Petunia Flower: Planting From Seeds and Care Guide

When the flower blooms, it creates an emotional attachment, improves people’s mood, and reduces stress/ depression. Flowers have the power to create positive energy and helps people to feel relaxed and happy. These days people are really excited and encouraged to plant different plants, flowers to make their gardens, houses more beautiful.

Are you are searching for the best blooming flower?      Then you are at the right place.

Petunia Flower is one of the most popular blooming garden flowers that create everything colorful and also has many medicinal benefits and aesthetic uses.

 

Introduction

 

Botanical Name Petunia spp
Plant type Annual flower
Native area South America
Mature Size 6-24 inch tall, wide up to 36-inch
Sun Exposure Full Sun
Soil Type Moist, well-drained
Soil pH Acidic
Bloom time Spring, Summer, Fall
Flower Color Purple, blue, yellow, red, orange, green, white, pink
Toxicity Nontoxic

Petunia Plant is one of the most popular flowers due to its beautiful blooming feature and long flowering periods. The name Petunia is derived from the French Petun means “tobacco” from a Tupi-Guarani language.

Petunias have wide, trumpet-shaped flowers and branching foliage that is hairy and somewhat sticky. They come up with different colors and patterns and blooms from the spring until frost. There are 118 petunia varieties around the world.

Origin

Petunia Plant is native to South America. Native places define the climatic condition of the plant. Its mature size is 6-24 inches tall, and up to 36 inches wide.

Petunias bloom in spring, summer, and in fall season. They can live for 2/3 years but most of the time they behave as an annual plant and cannot survive in the freezing temperature of the winter season.

 

Petunia Flower Varieties

Some of the best varieties of Petunia are-

1. Blue Spark Cascadia: This variety consists of violet flowers with a sweet scent.

2. Supertunia Silver: It consists of while flowers with lavender throats and veins.

3. Prism Sunshine: This variety sports large, buttery yellow flowers with good weather tolerance.

 

When to plant Petunias?

It is preferable to buy young plants from the nursery garden. The nursery sells petunias in flats. They are short and compact. Seedlings can be transplanted during spring. They can be planted outdoors after the snow has melted.

If you are thinking to grow from petunias seed, then, start the seed indoors 8 – 10 weeks before the last spring frost date. Transplant young Petunias after the plants are hardened and grown to have three leaves.

 

How to plant Petunias?

Planting petunias is very easy. Petunias can be planted in a container, ground, or pot. Balanced sunlight, water, and fertilization are all that petunias need to bloom beautifully. Let us learn to plant petunias:

1. The petunia seed is very small and tiny. They need time to get mature, 10-12 weeks before start flowering. 

2. At first, we have to keep them indoors. However, when the plants have three leaves, then, it’s time to place them outside.

3. Petunias can be planted in containers, baskets, or different shaped pots. If you are thinking to plant in a container then, use a pot with all the precautions.

4. Once the soil is warm and the frost has passed, transplant the petunia outdoor.

Things to keep in mind while buying pots for Petunias

1. The container must have drainage holes.

2. Avoid small containers.

3. Use plastic pots that retain the moisture better.

4. Use soil-free potting mix.

 

How to care for Petunias?

Petunias have the following requirements:

 Light and Temperature: Petunias prefer full sun, at least six hours of daily sunlight.

Nevertheless, in the summer, the heat is too high so it is necessary to keep them in partial shade sometimes. This will help the plant to keep them refreshed and helps to bloom better.

 Soil: Petunias require fertile, well-draining soil. They love the soil mix with plenty of organic matter and well-decomposed compost. When the soil is slightly acidic between the 6.0 – 6.5 pH scale, the petunia will grow with the best blooming ever.

Water: Watering the plant regularly is heading towards the blooming Petunias. The petunia root system cannot handle wet feet. So, too much moisture isn’t good.

Nutrients: Proper nutrients to Petunias will give endless blooms. Regular fertilization with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer is most required for the blooming petunias.

 

When do petunia flower?

As petunia plant primarily blooms in the summer season, they can start in the spring and extend into the fall until the temperature drops and frost comes.

The blooming time for petunia flowers varies because of different factors like fertilizers, soil drainages, and the amount of sunlight the plant gets. Balanced sunlight, water, and fertilization help petunia bloom gracefully for a longer period.

