How to Keep your Petunias Looking Full and Flowering
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- Опубліковано 5 сер 2012
- As you asked for it.. Here is an instructional video on keeping your Petunias lush and Flowering... They can be stunning plants with a little work :) Good luck!
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Years ago, I found the ultimate way to grow petunias whether in pots or, more to my experience, in beds. I have to say that I owe this all to two people, a gardener at the Sunset Gardens in Menlo Park, CA, and a Japanese gardener at a local nursery. The first rule is that whatever annual flower you plant, crowd it. If the directions say to plant 8 inches apart, plant 6 - 7 inches apart (6 would be better). The next thing is that when the plant is about 6 inches high, pinch it back by hand or use small scissors to clip the center of the crowns growing from the plant. Do this at least twice over the first couple of weeks after planting and the plant will respond by becoming more "shrubby" and producing more foliage, and in the end will not become "leggy." This practice will also allow the plant to produce three to four times the number of blooms than otherwise. I have also used the clipping back or pinching back for other types of plants and the result is always the same, a shrubby appearance rather than sparse foliage that just doesn't look very nice. This practice gets rid of the leggy appearance that some annuals often develop later in the season.
I’m
Can coffee grounds be a good fertilizer.? Or Epsom salts?
@@heidihiyalaschleicherindig3006 I'm really not sure. Coffee grounds would be acidic. Epson salts are magnesium sulfate and if you search the Internet about using them for gardening, you'll find many suggestions. You could also search for the use of coffee grounds in gardening. In either case, take care not to use too much.
@@heidihiyalaschleicherindig3006 .... I am no great gardener by any means BUT I always put epsom salt in the hole before I plant my annuals and they always look great - lots of color and healthy.
A friend was cleaning out his garage and had to get rid of a large amount of bone meal he had bought on various garage sales. He put a lot around an old climbing rose plant (cultivated it into the surrounding soil) and the next year it went crazy with blooms - absolutely covered. It is also recommended that bone meal be used for bulb type plants to give them an extra boost.
Nice informative video. My mom was a master gardener, and she taught me this as a child. Now mom is gone, but I still grow flowers. And I have a daughter who loves to garden too, so mom's legacy lives in.
🥺❤️❤️❤️
Instablaster
May your sweet mom rest in eternal paradise ❤️
That’s beautiful to hear your daughter has taken UP gardening too.
What about his plant care information?????
I was desperate for some petunias and bought plants that looked so far gone but decided to take a chance. I watched this video and took the advice on pruning and cutting back hard. They turned out gorgeous and bloomed up to frost.
THAT'S AWESOME!!!
Thank you, for years I just popped off the flower....It makes sense that the plant will go to seed and die...Now I am going out to buy some petunias.
Thank you. I’ve just been given a tray of petunias. About a week ago and yes, I now see that I need to trim them back as you advise. So today, I am going to plant them out into some pots and enjoy them. Great tip about putting the trimmings into water to root and make more plants- I do this with my Vietnamese coriander and then once they have rooted I plant them into pots and after a few weeks, put them on my wall in the front garden with a little sign about them and people take them and enjoy them. Engenders a good community spirit- people have left me notes, seeds, seedlings in return…….Make someone’s day, give something beautiful away!
Thank you so much, that was so interesting, I have always loved Petunia's but reluctant to buy them because I have always thought they only have one flowering cycle, Im 71 so you are never too old to learn.
I used to have horrible luck with my petunias... until I learned they love a good hair cut. :)
Very interesting video. Thanks for sharing! What I’ve learned to do over the years is to break every dead flowers off halfway down the stem instead of breaking it at the flower, so then it gets thicker at that lower spot. So instead of breaking it at the flower and seed, and then trimming 1/3 of them back at a later time, you can break the flower at a lower spot every time and then your plant will get bushy overall instead of one section at a time.
My mom does this with our petunias!! So beautiful and the hummingbirds love them.
Yeah, but if you cut off sections, ypu could put them in a vase
@@melissamundle456 🙏🏽 and I'll
I guess I should have read the comments before writing mine.
