Reply to nature lover

Basically there are two types of petunias that I have planted. The standard garden petunias and the spreading petunias. Standard petunias branch from a main stem and their growth is upright. Spreading petunias are generally calssed as the new varieties, series of the most popular petunias. Spreading petunias grow outward, rather than upward, and they send stems up from the crown of the plant, creating new waves of flowering stems over the old. I love these varieties because they don’t need deadheading. Unfortunately, wave seeds are more expensive and hardly available at any local garden supply store. They are low-growing plants that reach only 6 to 12 inches in height, spreading and can be used as a flowering ground cover or as well as in hanging basket. Here is latest picture of my white wave petunias in basket looking its fullest

General tips to yield a good looking petunias
Petunias require a location where there is plenty of light. If they are getting spindly, they might not be getting enough direct-sun. I recommend you to expose the plant so that it receives 4-5 hours of morning sunlight. The plant will wilt and die if expose to excessive heat. Make sure you place them to a spot where they get some afternoon shade.

When sowing seeds, do not use garden soil as it will not yield good results. Sow them in a moist, well drained medium. Commercially prepared seed & potting mixes work best like HORTI seeds & potting mix, free from weed seeds and diseases. They can be easily obtained at our local supermarket dept store like Supasave, Hua Ho or Soon-Lee Megamart. It contains vermiculite and peat moss to prevent drying out. You may try ‘BVB peat moss soil for sowing seeds which is available at AE Enterprise at Sg Liang or Kilanas Branch.
If you grow the standard garden petunias which mostly grows upright, pinch them back when they are six inches tall, to encourage the formation of side shoots. Pinching helps to produce a well-branched, compact plant and bushy. Do not pinch wave or trailing petunias.

Standard petunias require diligent dead heading. Remove faded flowers, including the portion below each flower where seeds will develop to prevent seed maturation and encourage repeat blooming. In order to keep the plant look fresh and healthy you have to dead head to guarantee neat plant that flower profusely. I do these to my petunias! If they get really leggy, shear them back. Picture below shows my grandiflora has been sheared. It may take a couple of weeks for them to start looking good again!.

Do not allow the soil around the plants to remain excessively wet for several days, as this can lead to stunted growth and increase the risk of disease. Petunias don’t like wet feet nor do they like to dry out. Only water when needed. Hanging baskets dry quickly and need more frequent watering depending the volume or size of soil, wind and other conditions. You need to check your pots often to see if they need to be watered.

Fertilizing depends on the product you use, read the label direction. You may use organic fertilizers like ‘baja amina’ or inorganic chemical fertilizers – ‘baja biji merah or hijau’ according to the instruction lables, taking care not to place them close to the stems and avoid applying to the foliage. If used carelessly can burn the plants! I like to fertilize my petunias with with water soluble fertilizers, easy to handle and simple to apply, so keep them well fed. Finally, keep an eye out for whitefly and aphids, if they become a problem, use a recommended brand of insecticide. Usually I treat them with ‘‘malathaion 57’, apply when insects are present. Don’t forget to deadhead and removed any damaged flowers or leave, this will reduce the spread of any pest or diseases that may rise.

Okay, so that's it for now, if anyone has more finely-tuned tips specific to petunias, it would be great if you could aslo share them. I hope you enjoy reading these brief tips and happy gardening!!

NO PETUNIA IS CARE-FREE