Petunias for the balcony: tips and tricks for cultivation and care
Winter is slowly saying goodbye, and spring is finally around the corner. As a balcony owner, you are now faced with the question of when and, above all, how to start planting and which flowers are suitable for this. The petunia can be found on many balconies; like hardly any other plant, it combines a beautiful bloom with uncomplicated handling. Nevertheless, you should keep a few things in mind if you want to enjoy these colourful flowers on your balcony in summer. We'll show you everything you need to know about caring for petunias and how The Plant Box can help you with a varied and blooming balcony planting!
Petunias - The classic among summer balcony flowers
In addition to the geranium, the petunia is one of the most popular balcony plants. The nightshade plant, originally from South America, flowers in its wild form in its homeland. Due to the local weather conditions, the petunia can only be found in this country as a summer garden and balcony plant. The petunia is not so popular without reason - many appreciate it for its lush, overhanging growth and its long flowering period.
What types of petunias are there?
A total of 16 different species of petunia are known worldwide. A distinction is made between hanging, standing, and mini petunias. The standing petunias can grow up to 20 centimeters high and are characterized by bushy flowers. They are preferably used for planting flower beds. Hanging petunias, on the other hand, are mainly used on balconies. Due to their waterfall-like growing flowers, trailing petunias are particularly suitable for balcony boxes and hanging baskets, as they overgrow them over time and thus transform the usually quite sterile boxes into part of the sea of flowers.
A special form of petunia is called mini petunia or magic bells; they have the same stem length as other petunias, but differ in that they have much smaller flowers. Interesting: Even if the mini petunia looks almost identical to other species and its origin is also in South America, the magic bells are actually not a petunia, but a related yet independent flower species. Crossbreeds of different petunia species are often used for balcony planting, including the well-known garden petunias and surfinias.
What conditions do petunias grow best in?
The good news first: Petunias are among the most easy-care balcony plants. The location is particularly important for the growth of the flowers. Due to their South American origin, they need a lot of sun to develop their typical colourful flowers. Like geraniums, they are best placed on a south-facing balcony, as there is the perfect mix of lots of sun and little shade. It also grows in places with less sun, but then particularly long stems develop and the lush flowers do not appear. At best, place your petunias with a ledge that protects them from rain and thunderstorms, as they are very sensitive to these weather conditions.
How do I properly plant petunias on my balcony?
If you want to grow the petunias for your balcony yourself, you can start planting in mid-February. It is advisable to use propagation boxes, which are best placed in a glass house or on a windowsill. A temperature of 20 to 21 degrees is ideal. If you don't have the inspiration to dress it up, you don't have to do without the colours of the petunia. A wide variety of species are available as potted young plants in hardware stores and garden centers.
When buying, you should pay attention to wilted and white spots on the leaves, as these can indicate an infestation with the mosaic disease. Whether you grow it yourself or buy it: With both variants, the time at which the flowers are placed on the balcony is crucial. Petunias are extremely sensitive to frost, so you should only put them on the balcony after the last frost in May. This minimizes the risk of frost damage.
What nutrients do petunias need?
Petunias can safely be planted in commercially available potting soil. However, since nightshade plants need a lot of nutrients, the magnificent flowering can be better supported with nutrient-rich soil. In specialist shops, you will find special petunia soil that has a slightly acidic pH value (of 5.5) and promotes the growth of petunias. For perfect care, the supply of nutrients by means of fertilizer should not be neglected.
At best, a depot fertilizer is mixed under the substrate when potting, so that the petunia is constantly supplied with the most important nutrients. You should make sure that you use preparations with a sufficient concentration of iron - the mineral ensures that the leaves are juicy green.
How do I properly care for my balcony petunias?
Although petunias are quite easy to care for, it is essential to provide them with enough water in summer due to their location in the sun. Depending on the temperature, up to 6 liters of water can easily be used on hot summer days. At best, distribute the amount of water over 2-3 waterings, as petunias are very sensitive to waterlogging. To prevent this, you should make sure when planting that the soil is loose and permeable, and ideally use flower boxes with built-in drainage. You should also keep an eye on the outside temperature before placing your petunias on the balcony.
Even after the ice saints, there can still be short, unexpected periods of frost. If such a period is imminent, put the petunias back inside your house or apartment as a precaution so that they are not damaged by the cool temperatures. The easy-care petunia does not necessarily have to be cut back. However, in order for the flowers to develop their full splendor all year round, we still recommend clearing them occasionally. This means that faded and withered leaves are snapped off so that seed formation is stopped, and the petunia can put its energy into new flowers. If you cut the petunia back by half at this point, you can also enjoy lush and bushy petunias in late summer. This is especially recommended after the first flowering period in July or August.
If you choose surfinia for your balcony planting, you won't have this problem. They are special crosses without seeds. Petunias are usually only used once a year and are planted anew every year. However, you can winterize your petunias if you wish. To do this, keep the flowers in their balcony boxes and stop fertilizing from the beginning of September. It is important that you cut back the shoots before the first frost. Now your petunias are ready to overwinter in a bright, cool, frost-free spot. A temperature of 10 - 15 degrees is ideal.
Practical balcony flowers from The Plant Box
You want to enjoy colourful, blooming petunias on your balcony, but you don't have the time, the inspiration, or the green thumb? The Plant Box has the solution! We create flower and plant arrangements all year round and deliver them to your home at the perfect time. All you have to do is place our arrangements in your balcony box and enjoy the balcony flowers. You can find the petunia in our Chill & Thrill and our Pink Heart Box!
your advantages
- Harmoniously combined flower boxes - delivered directly to you
- Sustainably produced seasonal flowers from regional cultivation
- Choice of many different flower and plant arrangements
- Matching: Our recycled balcony box with universal bracket
Can't decide on a creation or would you like more variety on your balcony? Then you should become a member of the Plant Lover Club . You will regularly receive a new refill for your balcony from us - five times a year! This way you will definitely not get bored at home.
