ANNUALS > PETUNIA > PRUNING
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PETUNIA GUIDES
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Low on criminal maintenance needs but high on visual impact , petunias are favoured in garden throughout the country for the profusion of colourful flower they produce and the ease with which they can be cared for .
With ample sun , water and drain , they ’ll flourish in any environment .
Having say that , pruning genus Petunia plant is a necessary means of maximising their appeal .
As well as deadheading drop flush to boost a longer and more prolific blossoming season , you should also trim back long , leggy or damage stem to serve keep the flora ’s shape and structure .
While the plant will survive without regular pruning , it certainly wo n’t bet its best , which is a shame throw the undemanding nature of the undertaking and the fantastic potential of petunias .
Here ’s how you may achieve that potential in four soft measure :
I ’ve clarified each stage in greater item below and also excuse a small more about the good meter to cut back your genus Petunia choice .
When To Prune Petunias
Strictly verbalise , it ’s not 100 % necessary to prune your Petunia more than once during the grow season .
However , I care to do so 3 times in decree to advance maximal performance and retain an optimal structure for the works .
My first pruning session carry billet at the outset of July , once the petunias have enjoyed their former summer spurt of growth .
I ’ll then revisit the works in mid - August and then in mid - September , survey the same cognitive process each time .
Be mindful that deadheading is a unlike proposition altogether and is a subject we ’ve extend inits own separate pathfinder .
1) Prepare Your Tools
A uncollectible workman may find fault his tools , but a dependable gardener cares for his .
Taking the time to focus and cleanse the blade of your secateurs or pruning shears can ensure you make clean cuts and forbid the spread of kingdom Fungi or disease .
in person , I like to dismantle my secateurs when sharpening them .
Although this is not rigorously necessary , it does make the chore easier and safe .
I then fix their position in a frailty , before using a single file to heighten the blades .
eventually , I ’ll wipe them down with a white textile soaked in isopropyl alcoholic drink to remove any impurities leave behind and voila !
They are uninfected and ready for role .
“ After every purpose of my secateurs , I clean off the cosh before it dries on , use a okay focus stone to work the sharpness and then oil the blades and springiness , ” says Horticultural Consultant Colin Skelly .
‘ Every calendar month , I ’ll use a coarser stone on the sword . This ensure a penetrating cutting off , sporty pruning cuts , and a prompt job that is well-off on the hands and articulatio radiocarpea – let the shaft do the work ! ”
2) Deadhead Spent Blooms
Petunias are one of the many types of flowering plant which will benefit vastly from deadheading on a regular basis .
That ’s because removing the whole flush , include the seed pod , divert vigour off from seed product and back into flowering .
With that in mind , I recommend deadheading spent efflorescence as often as your prefer cultivar requires .
See our guide to deadheading for more exhaustive entropy .
3) Remove Leggy Stems
With your deadheading schedule underway , it ’s fourth dimension to tackle pruning properly as soon as July come .
If your plant has had its need satisfied thus far , it will have enjoyed impressive growth during May and June , so it ’s a good musical theme to trim back long , leggy or drooping stems to keep it in shape .
Once I have identified a stem in motivation of attention , I ’ll normally strip it by half its length .
This will ensure a tight and compendious physical body for the plant , put up to an overall dandy and sizable esthetic .
When pruning , take charge not to bare a stem back to any less than 5 cm from its Qaeda and do not remove more than 33 % of the whole plant at a time , as this can be damaging .
4) Compost Any Trimmings
Finally , you ’ll require to leave the petunia plant in the best state possible to come back stronger .
This signify assemble up all of the stems , flower heads and leafage you have just severed and disposing of them in your compost heap .
This will promote salutary airwave circulation and reduce the risk of disease .
you may process the industrial plant with an all - role plant food containing equal parts nitrogen , phosphorous and atomic number 19 , spraying the soil to enrich its nourishing intake .
Failing that , I have found that mulching the base withmanure or well - molder compostis another in force way to kick upstairs regrowth after crop .
