Growing Petunias

How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Petunias

By The Editors

Often grown as annuals, Petunias are one of the most popular flowers. They are tender perennials in Zones 9 to 11.

Petunias are divided into two different groups:

Grandiflora petunias have very large flowers and are best grown in containers or hanging baskets (because they are more susceptible to rain damage).
Multiflora petunias have smaller, but more abundant flowers and are ideal for summer bedding or in a mixed border (because they are more tolerant to wet weather).

Planting

You can grow petunias from seeds, but it is easier to grow them from transplants. If you are going to grow from seeds, start them indoors 10 to 12 weeks before you want to set them outside. Petunia seeds are very small and needs lots of light in order to germinate. Remember to water them. When the plants have three leaves, you can plant them outside.
It’s best to buy transplants and plant them in light, well-drained soil in full sun after the last spring frost. (See your local frost dates.) Petunias can grow in partial shade, but they will have fewer flowers. It’s better if the plants have shelter from the wind.
Space the plants about 1 foot apart.
If you’re planting petunias in containers, use a soil-less mix.

Care

Petunias are tolerant of heat so you don’t have to water them regularly. A thorough watering once a week should be sufficient (unless there are prolonged periods of drought in your area). The spreading types and those in containers require more frequent watering though.
Fertilize your plants monthly to ensure good growth. Double-flowered cultivars like a biweekly dose of fertilizer.
Remove faded/dead flowers to prolong blooming.

Pests/Diseases

Aphids
Caterpillars
Leaf miners
Gray mold
Bacterial soft rot
Leaf spots
Viruses

Recommended Varieties

Carpet Series, which is ideal for a ground cover and offers a wide variety of colors
‘Sugar Daddy’ (Petunia Daddy Series), which sports purple flowers with dark veins.
‘Rose Star’ (Petunia Ultra Series), whose flowers look striped because of its rose-pink flowers with a white center.

Reader Comments

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Petunias in dubai

Usually they bloom best mid November to Mid March - I am talking about petunias specifically - in fact they only appear in the shops once its season.
In summer , use vincas - though they flower much less than petunias...

I have an abundance of wave

I have an abundance of wave petunias in my garden. I plan on entering them in a fair. The judges have asked for 3 sprays. What is a spray? Is it 3 stems? A quick reply would be nice as I have to enter them in 2 days! Thanks in advance!

A spray can be a "decorative

A spray can be a "decorative flat arrangement of flowers and foliage." It can also be "flower arrangement consisting of a single branch or shoot bearing flowers and foliage." We'd recommend that you contact someone from the fair, to be sure that you are fulfilling their requirements for the show. Good luck!

I have beautiful yellow and

I have beautiful yellow and "black" petunias flourishing in my zone 3 garden, but even though it's still August here, it's starting to get colder, would Petunia's survive if I transplanted them from my garden, into a large pot and brought them inside or are they going to die anyways after their full season? Thanks!

Hi, Shanda: It's possible to

Hi, Shanda: It's possible to overwinter petunias, but not easy to get good results. The main things are to make sure they are pest- and disease-free after you (re)plant them in good soil, and that they get enough water and especially light. You can try planting cuttings from petunias, too. Give it a try, and good luck!

I have a large pink potted

I have a large pink potted petunia purchased from a nursery. It flowered well and now has buds but they just fall off. Can find no evidence of aphids or caterpillars. Weather in Brisbane, Australia is spring - currently around 70 degrees F., cooler in evenings. Some rain and plant is watered regularly. Any ideas? Thanks.

Hi, I moved into a new home

Hi, I moved into a new home in early spring and have been allowing the yard and garden to grow so i can see what surprises may pop up. So sometime in June I noticed a beautiful purple flowering plant next to the house on the edge of the grass. It looks like a petunia. It has grown and continues to bloom but the stems are now about 16 inches long. I propped them up on a stone. How do I know if they are trailing? They have stopped blooming at the moment. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

When petunia branches start

When petunia branches start getting long and you can see where all the previous flowers were along the stem, it’s time to prune it back. This will refresh the plant at you will see new growth soon. You can spread any dried seed pods in the soil around the plant and you may get new plants popping up.

I have been trying to grow

I have been trying to grow petunias from stem cuttings but unable to do so . Have been following the procedure of cutting 3-5 inches of top stem , dipping in root hormone and then putting in the potting mixture in shade .

Hi. I found that stems work

Hi. I found that stems work best in water, but if you want to plant in soil then make sure it is very fine soil so the roots can grow (like seed growing soil). Put it in the sun, that may help too :)

I love my petunias. Bought 5

I love my petunias. Bought 5 hanging pots and they've thrived all summer with beautiful small deep purple flowers.
Had little spider mites but I use this recipe which not only helps control the mites but fertilizes as well.