You couldn't have been any clearer or easier THANK YOU
Jason
Can u explain your last sentence, break the flower further down…
On Sundays before I had to leave the cottage for the week I would pluck every single flower and made sure I got the stem as well. No one would believe that my flowers were really petunias. They were like shrubs, huge, colorful and beautiful by the time I returned. Not doable in most cases but taught me what the dead heading can do. Lol
So true... :)
Thank you for this advice! As a beginning gardener trimming is so intimidating. I didn't know petunias thrived this way. I always wondered how some people's hanging baskets stayed looking so fresh.
I like to give a light trim once a month :) I totally understand the intimidation. It gets easier with time
I watched this last summer and followed your advice. I couldn't bear chopping them all back at once, I don't have much company over so all the flower beauty is for me ...so I would cut back part of the plant weekly. And instead of just deadheading old flowers, removed the "green chocolate chip ". And watered at least once a day, and used Miracle Grow. My petunias were SPECTACULAR. I got so much pleasure from them. Thank you for your advice!
I saw in few videos that petunias don't like much water. How can I assure that it has proper amount of water?
Priya Soni Do you have good drainage at the bottom? The excess should go through. (I think.)
I just bought mine today.
@@priyasoni4603 it's very true, you do have to give them a good soak, and then don't water them until they are drier. Do not keep them constantly moist they bloom less and at times they die sooner.
@@priyasoni4603 Hello - if you are using hanging baskets make sure they have drainage and water daily until the water runs through the bottom. Never let them dry out. Petunias love water - but no plants like to sit in water - it needs to be well drained. On extremely hot days you can water them twice. Good luck!
Gotta tell you, after 40 yrs of growing red petunias for the humming birds, I found out that when I do the heavy pruning, the flowers make fantastic cut flowers!!!! The blooms that only last one day "on the vine" lasted 10 days!!! So I am going to put a small vase or rocks glass in the middle of my pruned petunias and fill it with the blooming trimmings! I could not believe my trimmings never wilted! And the buds slowly bloomed also, so it was GORGEOUS!!! Try it! I hated clipping major blooming chunks of my plants off, until I got to put them in a vase and not lose the beauty! Just strip the leaves off the bottom of the stem and change the water every couple of days. What you got to lose?!? Also, try lining your flower pots with overnight strength diapers. They absorb and hold the water but don't drown the roots. And the water doesn't wash out the nutrients and dirt!
Kay Watts Great suggestions!
Thanks for that tip. I clicked to the comments hoping someone would discuss what to do with the clipped stems!
Kay Watts i
I don't understand re diapers. Are you covering entire inside of basket prior to putting dirt in? Or are you careful not to block the hole? I understand how lining entire basket would prevent dirt from washing out, but don't nutrients pass in the water regardless? I'm not sure how this works? And any brand diapers at box store? Thanks!
Kay Watt
Thank you so much! I needed this video - been wondering why I keep deadheading them and they are getting thinner and thinner. Well turns out I wasn't pulling off the seeds at all. Lifesaver. Thanks again!
The advice you've given here is exactly what I tell my customers at the nursery where I work. I find that most people are amazed to know that they can understand and manage plants in their gardens especially rampant petunias. Thank you so much for this very helpful video.
I'm so happy that you take the time to inform your customers. Most places don't offer that information. Keep it up :) we need more plant enthusiasts :)
I know this is an older post but I wanted to say thank you for the detailed information. I've never seen anyone else cover it so well. 🌺
Put the trimmed "branches" in a cup of water in the windowsill and it grows roots. Plant it to have MORE flowers😁💕
I actually root my I cuttings in soil kept very moist.
Good to know! So expensive to buy baskets and pots.
These are the things they never tell you at the nursery, lest you should never return! And this is one of the very best pieces of gardening information I have ever set eyes on. Heartiest congratulations, Bill!
Thank you :) your right the leave this info out because they want you to buy more later in the season :)
Nikhil Khandekar ńn
Marika Cirkse
Emil💖
PlantzNThings vvvg ast
Last year, I bought 2 six packs, planted them in 2 pots, enjoyed them for 2 months, then they looked dead, but I kept one pot, they survive and have been blooming again, so they are perennial in Southern California! So glad I just learn how to care to remove the “chocolate chips” and trim them, thank you for great video and tips from everyone 🙏
Thank you for explaining not only how to prune, but WHY!! That helps me remember a lot easier bu understanding why i have to do it!!
