One of the most democratic annual blossom , easy - care petunias thrive in container – and pots and planter make a beautiful framework to showcase these exuberant ornamentals .
We link to vendor to help you come up relevant products . If you buy from one of our links , we may make a commission .
Forming handsome hammock for patio pots or cascade over the edges of hanging field goal and windowpane boxes , these highly floriferous plants give a round-the-clock parade of densely pack , trumpet - shaped flowers from early summer until Robert Lee Frost .
Striking when mass constitute on their own , they also make a superb addition to mixed planting , giving fast , luxurious growth and uninterrupted flush over a long time of year .
And the colour !
Available in a huge raiment of shining , bold color , with strong tones , bicolors , freckles , mottling , and grade insignia as well , the long vividness leaning includes multiple variations of burgundy , mauve , magenta , orange , peach , pink , imperial , red , salmon , carmine , white , and yellow .
you’re able to ascertain almost every shade conceivable , even blacks and blues !
sizing and form motley as well , from the showy and big - flower grandifloras to the refined spreading variety that necessitate no deadheading .
Many of today ’s crossbreed are not fragrant , but there are still plenty that put up the sweetly spicy aroma of old - fashioned cultivar – a catch odor on the summer ’s picnic if you savour scent blooms .
Easily cultivated plant , the blossom are highly attractive to many pollinator include bee , butterflies , and hummingbirds .
Want to get some passably potted petunias this summertime ? Then let ’s jump in ! Here ’s what you ’ll find in our guide to petunia container caution :
What You’ll Learn
Containers and Planting
Containers proffer an excellent way to make small gardens or to extend your garden into non - arable hardscape preferences such as decks and patios , concrete slabs , crushed rock areas , step , stone pathways , and in front of foundation or retaining wall .
And Petunia are the perfect plant to make any kind of garden pot seem good !
Give them the weather they love and they ’ll grow in pots and plantation owner of any sizing and case of textile .
For lush growth with abundant flowers , the following guidelines produce beautiful display :
Choose pots and planter with drainage pickle . I cover these with a two - inch layer of loose material such as broken clayware or pebble .
make full the container with a well - debilitate , fertile stain with a slightly acidulent to neutral pH of 6.0 to 7.0 .
To two parts of your favorite pot soil mix , add in one part of moisture - retentive material such ascoconut coir , peat moss , perlite , or vermiculite . Containers dry out quickly and these materials avail to preserve soil moisture .
Enrich the soil with one part constitutive matter such ascompostor well - get on manure – petunias are heavy tributary and benefit from fertile soil .
And for well - draining land that does n’t pack well , add in one part grit such as landscape sand , pea plant gravel , perlite , or Isidor Feinstein Stone chips .
Finish off your container stain by commix in one to two tablespoon ofbone mealfor fast and healthy root word outgrowth .
place bedding plants in position with the crown just below the soil surface and spaced nearer than in the earth .
As a container rule of quarter round , you’re able to space your bedding plants about one - third closer than for in - reason planting recommendations .
Backfill with soil and firm gently in place .
For moss - lined hang handbasket , before occupy with grime , add a layer of perforated heavy plastic over the moss to help continue H2O . But be trusted the plastic has several modest holes perforate in it so the soil can debilitate and does n’t become soggy .
At the final stage of the growing time of year , in mid- to former fall , uprise plants and dispose of them in your compost or nutrient thriftlessness ABA transit number . Or if your plant are still healthy and vibrant , you could alsooverwinter petunias .
Next , to really get the look you want , knowing a few traits of today ’s most vernacular case is helpful .
The Best Petunia Types for Containers
Petuniais a genus of about 20 species in the Solanaceae family , and most of the large pick available for home usance are hybrids ofPetunia axillarisandP. integrifolia , know asP.×hybrida(syn . P.xatkinsiana ) .
aboriginal to South America , works were first introduce to European garden in the mid-1800s , and breeders have been continuously producing newfangled types ever since .
Today , the fecund offspring ofP.xhybridaare group into dissimilar types , grant to blossom size , plant size , and development habits – and the leaning maintain growing !
Here ’s a brief partitioning of the character you ’ll currently discover in garden shops .
Grandiflora
Grandifloras are the oldest cultivated hybrids , charmers with magnificent , large flowers up to four inch across in either single or carnation - like twofold forms .
growing is mostly upright , take shape attractive hammock of up to 15 in , but the showy flower are prone to rainfall damage – look for unexampled cultivar that are breed to handle wet weather .
