How to Care for Petunias in the Summer
Annual petunias bloom from summer into fall, up until the first frost. Depending on the variety of petunia, flower colors include red, purple, violet and striped petals. Petunias grow very well in hanging baskets and planters or when planted in flower beds. During the summer, petunias need extra care to grow and thrive in the hot summer sun. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Place 1 to 2 inches of mulch around the base of the petunias to keep moisture in and prevent weeds from growing around the plant. During the hot summer heat, this keeps the moisture in the soil so you don't have to water the plants every day.
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Water the petunias when the soil is slightly damp. Do not allow the soil to completely dry out. Although petunias are drought-tolerant after they are established, during hot summers they do need moist soil or the flowers and leaves will start to wilt. Water the soil 6 inches deep, which is about five minutes of watering around the base of one plant.
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Pinch off dead flowers to promote continued flowering. If the petunia becomes leggy during the summer, cut the stems back half of the length to promote bushiness and flowering, except if you have trailing petunias, which cannot be cut back during the growing season.
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Fertilize petunias using 5-10-5 NPK fertilizer once in July. Water the soil thoroughly before and after adding the fertilizer. The amount of fertilizer you use is determined by how many plants you have and the size of the area you have to fertilize. Generally you use 1-2 lbs. of fertilizer per every 100 square feet, depending on the composition.
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Move container plants to an area with partial shade after receiving six hours of direct sunlight when the summer temperatures are extremely hot. This will help prevent the plant soil from continuously drying out every day.
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References
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