Heather Renae I'm happy I was able to help :) I find it's easier to do these tasks if you know what it's doing for the plant...
Heather, I agree. First video I’ve watched that also explains the ‘why’ part too.
Very well done and instructive video! I had always avoided petunias since they always seemed to look sick and dried out after a while. With this tutorial I can go petunia-crazy. They should add a riot of color to my garden and deck. Many thanks!
Never too old to learn something new....but didn't think it would be this long, especially about my favorite petunias. Love your candor and excellent explanations. 😊
Finally! A video that shows EXACTLY what to do with petunias. A flower I love but have never been successful at! Fingers crossed for this year! Thank you so much!!
Wow, who knew!! I'm gonna try this this year, thank you!! It would be REALLY fun to see a 2 week time lapse of this once you cut them back!!!
Oh thank you so much! I removed those starry bits as you described and the plant looks better already - I bet this is the key which has eluded me for years to keep my petunias nice all season!!
Love these plants, I've had them for yrs. This is the first time I've heard of removing the seed!
Thanks for that.
I’m so glad I came across this video. For the first time I planted petunias. I’m looking forward to keeping the beautiful bloom going. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this video! I feel stupid but I wasn't sure if the flowers were ones that had bloomed already or were new so I was only removing the ones that I was sure were finished blooming. Now I will go out and finish the job. This is one of the only videos that really explained and showed a close-up of what I needed to look out for. 😀
Thank you for the video. I am watching a lot of them as I am finally getting to do my own flower gardening and have never done any kind of pruning before. I am really learning a lot.
I love that you made the comment about cutting back 2 weeks before company is coming over. Very relevant and a keen observation.
Thanks after growing petunias for years; I never knew about getting rid of the dead flowers and their stems. Thanks much.
This is brilliant! I have loved petunias my entire life and never knew how to keep them full. Thank you so much for this useful and helpful information!
All these years I had no idea about the little leafy part left after you dead head the flower. No wonder it didn’t work. Thank you so much for this much needed advice and help!!
Thank you so much for this simple video. I wish I saw this early summer! I am a Landscaper and was tasked to take care and water plants. My company left me on my own and I didnt know very much how to care for plants. We had a client that had 4 massive pots full of petunias! Its was overwhelming! They even had aphids that I didnt know how to get rid of the whole summer!!! I shook the plants like hair and so much came off and bugs everywhere! I eventually learned to cut them back but I felt like it was too late for the season. I hope for a better year for them next year!
I saved one of my petunia cuttings last fall and the plant survived all winter long inside the house in a jar and became the mother of all the petunias that I have all around the house. I continued to make cuttings and had them in vases and glass jars near a window. I eventually put the plant in starting soil and treated it like a house plant and continued to make cuttings. I didn’t need to start from seeds again ( bought the seeds from WM for .20 cents). Thanks for the info on keeping them looking sharp and full. Petunias are a great plant. I wonder if I can do that with a vinca?
This was so helpful, especially the part about the little green chocolate chip! I just found a couple in my recently planted containers. I will be watching this again when they are a bit more established to figure out which growth to trim back. Thanks!
I'm so happy you found this Helpful :)
I can’t believe I have never heard all this before. I love growing petunias. Thank you for the info! They will look better now!
I have had petunias off and on for years and did not know this! Getting my coffee and going out to trim now! Never have like the leggy look, so now I know. Thank you!
It's also well worth popping the off cuttings into moist compost. In about two weeks, a lot of them will have rooted and you have brand new plants too ☺
Linda H it is also beneficial as the plant will grow two stems from the cut
Does this include the WAVE petunia?
Thank you so much for this video! I just made a huge purchase at my neighborhood nursery much of which was petunias, I love them! Unfortunately they always end up looking "leggy" and bare. Now I know that it's because I haven't been caring for them properly! I have asked at the nursery how I should deadhead and they always say just pull off the dead flowers, I never new about the "green chocolate chip". I can't wait to get out there tomorrow morning and go to town! Thanks again Bill, great video!!!
