From large, sweeping landscape beds to
a few pots on a balcony, petunias reliably provide a long blooming season.
These durable annuals, available in almost every color imaginable, can
be used in a variety of ways to enhance any garden or terrace.
Several types of petunias are available, and it's important to choose
the right ones for your garden. Grandifloras grow from eight to twelve
inches high and have large, wavy-edged blossoms that may be single or double.
Multifloras have smaller, single blooms, but their habit of growth is more
prolific and compact. Millifloras have very small flowers -about one inch
across-and a compact habit of growth. Cascade types can have single or
double flowers, but spread to about eighteen inches. These petunias are
best suited for hanging baskets and window boxes.
Petunias prefer full sun and well-drained soil, but they also perform
well in partial shade. They can tolerate drier soils and will actually
get "leggy" if given too much water. They're equally at home when used
as container plants or bedding plants. If you want them to continue to
bloom prolifically and look compact, it's a good practice to remove dead
flowers and periodically trim back the plants a few inches.
One of the most common pests of petunias is the budworm caterpillar.
These small green worms appear in late June and July. You won't often see
the worm itself. Instead, you'll see the droppings, which often are described
as small black seeds. The worms feed on the flower buds, making small holes
in the buds and the leaves.
These caterpillars are difficult to control but Dipel, Thuricide, Talstar
and Scimitar are reasonably effective insecticides. Sevin and Diazinon
aren't effective, because budworms have become resistant to them. If left
unchecked, the presence of the caterpillars will cause petunias to stop
blooming.
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