Expert: Mike Mascio - 11/27/2004

Question
I planted several dozen pansies about 5 weeks ago.  The weather turned somewhat warmer, followed by a very rainey 2 weeks.  About 20% dies, and the others hvae more of a light green leaf rather than the darker green leafs of the replacments that i planted.  ost of the original are very "leggy" as well. What do i need to do to correct these problems. The soil is well draining, the soil was also built up from my compost pile as well as peat moss before planting.  
Thank you,
Bruce HIll

Answer
Bruce, the problem is definitely related to the high amount of rain you've received.  The excess water depleted the soil of nutrients, which in turn caused the leaves to turn yellow.  The small percentage of plants that died probably suffered from root rot, a condition caused by excess water in the soil.

At this point, add some more compost as a mulch to replenish the nutrients lost due to the rain.  If you prefer, you can also apply one application of a water-soluble fertilizer, preferably with a nutrient ratio of 20-10-5.  But any product marketed as a universal fertilizer or one sold specifically for flowering plants will work.  If you wish to stay organic, apply an application of fish emulsion or sea kelp.  Both products are sold at most garden centers or through on-line companies such as Gardens Alive or Planet Natural.

Finally, go ahead and prune the top 1-2 inches of the plants.  This should correct the problem with the plants getting leggy.  Pruning (also referred to as pinching) after a plant is established helps promote a bushier growing habit.  It also increases the amount of blooms.

I hope this answered your question.  Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike