How to grow Petunias. Graham Rice explains how to grow them from seed and chooses the best varieties for ideal and less than ideal conditions. In warm, sunny areas petunias are amongst the most showy and reliable summer bedding plants. Check the seeds daily for emerging seedlings, this normally takes about two weeks. Petunia seeds germinate quite easily and do not need a high temperature. Although petunias are easy to grow outdoors from transplants, they may prove more challenging for beginning gardeners to start from seed. HOW TO GROW PETUNIA FROM SEED. You can also purchase plants from online and local nurseries and garden supply stores, although this cultivar is admittedly more difficult to come by than petunias of other colors. Remember to water them. How to Start Petunia Seeds ... A petunia plant is an annual flower that is difficult to grow from seed due to its small seed size. Here is how you grow petunias from seed: 1. The seedlings need bright light to grow well. There also is no need for consumers to dead head the flowers. A lot of seed-raised petunias at that time would be done for by late August. You should wait until after the last spring frost to move them outdoors. If you’ve never sowed your own petunias before, or haven’t had wild success, the tips below should be helpful. Petunia seeds are very small (dust-like!) So to get them under control you’ll need a three-part approach: Pull up as many as you can. There is a Petunia for every type of summer display and they are available in every colour and colour combination imaginable. How to Grow Night Sky Petunias. Do not cover the seeds with more compost but cover the container with cling film. And the fragrance! Petunia seeds are small but easy to handle. A definite Yes! Wave and Tidal Wave petunias are more likely to be available from large seed companies and garden … Hardy Geraniums are rapidly increasing in popularity as trouble-free garden plants. Mexican petunias grow both from seed and those thick, short roots that grow sideways, called rhizomes. In late summer / early fall we collect seed pods from many different cultivars. Or, you can try planting the seeds directly into the ground. Bright, beautiful and overflowing as youthful dreams, petunias are a summer staple. If your container grown petunias have lush foliage and less or no flowers, you may need to apply fertilizer that is low in nitrogen. How to grow Petunias from Seeds. Petunias are raised from petunia seeds sown in pots or boxes of finely sifted soil in February or March in a greenhouse temperature of 55-60 degrees. It might be worth the challenge to grow petunias from seed, especially if you're trying for a particular variety. 5. Find the seeds or the plant markers. Similar to many other annual flowering plants, petunias produce a large quantity of viable seeds. Pull them all the way up, roots and all, and dispose of them. How to Grow Petunias From Seed in a Hanging Basket. Give Them Plenty of Light . Some are grown in containers perched by the front door steps, and trailing types of petunias are in hanging baskets giving a stunning decorative display. Can I Grow Petunias? Its branching habit makes an excellent 4-inch pot with a quick turn on the bench. One of the economical ways to fill your garden with Wave Petunias is to grow your own plants from seed. Fill a seed tray with a good potting soil mixture. The Right Light. Just remember that starting from seed takes longer so begin at least ten to 12 weeks before your outside planting date. Especially if you are using medium or small size flower pot. Check what type of petunias you are growing. I got my seed this year from Hazzard’s Seed. Soil used needs to drain well; add compost to help fertilize the soil to give the seeds a good start. The advantages of starting petunias indoors are that you have a wider choice of varieties from which to choose, and you can raise large quantities of plants for less money. Saved from ehow.com. They need a sunny spot and grow best with regular watering, plus a liquid plant food every two to three weeks. The plant will stop forming the seed pod and go back to producing those colorful blossoms. Unless you want the seeds to form so you can grow your petunias at home, clipping off the deadheads redirects the energy back to creating blooms. When the plants have three leaves, you can plant them outside. Why Propagate Petunia Cuttings? There are two approaches which we have found will have good success. The plants that come from these cuttings will bear exactly the same type of blooms as the parent plant. so that the organic material covers all the pot evenly. If growing petunia seeds in a heated propagator, carefully gauge the temperature to mid range - 70-75 degrees F - 21-23 degrees C maximum. Moreover, petunias seeds are very small. Growing Wave Petunias from seed. If you are going to grow from seeds, start them indoors about 10 weeks before you want to set them outside. They’re sturdy, reliable flowers for borders, planters and hanging gardens. and needs lots of light in order to germinate. For the propagators, Surfinia is a dream to root – 3-4 weeks max on a bench. The seedlings need bright light to grow well. Settle it well all over the pot. These are strictly open pollinated seeds, so the variety is huge. The seedlings grow slowly and are not ready to plant outdoors until 10 to 12 weeks after sowing the seeds. Start Early. Growing peonies from seed is as easy as growing carrots, except it takes a little longer, (about 3-5 years). One for Petunias, next one for antirrhiniums, & the last one for digitalis camelots… *LEARN TO SOW ALL TYPS OF FLOWER SEEDS. Gently press the seeds into the surface of good-quality seed compost and keep damp with a mist sprayer. If you’ve bought petunia plants from a nursery or growing them from transplants, pinch off the top one inch from each stem and remove