10/11/2026
Here's the key to growing winter annuals that have to get in the ground right now (Iceland Poppies, Violas, Pansies): Do Not let them bloom. Keep pinching off the blooms until the plant is growing really well. This usually means two to three weeks. For instance, my pansies this year are very small in their 4" pots (sad) so they need the flowers pinched off until the plants are at least twice the size they are now. The Violas in this photo are really good size already but were starting to stretch with all that heat recently so, I when I planted them during that heatwave I pinched off all the flowers and cut jut a few of the longer stems by halfish on each plant.
Pansies and violas do not usually love being pruned to try and keep them smaller or make them more full but cutting just a couple stems by half can encourage the plants to fill in more instead of every stem stretching and looking awful.
In this photo one plant still has its flowers to show you a before pinching the flowers off.
