How to Trim Petunias

Petunias are one of the most popular annuals, beloved by gardeners for their bright colors and everblooming habit. Petunias grow well in full or partial sun and are easy to care for. Trailing varieties look good in window boxes and hanging baskets. But as summer stretches on, petunias can grow thin and leggy. Trimming your petunias will encourage fuller growth and renewed blooms.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Scissors
• Fertilizer

1. Trim off two or three inches at the tip of each plant, plus any blossoms, when you transplant petunias in the spring. You can snip them with scissors or simply pinch them off with your fingers. Doing so will encourage the plant to produce even more blooms in the future.

2. Trim off spent blossoms periodically. Modern petunias will continue to bloom even if you don't perform this "dead heading," but removing the spent blossoms makes the plant look neater.

3. Pinch back petunias again midsummer. Trim back the top few inches. At the same time, cut off any dead or broken stems. Alternatively, you can just remove the growing tips of each branch, to encourage bushier growth.

4. Feed petunias after you trim them, to encourage rapid new growth. Use a general-purpose fertilizer intended for blooming flowers.

References

• Growing Annual Flowers
• Petunias
• How to Prune Petunias

Resources

• Questions on Petunias