Petunia×hybrida
If you book a flower popularity contest , petunias would certainly come away with a prize .
Beloved for their masses of colourful blooms and their loose - care nature , these plants are South American natives that have definitely find a home in North America .
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Gardeners appreciate the petunia ’s multi - hued utility . It ’s endearing as a specimen plant , in mass bedding planting , or particularly in containers , with bloom - laden stanch trailing over the sides of pots .
With single or forked trump - shaped blooms in pinkish , royal , scarlet , yellow , or ashen , this flower is often call upon to add vibrancy to the garden from spring until pin .
If their heat tolerance , or long blooming time of year sound good to you , maybe it ’s time to start develop your own vividness - popping petunias .
We ’ll cover the steps and strategies that will avail to make the growing outgrowth go smoothly for you – and help your petunias stay sizeable and continue to bloom all season long .
Here ’s the batting order :
What You’ll Learn
Cultivation and History
Part ofthe Solanaceae family , which includestomatoesandtomatillos , petunias are separate into several groups that include grandiflora , multiflora , milliflora , floribunda , and ground cover types .
Learn more about the distinctions between these types here .
There are 35 know coinage of petunia , and virtually all of the ones you might grow as a habitation nurseryman are hybrid . The flamboyant bloomers are native to South America .
In the early 1500s , when Spanish IE found the low - growing white - flowered eccentric in South America , they did n’t find it all that appealing , and so move about their merry way after diagnose it “ Petun , ” approximately translate to “ worthless tobacco works . ”
The flower made its move from the rainforest surround to the garden bed after the French brought a sampling of the vine to Spain in 1823 .
In 1831 , Scottish explorer John Tweedie rule another variety , now jazz asP. violacea , and took some of thepurple - flowered specimensback with him to the Glasgow Botanical Gardens .
From there , works breeders from England , the US , Germany , and Japan have been on a seeking to develop Modern and better hybrids in novel colour and various bloom sizes . By 1934 , Nipponese breeders had succeeded in developing varieties with double flush .
Wave petunias are a more late introduction . In 1995 , the Ball Seed Company introduce its Wave serial of cultivars , and these are among the most popular varieties usable today . The company has since broadened its line to admit Tidal Wave , Double Wave , Easy Wave , and Shock Wave cultivars .
Already have a favorite case ? Or do you just want to learn more about these popular bedding and basket plants ? have ’s plunk aright in to explore the practiced ways to grow and care for petunias .
Propagation
It ’s a thoughtfulMother ’s Daytradition to purchase a mostly - grow petunia plant that ’s already blooming riotously and award it as a gift .
The fully - grown plants are also a solid option for occupy containers for the summer patio , or even establish in a bare temporary hookup of garden .
But if you ’d like to grow and manage for the plants from an early point , that ’s also gratify and can cost less than buying the pre - planted annual baskets .
Here are the top ways to circularize petunias :
Start Seeds Indoors
Like thewax begonia , petunias can be tricky to raise from seed . The seeds are tiny and have quite specific propagation requirements .
And this process take a while , so be sure to corroborate that you ’ll have enough time . Start eight to 10 week onward of your area ’s median last icing to assure spring blooms .
Prepare a shallow container of pre - moistened seed - starting mix , or several belittled great deal if you plan to keep the petunias in these container for the rest of the growing season . Each should have drainage trap and a tray to catch excess piddle .
You ’ll basically just press the seed into the top of the mix , spacing them about an inch apart and scattering 1/8 inch of seed start out mix over the top .
Water the container soundly and allow them to drain , throw out any surplus water . Then cover the top of the container with plain honest-to-god plastic wrapping , and place it in a cheery windowsill .
Look for sprout in seven to 10 twenty-four hour period , and be certain to remove the charge card and put those seedlings beneath a stronggrow lightor on a sunny windowsill immediately .
If you ’ve used a shallow tray , transplant the individual seedling into their own small containers with good drain once they ’ve grown a set of true leaves . slim the seedlings harmonize to the spatial arrangement recommend onyour ejaculate mail boat .
Keep them moist until you ’re ready to plant them out of doors , but never take into account the filth to become waterlogged . The dependable temperature for indoor care is around 75 ° F .
Sow Seeds Outdoors
Direct - sowing seeds in a garden seam , outdoor container , or in the ground only works in the fond weather inUSDA Hardiness Zones9 to 11 , where you could grow petunias as perennial .
Otherwise , it drive too long for the weather to be warm enough for seeds to germinate while still set aside the 10 to 16 calendar week of warm weather they need to grow large enough to bloom .
If you are in one of these warmer expanse , verify to naturalize the soil down to at least six column inch ahead of planting .
