![]() ![]() Pelleted or plain, sow petunia seeds by gently pressing them into moist seed-starting mix. Petunia seeds are tiny, but seeds of elite strains are often sold in pelleted form, which makes them easier to handle. Tiny petunia seedlings need ten weeks to grow to transplanting size. When the plants start regrowing in spring, you can root 4-inch long (10cm) stems in moist seed starting mix to quickly increase your supply of plants. ![]() In mild winter climates, container-grown plants of these and other premium petunias can be trimmed back to 6 inches (15cm) in autumn, and held through winter in a semi-dormant state in an unheated garage or other protected space where they will not freeze. The same is true of ‘Kabloom’ calibrachoa, a hugely popular mini-petunia for containers. The seeds are not cheap, but neither are the plants, which makes them well worth growing from seed. I am especially fond of the ‘ Silver Tidal Wave’ variety, an All-America Selections winner from 2002, because it goes with everything and has noticeable evening fragrance. Super-vigorous ‘Wave’ petunias will form billowing clouds or carpets of color when kept fed and watered. There is much to love about heavy-blooming ‘Wave’ petunias, except perhaps their price. Image courtesy of All-America Selections Pricey Premium Petunias ‘Evening Scentsation’ is the perfect container plant for outdoor living areas. Expect no aroma during the early hours of the day, because petunias have strong circadian rhythms. If you are looking for fragrant petunias in other colors, the best strategy is to visit a garden center in the evening and give various selections a sniff. This is not the case with lilac blue ‘Evening Scentsation’, which is reliably fragrant during late afternoon and evening, and is best grown in pots stationed at nose level. Indigenous South American people thought the scent of petunias helped ward off evil spirits, and I agree that catching a sniff of the flowers’ sweet floral perfume feels like a blessing.įor years flower breeders placed priority on petunia color, such that many of today’s showiest petunias are fragrant only by accident. Petunias emit fragrance at dusk to attract the attention of night-flying moths, their preferred pollinators. The hundred-year-old ‘Balcony’ variety has a similar upright growth habit, which becomes more relaxed and vinelike as the plants age. ![]() Growing to 24 inches (61cm) tall, the rangy plants continue to bloom well into fall, and shed a generous crop of seeds. I first saw ‘ Old Fashioned Vining’ petunia in a church garden where it had grown for years. Heirloom ‘Old Fashioned Vining’ petunia tolerates cold and heat, and is a willing reseeder. ![]() Several wild species were intensely hybridized for decades, resulting in two heirloom petunia varieties developed a century ago that are still available today. Backyard gardeners loved how the pest-resistant flowers perfumed the evening air, which won the coarse, sticky plants a place in many dooryard gardens. The parent species of modern petunias are native to South America, and were introduced to the gardening world in the 1820s. I use the same fluorescent fixture I will use later in the spring for starting tomatoes. The tiny seeds are strong germinators, but the seedlings need a long head start, as in 10 weeks from seed to transplanting. I love picking up a few plants that catch my eye at the garden center in spring, but it’s also fun to grow uncommon petunias from seed. Long-blooming, deer-resistant, and available in almost every color, petunias are the most popular bedding plant in the world. ![]()
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