Ornamental plantings of extraordinary beauty called “viola tricolor”, better known as pansies, can be seen quite often both in personal plots and in summer cottages. What is the reason for their popularity? Undoubtedly, in abundant, long-lasting flowering, which pleases the eyes of both owners and casual passers-by. However, not only because of their extraordinary beauty, many people plant such ornamental plants as decoration for their garden plots. The popularity of tricolor viola is explained by the fact that planting and growing beautiful flowers is quite simple. How in open ground We will consider planting pansies so that the flowering is abundant and bright, we will look more carefully later in the article.

Planting seedlings

Most often, tricolor viola is grown as seedlings. Growing seedlings is not a difficult process if you follow the recommendations of experienced gardeners:

1. In the spring, you should prepare containers for future seedlings, which are filled with fertile soil. It is best to use a substrate that will consist of the following components:

• turf soil;
• leaf soil;
• compost.

Both turf and leaf soil should be taken in equal proportions; compost should be used in a ratio of 1:5.

1. If you plan to get an annual planting from grown seedlings, then, of course, high-quality seeds should be used and sown in the ground no later than March. If sowed early, you will be able to admire the beautiful flowering in the summer. If you want to get a two-year crop, the seeds should be sown in the ground at the end of the first summer month.
2. In the containers for seedlings, depressions are made, approximately 1.5-1.7 cm.
3. A seed is placed in each recess, maintaining a distance of approximately 1.5 cm.
4. After sowing the seeds planting material carefully filled with fertile soil and lightly compacted by hand.
5. To speed up the germination process, it is recommended to use additional cover in the form of glass or plastic film.
6. The first shoots will appear in 10-15 days. As soon as the seedlings have 3 leaves, you should carefully plant the seedlings in separate containers, for example, in disposable cups. Picking is necessary in order to accelerate the growth of the development of each individual seedling.
7. Tricolor viola seedlings are planted in a permanent place of germination only after the weather has stabilized and no night frosts have been observed.

Planting in the soil

In order for the seedlings to take root well on the plot, experts recommend carrying out the so-called hardening before planting the seedlings in the ground. To do this, it is enough to simply take your seedlings outside, at least for 7-10 days, so that the young plantings can better adapt to new living conditions. For the first time, the seedlings are taken out for about 20-30 minutes, subsequent “hardening” processes are increased to several hours.

The sealed plantings are planted on previously prepared beds, always in fertile soil. The distance between each planting should be at least 20-25 cm. After planting the seedlings in the beds around the horse system, it is recommended to pour a layer of peat, approximately 5-7 cm, so that the roots can retain a sufficient amount of moisture. A layer of peat will help protect young roots from sudden temperature changes, which are quite often observed in our regions in the spring. However, it is not recommended to use a lot of peat as a powder, since its excessive use, especially during a snowy winter, can contribute to the death of the plant. The fact is that a large layer of peat will not allow sufficient oxygen to penetrate, so a decorative flower can, as they say, suffocate.

Sowing seeds in the ground

Tricolor viola seeds can be sown immediately in open ground in the following sequence:

• in a well-lit place, grooves are made in fertile soil, at least 0.5 cm deep;
• the distance between the grooves should be approximately 1.5-2 cm;
• the gap between seeds is 1-2 cm;
• the grooves are well moistened and planting material is carefully sown;
• the seeds are sprinkled with fertile soil on top and lightly compacted by hand;
• In order for the seedlings to germinate faster, the sown area is covered with transparent glass or polyethylene film.

Pansies are scientifically called Vitrocca violet. They are grown in summer cottages, decorating flower beds, and also on balconies. The plant is unpretentious: it can be replanted even during the flowering period and planted in early spring, as soon as the snow has gone. Pansies bloom early and bloom profusely. If everything is done correctly, their variegated flowers will delight the eye from spring to late autumn.

Pansies: cultivation

There are 2 main ways to cultivate pansies: growing from seeds and cuttings. Seeds can be planted in 2 ways: in open ground and in boxes. When the plant fades, a fruit with seeds remains on it, which are used for further sowing. The seeds can be collected when the capsule turns pale yellow or white. The seed will ripen during drying. It can be stored for 3 years. Sowing pansies depends on the desired flowering period. To get good flowering in early spring, sow in late June - early July of the previous year.

