The petunia, which is a member of the nightshade family, originally comes from South America and can therefore handle direct sunlight much better than cold, wet weather. If you properly care for your petunias on the balcony or in the garden, you will reward them with a variety of colorful flower cones.
How do I care for petunias properly?
For optimal petunia care, they should be watered daily, fertilized once or twice a week and wilted flowers should be removed regularly. If wintered correctly, they can also be cultivated for several years. Make sure the substrate is permeable and avoid waterlogging.
How often should petunias be watered?
Since the hanging petunias in particular can reach impressive dimensions, there is a high water requirement in a sunny location due to evaporation. That's why you should water your petunias in the balcony box every morning or evening during the flowering period. But pay attention to a permeable substrate and drainage holes, as petunias do not like waterlogging.
When and how can petunias be repotted?
From the Ice Saints onwards, young plants can be planted outdoors or placed in the balcony box at any time. However, make sure that the roots of the petunias are not exposed to direct sunlight and dry out when repotting. If you want to replace wilted specimens, it may be a good idea to replace the soil in the planter. Look out for signs of root rot on sick petunias, as this is passed on through the planting soil.
When and how should petunias be cut?
To prevent diseases, it is recommended to collect wilted flowers every few days if possible. Most gardeners do not cut back petunias because they only grow them as annual balcony plants. If you want to try overwintering, you should shorten the individual shoots to a length of around 15 to 20 centimeters.
What diseases affect petunia?
The petunia is relatively often affected by the following diseases:
- Powdery mildew
- Chlorosis
- Root neck rot
What needs to be taken into account for optimal fertilization of petunias?
You can promote growth and flower formation if you fertilize your petunias once or twice a week with a liquid fertilizer (€26.00 on Amazon) (preferably containing iron and phosphorus). During overwintering, however, no fertilization should be carried out at all, as new shoots do not receive enough sunlight in winter and can show deficiency symptoms.
Can petunias be overwintered?
Under the right conditions, the petunias, which are generally very sensitive to frost, can definitely be overwintered. However, you should:
- select a sufficiently bright location with a uniform temperature of around 5 to 10 degrees Celsius
- water very sparingly
- shorten the shoots to about 15 to 20 centimeters long
- do not fertilize during winter
Tip
If you don't want to do without the moisture-sensitive petunias on the terrace, you can also plant the similar-looking magic bells. These are less affected by frequent rain and are available in the same variety of colors as petunias.