Löss på petunia
Derfor anbefaler vi ikke, at du overvintrer petunia, ligesom du ville gøre med havens stauder, da du ikke er garanteret et positivt resultat. Kort sagt kan indsatsen ikke betale sig. Vi anbefaler i stedet, at du begynder på en frisk til foråret, hvor petunia igen er i højsæson. På den måde får du de flotteste petunia i haven. Add these showy blossoms to your summer planters and garden beds for a burst of color.
Madeline Buiano is an editor at MarthaStewart. Petunias come in a full spectrum of colors and shapes, making these unfussy blooms a popular choice for summer containers and garden beds. What's more, petunias are pollinator-friendly and grow quickly; once their seeds germinate, you can expect to see full-size plants in just 12 weeks. With adequate sunlight and well-draining soil, petunias can bloom from spring until fall, providing you with multiple seasons of interest.
To ensure this annual flower thrives in your garden, we spoke to experts who explain how to grow and care for petunias. You can either plant petunias from seed or from container. To grow petunias from seed, start at least 10 to 12 weeks before your last spring frost, says Eric Groft, CEO and director of Ovsla. Petunias are easy to care for, but there are some things to keep in mind to ensure they thrive in your garden.
Petunias require a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight per day.
How to Grow and Care For Petunias
But there are varieties that can thrive with some shade, which is beneficial during the peak of summer when UV rays are strong. Water petunias regularly so the soil is moist but not waterlogged. About 1 to 2 inches of water including rainfall a week is sufficient. Note that plants growing in containers may require more supplemental water, says Groft. Petunias need well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter, says Spoonemore.
These plants won't survive in soggy soil, which may lead to root rot. Feed petunias with a balanced liquid fertilizer at the time of planting. Once established, use a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer designed for flowering plants every two to three weeks during the growing season, says Spoonemore. Pruning petunias helps maintain their shape, encourages bushier growth, and promotes continuous blooming, says Spoonemore.
To prune petunias, simply pinch off faded flowers and their stems regularly to encourage continuous blooming. You can also trim back long stems using clean, sharp scissors to maintain a compact shape and remove any damaged or dead growth as needed. You can propagate petunias by seed or by stem cuttings.
Bladlöss på petunia varje år - varför?
To do so by seed, simply collect seeds from mature plants and plant them indoors 10 to 12 weeks before the last frost. To propagate from cuttings, take 4- to 6-inch cuttings from healthy stems and remove lower leaves. Dip the cut-end of the step in rooting hormone, and plant in a moist potting mix. Place cuttings in a warm, bright location out of direct sunlight, says Spoonemore. Petunias have been around since the 19th century and are one of the most popular flowering plants in every nursery.
They fall into six main categories, nearly all of which come in a myriad of patterns and colorways and can be grown as annuals in most zones. Petunias might thrive as perennials in more temperate regions, including zones 9 through As the name indicates, spreading or wave petunia plants can reach up to 4 feet; they bloom profusely, making them an exceptional ground cover option. Fairly drought-tolerant , spreading petunias also boast long-lasting blossoms, so long as you nourish them with a water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks and give them at least six hours of sunlight daily.
A more compact iteration, multiflora petunias work extremely well in windy climates due to their strong stems. But this variety also tends to produce the tiniest blooms. A few common types of multiflora petunias include mirage, primetime, and carpet. The best part? Multiflora varieties require virtually no deadheading. Thanks to their "self-cleaning" abilities, their flowers fall off automatically when spent.
Larger than wave species, supertunia varieties like to spill or spread out which makes them winners in containers or baskets. This hybrid makes growing and caring for petunias even easier; like multifloras, they do not require deadheading and bloom all season long. Although grandiflora petunias produce fewer blooms than other varieties, each bloom grows quite large, ranging between 3 to 5 inches in diameter.
These petunias do require deadheading and will not flourish in extreme weather conditions like hard rain, humidity, and high heat. Another aptly-named iteration, these bright, bold, trailing petunias, which often have crisp white edges, cascade beautifully over baskets, planters, and window boxes—but they work in the ground, too. They thrive in full sun and require moderately moist soil.
These petunias are defined by their bell-shaped blossoms and are most often used as draping plants—they look lovely tumbling over a railing or basket. They grow up to 20 inches tall and prefer full or partial sun and nutrient-rich soil.