of the cool season annuals in the same bed with the bulbs.

Q. What are some good vegetables to plant for produce in the winter?

Mid- to late-January is the time to plant peas and greens. These vegetables do well in our climate. Kale and collards are the most cold tolerant of the greens, while mustards are damaged when not protected at temperatures below 28 degrees. Greens can be planted from September through March in beds prepared as for peas. Peas perform best in well-drained soils with a pH of at least 6.2. However, do not work soil that is wet and saturated, if water comes out of a squeezed handful of soil, the ground is too wet to work. When you work soggy wet soil, you crush the macro-pores, which are where most of the air and water movement in soil takes place. When this soil dries, it forms clods that don’t accept water and inhibit root penetration.

Choices for peas include the English pea, which is the traditional garden pea; the flat snow peas, which are common in Chinese cooking; and the sugar snap pea, which resembles the green bean with a thick, fleshy pod and no seeds. Peas must be harvested on time to ensure best flavor and quality. Harvest peas in March before temperatures reach 80 degrees. Peas can tolerate temperatures into the low 20s, but when the weather is colder than that, cover them with a blanket.

Next week I will attempt to give simple directions to a rare but good question, propagation, so stay tuned. For more information on these topics or other related topics visit the MSU Extension Service Web site at www.msucares.com.

David Carter writes a weekly column for The Democrat. He is the county extension director. If you have a question or concern you would like to see addressed please send it to Carter at dcarter@ext.msstatedu.