All About the Petunia Flower
Petunias are pretty and are often chosen to hang from a planter on a porch. They are related to other plants, like tobacco, fruits like tomatoes, goose berries and flowers like the deadly nightshade. Originally, they were discovered in South America but have made their way around most continents of the globe since then. Today, most petunias are hybrids. The meaning of a petunia is not quite as flattering as the flower’s beauty. Resentment is one meaning, along with anger, if you place any importance on the flower’s meaning. The alternative meaning is wanting the comfort of another person.
Description of the Petunia Flower
Petunias come in many beautiful colors. To plant them in a planter, you can mix several colors of petunias together to make a beautiful palette of colors. They are annuals and come in different size flowers, from the smallest one of about one inch diameter to the largest size flower of about four inches in diameter. Almost all of them are hybrid in order to make them easier to grow in different soils and temperatures. The flowers of the petunia are vulnerable to be eaten by the corn earworm and other insects. Once they are growing, they require very little maintenance. Petunias bloom all summer long.
Uses for Petunia
Petunias can be placed into lovely floral arrangements. You can get an arrangement of just large flowers, only small flowers, or you can mix them in a lovely combination. In hanging baskets, they are superb to brighten any porch. Hey are also gorgeous when planted in window boxes. You can have a rainbow of colors in your view every time you look out a window. In a garden setting, petunias will thrive and will make a fabulous addition to the plants and flowers you already have there. In general, petunias are not prone to too many diseases or to insect damage. You will have to be a little careful about seeds rotting while they are germinating. This is called “damping-off” disease. Moisture and temperature control will prevent most of these disease occurrences.
Growing Petunia
It is a relatively tough plant. The petunia can tolerate steep climate fluctuations. It does need a minimum of five hours of sunlight every day and likes a moist soil but humidity that is low. It needs water sparingly, only once every 2 – 5 days. Fertilizing is a good idea, about once every four weeks. They can be grown in your garden as well as in a hanging planter. Larger petal petunias, like the Grandiflora, lend themselves better to hanging baskets. To get the plant to grow bushier, you may want to consider deadheading Petunias are usually grown indoors for the first six weeks from little seeds before they are planted outside. Do not take them outside to plant before temperatures in the soil have reached at least sixty degrees. When you plant your petunias, try not to disturb the soil around the tender plants very much because that may be damaging to them.