Petunia plants are costly to buy and easily grown from seed, so grow them at home. Here’s how to start your own petunias from seed!
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Click here for more tips about how to start seeds on a budget.
Tag: Petunia
How Much Cold Can Petunias Handle?
“What is the coldest temperature petunias can handle?” Question from Barbara of Racine, Wisconsin
Answer: Petunias are true warm-season annuals that cannot withstand really chilly temperatures without damage. Ultimately, they grow best when nighttime temperatures are between 55 and 65 F. (14-16 C.) and daytime temperatures are between 61 and 80 F. (16 to 20 C.). Many newer cultivars are able to withstand hotter temperatures, but no petunias thrive in chilly temperatures. When spring temperatures dip below 40 degrees F, either cover your outdoor petunias with frost cloth or bring them indoors. Temperatures below freezing will kill them in a jiffy.
Happy gardening,
Jessie Keith
Black Gold Horticulturist
How Do I Grow Wave® or Supertunia® Petunias?
“I would love to plant Wave Petunias this year, in a 1/4 wooden barrel container. Is there anything special I need to know about these beautiful flowers before I try to make them grow? Oh, and will they last all summer? Many thanks!” Question from Diane of Newark, Ohio
Answer: Wave petunias will last all summer with good care, take heat, and are one of the best choices for containers. Wave petunias were the first spreading, groundcover petunias created. The first, Purple Wave®, was bred by the Ball Seed Company and introduced in 1995 (many other Wave® varieties followed). What made them different was their ability to spread and bloom nonstop with little care and deadheading. They are tough, fast-spreading, nonstop bloomers. That’s why they are still popular today. Since then, many other groundcover petunias have been bred, some with even greater flowering power. Of these spreaders, here are the six that I recommend the most.
- Supertunia Vista® Bubblegum® -Clear pink flowers and super high performance make this one of the best trailing petunias.
- Supertunia® Black Cherry® -This beautiful spreader has deepest red flowers with dark centers.
- Easy Wave® Lavender Sky Blue – Large, lavender-blue flowers make this a cool addition to containers.
- Wave® Carmine Velour – Plant these for a bright pop of deep fuchsia-red.
- Shock Wave® Rose – This Wave petunia produces nonstop rose-pink flowers.
- Supertunia® Trailing Purple– Deepest rose-purple flowers with dark veins make this a very striking garden petunia.
Spreading/cascading petunias such as these will perform beautifully if planted in large containers, like half or quarter barrels. We recommend using Black Gold Moisture Supreme Container Mix, which feeds plants for up to six months and holds moisture well in the heat of summer. Keep the plants well-watered, give them plenty of sunshine, and enjoy them! (Click here to read a full article on keeping petunias happy all season.)
Happy petunia growing!
Jessie Keith
Black Gold Horticulturist