Potunia or else Petunia originated from South America. There are many combinations of colors that you can choose from when you will buy your petunia. Apart from the amazing colors, there are different sizes and shapes too.
Which ones you’ll choose depends on where you’ll place them. You can place petunia anywhere you want to. You can use it to fill in borders and even have beds with great colors. Its blooms have the shape of a trumpet and they are very pretty flowers.
Below we are going to give you tips in order to know what a petunia plant needs in order to grow. You will choose the color or colors that you like the most. Don’t forget that you can combine different colors and create something amazing.
Four Types of Potunia
There are 4 petunia types which include all the different types that exist out there and that you can have in your garden.
Characteristics Of Potunia
Potunia can grow best in heat zones from 12 to 1. Its height can vary from 25cm to 45.7cm. The width can also vary from 25cm to 45.7cm too. It is a low-maintenance plant, which means that wherever you decide to keep it, it won’t require many things from you.
This plant requires full sun in order to grow. It can also tolerate drought and no matter what the weather is like, with proper care it will be able to hold up in different weather conditions.
How to Grow Potunias
Potunia is a fast-growing plant. The pH of the soil when you will plant it needs to be rich and little moist because as we mentioned before it is an easy plant to grow. The soil when you will plant it needs to have good drainage before you plant it water the soil in order to check it.
It needs to receive from 6 to 8 hours of sunlight, every day. When you will plant them leave 10 inches from one to the other. You should water petunia but don’t overdo it. The soil that you will plant it needs to be moist, for this reason, you can fertilize it every week.
If you are planning to keep petunia in a pot, then the same things apply. Make sure that you’ll use a commercial potting mix. Also, when you water it always remember to empty the water tray. It is a type of plant that can grow even if the environment isn’t the best one.
Potunia in Baskets
If you have potunia that grows in a basket you should have the following things in mind. You should make sure that the pots will have at least a drainage hole. Use your commercial potting mix to fill the pots and also mix a slow-release fertilizer.
Water it when you realize that the soil on the top seems to be dry. During the summer months, you might need to water it 2 times due to the heat. Empty the tray, as we mentioned before because you don’t want fungus to be created.
If you water and fertilize it, it will last throughout the season. If you start noticing that it fades remove the wilted flowers. You should cut it back by about half in order to ensure that it will continue to bloom.
Diseases and Pests
Even though petunia is a type of plant that can tolerate all the climate types, there are specific pests that can cause a bit of a problem. Some of them are caterpillars, mites, spider mites, and thrips.
Caterpillars chew the foliage and can cause damage in no time. The good thing is that you spot them easily and remove them. When you do that use a bucket with hot water place them inside and once you finish with all of them empty the bucket, place them in a bag, seal it and throw them. If you see that they insist then you should use an insecticide.
Mites and spider mites are cousins. The mites are microscopic pests that suck the juices of the plant. If you notice that the leaves of the plant change their colors then you should spray them with neem oil. You should do the same with the spider mites. You will spot them by the small webs that they create.
Thrips look like ants. They can carry viruses and as a result, the flowers of petunia will have white spots and the leaves will be destroyed too. You can apply neem oil too and you can use insecticidal soap.
Some of the diseases are the viruses, the powdery mildew, and the root, stem and crown rots. The viruses can affect petunia in different ways. The leaves can have yellow spots, halos, and mosaics.
Viruses can’t be treated so you should take really good care of it and if you suspect that there is a virus prune it in order to prolong its life. Always check your plant carefully.
The powdery mildew can happen if you don’t leave the right space between the plants. Leave 10 inches as we mentioned before. If you don’t do that then the airflow won’t be dispersed as it should. As a result, you will find powdery spots that will cover the plant. You should use neem oil and leave space between them.
Rot stem and crown rots happen when you over-water your petunia. The leaves and the roots will start to rot. If something like this happens, then start watering less frequently or you can even re-plant them. It all depends on the damage that might happen.
Petunias are well-known flowers that every garden and house should have. Below we gave you tips on how to plant them whether you want to keep them in your garden or in baskets. You will decide which is the right place for you.
They have different varieties and different colors. From white to purple and there are different combinations of colors too. This means that you can have different varieties. The best thing about this plant is that it doesn’t require a lot of care.
You should take care of it and keep in mind the pests and diseases that might exist. If you give it proper care then it will last for a long time and it will give you great fragrant blossoms that you will be able to enjoy all year long.
Follow our tips and you will have great potuniathat your friends, family and you will enjoy. Remember gardening should be fun and you should enjoy every minute of planting your beautiful flowers. Relax and have a lot of fun.
