Wave Petunias are great regulars on your balconies and windowsills. Annual or perennial herbaceous plants (but often cultivated as annuals), they are not very tall and spread out widely.
To obtain its own plants of petunia proves to be a business of specialist, little advised to the amateur planter box. But its culture is of a great simplicity.
Petunias grow in any soil provided that this one is well drained. They bloom in the sun but can also stand half-shade. Rain can damage the fragile flowers of some varieties.
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Where to plant Wave Petunias?
Exhibition
Petunia and Surfinia like full sun as well as half-shade. However, petunias do not tolerate the scorching sun. In very hot regions, it is recommended to plant them in a place that will be half-shaded for part of the day. On the other hand, surfinias prefer a sunny situation if the soil remains very cool, almost humid.
Soil
Plant them in ordinary soil. Wave Petunias are not very demanding, but a fertile soil will guarantee their abundant flowering. To make a success of the surfinias, offer them a fresh soil so that the root ball does not dry out.
When to plant petunias?
Plant them in the spring, when the frosts are over.
If you have a veranda, it is possible to plant as early as March under cover and then take out the pots and hangers in May-June, when the ice saints have passed.
How to plant Wave Petunias in the ground?
Whether you sowed your petunias or bought young plants in a garden center, planting in their final support is important to have a beautiful and long flowering.
- It is recommended to plant the Wave Petunias in spring, after any risk of frost.
- The petunia likes sunny situations.
- If it is very hot in your area, prefer half-shade.
- In any case, avoid areas that are too windy because it fears wind and drafts.
Here is how to proceed in 4 steps:
- Moisturize the root ball well before installing your plants.
- Dig a large planting hole and loosen the soil well to facilitate rooting.
- Wave Petunias are planted every 8 inches in the ground in staggered rows to create a well stocked flowerbed.
- Surfinia should be spaced further apart, every 13 to 18 inches.
Petunia protection in winter
Seasonal cultivation does not take into account our winters, so petunia pots and field borders are pulled out in late autumn and renewed each spring.
Wave Petunias pruning
Pinch the young stems and then the old stems in mid-summer to encourage branching and a revival of flowers. Remove faded flowers as you go along to better encourage bud renewal.
Multiply the Wave Petunias
Sowing
The sowing of seeds is carried out in March under cover at a constant heat of more than 59°F :
- Sow in a terrine filled with potting soil for sowing.
- Keep the substrate cool by watering with light rain.
- Choose the most beautiful plants and transplant them in individual pots when they have 4 leaves.
- Replant them in the garden or in pots from the end of May onwards.
Cutting
Cuttings can be made by taking 4 inch long stem sections from under a leaf in May-June or July. This way, we can multiply the plants for the season :
- Plant these sections in a light substrate after soaking the base in cuttings hormones.
- Keep the substrate fresh and place a clear plastic over the cutting box until it is ready to be taken up again about a month later.
- Then transplant in a pot or in the garden.
Wave Petunias attacks and diseases
Slugs are pests of petunas in the open ground. If homemade methods, such as coffee grounds, are not enough, choose a product like Ferramol, approved for organic farming. In pots, this threat is almost non-existent, especially in hanging baskets or balconies.
Summary
In order to successfully grow petunia, it must be able to enjoy the sun in a place sheltered from the wind.
The sowing of Wave Petunias is done from February to March, in terrine and in the warmth. Transplant the plants in a bucket, at the stage of 3 or 4 real leaves, and keep them in a sheltered place. In mid-May, put them in the ground, in a pot or in a planter box.
Be careful, seedlings are sometimes capricious.
When planting, space the petunias 10 to 15 inches apart in all directions. In order to provoke the branching of the stems, do not hesitate to pinch them.