Seeds are planted in nurseries or well-cultivated beds in loose rows. They sprout 1 - 2 weeks after planting, and after 2 - 3 weeks you can see the appearance of sprouts. The sprouts dive, and at the end of August they are planted in the place of intended flowering at a distance of 25 cm from each other. If you want to get flowers in the same year, it is recommended to sow the seeds in boxes. Then the seedlings are transplanted into the flower garden.

Pansy seeds are sown in boxes in February, scattered over the surface of moist soil. Don't forget to cover them with a thin layer of soil. The boxes are placed in a dark place, maintaining a temperature of 15 - 20 degrees. They need to be covered with glass, and the soil should be ventilated and moistened periodically. When the seeds sprout, the temperature should be lowered to 10 degrees and the box with the sprouts should be placed in sunlight. Flower seedlings can be planted in about 10 to 20 days. It is recommended to plant in open ground in May.

If you choose to grow a plant using cuttings, it must be done immediately in open ground in May - June. The terminal green shoots with 2 - 3 nodes are cut from the bush. They are planted in a shaded area close to each other to a depth of 5 mm. Water the soil well and spray the cuttings with water. Roots appear within a month. If cuttings are made in the spring, the pansies will bloom in the summer or early autumn, and if closer to autumn, then in the spring of next year. Cuttings rejuvenate the plant, preventing the bushes from growing too much. From 1 large bush you can get 10 cuttings.

Pansies: proper care

Today, about 400 species and several hundred varieties of pansies are known. Winter varieties bloom very early. Luxurious flowers of the Swiss large-flowered group are plant varieties with a flower diameter of up to 10 cm. Their color is with large spots, a border along the edge and stripes of different tones.

The color palette is quite rich - yellow, orange, wine red, deep black, blue, indigo and violet.

Main varieties: Rhine Gold, Bride, Flame, Sun Kiss, Black King, Love Duet.

This plant is easy to care for. Pansies are quite shade-tolerant, but if you grow them in partial shade, the flowering will not be as abundant, but longer. For planting pansies, fertile and moist loam soil is recommended. Make sure that the melt water does not stagnate, otherwise it can lead to rotting of the plant’s root system and its death.

You need to water the flower 2 - 3 times a week. On hot and dry days - daily. The plant must be fed with complex mineral fertilizers, which include phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen and other microelements. Violets need to be fertilized both before budding and during flowering. Seedlings can be fed with superphosphate and ammonium nitrate (20-40 g per 1 m²). Pansies should not be fertilized with fresh manure.

To ensure that the plant blooms for a long time, remove faded flowers and dry leaves in a timely manner. Be sure to weed the beds where pansies grow, removing weeds. Don't forget to loosen the soil.

In terms of diseases and pests, aphids, cutworms, blight, powdery mildew, blackleg, root and stem rot are common. You may encounter these problems if you violate the agricultural practices for planting, growing and caring for pansies. You can fight pests and diseases with special preparations that are sold in gardening stores.

Pansy flowers: photo

Pansies are very beautiful and unpretentious flowers that will decorate any summer cottage. You can use them to transform rocky crust and small flower beds. Pansies look beautiful in hanging pots that decorate balconies, verandas and terraces. Follow the planting rules and do not forget to care for the plant so that its lush flowering continues until late autumn.

Pansies from the Violet family are an early flowering plant, known to many from childhood. In the scientific literature, this low flower up to 30 cm in height is called viola.

In the wild, there are about 500 species of violas that amuse passers-by with their colorful flowers.

Among them, the most popular in culture are:

