If you ever have planted petunias and they looked so good at first, then they looked so bad keep reading to see how to keep your petunias pretty all summer.
There are 5 simple steps to keep your petunias looking good:
Buy a good variety of petunias like Wave petunias or Supertunias. There are other good varieties, but I like these. I use Wave petunias for hanging baskets because they trail over the basket better than other varieties and I use Supertunias in flower beds because they are more upright and get about 6"-10" tall. If you have regular petunias planted already, don't worry, just follow the same steps. Regular petunias just require more maintenance, and in my opinion, the performance is nothing like a good variety's performance.
Plant in good soil. Whether you are planting petunias in the ground, basket, or pot use a well-draining soil. It's amazing how much better all plants do in good soil. As the saying goes, the garden is only as good as the soil.
Water correctly. Allow your petunias to dry out between waterings in the spring but when the summer hits, your baskets and pots may need water daily. Don't let the sit in water or get bone dry. If you have them planted in the ground, same rules apply, but you won't be watering them as much as the baskets in the summer because they won't dry out as fast from the wind and they in hold more moisture from the surrounding soil.
Deadhead and/or trim back your petunias. To keep petunias looking full and blooming, this step very important. As your petunias grow, it's important to remove any old spent blooms to include the seed pod attached to the flower (see picture). This makes the plant put more energy into the plant and new blooms. When your petunias start getting leggy or looking bare in the middle (see picture), it's time to trim them back. Just take some scissors and cut. I try not to cut more than a third of the stem (see video). In no time your petunias will fill out and look amazing again.
Feed them! This will make your petunias look their best all season and you will be amazed at the results. Petunias are heavy feeders. Apply a slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote, which can be reapplied every 3-6 months. As well, apply a liquid fertilizer every week or two.
And there you have it. Now you are a petunia pro and everyone will be asking how you did it.
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