I hope to have watched this in time for my petunias! Going out to trim a bit and pull the seed pods off. I went petunia crazy around my pond and 2 hanging baskets. I chose petunias for around my small pond as they are safe around animals. My dogs love the pond so that was really important to me. They plants are really filling in around it and blooming profusely so now to keep them that way. Thanks so much for the advice and clear explanation!
Thank you! I believe you have helped me solve my petunia problem. I've never been shy about ruthless pruning, but I really didn't know you should do it to petunias. Thanks again!
Just in time I happened to watch this excellent video. My petunias need exactly what you've been showing and explaining. Thanks so much for the info and tips!
Miryam van beveren loooij. hh8 8o9 9
Thanks, I didn’t know that is how you dead head them, I was just pulling out the flower. Great information.
Me too!!
Me too.
Petunias are amazingly sturdy. My white ones are my joy. But others like the purple ones.
I’ve never had much success with them either because of just pulling the dead flower out. Looking forward to full bushy flowering plants next year!
Me too
I stumbled across you video last year when my mom gave me several pots of petunia last April. With the tips you gave me, I managed to get them to blood until late November. I had a good 7-8 months of good active blooms. The pinching and pruning is the secret to it all. First time I hacked the leaves off, I almost had a heart attack. LOL My neighbors thought I cared for the plants like the boss.
Thank you for taking your time and sharing this info. I bought several petunias last year at Lowe’s on clearance. I planted them and they looked great for a few weeks when watered and fertilized regularly, then BOOM they all fell flat and stopped growing and then died. I told my husband don’t buy any petunias this year because it’s just a waste. Well of course he doesn’t listen and bought a few. So now I’ve watched this video and I’m going out to cut them back & hopefully they will last through summer.
I'm fairly new to gardening and the petunias in my balcony boxes were growing like crazy in all directions in different lengths. After watching your video I've been trimming and deadheading for over a month and my blooms are so much fuller and neater looking. Thanks so much! :)
Your welcome :) because you are doing maintenance trimming you will notice that late in the season when other peoples plants have dead centres your's will still be full and Beautiful :) Nice Job :) Thank you for watching :)
@@PlantzNThings🎉😊
Surprisingly informative ! I also used to just take the dead flowers off and not the small stalk . Thanks !
Thanks for this video. This has been the best explanation of how to care for my wave petunias. I've looked at a lot of videos but this is the first one that I fully understand what I've been doing wrong.
Oh what a wonderful tip, just purchased two baskets from my local garden center, I will follow your tips to make them last all summer, so happy I discovered you🙂
Your information is very helpful to me. Thank you. I am looking forward to incorporating this for my petunias!
Great program!! Always wondered why my petunias stopped flowering so early in the season, always got rid of dead flower, but not the part below, this year will be different!1 Happy planting everyone!!
I always thought you pull out the dead flower that a new one comes out. I’ve learned something today. Thank you!
I’ve been dead heading completely wrong! My petunias look amazing usually always🤣🤣 but I find the season is months short! Thank you! I noticed the seeds last year and your video answered every question!
I kill just about everything I try to grow. Your video was extremely helpful!!! I had no idea they required so much watering. I've been underwatering!! Also your demonstration on cutting them back and not just pulling off that yucky bud. I'm going to try one type of plant at a time ...master it.. then go onto another. Will return to your videos
for tutoring! Thx!
That's a great idea... start small... in time you will have a green thumb.
Thank you so much! I so appreciate you instructions on plant care. You have helped me to understand the nature of my plants to support a comfortable life cycle for them. I feel so much better being a responsible plant owner now. You’re Brilliant!
So glad I saw this. I must be like a lot of us - just plucking the old flower! Thanks for a great video!
Thank you for a clear explanation of precisely what and where to prune and cut. I don't know much about gardening and find much of it perplexing, but still would like to know enough to at least keep three nice hanging plants looking nice throughout the summer!
I invested in an auto irrigation system for when I went on vacation for a week and that worked great. Now I know enough to prune back my petunias which are looking lanky.
I'm so happy you shared this info and I found you. I did this and it definitely works. After almost 2 weeks my whole pot has bloomed beautifully. Thanks for the video. Yes the cuttings last longer in a vase ;)
Would this work in Lantana too?
