Whether you are growing them as houseplants or simply winter them indoors until the following spring , caring for petunias ( Petunia x hybrida ) indoors is challenging .
Petunias are Dominicus - bang plant that are typically grown outdoors as annual bedding industrial plant , although they will grow as unawares - lived perennial within USDA flora hardiness zones 10 and 11 .
The care that a genus Petunia requires when mature indoors varies according to the season . cautiously observe the plant ’s blooming and overall health to provide it with what it involve to flourish indoors .
Caring for Petunias Indoors
permit ’s take a look at some of the introductory demand of petunia plants .
Sunlight
- genus Petunia need full Lord’s Day to bloom . * * Position a potted petunia plant indoors near a windowpane with southern , western or eastern exposure .
Too much warmth can get wilting and foliage discolouration , however . So do not localise the petunia too near an unshaded S - face windowpane because it may get too spicy .
Watering
Provide pot petunias with a bass drink of water whenever the grease feels dry just below the surface .
Reduce wateringduring the fall and winter months when conditions are cool and less shiny . In winter , put up just enough water to keep the soil from pulling away from the sides of the green goddess and to prevent the plant from wilting .
Fertilizer
pot soil enriched with fertilizer will provide enough nutrient for most petunia plants growing indoors , but those grown in unamended pot ground benefit from light feeding during the warm months .
feast with alow - atomic number 7 liquidity fertilizersuch as 7 - 9 - 5 or 10 - 20 - 10 , which will help the plant life bloom . load the plant food to half its recommend strength and feed every two weeks from spring until midsummer .
Troubleshooting Indoor Petunias
trouble often rebel when growing petunias indoors . These short - sensible works will drop their flower when emphasize from under and overwatering , so it is significant to check ground moisture level often and only water supply when the dirt feels nearly juiceless below the surface .
Yellow foliage or leggy growth indicates that your petunia is receiving too much fertilizer . discontinue feeding if the parting flex white-livered and repot the petunia into fresh soil .
Pest Problems
Sometimes petunias draw pest such as aphid . These tiny louse rarely make serious damage , but they can be a pain in the neck .
A homemade solution made of 2 oz. of rubbing intoxicant , 2 tablespoons of non - detersive liquid goop and 1 dry quart of water system spray onto the leaves will help check an aphid outbreak .
Tip
Pay special tending to the underside of the foliage when spray the answer because that is where aphid care to hide .
Pruning and Deadheading Petunias
Petunias need to be on a regular basis pruned and deadheaded to keep them bet sizable .
When grown indoors , Petunia often produce leggy growth as they stretch toward the light . The long , fallible fore should be pruned back to just above a readiness of leaves using sharp , clean pruning shears . Do n’t remove more than half of the stem when cut back .
Move the plant to a brighter placement after pruning , which will help further bushier growth .
Petunia flowers take on a crumpled flavour as they pass , which gives the plant life a ragged visual aspect . take out the spent flowers will better the industrial plant ’s appearance and send its zip toward further anthesis rather than making germ .
Use your finger to pinch off the flush at the root , or apply narrow - tipped pruning shear to snip them off .
Warning
Wipe your pruning shear with household antimicrobial before pruning to carry off any pathogens .
Overwintering Petunias Indoors
Although it is possible to overwinter petunias indoors , most gardeners opt to simply replace the plants each bounce because the plants rarely flower well after overwintering .
However , if you do desire to seek to store your petunias for the next time of year , they are not demanding plant to care for during the wintertime months because they enter a dormant state until give . Here ’s what to do to overwinter petunias :
Spring Repotting
In spring , repot the petuniasinto a sight that is 1 inch larger with fresh potting soil . Move the plant to a sheltered location outdoors a few week after the last hoarfrost .
Petunias are tender to sudden changes in temperature and humidness , so slowly acclimatise the plant to outside weather for a week or so before transplanting it into a lasting seam or outdoor container .