When you ’re sowing into a container , ensure you use a growing medium excogitate for container flush . average garden soil wo n’t drain well or provide enough nutrient for these plants .
Other than that , proceed the same manner you would if you were commence the seeds indoors . Just be indisputable to keep the soil and the seedlings evenly moist without allowing the dirt to become too sloppy .
Find more tips on grow from germ here .
Root Cuttings
To be both sparing and creative , why not propagate some petunia from cuttings ? This approach offers the vantage of new plant that reckon ( and flower ) like the parent plant life you may see before your very oculus .
So if you screw someone with a petunia you admire or have one growing yourself , you could move to disseminate dead ringer from cuttings by filling a two- or three - inch - broad container with about two inches of the pre - moistened seed - pop out medium .
Many containers will work well here , including old yogurt cups and peat pots . Just verify the locoweed has drainage hole at the bottom , or be after to hack some if you need to .
Cut a six - inch - long radical from a salubrious , stocky plant .
With your fingers , gently withdraw the leafage from the low half of the stalk , starting from the end that you have turn out , opposite the terminal end .
Jab the cutting edge about half an inch into the soil , and put the container somewhere warm that receive at least six hours of sun each day . The kitchen windowsill is ordinarily a suitable spot .
Keep the soil moist but not soggy throughout the rooting unconscious process . Generally , roots will start forming in about 10 day , maybe sooner .
Let the cuttings become established indoors for about six hebdomad , or until they ’ve set off bring out new growth , before transplanting outside .
Transplanting Seedlings and Nursery Starts
You ’ll desire to wait until the soil is at least 60 ° F and all danger of hoarfrost has passed before you transplant seedling or baby’s room starts outdoors .
It ’s authoritative to harden off the young plant before expose them to the wind , increased sunlight , and cooler temperature outdoors . baby’s room - grow flora should n’t need harden off .
commit the container in an area sheltered by a wall or insensate frame for an hour on the first day , and increase the duration drop outdoors by an hour or two for a few day , until they can spend a full daylight outside .
Move the containers gradually into full Sunday in their final fix .
To organ transplant , work the soil down at least six column inch and amend it with constituent matter like mushroom cloud compost .
Plant each seedling or glasshouse start in a hole the same sizing as its container , constitute certain the top of the root ball is even with the soil airfoil . Backfill around the roots and tamp the grease with your palm tree , firming it gently .
check that to irrigate as presently as you ’ve transplanted , and keep the grime systematically moist until the plants have adjust to their new home .
Many gardener like the optical effect of planting seedlings in groups of three , particularly when you ’re growing them in larger containers or window boxes .
In garden borders , you’re able to give up just four to six inches of blank space between miliflora case ; multfloras and grandifloras will need to be planted 12 in aside if you ’re growing them in full sunshine – in shadier locations you’re able to allow just six to eight in .
allow for ground cover type 12 to 18 inch of blank between plant life to give them elbow room to spread .
You ’ll discover more info on fecundate flora below . But keep this tip in mind :
For genus Petunia grown inhanging basketsor other types of container , it save clock time and effort to tote up a teaspoon of clip - release farinaceous fertilizer to each hole ahead of placing your transplant .
That means , you do n’t have to continually bring them down to your level to add applications of fluid fertilizer .
How to Grow
If you ’re purchase petunias as bedding plants , be sure to bring home healthy stock from the nursery or home store .
Look for start with stocky , strong stems that branch laterally , instead of just growing flat up on a single stalk .
While the best works will display an abundance of buds , you do n’t desire to purchase starts that are already in full bloom . If you do , they may have difficulty adjusting to transplant , or they may finish bloom way too before long .
Do n’t buy bedding plants that have yellow leave-taking or holes , or spot left behind by bugs . And be sure to look into the drain gob to check that the roots are bright white , not brownish or slimy .
Give them a sniff , to make certain you do n’t detect that unmistakable olfactory sensation of root rot .
To encourage petunias to bloom profusely , posit them in an area that gets at least six hour of Sunday each day . They can blossom in indirect light , but they ’ll never become the show - finish bloomers you ’re looking for if they are n’t maturate in full sun .
They do just fine in any type of well - draining grunge , but their preferred pH is 6.0 to 7.0 , or slightly acid to neutral .
Throughout former natural spring , be extra attentive to the scourge of a tardy frost , and shroud the plants with frost cloth ahead of time to protect them . Be sure to hit any program with the return of warm weather .
Petunias will benefit when you squeeze the top inch or so of the stalks back while the plants are still four or five inch tall , and not yet blooming . This will encourage each seedling to arm instead of getting leggy .
Once they ’ve gotten established , you may move into alimony modality . Read more about ongoing care for petunia plants in the next section .
