How to grow Trailing Petunia

Petunia

The flowers fade quite quickly, so it is important to encourage more buds to form. To do this it is really worthwhile to dead head the old flowers. This can be quite tricky as the buds and the immature seed heads look pretty much the same! The easiest way not to pull off the buds by mistake is to remember that the plant flowers advance down the stem. So a bud will be ahead (nearest the growing tip) of the open flowers and the developing seed heads will be behind (nearer the plant). Nip the developing seed heads off with your finger and thumb and this will make the plant make more buds and flowers.

Growing Trailing petunia from seed

Petunia seed needs light to germinate, so don’t cover the seed.
They germinate quickly, and should be potted up individually as soon as they are large enough to handle

Sow 0.12 inches (0.3 cm) deep with a guideline distance of 0.78 inches (2.0 cm). Soil temperature should be kept higher than 18°C / 64°F to ensure good germination.

By our calculations*, you should look at sowing Trailing petunia about 77 days before your last frost date .

Transplanting Trailing petunia

Grow the seedlings on under cover, potting up as needed and keep under cover until all danger of frost has past. Expose the young plants slowly to garden conditions and plant out.
Petunia are traditionally used as summer bedding and can be used at the front of the border but are more often used in pots baskets and containers.

As Trailing petunia is half hardy, ensure temperatures are mild enough to plant out (around 15°C / 59°F as a guideline) - wait until after your last frost date to be on the safe side.

Harvesting Trailing petunia

Petunia flowers are best enjoyed on the plant,

Seed Saving Trailing petunia

Many petunia are hybrids, so will not come true to seed. If you have a favourite that you cannot do without next year, it is possible to over winter under protection, and take stem cuttings in the summer

How long does Trailing petunia take to grow?

These estimates for how long Trailing petunia takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

Days to Germination How long does it take Trailing petunia to germinate?
22 days

Average 22 days | Min 1 days | Max 68 days (39)

Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out Trailing petunia?
+ 81 days

Average 81 days | Min 65 days | Max 85 days (8)

Days to Maturity How long until Trailing petunia is ready for harvest / bloom?
+ 40 days

Average 40 days | Min 10 days | Max 182 days (11)

Total Growing Days How long does it take to grow Trailing petunia?
= 143 days

When should I plant Trailing petunia?

Our when to plant Trailing petunia estimates are relative to your last frost date.

When to sow The number of days to sow Trailing petunia before or after your last frost date.
77 days before Last Frost Date

Other names for Trailing petunia

Petunia

Petunia x hybrida, Petunia x, Petunia hybrida

Footnotes


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