Potting soil enriched with fertilizer will provide enough nutrients for most petunia plants growing indoors, but those grown in unamended potting soil benefit from light feeding during the warmer months.įeed with a low-nitrogen liquid fertilizer such as 7-9-5 or 10-20-10, which will help the plant bloom. In winter, provide just enough water to keep the soil from pulling away from the sides of the pots and to prevent the plant from wilting. Reduce watering during the autumn and winter months when conditions are cooler and less bright. Provide potted petunias with a deep drink of water whenever the soil feels dry just below the surface. So do not place the petunia too near an unshaded south-facing window because it may get too hot. Too much heat can cause wilting and foliage discoloration, however. This settles the plants in, drives out air pockets and results in good root-to-soil contact.Ĭut scraggly petunia plants back by half in late summer to spur growth and encourage new flowers to form. Petunias need full sun to bloom. Position a potted petunia plant indoors near a window with southern, western or eastern exposure. Fill with soil to the top of the root ball. Press soil down firmly with your hand leaving a slight depression around the plant to hold water. Water thoroughly, so that a puddle forms in the saucer you have created. After the growing season, a soil test will indicate what soil amendments are needed for the following season. Plants should stand 6 to 12 inches apart in the garden. Dig a hole for each plant large enough to amply accommodate the root ball. Place the top of the root ball even with the level of the surrounding soil. If compost is not available, top dress the soil after planting with 1-2 inches of organic mulch, which will begin to breakdown into compost. Compost is a wonderful form of organic matter with a good balance of nutrients and an ideal pH level, it can be added to your planting area at any time. Level with a rake to remove clumps of grass and stones. Most plants respond well to soils amended with organic matter. Select a location in full sun with good rich moist, well-drained organic soil. Prepare the bed by turning the soil under to a depth of 8 inches. This hardening off process toughens the plant’s cell structure and reduces transplant shock and scalding. If frost threatens at night, cover or bring containers indoors, then take them out again in the morning. Be sure to protect them from wind and hot sun at first. Accustom young plants to outdoor conditions by moving them to a sheltered place outside for a week. Most plants require a dark period to grow, do not leave lights on for 24 hours. Thin to one seedling per cell when they have two sets of leaves. Seedlings do not need much fertilizer, feed when they are 3-4 weeks old using a starter solution (half strength of a complete indoor houseplant food) according to manufacturer’s directions. Transplant hardened-off seedlings to the garden after the frost.īefore planting in the garden, seedling plants need to be “hardened off”. Incandescent bulbs will not work for this process because they will get too hot. Raise the lights as the plants grow taller. Do not cover with soil. Keep the soil moist at 70-75 degrees. Seedlings emerge in 10-14 days.Īs soon as seedlings emerge, provide plenty of light on a sunny windowsill or grow seedlings 3-4 inches beneath fluorescent plant lights turned on 16 hours per day, off for 8 hours at night. Sow petunia seeds indoors 8 weeks before last frost using a seed starting kit. Sow seeds thinly and barely press into seed starting formula. Petunias may be grown from seed sown early indoors and transplanted outside after frost, or from potted plants.
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