Growing Tips
Maintenance and Pruning
Once petunias are established , it ’s comparatively bare to keep them growing and efflorescence . These are the most important sustenance tasks :
Watering
These plants necessitate at least an inch or two of pee every seven to 10 days . If the rain does n’t provide it , you should . Be careful to water at the soil line , not from overhead .
It ’s important to water deeply . If you water often , supply just a piffling , you ’ll promote the origin to become shallow .
That cause it hard for the plants to take up enough water system to hold out , and it also requires you to irrigate far more often than you would otherwise .
When you ’re growing container varieties , you may need to irrigate every day during the hot summertime , especially if you chose a clay pot , which wo n’t retain much wet to speak of .
Make certain you ’re give the plants ample piss each meter you hydrate , pouring it on until you see it draining out of the holes in the bottom of the container .
The finite amounts of soil in a container ca n’t hold as much pee as the ground , but you still do n’t require it to get too soggy either .
Fertilizing
To stay healthy during that months - long blooming marathon , petunias demand a superman of diluted fluid plant food , provide once every month or so while they ’re flowering . Select a balanced product ( 10 - 10 - 10 NPK ) .
you could apply this with the water you use to hydrate the soil , or as a foliar atomiser , following the producer ’s command .
Deadheading
It ’s not necessary to snip or pinch beat flowers from petunias with smaller or unmarried blooms , and you ’ll in all likelihood want to skip all the deflection and grovel if you ’ve planted them in a low garden bottom or as priming coat cover .
But you may need todeadhead drop bloomsregularly in containers and pay heed baskets that are situated near live spaces . This will keep the plants tidier and looking more attractive , along with encouraging more blooms .
The varieties with large or twofold blooms are also far too glamorous to be sporting dead blossoms , so be sure to prune them off whenever you intend of it . They make fine additions to thecomposttoo , by the way .
Pruning
Even if you do pinch back small plants as described above , petunias will tend to get leggyand stop form as many efflorescence as the summertime wears on .
At this point , you ’ll want to do the standard pruning , clipping the shoots back by about a third of their height , or almost all the way down to the background if it ’s needed .
Do n’t go too far , though . The plant that ’s go away will still necessitate some of its leaf to photosynthesize so it can grow back .
There ’s no item in pruning with just a duo workweek leave before the first hoar . But if you make these undercut in late summertime , your petunias may produce an intact 2nd unit of ammunition of healthy stalk and beautiful flower .
Cultivars to Select
There are so many playfulness , coloured , long - bally , easy - to - care for type of petunia that you could grow them for 10 without ever planting the same one double .
Here ’s a sample distribution of what ’s usable , to get you set about :
Grandiflora Daddy Series
This popular collection of cultivars produces 12- to 15 - inch plants with four - in ruffled efflorescence in a variety of semblance with an attractive veined pattern .
Daddy Series Blue
Pelleted seed is so much sluttish to embed than the bantam individual seeds , andTrue Leaf Markethas packets of 1,000 pelleted ejaculate available in downhearted ( which is more of a purple than a true blue sky ) , orchid , pink and snowy ‘ peppermint candy , ’ multicolored ‘ Sugar , ’ pinkish , crimson , or a mix of several color .
Spellbound Blush
Fancy ! If you desire a bodacious , over - the - top petunia in good order from the starting signal , here you go . Spellbound ‘ Blush ’ boast four- to six - in efflorescence that are white / blush and frilly on the border , with painterly , dark purple center .
This hybrid cultivar remain firm tall without sag and is known to tolerate rain on its blooms without a problem .
Spellbound ‘ Blush ’
And if you ’re torn between growing starts or trying your hand at sow seed indoors , Spellbound ‘ Blush ’ is available in both 15 - seed packets and four - packs of live plantsfrom Burpee .
Balcony Mix
If you ’d like to establish your own Mother ’s Day hanging basket , a group of mounding petunias to cover a au naturel spot , or some pots of petunias for the terrace , Balcony Mix offers an array of colors including live pink , purple , and ashen .
you may discover packets of seedsavailable from Eden Brothers .
Managing Pests and Disease
The most difficult aspects of growing petunia are develop them established and keeping them irrigate , while pests and diseases rarely present problems .
Here are the most likely culprits if you do notice damaged or under the weather plants :
Herbivores
These cosmetic plants are considered a airiness by numerous forest fauna . Rabbits will snack on the foliage and flowers and so will deer , as well as mice and other rodents .
Placingrow coversover the get-go at planting time may help to protect them , as will retrace roadblock or fences aimed at dissuade whichever pest are prevalent in your area .
Gardeners also describe success plant all form except for ground cover type in elevated placement where rabbit , vole , and the like wo n’t have access to them .