all flowers. Petunias are sensitive to cold temperatures, so must be sown indoors in a propagator from January-March at a temperature of 20-25°C/68-77°F. You can grow petunias from seeds, but it is easier to grow them from transplants. The initial very slow growth of begonia seedlings means you really have to start them very early in the season if you want to use them in your garden the first year. Tuberous begonias can be a bit challenging: they seem to falter if conditions aren’t just right. They’re the flowers lining lawn edgings, putting beautiful bouts of color in gardens around neighborhoods. Many of our mail-order catalog partners sell Wave petunia seed packets, and you often can find unique colors you may not find in stores. Next i’ve divided the pot into 3 portions. The results, however, are far more satisfying. Plant petunias seeds in late winter, 10 to 12 weeks before the last expected frost date in your area. www.jparkers.co.uk. When prepping to plant petunias, it's important to choose an area with a lot of light. It’s easy to brighten your garden with one of the many colorful petunias (Petunia x hybrida). But, if you plant alot of pansies like me (20 flats or so a year), you can buy them in bulk. Begonia seeds are very small, so it is best to mix the seeds with fine sand and sow onto the top of the moist compost. Petunias are a superb way of introducing bursts of fun colour into your garden beds, containers and yes, even hanging baskets. If they are new types of petunias, like Wave or Tidal Wave, they don’t need to be deadheaded. Knowing your frost dates can help you decide when to start your seeds indoors. Pinching should be done. Pansies are easy to grow from seed, once you know the secret. Sep 11, 2015 - It's simple to buy petunia seedlings to fill a planter, but for mass plantings and garden edging, growing petunias from seed is the way to go. Complete Guide: How to Plant Petunias. Petunias are perennials, but mostly maintained as annuals, meaning you need to uproot plants, and replant them every year. It is a wholesale seed company that will sell to anyone. HOW TO GROW PETUNIA FROM SEED Step 3. Geranium & Pelargonium. 2. Do not over-seeding the medium. Most flower gardeners are familiar with growing petunias from seed. You can make a mixture of the seed with some dry sand to ensure that they can be spread evenly on the growing medium. Pansy seed is on the pricey side too. Of the two, wax begonias are the easiest to grow from seed. Once germinated grow cooler or … Petunias .. The Petunia can do it all. If you want to harvest seeds from your existing plants, remove the seed capsules once they turn brown in the fall. Mexican petunias can be started from seed, planting them inside several months before the growing season. How Long to Germinate a Petunia Seed?. Tuck petunias in between evergreen shrubs to brighten the area. Hence, if you are interested in harvesting petunia seeds, you can do so for using them in the next planting season. Petunias. Most gardeners buy petunias as inexpensive bedding plants, set out in spring as soon as danger of frost has passed. Petunias are moderately easy to grow from seed, and extremely easy to grow from commercially grown seedlings. Let the seeds dry out and then plant them in a new area in the springtime. While garden centres and nurseries offer petunia bedding plants ready for planting in spring, it's possible to start petunias by planting seeds indoors. Once the seeds have germinated, reduce the heat to 15°C/60°F and keep in bright light to prevent the seedlings from … Many excellent petunia varieties can be grown from seed, or you can start with plants grown from rooted cuttings. Place your seeds in grow cells. Germinated petunia seeds will present sprouts seven to 10 days after planting. Learn more in this article. Surfinia is self cleaning. The seedlings are pricked out 2 inches apart in other boxes of light rich soil, or are potted separately in 3-inch pots. Growing Begonia as Annuals from Seed. Petunias can be grown in the garden or in containers including hanging baskets. Petunias need to be started from seed around 10-12 weeks before you want to plant them outdoors. But what about taking petunia cuttings? David and Frances Hibberd describe a range of forms and how to raise them from seed. Petunias are one of those flowers that make non-gardeners want to learn to grow from seed. If you continue to do this throughout the growing season, your plant will continue to grow and blossom with color all season! Growing From Seeds . Many new petunias have been engineered to be low-maintenance. Learn how to start petunias from cuttings to create dozens of new plants that are clones of the original and that will guarantee blooms earlier than any of your neighbors. Most gardeners buy petunias as inexpensive bedding plants, set out in spring as soon as danger of frost has passed. The low growing types are ideal for the front of a flower border, in planters near doorways and pools, or on patios. RAISING PETUNIAS FROM SEED - WHEN TO SOW. If you want to start Night Sky Petunias from seed, you can purchase seeds from sellers on Etsy, Amazon, and Growjoy. Use petunias everywhere there is sun. They have seeds in packages of 250 and 1000. While petunias are easy to start from seed, to get genetically identical plants, try rooting cuttings from your favourite petunia. Petunia seeds are small but easy to handle. Place the container in a shaded or dark position at 68 – 72F. Step 4. Many excellent petunia varieties can be grown from seed, or you can start with plants grown from rooted cuttings. Petunias need at least six hours of sun, but full sun from morning to mid-afternoon brings on their best performance. Growing From Seeds . It responds to plant growth regulators (PGRs), especially B9. Growing Hardy Geraniums from Seed. They will fill out without being deadheaded.