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Petunia Hedgiflora (Tidal Wave Cherry)
Hi all! Since buying a house about 6 months ago after living in apartments for 10+ years, I've suddenly taken an interest in all things green. I've planted some petunias of the Tidal Wave Cherry kind beside the house and am having mixed results. Probably within 2 days of first planting them, the flowers up and died. Knowing next to nothing about how plants work, I considered pulling the whole bit up but I'm glad I didn't. It turns out that the leafy part was still alive, but the flowers had basically closed up and shrivelled away as far as I can tell. About a week later, the flowers were coming back and I thought great, maybe they'll start to spread like I want 'em to. But no, about half a week later, those flowers died, too. This cycle has been repeating itself over and over since I first planted the petunias about 2 months ago. What gives? Are they rain sensitive? I've noticed the flowers tend to disappear after a rain. Are they not getting enough sun? I planted them beside the house next to the fence, they probably only see about 2-3 hours of sun per day at most, the rest is shade. I don't think bugs are a culprit, there was nothing growing in that plot of land for a good while before I put the petunias and heather there. The soil is kind of 'clay-ish' but not clay itself. I'm giving it some Miracle Gro plant food every 2 weeks, one capful to the soil. Or is this all normal and I'm not being patient enough? |
Petunia Hedgiflora (Tidal Wave Cherry)
Most petunias are very rain-sensitive -- the flowers often get damaged
from rainfall but then grow back quickly. The are full-sun plants, though, for the most part, so they might not be getting enough sun where you've got them. Also, you say you are adding "a capful of Miracle-Gro to the soil" -- is that directly to the soil (undiluted)? If you are using the concentrate form, I would definitely stop doing that. That stuff needs to be watered in using the correct dilution rate. Good luck -- hope this helps! == pelirojaroja Me Again wrote in message . .. Hi all! Since buying a house about 6 months ago after living in apartments for 10+ years, I've suddenly taken an interest in all things green. I've planted some petunias of the Tidal Wave Cherry kind beside the house and am having mixed results. Probably within 2 days of first planting them, the flowers up and died. Knowing next to nothing about how plants work, I considered pulling the whole bit up but I'm glad I didn't. It turns out that the leafy part was still alive, but the flowers had basically closed up and shrivelled away as far as I can tell. About a week later, the flowers were coming back and I thought great, maybe they'll start to spread like I want 'em to. But no, about half a week later, those flowers died, too. This cycle has been repeating itself over and over since I first planted the petunias about 2 months ago. What gives? Are they rain sensitive? I've noticed the flowers tend to disappear after a rain. Are they not getting enough sun? I planted them beside the house next to the fence, they probably only see about 2-3 hours of sun per day at most, the rest is shade. I don't think bugs are a culprit, there was nothing growing in that plot of land for a good while before I put the petunias and heather there. The soil is kind of 'clay-ish' but not clay itself. I'm giving it some Miracle Gro plant food every 2 weeks, one capful to the soil. Or is this all normal and I'm not being patient enough? |
Petunia Hedgiflora (Tidal Wave Cherry)
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Petunia Hedgiflora (Tidal Wave Cherry)
"Me Again" wrote in message ... Probably within 2 days of first planting them, the flowers up and died. Knowing next to nothing about how plants work, I considered pulling the whole bit up but I'm glad I didn't. It turns out that the leafy part was still alive, but the flowers had basically closed up and shrivelled away as far as I can tell. About a week later, the flowers were coming back and I thought great, maybe they'll start to spread like I want 'em to. But no, about half a week later, those flowers died, too. Petunia flowers last a very short time BUT, if you pluck the wilted pedals along with the stem they are attached to the main stem with, to halt seed production, they will give a continuous blanket of blooms from spring to frost. Never water the tops, only watering at ground level. With heavy rain you may lose most blooms for a couple of days, but then the new buds are opening for a new full blanket. Again, the secret to petunias is keeping the wilted blooms picked off along with a part of the stem to prevent seed production. Tom J |
Petunia Hedgiflora (Tidal Wave Cherry)
Me Again wrote:
Hi all! Since buying a house about 6 months ago after living in apartments for 10+ years, I've suddenly taken an interest in all things green. I've planted some petunias of the Tidal Wave Cherry kind beside the house and am having mixed results. Probably within 2 days of first planting them, the flowers up and died. Knowing next to nothing about how plants work, I considered pulling the whole bit up but I'm glad I didn't. It turns out that the leafy part was still alive, but the flowers had basically closed up and shrivelled away as far as I can tell. About a week later, the flowers were coming back and I thought great, maybe they'll start to spread like I want 'em to. But no, about half a week later, those flowers died, too. This cycle has been repeating itself over and over since I first planted the petunias about 2 months ago. What gives? Are they rain sensitive? I've noticed the flowers tend to disappear after a rain. Are they not getting enough sun? I planted them beside the house next to the fence, they probably only see about 2-3 hours of sun per day at most, the rest is shade. I don't think bugs are a culprit, there was nothing growing in that plot of land for a good while before I put the petunias and heather there. The soil is kind of 'clay-ish' but not clay itself. I'm giving it some Miracle Gro plant food every 2 weeks, one capful to the soil. Or is this all normal and I'm not being patient enough? Wave (r) Petunias don't go to seed, and do not need to be pinched. They will close-up in rain or overhead watering. They also should be planted in full sun. Planting them where they only get 2-3 hours of sun a day you'd be lucky to get a flush of flowers at all, let alone have those flushes come close enough to look like continuous blooming. You also won't get the growth and spreading that's bragged about in the ads. Toss in less than ideal soil conditions, and I'd say you're doing darn well considering everything! As for the pre-diluted Miracle Gro, you're darn right it's more expensive. That bottle is primarily water. You're likely paying even more than if you diluted the concentrate with the most expensive bottled water you can find. BTW-- When you do find a sunny spot to grow petunias, don't waste your money on the Wave (r) Petunias. There are other low-maintenance varieties out there that don't need to be pinched, and they may be less expensive than the heavily marketed Wave (r). And if you've got the time to pinch, you may find that the cheapest flat of petunias will do just fine, and probably cost 1/4 (or less) the price of the Wave (r). Just remember that petunias need more sun than 2-3 hours a day, and they will do better in a loamy soil (as just about anything will) than a very "clay-ish" soil. If you can do what you did with shade and bad soil, you'll have amazing results with better conditions even without buying the brand named petunias. -- Warren H. ========== Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife. Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants to go outside now. Blatant Plug: Support me at: http://www.holzemville.com/mall/ |
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