Petunia: The Perfect Flowers for Dry Climates

Did you know there’s a variety of petunia that can change colours throughout the day? Thanks to anthocyanins and there are many more such varieties. These are not only known for their beautiful flowers but also for the pretty foliage they provide. Everyone loves this double-coloured flower; it is perfect for dry climates. 

Origin of petunias

Petunia originate from South America and hence are more of low humidity loving plants. The name is derived from the local South American language that roughly translates to ‘Tobacco’. However, it is not tobacco but comes from the Tobacco family (Solanaceae). 

Varieties of petunias

There are 20 species of petunias grown all over the world, some are local while some are hybrid. The local varieties are more sturdy and give more flowers while hybrids are prettier. 

How to care for petunia?

As simple as it is to grow them, a simple rule for any plant to thrive is to create an environment that is similar to its habitat. For petunia, it is to create a dry environment with less humidity, moist soil and sunny surroundings. 

Water:  

Petunias like to stay in moist soil but hate water logging. So avoid overwatering. These plants are more forgiving towards underwatering. Water when the top soil is dry and do not water on the flowers. As it would lead to fungus attack or plant rot. 

Make sure to keep petunia away or under shade during monsoons as too much rainwater is absolutely bad for the plant. So if you are planning to plant petunia on the ground, keep in mind how they would survive heavy monsoons. 

Light:

Petunias love sunlight the brighter the light, the more flowers it will give. Make sure the light is not harsh as that would lead to the burning of leaves. A minimum of 5-6 hours of sunlight is required for petunias to grow bushy and give immense bright-coloured flowers. Growing petunia under the shade will result in lesser flowering. 

Temperature:

These hardy plants can tolerate various temperatures, from 5°C to 35°C. However, during frosting season it’s better to bring the plant indoors or add a cover over them. In intense summers, mist and water the plants more often to keep the temperature cool around them. 

Humidity:

Petunia are not favourable to high levels of humidity. It might lead to fungus attack or plant rot. However, extremely low levels of humidity will also lead to wilting of flowers and no growth. So it’s better to keep the plant in a sunny and dry area throughout the year. 

Soil and pot: 

A well-draining soil made of equal parts of cow dung manure, kitchen compost, cocopeat and garden soil along with some sand should work well for petunias. 

Shallow pots are best for this plant. Petunia have shallow roots and don’t require deep planters to grow. These plants grow more horizontally. A deep pot will simply keep the soil wet for too long and could lead to root rot. A simple terracotta pot or any planter with proper drainage holes is acceptable to petunias. 

Fertilizing: 

These easy-going plants don’t require heavy fertilizing despite their immense flowering. These plants love a good amount of balanced fertiliser. It helps in bud formation and also foliage growth. 

Monthly NPK fertiliser 2gm/litre of water works well. 

Once the buds start to form, reduce fertilising to almost half the amount as the plants will not be able to use it that much anymore. 

Pruning:

Deadheading that is pruning the plant once a year is recommended as it leads to more branching and better growth of the plant. 

Pest and disease control:

Spider mites and mealybugs love petunia more than we do and attract them easily. 

The key to keeping a plant pest-free is keeping it healthy. Plants have their own mechanism and function to protect themselves from pests and predators. That’s why plants in the wild survive so well. This defence mechanism in constricted environments (pots and inside homes) becomes a bit weak. And if the plant is not healthy, they cannot protect themselves. 

Aphid attack-

Aphids are tiny black or white flies-like pests. They usually hide under the leaves and devour flower buds leading to damaged flowers and leaves growing. Using neem oil diluted with water (2ml/litre) every 3-4 days until they’re not seen anywhere. 

Make sure to spray in every nook and corner of the plant. 

Spider mites/mealy bugs:

Use rubbing/ isopropyl alcohol directly on the mealy bugs, this melts their outer coating thus exposing them to air and they die away. 

An alternate option includes using neem oil 2ml/litre of water or liquid soap 2ml/litre of water as a spray. Use this mix every 2-3 days as long as the pests are no more.

Make sure to spray every nook and corner of petunia leaves apart from the flowers as these notorious pests hide well. 

In case, these homemade remedies don’t work, Imidacloprid an insecticide can be used in 0.5gms/litre of water every 5-6 days till no pests are found. Make sure to cover your eyes, hands and mouth while using chemical insecticides. Especially when using higher doses of these substances. It is highly recommended to Not use this chemical if you have pets or children at home. 

How to get petunias bushy? 

One simple trick is to pinch off spent flowers and allow them to branch more. That leads to more flowering. Fertilizing regularly also helps give more flowers. Overall, if the plant is healthy it will surely flower immensely. 

How to keep petunia blooming?

Petunias bloom every winter so preparing the plant before winter is essential for it to bloom more. 

Petunias are winter’s star plant. Easy to grow hanging plant and not at all fussy. Make sure that it stays healthy and you’ll have immense flowering. Happy growing!