For more info on protecting your bedding plants and blooms fromrabbits , see our guide . We also offerstep - by - step instructions for build up a cervid fencing .
Insects
Just a few plebeian garden bug might cause a slight trouble , but unremarkably nothing devastating .
Tomato hornworms , xanthous wooly bears , and other types of caterpillars may adjudicate to make a meal of your genus Petunia .
Usually , if you notice them , you may simply pick them off and dispose of them without involving any chemical substance .
Some cat that might strike are solitary , so it ’s not like they ’re doing too much terms on their own . Others are the pupae of beautiful butterflies so you might require to leave them alone .
It ’s up to you , but you may want to forego wipe out just a few Caterpillar if they ’re not doing much harm .
Control a more far-flung infestation with neem oil , such as this product from Garden Safe that’savailable via Amazon .
Garden Safe Neem Oil
Mixed at home with just one ounce per gallon of water , this 16 - apothecaries' ounce concentrated product will give in 16 gallons of discussion .
Liquid Bt can also be used to control cat . If you spot them munching leaves and leaving black dots of frass scattered around , mix upa solvent ofBacillus thuringiensisand H2O in a spray bottleful grant to package direction , shake , and spray onto the plants .
A few other bugs can present problem . While serious infestations are n’t common , you ’ll require to keep an eye out foraphids , leafage miner , andthrips .
We have the details on identifying , deterring , and foreclose each of these insects in ourcomplete petunia pest control condition guide .
Diseases
Petunias commonly rise by nursing home nurseryman are by and large hybrid that have been bred to be disease insubordinate .
you’re able to further discourage disease by eliminating the insects that spread infectious pathogen – especially aphids – and allow for sizeable air circulation .
Still , you may chance a few ill , specially if you ’re growing in ultra - humid conditions or have n’t afford the industrial plant enough outer space .
Here are the primary diseases you may involve to take on :
This odd complaint causes abnormal ontogeny that resemble little green flowers break open out of the genus Petunia efflorescence . The disease may be induce by a number of phytoplasmas , which are pathogens similar to bacterium .
To dissuade this disease , take tending of leafhoppers in the garden , which are the independent carriers . For more info , check outour guide to identifying and treat aster yellows .
A fungus or water moulding is at fracture if your young plant succumb to dampen off . Rhizoctonia , Fusarium , orPythiumspecies will attack youthful seedlings at the root word , and the harm is always deadly .
larn more about damping off and find out prevention tips in our guide .
The fungusErysiphe cichoracearumcreates powdery mildew , which makes the plant look as if white flour has been sprinkled on the leaves .
Powdery mildew is most vulgar when you grow petunias in dry , warm climates .
turn back it before it take up with tips from our guide .
No , that ’s not a typo . This disease that afflicts white turnip and other vegetables can also come to and vote out petunias , especially vernal bedding works purchased from glasshouse .
It get yellowed spotlight on the leaf or maybe big , light greenish splotches . This virus is spread by aphids , so controlling them as part of yourintegrated plague direction strategyis key to preventing contagion .
Find more details aboutdetecting and preventing turnip mosaic computer virus in our guidebook .
Best Uses
You will execute out of outer space and budget long before you eat all the useable direction to hire petunias to your reward !
The only caveat is this :
Remember they need full sun to be at their healthy , blooming best .
If you may meet that status , they ’ll add eye - popping colour to hanging baskets , container garden , and window box .
Try pairing the varieties that bloom in blue or purplish with silvery leafage likedusty miller , or cascadingornamental Gunter Grass .
In the garden , the short versions with smaller blooms are appealing in the front of a border . terra firma natural covering varieties can take up a stark spot on a hill , beneath abird bath , or around a mature hardwood tree in a hastiness – if they can get enough Dominicus , that is .
They even put up a service in thevegetable garden , growing well with fellow member of the nightshade folk andbrassicas , and attracting pollinators for all nearby plants that might benefit .
Or try these unfermented , bright hybrids in acottage garden blueprint , or as a colourful CRT screen in areas where springtime bulbs have bloomed and then evanesce .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Colors Pop All Summer with Petunias
No matter where you implant them or which variety you select , genus Petunia add blooming color to your outdoor space bulge out in leaping and continuing until the first frost .
Do you have any favorite eccentric of this popular ornamental , or clever way to use them in your garden design ?
For more information on this versatile , long - blooming annual ( or perennial ! ) , determine out thesepetunia guidesnext :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more inside information . Originally release November 23rd , 2017 . Last updated March 26th , 2023 . revise and expanded from an original article by Gretchen Heber . ware pic via Burpee , Garden Safe , and True Leaf Market . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
About
Rose Kennedy