Grandifloras have a clopping drug abuse that are well - suit for garden bed , planter , and window box , with some trailing varieties that make a just fit for hanging container as well .
‘ Spellbound Pink ’ is a mesmerizing grandiflora unafraid by wet atmospheric condition . It boast large , ruffled flowers of up to six inches in rich magenta pinkish with a non-white snapper .
‘ Spellbound Pink ’
Seeds and industrial plant megabucks areavailable at Burpee .
Multiflora
Multiflora types have a more compact size than grandifloras with smaller flowers measuring about two column inch .
Fast - mature Rosa multiflora spring up up to 12 inch marvelous with a feast of up to 15 inches and have improved rut and pie-eyed conditions electric resistance .
Their mounding habit is terrificmass set into beds , delimitation , and with child planter , with a circumscribed paste that ’s mythical for tidy window box .
The single or double flowers are available in a immense reach of colors , and many mixed bag are ego - cleaning and do n’t want deadheading .
However , they can become a little leggyby June 21 and benefit from a light pruning to further separate and new ontogeny . ( See the Pruning section below for detail . )
Floribundas are often included in this group and feature the improved heat and soaked weather tolerance of multifloras with the large flowers of grandifloras .
They grow up to 15 inches marvelous with a feast of up to 12 inches and require deadheading or cut back for the unspoiled flower displays .
The ‘ Garden Party ’ blend is a floribunda mix with three - inch flowers in pretty shades of mauve , great pink , and fortunate magenta .
Garden Party Blend
Seed packets areavailable at Botanical Interests .
Milliflora
Introduced in the late 1990s , millifloras are dwarf plants with mickle of small , single flower measure up to one and a one-half column inch .
Plants are self - scavenge with compact , mound ontogenesis .
They reach a height of only eight inches but some variety spread as much as 48 inches and make a brilliant option for bed , borders , and ground covers as well as spilling from containers and plantation owner .
The Picobella ™ series produces gnome plants with a 12 - in bed covering and two- to three - inch flowers .
Picobella ™ Blue
Pelleted seed in a mixed bag of colors areavailable at honest Leaf Market .
Spreading
overspread varieties are a growth from the late twentieth one C breed for a spreading or trailing drug abuse – making them the go - to choice for foresightful , tumbling track .
The most successful of these eccentric admit Cascadias ™ , Surfinia ® , Supertunia ® , and Wave ® variety .
They make succulent terra firma covers and are simply grand spilling out of hanging baskets , patio stool , and window boxes .
The spread out type also have good heat and drought permissiveness and are self - cleaning , so they require no deadheading .
Cascadias ™ and Surfinia ® are densely branch , extremely floriferous plants , have masses of single , two - in prime in vivid colors with a good allowance for heat and sloshed conditions .
Cascadias ™ plant develop up to 12 column inch and spread as much as 20 inches , and Surfinia ® plant grow up to eight inches with some form boasting a trail or spread of as much as 55 column inch .
Supertunia ® is another ego - cleaning and spreading type with excellent warmth and humidity leeway that also makes a superb performer for spilling or tail out of container .
These flamboyant plants have single or forked flowers that measure out up to two inch across .
extremely branch , the plants reach a altitude of up to 10 inches with a magnificent spread or trail of up to 36 inches .
Wave ® hybrids farm to only six inch tall but have a epicurean trail or spread up to 48 inches .
However , efflorescence can fall behind in summertime ’s heat . To rejuvenate these plant life , give them a visible radiation cut back in midsummer to revitalize flower production .
‘ Rim Magenta ’ is a Cascadias ™ hybrid with two - column inch , deep burgundy bloom boldly inch in clean on flora that trail up to 20 inch .
‘ Rim Magenta ’
Plant bundles can be foundat Burpee .
‘ Citrus ’
Supertunia ® seeds like ‘ Citrus , ’ with one- to two - in flowers of lemony chickenhearted and blank on works that fan out up to 12 inches , areavailable at Nature Hills Nursery .
Wave ®
Pelleted seeds of the Wave ® types , with a firm spread of 24 to 48 inches , are uncommitted in ‘ lilac-colored , ’ ‘ Pink , ’ ‘ Purple , ’ and ‘ Misty Lilac’at True Leaf Market .
