The petunia originally comes from South America and has made its triumphant march through the gardens and plant troughs of the world, not least because of its enormous abundance of flowers. Since the petunia likes to thrive somewhat protected from wind and rain, the balcony is an ideal location for this plant.
How to care for hanging petunias on the balcony?
Hanging petunia varieties such as Petunia Bordeaux, Petunia Violet Star or Petunia Chocolina are ideal for balconies. They need plenty of sun, well-drained substrate, daily watering, fertilization once or twice a week and regular removal of wilted flowers to thrive.
The hanging varieties of petunia
Hanging varieties of petunia are particularly valued, as their bright colors can conjure up flat color accents on the balcony parapets of houses that can be seen from afar. Hanging petunias include, for example, the following subspecies:
- Petunia Bordeaux
- Petunia Violet Star
- Petunia Chocolina
- Petunia Veranda White
- Petunia Supercal Velvet
- Petunia Conchita Doble Blue
If you plant these petunias after the ice saints as early young plants in a balcony location that is as sunny as possible and care for them well, the shoots overhanging the balcony box can reach lengths of up to 60 or 80 centimeters by late summer.
Long shoots need sufficient nutrients and water
Even if a lot of sun and warmth is important for the petunias to grow strongly with lots of flowers, this alone is not enough for magnificent hanging petunias. Since petunias can react very sensitively to waterlogging and rainy weather, they should be planted in a substrate that is as permeable as possible and, ideally, partially covered. In addition, the plants should be provided with soft irrigation water at least once a day during the warm summer days. In order to form long “curtains” of leaves and flowers on the balcony railing, petunias need a lot of nutrients, which you can supply them with once or twice a week with liquid fertilizer (€9.00 on Amazon). Pay particular attention to sufficient iron supply so that deficiency symptoms such as chlorosis do not occur.
Be careful when caring for hanging petunias
While the smaller-flowered magic bell needs less attention during the flowering period, the petunia's wilted flowers are usually removed every few days. It is a matter of taste whether this is absolutely necessary for hanging large specimens. However, you should always keep your own safety in mind when caring for the plants and checking for lice.
Tip
To ensure that no accidents occur when caring for petunias, you should not lean over the balcony railing towards the flowers. Watering hanging petunias in a hanging basket, which can sometimes be unsafe using a stepladder, is easier with a special watering aid or with a garden hose.
