Forum home› Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Petunias and hanging baskets

Perennial gardenerPerennial gardener Posts: 33
in Plants
Im a novice when it comes to gardening. I grew petunias from seed last year for hanging baskets and troughs, but the petunias were all upright and only had flowers at the tip of the stems. Ive seen some hanging baskets that are a ball of flowers, thats what I was going for  with the troughs I wanted them to hang down under the window. I thought all petunias have a trailing habit. Any advice on what I could do for a better display this year.


«1

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Try looking for trailing petunias or cascade petunias.
    I grew them for baskets from seed for many years (cascade pink and the like) and they are stunning for the first few weeks, but then there's the endless dead heading and sticky fingers and the first time you forget to water in the summer they all get mildew! (ok, bit of an exaggeration maybe)
    Last year I bought some calibrachoa plugs instead - they were great all summer - no deadheading and no mildew :)
    The Wave variety of petunias don't need deadheading - I believe

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • hayden729hayden729 Posts: 3
    I don't mind petunias personally. I got one in the early summer last year and it actually lasted until it got really cold in January. But yes, mine is a hanging petunias that you really have to have in a basket or hanging pot in order to take advantage of it. 


    Check out my youtube channel here:
    bit.ly/2CRV0a7
  • Perennial gardenerPerennial gardener Posts: 33
    edited January 2019
    The petunia seeds I have are a balcony mixed. I'll have to try some wave petunias and see how it goes. Does sowing time affect the bloooming?
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I used to sow mine in early March in a heated propagator in a greenhouse and they were in flower by late May early June.


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    I agree with Pete.8 on the calibrachoa- no deadheading, no stickiness, no mildew, full of flowers all summer.  I don't need very many so I buy them as small plants/big plugs ready to go into my baskets.  I used to grow petunias from seed and they needed an early start and regular pinching off the tips to make them branch out.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    My calibrachoa ("Million Bells") actually overwintered outside for 3 years, which surprised me.  
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • Jason millyJason milly Posts: 546
    I usually have petunias and every year I tell myself not next year as I find they start to be less productive, I strongly agree calibrachoa is the way forward, this year for me it's trailing pansys and lobilia I think after past experience they flower and flower. 
  • PerkiPerki Posts: 2,527
    edited January 2019
    I grow Trailing / upight petunia from seed all the time,  had a go at calibrachoa from seed last year but germination waste good , I personally like the trailing petunia more than calibrachoa bigger impact with less plants, Calibrachoa ideal for smaller pots/baskets. 

    I grow these trailing petunia last year the red and silver/ lilac colour are from Dobies excellent plants grow far bigger than expected, the Purple one are off ebay they did well as well the seller is called nutscones they have other colours as well . I've bought all again for this year very impressed with them. No deadheading required



    3 plants in each trough , troughs are about metre long.
  • Perennial gardenerPerennial gardener Posts: 33
    Where these from plugs or seeds? They look beautiful, this is what I was going for but failed horribly. I need to know all your tips and tricks 😊
  • PerkiPerki Posts: 2,527
    Theses are seed grown , it says where I got them from above  :)
Sign In or Register to comment.