Prune petunias

Author: Judy Howell
Date Of Creation: 3 July 2021
Update Date: 23 June 2024
Anonim
How to Prune Petunias
Video: How to Prune Petunias

Content

Flower pruning interrupts seed production and causes more flowers to grow. There are several ways to prune petunias, including plucking or cutting. Pruning them every few weeks or in the middle of summer will help them sprout and bloom longer.

To step

Method 1 of 2: Picking petunias short

  1. Check what kind of petunias you have in the garden. Look for the mark on the plant or the seed bags. If it is a new breed of petunias, such as Wave or Tidal Wave, then they do not need to be pruned.
    • Many new petunias have been developed to do little about anything. They grow nicely without pruning.
    • Wave and Tidal Wave petunias are more likely to be found at larger companies and garden centers than at farmers' markets.
  2. Pick the dead flowers. If you've never pruned a flower before, you may find it more comfortable to pick out the wilted flowers than to start cutting the plant itself. If you have more experience, move on to the next method.
  3. Stand close to the plant, such as when weeding. Wilted flowers can sometimes be difficult to distinguish and need to get your hands dirty. Avoid wearing thick gardening gloves, as you will likely damage the plant.
  4. Look for an overblown flower above a new flower. Raise 0.5 cm, or just above the bud. Grab it with your thumb and index finger and pull.
    • It should come off easily. Throw the flour into the compost.
  5. Repeat this for every dead flower on the same stem. Then move on to another stem. Herbaceous plants like the petunias can have dozens of flowers on a single stem, so schedule pruning every few weeks during the blooming season.
  6. Pinch off the growing buds during high summer. If you feel like your petunias are going limp, squeeze the growing tips off. Gently grasp the stem and locate the thickest bud at the top of a cluster of flowers.
    • Grab it with your thumb and forefinger and pluck it off. In this case, you are plucking a growing part of the plant instead of a dead part.
    • This pruning method will encourage flower buds to bloom below the pinched point. It will also make the plant look healthier and thicker.

Method 2 of 2: Prune petunias

  1. Let your petunias bloom. You should wait until the petunias get 6 or more hours of sun per day before pruning and are full of flowers. Only when the flowers start to wither can you start pruning.
  2. Make sure you have sharp pruning shears or kitchen scissors. Unlike pruning by hand, this is where the plant will benefit most from a sharp cut.
  3. Gently grasp one of the petunias' stems. Choose a stem with several fading flowers. Find a point just below all the dead flowers.
  4. Cut up to half of the stem with sharp scissors. If possible, prune under the majority of all wilted flowers.
    • While you should also prune healthy parts of the plant to encourage new growth, pruning will still help your petunias bloom longer.
  5. Prune a stalk from a small petunia, or 8 to 12 stems from a large hanging basket, every week. Regular pruning will help to avoid pruning all the stems at once, leaving them quite bare for several weeks.
    • From time to time you will need to cut a healthy, flowering stem. If a stem looks long and staky and has many withered flowers, sacrifice the healthy flower at the end of the stem so that the flower will bloom longer.
  6. Schedule a long pruning session during the middle of summer if you have not been able to do this weekly. If possible, do this before you go on vacation so that the petunias are in full bloom when you return.
  7. Fertilize the petunias with a liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks. Do this after pruning to promote growth.

Tips

  • Make sure your baskets and / or soil is well drained. Petunia plants will rot in standing water.
  • Water your petunias daily in full sun. Water and fertilizer will help them to grow back to full growth after pruning.

Necessities

  • Seed packets / markers
  • Pruning shears / scissors
  • Liquid fertilizer
  • Water