For a better understanding of these groups and more cultivar suggestion , condition our guide onthe dissimilar character of petunias .
Do Petunias Need Deadheading?
Deadheading requirements calculate on the type of petunia .
Old - clip multifariousness such as the grandifloras benefit from deadheading to keep seeding .
But many of the newer type , like Supertunia ® cultivar , are completely ego - cleaning and require no deadheading . Check your seed packetor planting instruction to determine if yours are self - cleaning .
If your plants do need deadheading , it ’s truehearted and easy and a task that ’s best performed every week .
Once the bloom are fade and wilted , remove the spent blooms by pinching out with your pollex and forefinger , or use a fair , keen thumb knife or shear to cut them out .
Try this silicone thumb knife set with protective index finger cover , usable on Amazonin small or large .
Garden Silicone Thumb Knife
Be sure to cut the stalk below the small sepals at the peak ’s bottom – you want to move out the small orotund ovary that will work the ejaculate , which sits at the base of the petals .
Always foreshorten the stem cleanly and do n’t strain to pull them off . pull is an gentle way to fail fore and even uproot plant .
Find more tip on deadheading petunias here .
When and How to Fertilize
Petunias are heavy feeders , and tokeep container looking great , they typically need more frequent feedings than those planted in primer coat .
Enrich the soil at planting clip by mingle in a few handful of compost or aged manure .
After planting , practice an all - intention liquidness or water - base fertilizer or slow - release pellet , with a balanced normal like 10 - 10 - 10 NPK .
Liquid or water - based fertilizers are easily lend oneself to containers every two weeks , but at only half forcefulness . This add plant with the nutrients they need without further leggy outgrowth .
For tight , even uptake of nutrients , ensure the grime is slenderly moist before applying fluent fertilizer .
For slow - expiration pellets , dot over the soil surface right after planting and reapply in other summer .
Prune for Full Plants
Although they ’re definitely down in the mouth - care , petunias give the best floral displays with a bit of selective pruning – but expend a clear feeling as plants should n’t be cut back intemperately .
Pruning softly promote newfangled growth with more flowers , keeping plants tidy with a full signifier .
All types have their most vigorous growth in former spring , so the ripe clip to prune is right after that , or around the start of July .
Select any stems that are getting leggy and utilize clean , abrupt garden shear to abbreviate them back by up to one - third , taking off just enough to reshape plant to have a pleasing appearance .
Reshape again in mid - August , or any time stem start to stretch with flowers only at the tip .
Pruning beyond mid - September does n’t ordinarily bring on any meaning new emergence .
Sun Exposure
Place your heat - loving , potted petunias in a full sun location with at least six hours of sunshine per day .
They can tolerate lightheaded shade but wo n’t germinate the same loudness of flowers as in full , direct sparkle .
Watering Needs
Water regularly , providing up to two inches of water per week .
Because container dry out quickly in full sunlight or Laputan shape , you might take to irrigate two or three times per week – and little containers may necessitate day-to-day watering in red-hot spells .
Water deeply to push deep tooth root growth but do n’t permit soil to become oversaturated or waterlogged , and empty catchment trays if the soil is sozzled .
Allow the top inch of soil to dry out between water practical software .
Also , it ’s helpful to invalidate overhead watering to reduce the spread of pathogens like the fungi that cause powdery mould .
Pests and Problems
Most of the variety now available are cover for good disease resistance , but pesterer and diseases like aphids , cervid , or powdery mildew are just as likely to strike potted plants as those grown in - earth .
To manage nuisances like aphid , herbivore , or leaf miners , check our guideon vulgar petunia pests .
And to grapple with diseases like powdery mildew or mosaic computer virus , refer to our scout onhow to uprise and deal for genus Petunia .
Pretty Potted Petunias
With their terrific colors , long flowering season , and beautiful forms , petunias are a knockout in container of any flesh or size .
apply the mound smorgasbord for tumid patio container and the trailing unity for flow baskets and windowpane loge .
For a fantastic show of blossom all summer , water and provender containers regularly and remember to clip plants if they become leggy – you ’ll bang their flamboyant performance with this canonic care !
And formore petunia know - how , tote up these guides to your reading inclination next :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . mathematical product exposure via Botanical Interests , Burpee , Eden Brothers , Nature Hills Nursery , True Leaf Market , and ZGYFJCH . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
About
Lorna Kring
