Based on flower and growth traits, petunia cultivars can be categorised into four primary groups or types. Grandiflora, multiflora, milliflora, and spreading or groundcover are the four varieties. Select the kind that most closely matches your needs.
Large single or double flowers can be found on grandifloras. Up to 5 inches across flowers can be produced by a single grandiflora. Petal fringe or ruffles can be found on some single types. The flowers on double grandifloras are double and fringed. Grandifloras, both single and double, typically don’t flower as profusely as the other varieties. Also, when it rains, the blooms don’t last as long. By the end of the summer, plants may look untidy and straggly. The Dreams, Ultra, and Storm Series kinds of grandiflora petunias are popular. (A series is a collection of closely related cultivars that share common traits like height, spread, and flowering habits. Usually, the only aspect of a series that changes is the colour of the flowers.)
Grandiflora petunias yield more flowers overall, but multiflora petunias produce smaller flowers overall. There are single-flowering and double-flowering types available. Compared to grandifloras, multifloras are typically more compact and weather-resistant. Mass plantings of single multifloras in flower beds work very well. The Celebrity, Carpet, and Hurrah Series petunias are examples of multiflora petunia cultivars.
Petunias in the milliflora kind are small, compact plants that provide many of flowers with a diameter of 1 to 1 1/2 inches. The millifloras are suitable options for border flower beds and containers due to their small stature and profusion of flowers. The Fantasy and Picobella Series kinds of milliflora petunias are among them.
Petunias that spread like groundcovers are robust, low-growing plants known as spreading or groundcover petunias. A single plant may cover a space that is three to four feet in diameter at the end of the summer. Spreading petunias are little maintenance and have good heat and drought tolerance. They make wonderful groundcovers and containers (hanging baskets, window boxes, etc.). Petunias from the Wave, Shock Wave, Easy Wave, and Avalanche Series are among those that spread.
Which petunia kind grows best in hanging baskets?
Two further popular varieties of petunias are Cascadia and Surfinia. These have a trailing habit, striking colours, and an abundance of flowers. Typically, they feature unusually coloured broad flowers similar to regular petunias. These petunias have a lot of fascinating veining and shading. They spread or trail to a height of around 18 inches and are also simple to maintain. The window boxes and hanging baskets are the ideal places to plant these petunias.
What distinguishes wave petunias from trailing petunias?
Wave petunias bloom extremely frequently and have a distinctive trailing growth habit. They are excellent summer performers and drape over the sides of containers and raised beds. A typical petunia grows erect or in a bush. While it might spread a little, it won’t fall as dramatically as a Wave petunia. An older hybrid than Waves, Cascade petunias are named after the Cascade mountain range rather than after how they grow. A shrub type petunia is called a cascade petunia.
Petunias of what sort droop down?
Petunias thrive in regions with direct sunlight. Look for petunia varieties that produce flowers on long, flowing stalks, such as cascading petunias. Petunias are simple to plant in hanging baskets as long as you choose a robust container with at least one drainage hole.
A light-weight commercial potting mix should be used to fill the container because it will help the drainage. Never use garden soil because it soon compacts and is too heavy for adequate drainage. When planting, incorporate a slow-release fertiliser into the potting soil.
Petunia ‘Phantom’
Petunia ‘Phantom’ is an especially eye-catching variety, with velvety black flowers that develop yellow demarcations on each petal as they mature, giving them a starry appearance. The growth habit of this cultivar is erect and mounding.
Petunia ‘Rose Vein Velvet’
One of the greatest petunias to start from seed is reportedly “Rose Vein Velvet.” On trailing stems that can reach a length of 1m, multitudes of the pink, veined blooms are produced. An excellent cultivar for window boxes and hanging baskets.
Petunia ‘Black Satin’
The lavish petunia “Black Satin” has aubergine-colored flowers with a satiny finish. This small cultivar contrasts dramatically with light and vibrantly coloured bedding plants.
Petunia ‘Bingo Red’
The Bingo line of compact, upright plants, which come in a variety of colours, includes the petunia variety known as “Bingo Red.” They are perfect for planting in little pots that may be scattered around because they are compact.
Petunia ‘Priscilla’
Petunia cultivars including “Priscilla” (shown), “Candy Floss,” and “Susanna” are part of the Tumbelina group. They feature larger, double, ruffled blooms than other trailing kinds.
Petunia ‘Cascadias Rim Magenta’
One of the Cascadia petunias, “Cascadias Rim Magenta,” is distinguished by its tendency to trail. They grow beautifully in window boxes and pots, or they can spill over the sides of hanging baskets. “Cascadias Indian Summer” and “Cascadias Rim Violet” are two other Cascadia petunias to grow.
