Petunia Care Guide (trailing)
By Jessica Mcnamara
Mar 10, 2021
Welcome to your Petunia care guide! Here you will find all of our Growers' knowledge of how best to look after your Petunia, and what to do if you get stuck.
Plant name: Petunia Trailing
Latin name: Solanaceae Petunia
Varieties included: Petunia Tea, Petunia Sky Series, Petunia Sweetunia
An essential bedding plant that is easy to grow giving a mass of colour in tubs, garden borders and beds. A rainbow of colour choices allows even the most-picky gardeners to create the theme and mood they wish within their garden.
The development in petunia genetics has led to the plants within this range offering massive flowering potential, consistent colouring between flowers and great longevity in flowering season.
Quick growing and free flowering so great to make an impact with their colour and coverage.
Lush mid green foliage provides a great contrast to the vibrant coloured flowers. Go on…make the neighbours jealous!
Hardiness: Tender
What does this mean? This plant needs protection from frost.
Before You Start
If you are planting in an outdoor container, make sure it is clean and has drainage holes in the base. You will need a good quality compost, trowel, watering-can and gloves may also be useful. Make sure to leave space around the plant to allow it to grow into. And a bit of love and care…
Planting Guide
Find your container and fill it up with compost. Some large gravel or stones in the bottom of the pot can help with drainage. Leave a 2cm gap at the top where there is no compost, this will fill out when you add your plants. You can always lay them on top of the compost first to work out where you would like them positioned.
Once you have decided where the plant is going dig a hole a little bit bigger than the pot size in the container.
Next, take the plant out of the pot. This can be done easily by squeezing the sides of the pot between your thumb and fingers, then releasing your grip on the pot. This helps the roots come away from the pot.
Then hold the plant by the base of the stem, close as possible to the pot and remove the plastic pot. Hold your plant by the root ball and position in the middle of the hole.
The top of the compost around the plant should be a little lower than the level of the bed / border. If you need to dig a little deeper take the plant out and make the hole a bit deeper.
Once the plant fits in the hole you can twist it around to get the best side of the plant facing forwards. When you are happy with the position fill the hole back in around the root ball and firm the soil back in.
Finally give the plant a good water, wherever possible trying to avoid getting water on the flowers.
Avoid planting during the hottest parts of the day. Garden plants much prefer to be planted during the cooler part of the day as this reduces their stress levels.
Positioning
Trailing petunia are best suited to containers and hanging baskets. When they start to trail down, they create a sea of colour with their masses of blooms.
Regular watering is needed, and they prefer a free draining fertile soil to grow in.
Watering & Feeding Guide
When they are planted, they love a good shower. Keep the petunia moist but not completely saturated.
Loves being fed with a multipurpose feed and they will thank you with a greater show of colour.
When in full flower weekly feeding with a good multipurpose feed that contains micronutrients is essential. If your plants lower leaves start to look a little pal and yellow, it’s time to feed it!
Soil type: Petunia prefers neutral to slightly acid soil.
Top Tips
Deadhead will promote further flowering.
Great garden plants for beginners. They grow very quickly so get the kids involved!
Brilliant for container gardening throughout summer, and with favourable weather stretching into Autumn.
Petunias masses of broad open flower heads are a big attraction to many species of butterflies.
