How to Plant Petunias

Petunias add color and fragrance to any planter. New wave varieties bloom profusely cascading from window boxes and hanging baskets. These beautiful plants are best purchased from the nursery, as beginning them from seed requires an early start and plenty of light. Most homes do not have enough light for them to grow well. Nurseries provide petunias in flats that a ready to be planted in your container or garden.

Petunia seedlings

Soil

Containers (optional)

Choose the color and style of petunia that best matches your needs.

Choose a location for your plants. Petunias prefer full sun, but do quite well in partly shaded areas.

Prepare the soil by adding organic matter and mixing well.

Remove petunias from the peat pots or flats you purchased them in. If the roots are tightly coiled int he bottom of the pot, gently tease them apart with your fingers. For excessively root bound plants it may be necessary to clip the roots to allow them to expand.

Plant petunias in the soil after all dangers of frost have passed. Cover the root ball with soil and firm the soil down gently with your hands.

Keep the soil evenly moist until you see new growth that indicates the petunias have developed a good root system.

When planting petunias in window boxes or planters it is necessary to water daily. Petunias use a lot of water.

Always deadhead petunia plants by removing spent blossoms on a daily basis. This will encourage them to bloom all summer.