We bought 2 hanging plastic pots of petunias at the beginning of June. These baskets were lush and full of blooms, but have since deteriorated. We watered them, fertilized them and deadheaded them. The baskets face west, but are in the shade until the afternoon, and then are partially shaded by a tree. What should we have been doing to preserve them, do they need to be cut back? |
Petunias really prefer full sunshine all day, so move the planters if you can. Otherwise the blooms will be sparse. Pinch back the spent flowers and some of the stem to encourage production of additional blooms. Petunias are fairly reliable plants, and bloom their little heads off all summer. I'd venture that they really need more sunshine than they're getting in order to perform to perfection. |