How often should petunias be watered?
Since the hanging petunias in particular can take on impressive proportions, there is certainly a high water requirement in a sunny location due to evaporation. Therefore, you should water your petunias in the balcony box every morning or evening during the flowering period. Make sure you have a permeable substrate and drainage holes, as petunias do not like waterlogging.
also read
- The optimal location for the petunia
- Beautify the balcony with the petunia
- The petunia: hanging flower beauty in the balcony box
When and how can petunias be repotted?
From the ice saints onwards, young plants can be planted outside at any time or placed in the balcony box. Make sure, however, that the roots of the petunias do not lie directly in the sun and dry out during repotting. If you want to replace withered specimens, you can sometimes replace the soil in the planter. In the case of ailing petunias, watch out for signs of neck rot, as this is passed on through the potting soil.
When and how are petunias cut?
In order to prevent diseases, it is advisable to collect dead flowers every few days if possible. Most gardeners do not prune back petunias because they only cultivate them as annual balcony plants. If you want to try to overwinter, you should shorten the individual shoots to about 15 to 20 centimeters in length.
What diseases affect the petunia?
The following diseases are relatively common in petunia:
- Powdery mildew
- Chlorosis
- Neck rot
What should be considered for optimal fertilization of the petunias?
You can encourage growth and flower formation if you fertilize your petunias once or twice a week with a liquid fertilizer (preferably containing iron and phosphorus). During the winter, however, you should not fertilize at all, as new shoots do not get enough sunlight in winter and can show deficiency symptoms.
Can petunias be overwintered?
Under the right conditions, the generally very frost-sensitive petunias can also be overwintered. However, you should:
- Select a location that is sufficiently bright and has a uniform temperature of around 5 to 10 degrees Celsius
- water very sparingly
- Shorten the shoots to about 15 to 20 centimeters in length
- Do not fertilize during winter
Tips
If you don't want to do without the moisture-sensitive petunias on the terrace, you can also plant the similar-looking magic bells. These are less of a problem with frequent rain, and they come in the same variety of colors as petunias.