• Viola tricolor - wild one- or two-year-old herbaceous plant, which is often popularly called wild pansy. Compact bushes are represented by rosette rounded leaf plates and flowers of white, blue, purple, yellow tones, formed on elongated peduncles. Flowering occurs from mid-spring to early autumn.
• Horned viola is a perennial garden form of violet that does not lose its decorative qualities over a long period of time. Species varieties are characterized by good winter hardiness. Flowers with different colors, pleasing to the eye from mid-spring to autumn frosts, have a fairly large diameter of up to 5 cm and a pleasant aroma. Due to easy cross-pollination with other violets, which can threaten the loss of varietal characteristics, the species should not be planted next to tricolor viola or Wittrock's viola. Famous varieties: Alba, Boughton Blue, Columbine, Hansa.
• Viola Wittrock is the most common hybrid that can be easily purchased at a flower shop. This is the garden form of pansies. A bush of this type of viola is formed from erect shoots up to 30 cm high, covered with oval leaves with jagged edges. Irregularly shaped flowers with a diameter of up to 11 cm are painted in various, rarely monochromatic, colors with strokes and spots. Some variety series deserve special attention: “Swiss Giants”, “Bambini”, “Rococo”.
• Viola Sororia is a bushy species with early flowering in April-May. Flowers of small diameter rise above the heart-shaped leaf blades. Popular varieties: Ruba, Albiflora, Frickles.
• Viola Altai is a perennial up to 20 cm in height with flowers whose petals are painted blue or white with blue stripes, shaded with a bright yellow spot. A frost-resistant variety that can bloom from mid-spring until frost.
• Viola Williams is a brightly flowering hybrid with flowers of small diameter, which are distinguished by the absence of a characteristic “face”. In cultivation, the plant is represented in both bush and ampelous forms, which are often used in hanging pots or in flowerpots on the balcony. Famous varieties: “Pearl Falls”, “Bengal Fire”, “Amber Kiss”, “Froze Chocolate”.

Growing flower seedlings from seeds

In order for the gardener to witness early and abundant flowering, preference should be given in regions with temperate climates. seedling method growing pansies.

Sowing of high-quality seeds purchased at specialized points is carried out at the end of winter as follows:

1. The seeds are soaked for half an hour in a fungicide solution for disinfection, and then for several hours in a growth stimulator.
2. The seedling box is filled with a pre-calcined substrate of leaf soil and rotted compost.
3. The seed material is distributed over the moistened surface of the soil mixture.
4. The container is covered with film and moved to a warm, shaded place.
5. 2 weeks after the emergence of seedlings, the seedlings begin to gradually become accustomed to life without film.
6. After a week, the protective film is completely removed.
7. When 3 true leaves are formed, the seedlings are planted in a separate container, where they are grown until planted in open ground.

Planting viola in open ground

To ensure abundant and long-lasting flowering of viola, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to all the nuances of planting work, paying attention to the choice of location and soil.

Planting dates

Planting of hardened seedlings in open ground is usually carried out in the second half of May, when the threat of return frosts has passed.

Selection and preparation of a landing site

Pansies can grow like sunny areas, and in shady areas. However, the “golden mean” will be a well-lit area with light shading, which will ensure the brightness of the flowers and a long flowering period. Cute bushes with cheerful “faces” develop well on fertile, light soils with a loose structure. Before planting, the soil in the selected area is dug up with the simultaneous addition of peat, humus and sand, which will help ensure all the required soil composition indicators.

Important! Poor soils can cause a plant to lose its decorative appearance, which is manifested by fading and smaller flowers and is especially important for varietal hybrids.

Planting technology

Planting flowers in open ground is carried out according to the standard scheme:

1. In the prepared area, holes are dug taking into account the root system of the seedlings and at a distance of 10 cm from each other.
2. A grain of sand is added to each depression, which acts as drainage.
3. Then pansy bushes are placed on it and sprinkled with earth.
4. The plants are watered and the soil around them is mulched.

Pansies: care in open ground

Pansy flowers are unpretentious and a pleasure to care for.

Correct watering schedule

The moisture-loving plant does not tolerate stagnant water, so it is necessary to establish the correct watering schedule. In the summer heat, it will be enough for the viola root system, which is located in the arable layer (up to 20 cm), to receive a small portion of water at intervals of a day.

Attention! Moisture deficiency negatively affects the decorative state of the crop: shoots disintegrate along the ground in order to retain moisture on the surface of the leaf plates, and the flowers turn pale.

How to care for the soil?

In order for the soil to maintain a loose structure that provides free access of air to the roots, after frequent water procedures it is necessary to slightly loosen it, breaking the upper, airtight crust. Also, to prevent rapid evaporation of moisture, you can cover the soil around the bushes with a layer of peat or sawdust mulch.

Feeding and fertilizing flowers

Since pansies prefer fertile soils, they also respond well to systematic feeding.

Additional nutrition is carried out both by root and foliar methods:

• At the beginning of the growing season, plants are fed with complex mineral fertilizers containing nitrogen.
• To prolong abundant flowering, superphosphate is applied under the bushes, which can also be added when preparing the soil.

