Specialty Gardening: Petunia for 2008, 1 by joannabanana

joannabanana wrote:
The last few years, I have had great success with starting petunias indoors in March. This year I almost lost all of them when my heater shut off in the greenhouse, but they all bounced back. We had an aweful spring with snow & cold temps into mid-May and then several weeks of cloudy rainy days. It's been cool temperatures throughout the summer, but enough sun to get the blooms.

I am the worst dead-header, so the wave series work well for me since they seem to continually have loads of buds & bloom. As seedlings, I fertilize with a diluted mix of fish fertilizer. When planting in containers or the flower beds, I use Smart-Cote slow release fertilizer. In August, started now, I fertilize with Miracle Grow Ultra Bloom every 2 weeks. This will keep them going strong until a killing frost, which was in Oct last year.

This year, all of the seeds were Pelleted and from Stokes, except for the Fantasy Mix which was 100 seeds in the pack. All germinated very well.

Here's my summary. All were "Trailing Petunias"

Wave: Lots of blooms. Trails very nicely
Easy Wave: Seemed to be more blooms, but smaller plant
Shock Wave: Smaller flowers than the Waves, but just as profuse with blooms
Baby Duck: More upright than the Shock waves & slightly bigger flower, but not as big as the Waves
Fantasy: Profuse bloom, same size flower as the shock waves but much smaller plant & more upright
Ramblin' White: More upright than Waves. Profuse Blooms and the only True White petunia
Ramblin' Red: Same & a very Fire Engine Red
Tital Wave: Huge plants with lots of blooms. Most in fushia colors, even though the color is Cherry & Purple.
Grape Avalanche: Coolest color. Little bigger flower size than Waves, doesn't spill over the pot as much as the waves, but way more blooms.
Razzleberry Mix: more upright than waves, lots of blooms, very nice rich colors.

All seem ok with little or no deadheading.

That's it, the 2008 summary. I am happy with all & would start all by seed again.

pic is of Supertunia Cherry Vista (not available in seed). planted 5 seedlings in 14" pot