Last updated on March 5th, 2023 at 09:19 am
Planting Violas (Violaceae family) in the southwest is a bit challenging. These colorful plants love the sun during the spring seasons and fall. However, once the scorching summer heat arrives it’s best to place them in shade. But if you plant them in your garden beds it is important to remove weeds and other debris. Weeds and Violas will compete with water, so it is important to remove all weeds that are nearby. They also do great during the fall months.
Use them in Containers
Plant them in containers or in the flowering garden. You should plant them in masses for a great-looking effect. Use them in front of taller perennials or annuals during the spring and fall months. They will do well in hanging baskets and in tall pots.
Use them in spring and fall for great outdoor colors. They like loose loamy rich soil. To keep them looking their best you should fertilize them at least twice per month. A good 20-20-20 analysis will work great. There are a ton of colors and varieties to choose from. You can visit Wikipedia for a big list of Viola Varieties right here. Viola Varieties.
This is not a drought-tolerant plant. Water every other day during the spring and fall seasons, sometimes daily, if they start to look droopy during the mid-summer heat.
Deadheading Violas will help them rebloom repeatedly. The more you are deadheading the more flowers will spring out.
Most of Viola’s plants are annuals, however, if you live in an area where freezing temperatures are rare they will come back after the fall seasons. Be sure to trim them back and cover them with mulch. This will help them spring back up in springtime. The English Viola is a hardier plant and is considered a perennial; you can read more information here. English Viola.
Planting Violas for Your Garden
Johnny Jump-ups are exceptional flowering plants. They will do well in hanging baskets or in containers with other annuals or perennials. They like rich loamy well-drained soil. Feed them 1-2 times per month for better results.
The Coreopsis Flowering Plant.