Sir,
GREAT stuff!....I've subbed...My Wife passed in February. ...She loved purple...Her favorite color.
So, on the way to the cemetery, I stopped at the local greenery. ..Purchased two plants...
Thanks to you, I know how to maybe keep them going!
Best regards,
Kirb
Sorry for your loss . God bless you .
TMI
dvdfrnzwbr TMI?? Didn't your mother teach you manners? If you dont have anything nice to say....dont say anything. Someday even you will lose a loved one....and when that happens, I hope when you're expressing a thought about remembering something that person liked, no f'ing moron says "TMI" to you.
well said
TMI ?
I knew all that, I pride myself on learning everything on the flowers I love but I still enjoy hearing you tell it and sometimes I learn stuff I didnt know 😁
This is definitely the best video for info about pruning petunias. I had researched so much when I first started planting them. I have come to fine that the my multiflora petunias always do so much better than the wave petunias I have. For some reason the wave petunias grow these stick-like sprouts and seem to die and dry out so fast.
Thank you sooo much for this valuable advice! My petunias were looking pathetic until I followed your suggestions. Now they are fuller and more vibrant than when I bought them!
+s315467 That's Fantastic. I'm so happy your plants are doing well :)
i was just plucking the that flower. Glad i saw your video
Mia Atoc
me too - will now take the whole thing
same here! I'll have to start taking the whole thing as well.
Same here. Now I know
Me too
Well who would have thought? I did not know about removing the seed! I’ve been gardening all my life but never knew about this. I so admired the bravery of hacking back. So thank you so much for simple tips which will make my baskets of petunias last so much longer.
Wow I just did it to my petunias... Thanks for this petunias' life-saving video
What an excellent and very helpful demonstration. Thank you!
Nicely done! I enjoy the larger petunias & fertilize them before I put them into the ground. This summer I will try the hanging petunias- the are magnificent!
Thank you!! I've had very good luck with petunias in the past, but this will be helpful for even more blooms! Great info!
Watched "How to Revive Petunias"....excellent, clear, concise! Thank you!
I followed your tips for my pansies and now they look so full and gorgeous. It's become my ritual to go out every morning and cut the spent flowers. Thanks so much for the video!
This video helped my very first ever petunias survive through the summer. Gave me a boost in confidence to continue attempting to garden. As someone else here said, the nursery doesn't tell you how to keep them alive and flowering through the season. It's extremely demoralizing to a new gardener when the plants don't last.
Thanks for your videos.
I'm so happy i was able to help :) it does take some work... but it's worth it :)
I have grown Petunias for many years. I wonderf why I never saw this video before ....wow finally I can enjoy my petunia through the summer. Thank you . Great video !!!!!!!!!
Brilliant information! Thank you. I have had quite a lot of frustration with my petunias over the years, even after much research, but now I finally have some useful information! 😊 Can’t wait to give it a go, especially deadheading the whole piece not just the old flower.
Thank you; this is a great video regarding petunias. Well; no wonder some of my petunias have had issues over time. I dead headed the spent flower "only". I never knew how important it was to remove the star shape that tells the plant to go into seed mode. I immediately went outside this afternoon and properly dead headed my new petunia plants. ^×^
Thanks for your excellent tips-just in time too!
Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for this information. My petunias have been giving me a hard time and I didn't know what time do. This is super helpful. Thank you so much
Thank you for the wonderful information! I just planted my petunias last week and will be trying your tips this season.
Thank you so much for your video. I knew about deadheading but not taking off the seed pod the flower grew out of and pruning it. We have only had our basket for two weeks so I immediately went and cut off as many of the pods as possible. I have subscribed to your videos because I have just started getting serious about gardening since I retired last June. Thank you again for such great info.
That is exactly what I'm thinking!! Its too late. I have been doing exactly what you said not to do. I would just pull out the dead flower but not the little stalk that goes with it. I wish I would have looked this up about 5 years ago!!
I love petunias, they look great in baskets and planters, but I didn't know how to care for them. So glad I watched this!
FINALLY!!! Thank you for answering several question I’ve been uncertain about for many years.
