How to Select and Care for Petunias

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By jseven
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Royal splendor!

T o select and care for Petunias is not a difficult task because they are so easy to care for and versatile. Petunias are annual flowers that can be planted just about anywhere as long they are watered well and get minimal shade. A little extra care and pruning will make these a full blooming flower that will turn the heads of anyone passing by to view their absolute beauty.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Water
Mulch
Fertilizer

Step 1

Petunia pouch

~~Select the Type of Petunia~~

You can choose from a few varieties and they are all colorful and a joy to behold. The wave petunia is very popular for hanging baskets, window boxes, ground cover or in pots anywhere. They grow up to 6 inches tall and spread vastly. The others are the, single petunias that have single flowers, the double petunia with double petal flowers, the tidal wave petunia that will grow into a very thick bunch of flowers up to 22 inches tall and the rambler petunia which grows up to 10 inches high and spreads well, also. You can mix and match these glorious flowers and have a wonderful time displaying them around your yard and home.
Step 2

Curb appeal!

~~Pick the Location and Time~~

You need to wait until all signs of frost are done to plant the petunias or put them outside as they do not tolerate freezing temperatures. They can be planted in the ground about 10 to 15 inches apart and look really nice in groups rather than a single flower.
You can also plant them around mailboxes, utility boxes, trees, along the curb and anywhere that needs color, these are the ones to bring it!
Hanging baskets and pots look great with a nice bunch of petunias planted closely together.
Wave petunias need a little more room though and do well as a ground cover planted about 1 ½ feet apart so they can spread nicely. They like full sun with minimal shade but can be in shade if they get at least 6 hours of sunlight.
Step 3

~~Care for Petunias~~

Petunias are not hard to maintain at all but there are some TLC tips that will help you to keep your lovely flowers looking full and pretty. Pick a day that is not too sunny and plant them in soil that is fertile, sandy and drains well. Add some organic mulch like wood chips, dried grass or some type of natural mulch and add some slow release, organic fertilizer to give them a good start.

Water them often because petunias have shallow roots and can dry out very quickly in high heat so they may need it twice a day. They will love you for some organic fertilizer diluted to half the strength, once a month sprayed on them or poured into the soil.
Step 4

~~Keep them Looking Good~~

If they start to get long, leggy stems and look scraggly, then the best approach is to cut each stem back about halfway, which will stop blooms for 3 to 4 weeks but they will bounce back nice!

Pinch back the main stems slightly when they are smaller, to force them to grow more side stems and bush out into a fuller looking bunch of flowers. Always pinch off the dead flowers to keep them looking good.

A delightful benefit of having petunias is that hummingbirds like this flower.
Step 5

~~Use Them for Decoration~~

Once the frost comes the petunia will die but you can bring it in and place it in a sunny spot where it will last about a month or put it under a flower light and keep it alive.

You can place petunia flowers in glass vases with water to create a lovely floating flower decoration for your table. The petals can also be dried for artistic creations and displayed proudly if you are a petunia lover like I am!

Comments

eesnana said

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on 7/30/2009 I love the Wave, especially in hanging baskets and railing containers. I deadhead all the time but didn't know I had to remove the green part and not just the dead bloom. No wonder the stems are so bare. Does anyone know what the tiny black specks are that are all over the leaves and stems? I thought they were bugs but I haven't seen them move.

Susang6 said

on 7/3/2009 I planted wave petunias this year and they are growing down an upper wall. I love petunias, as they are are a cheerful flower that is easy to grow. Non stop color show. Great article with beautiful photo's.