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What kind of petunias?
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Posted by
msrose zone8TX (
My Page) on
Sun, Mar 31, 13 at 12:02
| I'm thinking about planting petunias in my front yard, which is something I've never tried. I googled petunias and read that it's better to stick with the wave petunias or other crawling varieties because they don't have to be pinched back to continue blooming. I was at Calloways and Lowes yesterday and didn't see any that were described as Wave or crawling. Is that really what I should look for? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: What kind of petunias?
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- Posted by zenman Ottawa KS 5b (My Page) on
Sun, Mar 31, 13 at 23:17
| Look for the name "Wave". You probably won't see the word "crawling". |
RE: What kind of petunias?
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| You might also want to look at which kind of "wave" petunia you want. Link at bottom. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Wave petunias
RE: What kind of petunias?
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| 'Supertunia ' is another trademarked name to look for. If you can't find 'Wave ' petunias, you should complain to the management. |
RE: What kind of petunias?
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| in my world.. warped as it is.. one cell pack of every type.. and every color.. and experiment for yourself ... dont forget to put some in planters.. hanging baskets ... i mean really.. you may as well get carried away .. lol ... ken |
RE: What kind of petunias?
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| I did see supertunia yesterday, but I didn't know what it meant. Will that be similar to wave? ken - I do have a tendancy to get carried away when I try a new plant :) |
RE: What kind of petunias?
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msrose,You won't go wrong getting the supertunias.I love,love,Vista Bubblegum.Supertunias,Avalanche& there are others that perform like the Waves,just newer versions.Any of these are great. Course I happen to love all petunias
Rose,Iowa |
RE: What kind of petunias?
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You would just love supertunia Vista Bubblegum.It is one of my favorites.
Petunias are my favorite annuals.If I could only have 2 kinds of flowers it would be petunias & zinnias.
Rose Iowa |
RE: What kind of petunias?
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| I love mixing the little white blooms of the shockwave with a larger (say original wave) dark bloom. Looks stunning....add in some lobelia or bacopa for the extra texture :) love it lol. You can't go wrong. |
RE: What kind of petunias?
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| I love Wave petunias.....I get carried away every year. Here in SC our Lowe's, Home Depot, and Walmart all see Wave but they don't get them at the beginning if the season. If I want them early I have to go to a local nursery. Ask your Lowe's when they expect to get them in. In my experience the nursery isn't any more expensive when it comes to Wave so you might want to check for a nursery in your area. I think the Wave website a previous poster listed has a list if sellers. |
RE: What kind of petunias?
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| I went to Lowes and HD yesterday and they're finally starting to get the Wave, Supertunia, and Vista in. The selection was still limited, so hopefully they will get more in the next week or two. The majority of what I'm seeing so far are some type of no name petunia. Is it a bad idea to get those? Are they the type that have to be pinched back? |
RE: What kind of petunias?
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| msrose by "pinched back" do you mean deadheading or removing spent blossoms? |
RE: What kind of petunias?
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Yes, I think that's what I meant :)
I actually read somewhere online that the wave petunias don't have to be pinched back like the old fashioned type of petunias. |
RE: What kind of petunias?
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| Dead-heading and pinching back are two different things. Dead-heading is simply removing the flowers after they have wilted. it keeps them from forming seeds which keeps the plant alive and growing longer, since making seeds is its primary focus. Pinching back is cutting off the growing tips of the plant, which encourages it to branch out and form more shoots, which then make for a bushier plant with more flowers. Waves will supposedly do fine without dead-heading or pinching back - but doing some of both will contribute to a fuller longer living plant. |
RE: What kind of petunias?
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| msrose, Mandolls gave some very good information and definitions. While they claim to need neither, pinching back and dead heading early will pay dividends later in the year. There is a wealth of information on pinching back on google. I like to dead head and remove seed pods at least once a week from my waves. If you don't the seed pods will dry out and release seeds onto the ground. It is often a surprise to what color will sprout back. |
RE: What kind of petunias?
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| I hate to be a negative voice amongst all this enthusiasm....but I don't see a single responder from the deep south, which Texas most definitely is. Here in central Mississippi, petunias are a spring and early summer annual only. When the temps climb into the nineties and stay, petunias, even Waves, supers, etc. disappear. They cannot take the kind of heat that our climate always dishes out. You should still grow them now, but I just thought you should know that you need to plan to replace them.. Sorry. |
RE: What kind of petunias?
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| Uh oh! I didn't even notice everyone's location. I bought some today, so I guess I'll find out how long they last for me. |
RE: What kind of petunias?
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| My petunias usually fizzle out by July. Rarely a til frost annual for me. |
RE: What kind of petunias?
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| donnabaskets & bumblebeez - What annuals do you find last all summer? I was originally going to try vincas, but decided petunias were prettier. Maybe I'll try them next year. |
RE: What kind of petunias?
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Vincas are great! They will definitely last all summer planted in the ground. One of my favorites.
Other standbys for me: dragon and angel wing begonias (may over winter), lantana, marigolds, impatiens, bush and narrow leaf zinnias, Victoria blue saliva (may over winter) are a few.
Some petunia varieties MIGHT make it through the summer. Maybe, if they never dry out: Wave, Supertunia and Superbell varieties specifically. I swore I would never buy another petunia, but I usually give in to a few because they are so pretty! |
RE: What kind of petunias?
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| I agree with Bumblebeez list except for marigolds. I find that in our high heat they quickly succumb to spider mites. I love them though. Usually start some from seed the first week of July so that I have fresh plants to plug into my borders in September when the weather cools down some. They are great substitutes for chrysanthemums. In addition to her list, I would add Angelonia and pentas, (especially the old fashioned tall ones), portulaca, sweet potato vines, torenia, cuban gold durantas, scaveola, gomphrenas, Mystic Spires salvia (sometimes are perennial), and cleome. Cleome doesn't usually make it much past July, but it self seeds. Zinnas do very well for me until about August, when they start to look ratty. See above note on marigolds. Vinca looks good till frost.There are so many new kinds of these to try that it will take me years to use them all! |
RE: What kind of petunias?
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I agree with your list too Donna, I just got tired of typing! Love, Love, love Mystic Spires salvia. In most cases, long lasting perennials do as well as many annuals.
I plant marigolds all around the base of my tomato cages, 2 per cage and I have about ten cages, and sometimes at the end of the season, dh and I both think the best crop were the marigolds! They really work at keeping the bugs away too. However, they definitely need moist soil. |
RE: What kind of petunias?
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| I'm in Central Florida so perhaps more comparable to the OP's climate. In searching for plants that will survive and thrive in my area I look at Texas recommendations (as well as my own state's, of course). It was there I discovered Laura Bush petunias, "bred for Texas heat and humidity". I bought seeds from Wildflower Farms in spring 2005 and the plants have been blooming and reseeding for me since. I highly recommend them. Other gardeners also tout their attributes. At the time I bought my seeds, there was only a magenta color available. There is now a bright pink also. There are over 200 messages on Gardenweb pertaining to this petunia, some of which you might find helpful. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Laura Bush petunia seeds
RE: What kind of petunias?
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| Thanks, juneroses! I can't believe I've never heard of Laura Bush petunia seeds. |
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