Carefully! You cannot use manure as a fertilizer for viola, which does not like high-fat soil.

Wintering of pansies

A relatively winter-hardy crop is not always able to survive a winter with little snow, which is typical for risky farming zones in the central zone, without outside help.

To cultivate pansies as a perennial, you need:

• avoid lowlands with high groundwater levels when planting;
• protect plants during winter with covering material;
• carry out snow retention on the beds.

Protection from diseases and pests

Among the main enemies that often attack and infect culture are the following:

• Spider mite. When a microscopic insect appears, the plants are treated with an insecticide solution.
• Root-knot nematode. Pre-planting soil treatment by adding sodium nitrate will help protect bushes from pest infestation.
• Smut. The development of the disease can be prevented by pre-sowing seed treatment.
• Leaf spotting. At the first manifestations of the disease, the plantings are sprayed with a copper-containing fungicide.
• Gray rot. At the initial stages of the disease, normalizing the irrigation regime will help stop its development.

Reproduction of Pansies

Growing pansies is possible not only from seeds. The crop can also be propagated by vegetative methods.

Cuttings

The procedure is carried out at the beginning of summer:

1. Cuttings with 2 - 3 internodes are cut.
2. The beds are being prepared in the shaded area.
3. Fresh planting material is placed close to each other and buried 5 mm.
4. After planting, the cuttings are watered.
5. Rooting occurs in 20–30 days, depending on the variety and growing conditions.
6. At the end of summer, young plants are transplanted to a permanent place.

Reproduction by layering

This method of reproduction is also a fairly popular technique:

1. Long shoots are bent to the soil and placed in a previously prepared groove.
2. The layers are fixed in the furrow using staples and sprinkled with soil.
3. A month later, roots begin to develop from the internodes.
4. After complete rooting, the shoots are separated from the mother specimen and planted in a permanent place.

Garden decoration - where is the best place to plant pansies?

Early flowering compact bushes have found their application in the design of garden and park compositions.

They are often used in decoration:

• garden paths;
• hanging flowerpots;
• alpine slides;
• lawns with bright greenery;
• flower beds and ridges, where luxurious ornaments are created with the help of flowers.

Thus, pansies, distinguished by their beauty and early flowering, will become a wonderful decoration of the garden. Moreover, planting and caring for such an elegant and bright pet will not cause much trouble for the gardener.

No one will be indifferent to pansies, growing from seeds, when to plant - such information will be useful to gardeners who like this delicate flower. The plant is herbaceous and attracts with its variety of colors. The most famous is the tricolor viola, the top of its petals are purple, the middle is amber, the bottom is white or yellowish.

Pansies - growing from seeds

Growing pansies is easy, they are not capricious. The flower is propagated by seeds; it is recommended to plant them in an open area or as seedlings. To collect seeds, you need to select a powerful specimen and wait until the boxes with grains turn yellow. It is important to stock up on seeds before they spill onto the soil when the pods are plowed. At the same time, there is a chance to prepare seed from crops of the color and variety you like. Pansies grow normally in shade and sun. Viola is best planted where bright light illuminates it only part of the day.

How to grow pansies from seeds in an open area:

1. When planting in the ground, furrows 0.5 cm wide are made with a distance between rows of 2 cm, they are shed with water.
2. Seeds should be planted every 2 cm (this is best done with a small sheet of paper), they are covered with a moistened substrate and the soil is lightly pressed down.
3. The crops are protected with film and ventilated periodically.
4. When seedlings emerge and the first pair of true leaves peck, the seedlings are plucked, shortening the main root by a third, and planted according to a 25x25 cm pattern.
5. Subsequent care consists of loosening the soil and watering.
6. Before budding, it is better to fertilize the flower - water it with dissolved nitrophoska - 1 tbsp per bucket. spoon of composition.
7. For the winter, the seedlings are covered with spruce branches.

When to sow pansies for seedlings?

Sowing pansies when growing from seeds, when to plant - the solution to these issues depends on when you want to see the first flowers. Experts recommend cultivating violet as an annual or biennial - this way it has the most attractive appearance and lush flowering. Sowing pansies for seedlings - how to calculate the timing:

1. If you want to bloom the same year in June-July, it is recommended to plant seeds in January-February for seedlings.
2. Pansies - growing from seeds, when to plant for early spring flowering in the second year: planting should be done in open ground in June. They will overwinter and begin flowering in early spring in April.
3. If you plant it in the ground earlier, in May, the buds will bloom in the fall.

