Xela's Garden

Petunia

Genus: Petunia.

Species: Petunia surfinia.

Seed sown ?.02.09 dwarf surphina
Bought ? at Wilko for 39p a pkt of approx 800
Planted 05.08 hanging baskets F1 Dusk to Dawn
04.09 wall and hanging baskets
Bought '08 Wilkinsons punnet of 24 £2.99 …. Buy one get one free
03.09 Wilkinsons tray of 24 £3 .... 2 trays for £5

A stunning free-flowering plant with a particular benefit n container schemes. Shades of pink, red, purple and white.

Remove dead flowers and water regularly to encourage new growth.

Position: full sun

Height 25 - 30cm
Spread: 25 - 30cm

For best results transplant plugs immediately into chosen container using multi-purpose compost.Plugs will benefit from early transplanting
Should transplanting be delayed open top of container and place in a light position avoiding direct sunlight.
Do not allow to dry out. .Add the gel supplied in the punnet to the compost to assist water retention.
The plants will require a warm windowsill with good natural light for growing on.

Established plants can be placed outside when all risk of frost has passed.on

Latin Name: Petunia

Common Name: Petunia

USDA Zone: Although some species of petunia are tropical perennials, today’s hybrids are usually grown as annuals.

Exposure: Full Sun / Partial Shade

Bloom Period: Repeat blooms throughout the summer. Some varieties will require frequent deadheading and some pruning back to continue setting flower buds. Extreme heat can cause petunia plants to stop setting flowers until the temperature drops.

Description: Petunias are annual flowering plants, native to Argentina. Within the petunia family is great variety: single and double blooms, ruffled or smooth petals, striped, veined or solid colors, mounding and cascading habits and even some fragrance. Most of the petunias sold today are hybrids, developed for specific design purposes.

The 2 oldest types of petunias are grandifloras and multifloras. Both are somewhat mounding. Grandiflora has larger flowers, but Multiflora holds up better in the rain.

Spreading type petunias, which include The ‘Wave’, ‘Supertunia’, ‘Cascadia’ and ‘Surfinia’ series are some of the most popular petunias because most don’t need deadheading and they can be used as bedding plants, groundcovers or trailing in containers.

‘Calibrachoa’ or ‘Million Bells’ look like tiny petunias, but they are actually an entirely different species.

Trying to categorize petunias by looking at them is difficult, but it’s hard to go wrong with the varieties currently being sold. Hopefully your petunias will be labeled. Look for the traits you must value: flower size, flower abundance, no deadheading required... You should be able to find a suitable petunia in what ever color you choose. Here are examples of each of the types listed above.

Growing Notes: Petunias do best in full sun, but can handle partial shade, especially in hotter areas. They are very slow to grow from seed. If starting from seed, begin at least 10 to 12 weeks before planting out date. Petunia seed needs light to germinate, so don’t cover the seed. Sprinkle it on top of the soil and pat lightly, for good contact. They also prefer warmer temperatures for germination. Start the seeds on heating pads or on top of your refrigerator. Once the see has germinated, move them from the warm area and let them grow on in the cooler temperatures.

Although petunias like cool weather, they are not frost tolerant. Wait until all danger of frost is past before planting your petunias outdoors.

When planting, pinch the seedling back to encourage more branching and a fuller plant. How far back to pinch depends on the plant. If it is a short, stocky seeding, just pinch and inch or less. If the seedling has gotten gangly, you can pinch back by half.

Petunias will tolerate a range of soil pH. They don’t like to be dry for long periods, but they also don’t like wet feet.

Maintenance: Older varieties of petunias require diligent deadheading or they will stop blooming. This is not always a pleasant task, since the foliage is sticky and blossoms that have been rained on turn to slimy mush.

Even the newer varieties that say they don’t require deadheading will benefit from a pinching or shearing mid-season. When the branches start to get long and you can see where all the previous flowers were along the stem, it’s time to cut them back and refresh the plant.

Monthly feeding or foliage feeding will give your petunias the energy to stay in bloom. But be judicious with water and make sure the soil is well drained. Too much water will cause the plants to become ‘leggy’, with lots of stem and few flowers.

Problems: Petunias are usually carefree growers although they can get pummeled by rain.

* Gray Mold and Soft Rot - Usually occurs in rainy climates. Choose weather resistant varieties.

* Aphids - Hose off with a strong blast of water.

* Budworm caterpillar - Small green caterpillars that attack late June and July and feed on the flower buds. Often you won’t see the actual caterpillar, but you may notice small black dropping and small holes in the leaves and buds. They’ll disappear in July, but you could use Bt on them, if it’s a real problem.

# Design Suggestions: Because of their profuse blooms, petunias are excellent in hanging baskets, either alone or as a trailing plant in a mixed planting. They are low growing and need to be planted in large groupings, to make a splash in the garden. But containers of petunias can be placed in strategic areas of the garden, to add color where needed.
# Suggested Varieties: New petunia varieties come out every year, making older varieties obsolete, but hear are some particular favorites.

* ’Blue Spark’ Cascadia - Trailing violet flowers with a sweet scent.
* ‘Supertunia Silver’ - White with lavender throat and veins. Good weather tolerance and very floriferous.
* ‘Prism Sunshine’ - AAS winning hybrid with buttery yellow grandiflora sized flowers with multiflora weather tolerance. Can be grown from seed.
[Source: gardening.about.com/od/plantprofiles/a/Petunias.htm ]

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