Pansies are popular, cold-tolerant annuals used to add color to gardens in cooler seasons. Gardeners typically purchase these plants for mass planting in a standardized container called a “flat” or “tray.” This flat is designed for efficient transport and retail sale, but the total number of individual plants it contains is not fixed. The count varies significantly based on the size of the individual container cells the pansies are grown in.
Defining the Standard Pansy Flat Count
The most common flat size used in horticulture is approximately 10 by 20 inches. For the average home gardener, the pansy flat count generally falls into one of two primary standards. The first is the 36-count flat, which consists of six individual “six-packs” of plants. Each plant is grown in a small cell, typically measuring around 2.25 to 2.5 inches across, offering a balance between quantity and plant maturity.
The second common configuration found in retail garden centers is the 48-count flat, which often contains eight six-packs, or sometimes twelve four-packs. Both the 36-count and 48-count flats are designed to maximize the number of plants sold while keeping the root ball contained for transplanting. Pansy plants sold in these formats are usually compact and bushy, ensuring they establish quickly once placed in the garden bed.
Factors Influencing Commercial Cell Size and Quantity
The variation in flat count is a direct result of commercial decisions regarding plant maturity and price point. Growers offer larger cell sizes to retail consumers who prefer more established plants that will produce an immediate impact in the garden. For example, a flat containing plants in 4-inch pots drastically reduces the overall quantity, often resulting in only 18 individual plants per flat. This trade-off between plant size and quantity allows consumers to select based on budget and desired growth time.
Conversely, professional landscapers and large-scale growers often purchase pansies in high-density plug trays, which contain significantly smaller, less mature seedlings. These trays are not typically sold to the public and can hold 72, 100, or even 288 plants in the standard flat footprint. The smaller cell size necessitates more careful handling and a longer grow-out period, but the low cost per plant makes it economical for covering vast areas. This difference illustrates a clear commercial distinction between the mature, ready-to-bloom plants in six-packs and the dense, immature plugs used in wholesale operations.
Calculating Planting Density and Coverage
Translating the number of plants in a flat into actual garden coverage requires a calculation based on desired planting density. Pansies are typically spaced between 6 and 10 inches apart to allow for adequate air circulation and growth. Planting pansies at a dense 6-inch spacing requires a multiplier of 4, while a looser 10-inch spacing uses a multiplier of 1.44.
A standard 36-count flat of pansies planted at the denser 6-inch spacing will cover approximately 9 square feet of garden space. Using the looser 10-inch spacing, that same 36-count flat will cover about 25 square feet. For a 48-count flat, the coverage increases to 12 square feet at 6-inch spacing and roughly 33.3 square feet at 10-inch spacing. To cover a 50-square-foot bed at the tighter 6-inch spacing, a gardener would need to purchase five or six 36-count flats, while the 10-inch spacing would require only two flats.