Germinating pansy seeds

To enhance germination energy, pansy flower seeds are soaked in a solution of biogrowth stimulator "" for a day before planting. The product gives the sprouts energy and at the same time performs disinfecting functions. Placing the seeds in a burgundy potassium permanganate solution for 20 minutes will provide additional resistance to disease. It’s a good idea to soak them in a solution of wood ash: 1 tbsp. Dilute a spoonful of the product in a liter of water and leave the grains in the composition for 2 hours. There is no need to germinate the seeds before sowing - they are very small and take root well in the soil.

Pansy seedlings at home

When cultivating pansies, growing seedlings from seeds will speed up the start of budding. For sowing, select shallow boxes and purchase commercial soil for violets. You can prepare your own substrate from 1 part of garden soil, 1 part of sand and 0.5 part of humus or peat. Before planting, the soil is steamed in a water bath and sprinkled with fungicide to destroy pathogens and weeds. A dark solution of magranium is suitable as a disinfectant.

How to plant pansies for seedlings?

Planting pansies for seedlings:

1. The simplest option for seeding is to place the seeds in containers on top of the soil and place them in a dark place at a temperature of +20-22°C.
2. The seedlings are covered with film and ventilated every day for 10 minutes. Water the crops using a fine sprayer.

How many days does it take for pansy seeds to germinate?

When asked how long it takes for pansy seeds to sprout, experienced gardeners answer - if the sowing is done with high-quality material, then after 1-2 weeks the seedlings will sprout. Sometimes (depending on the variety and quality of the grains) germination can take 3-4 weeks. Before this, it is better to cover them with a dark, thick garbage bag - the seeds like to germinate in the dark.

Picking pansies

Boxes with green shoots are placed on a lighted window. During the initial 7 days of growing, seedlings are accustomed to air. To do this, every day the cycle of its open presence is increased from 10 minutes to 5-6 hours, then the covering can be removed from the seedlings. Watering is done when the top layer dries. When to pick pansies after germination:

1. When 2-3 true leaves appear, place the seedlings in separate containers or a common box according to a 5x5 cm pattern.
2. When picking, young plants are buried down to the cotyledons.
3. When growing violas, when the young shoots have 6 leaves, pinch the top of the central stem so that the violets form a lush bush.
4. Feed the viola once every 2 weeks with fertilizer for seedlings, and monitor the moisture content of the substrate in the pots.

With proper care, in a month (by the end of May) the viola will bloom and be ready to be planted in the garden. Before transplanting the sprouts to an open area, they are hardened off. To do this, place the seedlings under the sun's rays, start with an hour a day and increase the time by an hour every day. Scheme for planting pansies in a flower garden - 20x20 cm. Caring for pansies:

1. For generous flowering, the plant needs frequent watering, especially in the heat. After moistening the bush is better.
2. Feeding with mineral supplements such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus has a beneficial effect on the development of viola. It is advisable to start fertilizing flowers 2 weeks after planting with a solution of ammonium nitrate or superphosphate at the rate of 20-40 g per 1 m 2.
3. Dried viola flowers and leaves should be removed. If you implement these simple requirements, then the bright carpet will delight the eye until frost.

Scientifically, this plant is divided into two types: Viola Vitrocca and Violet tricolor. The latter species has small flowers and reproduces well by self-sowing: give them free rein, they will spread throughout the entire area. But it is better to grow Vitrock Viola from seeds to maintain a decorative appearance, bright colors and good flowering. It is she who today flaunts in modern front gardens, flower pots and boxes on balconies. Spreading bushes grow no more than 25-30 cm in height.

Viola flowers have large, corrugated or smooth-edged petals, which are distinguished by a variety of rich colors. In addition, the flowers can be monochromatic, with original strokes and spots of various colors: white, red, yellow, dark purple, sky blue, burgundy, etc. The most impressive group of varieties Rococo, characterized by very strong flowering and ruffled petals with a border. No less amazing Swiss giants with flowers up to 10 cm in diameter.

