They don't do well in warm temperatures. Mine have been blooming all winter, but as soon as the temperatures warm up they are through. Al

Hi Kelly...
I lost many violas during our "frost" here in L.A.
I don't know why....they are supposed to thrive in winter....but they are coming back now.
Also, some are sprouting where I didn't plant!!!

Frankie

Well, it hasn't gotten hot yet here. We had a couple of warm days, some rain, wind and cold in the past 2 weeks. Maybe my 8 y.o. daughter was too rough when she planted them. She wanted to do it all by herself, so maybe she separated the flowers from the roots?

I'll just wait and see, I guess.

Thanks for the replies.

I buy my pansies and primroses in sixpacks but I never plant them in the garden from that size. I pot them up to four inch size until they are well rooted. I could buy them in four inch size but then I would not buy enough to make a good display. Many bedding plant displays are so wimpy with sparse plants they are unattractive. Al

Funny, this is the only year my johnny jump-ups have been successful, but they are in mostly shade... only getting an hour of sun. Since they are spreading I had to take a picture of my success... to show following years violets what they're supposed to do. :o)

I figure that our weather is one month "off."
We just got the wild wind that usually we get at the beginning of March.......remember it's supposed to "come in like a lion and go out like a lamb." ?

Try moving them to the shade? I put mine in full shade and they lived. I've put mine in the sun before and they died on me. I think I read somewhere those tags are generic. Full sun in Minnesota is quite different than full sun here if I make any sense.

I really can't move them anyplace else. They are on the north side of a fence and it's the shadiest spot I have in my tiny yard. We're in an end unit of a townhouse complex with a tiny L shaped yard, and the side facing west is too sunny. We are prohibited from planting in the front yard, where I do have full shade. I could put them in a pot on the front walk if they don't pick up.

Shouldn't pansies and violas need the same conditions?

I do agree that our weather is a little off this year. My snowdrops are usually blooming in Nov-Dec and they bloomed in February!!! Weird weather we're having.

A PEST ATE MY FLOWERS!!!

I was showing my mom and she gently pulled on one plant--no roots were attached! I looked closely and there was a worm on it.

What kind of pesticide do I use on viola-eating worms? I'm afraid they will spread to the other healthy flowers in the bed.

how can I rid my dirt of unwanted worms - they seem to be killing my violas

LOL! Worms - earthworms - do NOT eat plants or plant roots. Earthworms are indicators of a healthy soil condition - they eat decomposing organic matter in the soil (not living plant parts) or other smaller soil organisms, their waste (castings) are an extremely rich source of nutrients and they aerate the soil with their movements through the soil profile.

There could be other larval type insects in the soil causing the damage or it could simply be a root rot from a too wet soil condition - pansies and violas are rather susceptible to these issues.

Mine also did the same. Planted them in different spots and some in pots, some in the ground and some in hanging baskets and the whole lot died. I think they suffered from all that rain. I dug one up and the root system is intact, the garden centre I bought them from has an excellent track record with their plants. I can only think their cells became too waterlogged and hence they died. Annoying but at least the cyclamen are ok.