How to Plant Hanging Baskets With Petunias
Petunias are known for their flowers and ease of care. They grow in both annual and perennial varieties, with flowers available in almost every shade. The spreading grandifloras are well-suited for planting in baskets, with cascading stems covered in colorful flowers. All petunias require plenty of water and sunlight to flourish and produce abundant blooms. Petunia seeds should be planted after the danger of frost is past. With the right conditions, petunias will reward you with many flowers from spring until the first frost. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Potting mix
- Trowel
- Hanging basket with drainage holes
- Petunia seeds
- Plastic wrap
- Fluorescent light
- Heating pad
- Fertilizer
Instructions
-
-
1
Dampen the potting mix with water. Fill the hanging basket with the damp potting mix using a trowel.
-
2
Sprinkle petunia seeds on the surface of the soil and press them down lightly with your fingers. Petunias seeds need light to germinate, so do not cover them with soil.
-
-
3
Cover the hanging basket with plastic wrap to help hold in moisture.
-
4
Put the hanging basket in a warm place, 70 to 85 degrees, where it will receive light but not direct sunlight. The hanging basket also can be placed on a heating pad, on low setting, below a fluorescent light.
-
5
Watch for seedlings to emerge in a week to 14 days. Remove the plastic wrap as soon as seedlings are visible.
-
6
Move the basket to a cooler spot, about 65 degrees, or move it off the heating pad, after seedlings are visible. Let the seedlings continue to grow under fluorescent lights or natural light.
-
7
Water the seedlings only when the potting soil has become dry to the touch, and fertilize the seedlings every two weeks with a diluted fertilizer solution. Check with the package directions for the correct dilution ratio.
-
8
Set the hanging basket outdoors, in a sheltered area, when the seedlings have three true leaves. Bring it indoors at night if the weather is below 55 degrees. Continue this for several days to "harden off" the seedlings.
-
9
Thin seedlings out to 12 inches apart by removing smaller, weaker seedlings.
-
10
Hang the basket in its permanent location--one with plenty of direct sunlight.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
The more light the petunia seeds receive, the faster they will germinate. They should receive 16 hours of light per day. If starting the seeds under fluorescent lights, try to keep the lights about 4 to 6 inches above the top of the basket. Raise the lights as the seedlings sprout, keeping 4- to 6-inch pacing between the lights and the plants.