I bought a packet of seeds a the dollar store, started them in this tiny tray, neglected them for a good 2 months, let them freeze several times, didn't prune it at all, and now (almost a year later) it is covered in fowers.
wow. i'm glad i watched this!
i didn't know about cutting off the seed thing..which explains why my petunia plants never lasted.
thank you so much for sharing this.
I had the same issue in the beginning... but as i learned how annuals live... It made sense that you need to remove the seed pods if you want them to continue to bloom.
Thank you so much! I wondered why my petunia Didn"t last very long. I can't wait to get working on them tomorrow!
Thank you for this tip I will be planting Petunias in a couple pots in a few weeks and want to make sure I’m taking care of them the best way possible.
Thank you for your information. I am growing them this year in a very large pot. They are the mound variety. Pinks and yellows. I have much more in with them. I will do as you have suggested. I hope mine look like yours. God bless . Donna Peers.
You were deliciously honest and I loved it. You do it for the guests. Haaaa I don't feel so alone now. They ARE hard to maintain.
Thank you so much for this information! I am a Master Gardener and have never heard about taking off more than the deadhead. I have a plant now to experiment!!
Awesome video! I love petunias and have them everywhere and i am constantly cleaning them but had no idea about cutting them back. Thank you so much. Will definitely be doing this this year. 👍😊
Thank you for good advice I’m working on my first petunia plant. My three grandchildren gave it to me for Mothers Day
Am glad i’ve encountered your video, it educates me, now am excited to follow your advice so that this year i can keep my petunia longer and beautiful! Thank you for sharing.
YAY!! I'm happy you found my video :) good luck with your petunias this year :) I hope you really see a difference.
Thanks for the great video. I planted Petunias for the first time this year and love the results. My growing season is nearing the end here in Ohio but the Petunias are still looking healthy and in full bloom while the rest of my plants are withering. I look forward to using your advise next year. Once again...Thanks
Wonderful ! the results do speak for themselves don't they :) I'm happy your petunias are still looking beautiful while many of your other plants are tired. this method works with many annuals... have fun with it and experiment.
Great advice. I never knew to pull the flower stalk with the spent flowers. Thank you!
Hey man, I love to see YOU cut and teach. I wish I had watched your VIDEOS long ago. You are so incredibly gentle handed.
THANKS
Thank you! I always wondered why my petunias got so leggy and didn't look like those beautiful plants I see all over the place in the summer. That's for that insider trick : D I'm going to get to work!
Didn't know you could do that with petunias, I thought you did that with roses only. Thanks for the great tips.
I didn’t know you could do that with roses!! ❤️
This video is probably a life saver! I have always deadheaded my petunias but the wrong way so I am starting to follow you advice right now. thank you so much for sharing this!
Good luck :) Happy Growing :)
Love this video. I didn't know all of this. Now my petunias will stay pretty all season.
Best explanation ever!
I do this with my petunias, but I don't wait until they look "scraggly" before I do it. I cut them back when they start to get leggy. I find that I can cut them back two or three times a season and they come back looking like new plants every time until it gets too hot for them. I also pinch off dead blooms every day, not just when cutting them back. This makes them bloom like crazy! Don't forget the fertilizer. Great video.
What fertilizer, in what amount and how often? Thanks
@@Irish-Triplet water soluble fertilizer, about 1T per gallon of water every 7 to 10 days. I live in Central Florida and have sandy, fast-draining soil.
@@msjenjenp Thank you very much for your timely reply!
Thanks for your information/instructions. I had no idea that I could cut them back like that. I didn't know to pluck the seed head not just the spent flower. I have learned plenty today. Thanks and Happy Gardening..
Finally got my answer as to what to do with the spent flowers and how to trim the plant. It's May 2022 and I just had to pay $150 for 3 flats 3 different colors (30 containers total). $150!!!!!!! They'd better live and look gorgeous for that price!! So this video is very helpful. I grew Petunias for the first time in pots with other flowers and they drooped over the years beautifully. Don't remember trimming them and they did great. This year I'm just growing Petunias. I have three 3-feet by 1-foot planters atop 3 feet long legs. Also have two 3-gallon pots on the ground. Hope I bought enough Petunias cuz can't afford to get more! Plus got Miracle Grow ($35) to put them in. Wish me luck!!!!