In a quart spray bottle put one teaspoon
dishwashing liquid, 1 teaspoon ammonia and 1 teaspoon of rubbing alcohol. Then fill quart bottle with water.
Spray each plant about 20 times, then spray fresh water over them. That will help the mites to fall off.
Do this 2 times per week.

Enjoy your plants-They seem to attract hummingbirds(not moths) as well!!!!

Windex works as well. Then

Windex works as well. Then sprinkle with water to flush. Works aphid too.

The foliage of my petunias

The foliage of my petunias here in Myrtle Beach has been dying off the last few weeks. I still have a fair amount of flowers still but very little green leaves. Any solution or suggestion?

In Florida, petunias simply

In Florida, petunias simply grow best in early spring, winter, and fall seasons because they need cool night temperatures (45-65°F).

My new flowers wilt before it

My new flowers wilt before it blooms?

Wilting is due to uneven

Wilting is due to uneven watering. When you water the plant, do it thoroughly and then allow the soil to the dry out--close to the wilting stage but do not allow to wilt.
If you continue to have problems, it may be that the roots or crown beneath the soil is rotted. Make sure you provide good soil conditions and mix in lots of organic material and provide mulch. Water at the base of the plant, never on the plant itself.

Do I pinch off the ones that

Do I pinch off the ones that have little pod looking things inside the bloom ? Or are those the beginnings of a flower ?

Those pods will turn

Those pods will turn tannish-brown and will open and drop out little black seeds. These seeds can be used next spring to start your own plants. Start them 10-12 weeks prior to planting outside. If they have at least 3 leaves, then you are good to go!

My petunias got damaged by

My petunias got damaged by hail. A LOT of hail. There was a ton water in the pots so I poured off the excess standing water but the soil was still very wet. It has now been 4 days and my plants are starting to loom unhappy. The green stems and leaves are actually limp and not as bright green as what they have been the past month and a half. Any ideas? I am concerned that maybe there was too much water and it is drowning them?? Please help! Any ideas?

Petunias don't like to sit in

Petunias don't like to sit in wet soil. If the soil is still wet we suggest that you carefully remove the plants from the pot keeping some soil around the roots and spread them out on newspapers to dry. When soil and roots look dry plant them in fresh soil. Good luck!

Thank you. I took them out

Thank you. I took them out of their pots. Soil was still soaked with water. Thanks for your advice. They were Mother's Day gifts so I don't want them to die.

I planted petunias from the

I planted petunias from the nursery on May 29. Today is June 22 and the plants are getting taller but not bushing out. What should I do to make them look and grow better. We get very little rain and I water nearly every evening. If the soil feels dry at the end of my longest finger then I water heavier.

Hi, Louise: It sounds like

Hi, Louise: It sounds like you are on top of the watering situation. Hopefully, they are getting enough sun. Try cutting them back, which will encourage bushier growth. Also try giving them a shot of fertilizer once a week... just a little. Good luck!

Wanting to join this site

This is in memory of my sweet

This is in memory of my sweet neighbor, Alma. Alma had lovely lavender petunias all around in house in beds. There were also some plants that grew along the curbside. We are in central Alabama and each February, she would get out with her hoe and gently turn the soil over along the curb. In the spring the petunias would emerge and grow all summer. An interest note, we live in a small town and when the street sweepers came along, they would skip Alma's curb and leave the flower filled soil there. She explained to me the importance of turning the soil.

Hi, Is it possible to grow up

Hi, Is it possible to grow up this in 32 Celsius? Please help me asap! Thanks in advance :)

Petunias are heat tolerant,

Petunias are heat tolerant, as long as they get a good, deep drink of water now and then. Encourage the roots to grow deep in well draining soil and 32 C shouldn't be a problem at all. In the states, they commonly grow in places that get above 37 C.

Nice.....best

Nice.....best ...information......!!

I bought some "wave" petunias

I bought some "wave" petunias a couple of weeks ago, and have been keeping them under my grow light until the danger of frost is gone. I notice , however, they have not grown,,they are still small,,have several blooms, but are not growing otherwise,,I wonder if you could tell me what to do to get these petunias to grow? I bought 6 of them so I hope they grow soon.

Hi, Linda, While outside

Hi, Linda,
While outside these plants need about 8 hours of sunlight, indoors, under a grow light, they require more: 16 to 18 hours daily at a height of 4 to 6 inches.
Best wishes—