 

Petunia Types: according to their flower size

1. Grandiflora Petunias: They are very large flowers and known for the best grown in the container or hanging in the basket. They produce three -five-inch blooms with a height of ten-twelve inches. 

2. Multiflora Petunias: These petunias are the most durable and prolific. They are small but more abundant and are ideal for summer breeding.  They produce one – two-inch blooms with a height of eight-inch. 

3. Floribundas Petunias: These flowers are medium in size i.e. between multiflora and Grandiflora groups. These flowers are free-flowering same as multi-flora varieties.

4. Mill floras Petunias: They are the small flower on the market. They are only 1 – 1/2 inches wide, but they are prolific and last all the seasons. 

5. Spreading / Trailing Petunias: They are low growing and can spread up to ¾ feet. They form a beautiful, colorful, and groundcover flower. They can also be used to make petunia towers.

 

Petunia Pests and Diseases

There are many pests that affect the plants. Make sure to keep plants healthy and monitor them regularly. Some of the common pests of petunia are-

– Mites: They are microscopic pests that suck the juices directly out of petunia cells. 

– Caterpillars: They chew through the buds and foliage. They are easy to catch if people pick through the foliage. 

– Thrips: They are difficult to see because they are very tiny and they carry the virus to petunia which may cause the leaves to turn out their color  They can be removed by using insecticidal soap weekly through a spray. 

Also,

–  Aphids

–  Root Rot                       

–  Powdery mildew

 

Use / Benefits of Petunia

1. Petunia is used for beautification, bouquets, showy purposes.

2. Petunia is used for air purification.

3. It is used for medicinal benefits.

4. Petunias are used as both indoor and outdoor plants.

5. It is used for garden design like bedding plants, containers, edging.

 

Interesting facts about Petunia Plant

1. The petunia plant is native to South America and the word ‘petun’ means tobacco. 

2. There are 35 species of Petunia plant, also include in the nightshades family. 

3. Most of the petunia plants are propagated through seed.

4. Gifting Petunia sends a message: “I am furious”

5. Petunia flower loves to bloom from Spring to Autumn season

6. Petunias love sunlight

7. Petunias are available in different colors and also can be used as cut flowers. 

8. Petunias can be grown in pots, or in gardens

9. Petunia’s size ranges from 15 cm to 120 cm i.e.  6inches  – 4 ft. 

 

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. Do petunias like sun or shade?

Petunias like Full sun i.e. minimum of six hours per day but also be fine in a partial shade.

2. Are Petunias easy to grow?

They grow from seed and are moderately easy to grow. However, the most important is the sun and the nutrients. Use this plant where there is the sun.

3. When to plant Petunias outdoor?

This plant needs to start from the seed around 10-12 weeks before planting them outdoor.

4. Do petunias like acid?

Petunias prefer relatively acidic soil with a pH of 5.4 and 6.0.

Keep in mind-
If the pH is too high, the plant may not be able to absorb the proper nutrients. To find out the pH of the soil, use a testing kit available at the garden centers. To make the pH lower, apply the product containing sulfur.

5. Are petunias toxic to pets?

Petunias are not toxic flowers.

6. What to feed the Petunia plant?

Petunias love to have well-balanced fertilizer that contains an equal amount of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. This mixture helps to grow fast.

7. What do Petunia’s leaves look like?

Petunias have green leaves that are covered with hairs. The shape of leaves may be heart-shaped or ovate.

8. How to keep Petunia flowers more beautiful?

To keep Petunia more beautiful, remove the wilting or the dying blooms. Dead flowers must be removed regularly. 

9. Are Petunia plants perennial?

Petunias can be grown as perennials but as they cannot tolerate frost, they are mostly grown as annuals.

Hope this article encourages you to make your home as beautiful as you are, now you can plant Petunia. Let us encourage one another to plant and spread the joy and fragrance in our lives.  

Stay tuned for more inspiring articles. Don’t forget to give feedback and suggestions in the comment section below.

Also, read about the best oxygen giving plant i.e. Gerbera Daisy Plant 

 

References: 

Petunia – Ten Random Facts

Petunia Facts (comparespecies.com)

Petunia Facts (sciencing.com)

Petunia: Plant Care & Growing Guide (thespruce.com)

 

anny ruth

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  1. A very interesting article. I thought they were part of pilea peperomioids. These nasturtium grow like weeds where I live in southern part of South Africa. The only problems are snails. They are hardy and face drought conditions well. We don’t get frost. I love them xx

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