In how many petunias should a hanging basket be filled?
You must strike a fine balance between wanting a stunning presentation and not crowding your plants. One plant per inch of basket diameter, or 12 plants, would fit in a 12-inch basket due to the restricted room for roots and supplies.
You might find that as few as 5–6 plants are plenty to fill the basket well if you opt for a larger trailing plant, like Surfinia Petunias, or decide to use a Grandiflora as the basket’s centrepiece.
Which flowers make the greatest hanging basket fillers?
20 best plants for hanging baskets
- Ferns. Some of the most popular plants for hanging baskets that prefer shade are ferns.
- Petunias. Because they have a tendency to pile up and spill over the sides of the basket, petunias are excellent for hanging baskets.
- Begonias.
- Impatiens.
- Fuchsia.
- Succulents.
- Lantana.
- Pansies.
Supertunias vs. Wave Petunias: Which is superior?
Simply said, both Supertunias and Wave petunias grow quickly. Supertunias, however, will perform better than Wave petunias due to their hardiness, disease resistance, and plant fullness. Supertunias will also come in a huge variety of hues.
Wave petunias are vigourous annual groundcovers that can be produced from seed, making them a more cost-effective choice. Wave petunias thrive in flowerbeds and gardens because to their spreading habit, but they can also thrive in pots or hanging baskets.
On the other side, supertunias can be described as a “elite form of Wave petunias. Supertunias were developed to self-destruct, blossom profusely, and spread like a wave petunia.
Comparing the two
It can be challenging to compare Wave petunias with Supertunias because they are quite similar in many ways: they are both annuals, low-maintenance, produce lovely blooms, and are highly well-liked by growers.
Consider Supertunias as the “Cadillac of petunias” as one way to see the distinctions. These plants were developed for size, aesthetic appeal, and “wow effect.”
Wave petunias can be compared to the “Chevy Cruze of petunias” using the same automobile metaphor. They are well-known among growers because they are dependable, low-maintenance, and excellent for garden beds and container gardening.
Both the Cadillac and the Chevy Cruze will (often) get you where you need to go, but the Cadillac is unquestionably the more upscale model. The same is true when comparing Supertunias with Wave petunias: with proper care, both plants are showy and will enhance the beauty of your home, but the Supertunia will probably thrive better.
For hanging baskets, are Wave petunias suitable?
In general, Wave petunias make wonderful hanging basket annuals. They stand out on your front porch or any sunny area of your property with their cascading blossoms and spreading.
What distinguishes a supertunia from a supertunia Vista?
Regular Supertunia petunias fill and spill space in containers with their vivacious habits and somewhat mounded appearance. They are great landscaping plants and work best when positioned close to the front of beds. Their flowers range in size from medium to huge. These plants are smaller than Supertunia Vista, yet they eventually grow to almost match a Vista’s spread. In combination recipes, they serve as spillers and fillers.
What are the names of cascading petunias?
Grandiflora Petunias from the Cascade line are solitary flowers. They frequently grow in pots and baskets and yield huge flowers on cascading stems.
Acclimatized plants can withstand colder to chilly conditions with ease. They thrive in zone #5 in the early spring through early summer (May–June), tend to slow down in the hot, dry months, and then reappear in force in the cool fall (mid-September-October). On Thanksgiving Day, with a little protection, I’ve had petunias in bloom. Early May is the best time to plant hardened petunias (zone #5).
In a hanging basket, how many Supertunias are there?
You should plant no more than five Bubblegum petunia plants per large hanging basket if you are doing the planting yourself (12 to 14 hanging basket).
In a 12-inch hanging basket, a maximum of three Supertunia Vista Bubblegum plants are planted. This will undoubtedly be sufficient given their robust development to create an impressive display. In this respect, wave petunias and supertunias are comparable.
Simply make sure you are fertilising and watering the plant enough if you decide to plant extra Bubblegum petunias in your basket (or buy a basket with more than three Supertunias). The resources that plants have access to while growing in a basket are severely constrained, thus feeding them becomes increasingly crucial the more plants there are competing for them.
What distinguishes easy wave petunias from Shock Wave petunias?
Compared to Shock Wave petunias, Easy Wave petunias have flowers that can grow up to 3 inches across. Ball Seed claims that Easy Wave has the Wave petunias’ broadest range of colours. It is simple to create bespoke colour combinations because the variously coloured plants flower at the same time.
According to Wave Rave, Shock Wave’s little flowers are available in vibrant pastel shades and work well in smaller baskets or containers. Of all Wave petunias, they bloom the earliest. Both plants produce a single, trumpet-shaped bloom that draws hummingbirds and blooms all season long until the frost kills them off.