Growing viola at home

For abundant flowering, place the viola on fertile, moist soil in sunny places. On poor soil in the shade, the shoots will stretch out and form small flowers that will quickly fade.

Raising these delicate creatures at home is not at all problematic: they have an easy-going and not capricious character. Usually seeds are used for propagation. To determine the time for sowing, it is worth deciding on your desire to see the first flowers. Experts advise growing viola as an annual or biennial, because it is then that it has the most attractive appearance and is distinguished by its lush flowering.

If you want flowering in the same year, sow seedlings in the last days of January or in February. Planting seeds in the ground in June will help achieve early spring flowering in the second year. If you sow earlier - in May, the bushes may outgrow and bloom in the fall, which will have a bad effect on spring flowering. That is, in the first case you will get an annual plant, and in the second - a biennial plant.

How to grow viola seedlings

Not everyone can and knows how to grow pansies at home, and therefore buy expensive seedlings in pots at the market or in stores. But why spend money if you can grow viola of any variety you like yourself as an annual.

1. Wash used containers for seedlings thoroughly, remove plaque on the walls and scald with boiling water and soda;
2. The soil is preferably light but fertile. It is best to purchase soil at the store and mix it with sand and garden soil (1:1:2). Be sure to spray with fungicide for disinfection;
3. As soon as the soil dries, make grooves no more than a centimeter deep, and spread the seeds thinly and sprinkle them;
4. Cover the container with glass, you can put on a plastic bag or wrap it with cling film. Keep in a warm, dark place until shoots appear, ventilate regularly;
5. When sprouts appear, on days 5-7, we take them out into the light and open them slightly, giving access to fresh air;
6. Every week we feed the seedlings with a weak solution of any flower fertilizer. We periodically water the dried soil, but remember that viola is prone to black stem when overmoistened;
7. We carry out the picking with two true leaves, moving the seedlings into individual cups;
8. At the end of April, we harden the seedlings - we “walk” them on the street or balcony;
9. After hardening, you can send seedlings to the flowerbed at any time. Multi-colored “eyes” tolerate replanting well even when they are blooming. You can plant them in single bushes or at a distance of at least 30 cm from bush to bush.

Planting seeds in the ground

You can achieve abundant and long flowering in the spring in the second year by sowing seeds the previous summer: the plant will have time to accumulate enough strength for this. By the way, quite often viols are grown in both cases through seedlings, because then the risk that the seeds will dry out and not germinate is almost halved. However, if the soil in the flowerbed is loose, then you can safely sow it directly into open ground in June-July:

• make grooves of shallow depth (0.5 cm), spill and spread the seeds thinly. We crush the earth on top, compacting it slightly with the palm of our hand. Maintain a distance of 10 cm between the grooves;
• It is better to shade the bed so that the soil does not dry out (you can build some kind of canopy or simply stick branches with leaves nearby);
• After a couple of true leaves grow, we dive the seedlings, not forgetting to reduce the central root by a third. Planting flowers in a permanent place is carried out according to the 25x25cm pattern.

Remember that the plant should not bloom, so when the buds appear, they need to be cut off.

Seedling care

We figured out how and when to plant pansies, and now a few words about care. Viola is quite unpretentious, but will fully show its charm only under optimal conditions. For example, under the scorching sun a bush can burn, and in partial shade the flowers lose their brightness and become smaller. Before planting seedlings, it is advisable to fertilize the soil with compost and rotted manure at the rate of 5 kg per “square”. Please note the flower cannot tolerate fresh manure.

In the future, pansies, the care of which also consists of loosening the soil and watering, can be periodically fed. For example, before budding, water with water with nitroammophos dissolved in it (take a tablespoon of fertilizer into a bucket). Before flowering, add a tbsp to the bucket in the same way. spoon of superphosphate and water. We are not lazy to remove weeds so that they do not choke the plantings.

Viola is prone to cross-pollination, so unexpectedly you may suddenly become the only owner of a specimen with an unusual pattern or color. In this case, you can collect the seeds and sow them next year. You need to collect the seeds when the capsule turns white or yellow. It is important not to miss the moment before it opens and the seeds spill onto the ground. The plant is quite winter-hardy, but still overwinters better under a layer of spruce needles. You cannot cover the bushes with leaves or sawdust - with frequent thaws, they will simply get wet.