Pretty petunias are one of the most popular flowers because of their exceptional blooms and long flowering period. As with most annuals, they get leggy by midsummer, so you’ll want to prune the shoots back to about half their length. See how to plant and take care of your petunias to keep them blooming. Petunias are treated as annuals in most areas, but can be grown as tender perennials in Zones 9 to 11. The flowers come in many colors and patterns, and bloom from spring until frost!
These colorful annuals can really add pop to a front lawn and are often used in borders, containers, hanging baskets or even as a seasonal groundcover. Some even have a slight fragrance. Their height can vary from 6 inches to 18 inches and they can spread along the ground anywhere from 18 inches to 4 feet. It’s easiest to buy young plants from a nursery that sells petunias in flats. Look for plants that are short and compact. Leggy petunias with tons of flowers already won’t settle in as fast. If you want to grow petunias from seed, start the seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before your last spring frost date. (See your local frost dates.) Plant young petunias outdoors after your last spring frost date, but keep a close eye on the weather forecast and protect young plants from late frosts. Petunia seeds are very small (dust-like!) and need lots of light in order to germinate. When the young plants have three leaves, plant them outside.
Space the plants about 1 foot apart.
If you’re planting petunias in containers, use a container potting mix that will drain well. Petunias are fairly heat tolerant, so you shouldn’t have to worry about watering them frequently. A thorough watering once a week should be sufficient (unless there are prolonged periods of drought in your area). Avoid watering shallowly, as this encourages shallow roots. Fertilize petunias monthly with a balanced fertilizer to support their rapid growth and heavy blooming. Double-flowered cultivars enjoy a biweekly dose of fertilizer.
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