How to Care for Petunias

Overview

Petunias are a favorite in many areas of the world, especially those with sunny and warm climates. Petunias add visual beauty growing in window boxes and hanging planters. With such a large variety of petunias, you are bound to find just the right shape, size and color for your garden or growing on your windowsill. Petunias are from the potato family and are grown successfully from seeds and cuttings. The flower is easy to care for, just protect them from windy and damp conditions.

Step 1

Plant your petunias in plenty of light. Petunias thrive in full sunshine and produce more flowers than those planted in the shade.

Step 2

Grow your petunia plants in a well-draining soil blended with an organic matter, such as peat moss or well-rotted leaf compost.

Step 3

Blend an even ratio fertilizer, 10-10-10, into the soil around the plants while they are young. Once they start to grow, use a liquid fertilizer every three weeks. Apply the fertilizer every week if your petunias are of a spreading variety.

Step 4

Soak the soil around the petunia plants once a week to a depth of 8 inches. Insert a screwdriver into the soil to make sure the water penetrates deep enough.

Step 5

Remove faded flowers, and the part under the flower which produces the seeds; deadheading encourages a bigger quantity of larger, healthier blooms.