Supertunia® petunias are the quiet heros of the garden – classic annual flowers in a rainbow of colors that shine in hanging baskets, porch and patio pots, window boxes and mass landscape plantings. Butterflies and hummingbirds enjoy sipping nectar from their trumpet-shaped blooms all summer long.
One trait that makes Supertunias particularly low maintenance compared to other petunias is their self-cleaning flowers. There’s no need to spend the season picking off the spent flowers to keep the plants in bloom.
Yellow Supertunia® Honey™ petunias take on pink and orange tones throughout the season, seen here in our Beachside Drive recipe.
There are three main types of Supertunias, all with distinct uses. To cover large expanses of ground or to make huge hanging baskets, choose Supertunia Vista® petunias. To do the opposite, filling smaller spaces and bed edges with color, choose Supertunia Mini Vista® petunias. For every purpose in between, our classic Supertunia® petunias work best.
Supertunia Mini Vista® petunias create dense masses of color in the landscape. Pictured here are Supertunia Mini Vista Scarlet, Supertunia Mini Vista Indigo and Supertunia Mini Vista Violet Star paired with Rockin’® Deep Purple salvia.
Supertunias are known for their strong garden performance, holding up well through heat, humidity, rain, and even a light frost. Like all plants, there are certain growing conditions that help them truly thrive. Here are five things you’ll need to know to grow stellar Supertunias this season.
Supertunias grow and bloom best in sun.
If you have at least 6 hours of direct sun per day, with most of that coming in the afternoon, you can grow Supertunias. More than 6 hours is even better. They’ll also grow in 4 hours of afternoon sun but will bloom less prolifically there.
Sun is what generates energy in plants, so the more sun they get, the stronger the plants will grow and the more flowers they will produce.
If your Supertunias look healthy but aren't growing very fast or have few flowers, move them to a sunnier location.
Water is the lifeblood of plants. Avoid stalling out your Supertunias’ growth by providing consistent moisture.
Depending on your climate and the time of year, your Supertunias may dry out quickly. It's time to water when the pot feels light and/or the soil feels dry to the touch when you stick your finger down into it about an inch.
While the sun gives plants energy, the minerals and nutrients in plant food give the plants what they need to grow new leaves and flowers. If your petunias are growing in full sun but have stopped blooming well, they are probably hungry.
Petunias are like hungry teenagers. They like to be fed often. We recommend feeding them with Proven Winners Premium Water Soluble Plant Foodevery third time you water. Why do we call it "premium"? Because it contains EDDHA Iron and minor nutrients which keep the foliage green, full and healthy all season.
In addition to the water soluble plant food, we recommend incorporating Proven Winners Premium Continuous Release Plant Food, which comes in a pellet form, into the soil around your Supertunias when you plant them in spring. The special coating on the pellets is designed to release more food during warmer months when your plants are growing the fastest.
Use a clean pair of scissors or clippers when trimming Supertunias.
Supertunias enjoy a haircut now and then.
Know how a fresh haircut gives us a little pep in our step? The same goes for petunias. By midsummer, say after your July Fourth party, it’s time to give your Supertunias a little trim to rejuvenate the plants heading into the heat of summer. Follow the general rule of not cutting off more than 20% of the plant and you can’t go wrong.
If some stems have grown longer than others, trim them up to bring them in line with the others near the bottom of the pot or basket. If you’re growing them in the ground and want the plants to look fuller, cut back the ends of the branches by 20% to encourage them to branch out with new growth.
Trimming the ends of the stems will remove some of the flowers for a few days, but you’ll be surprised how quickly they bounce back and look better than ever.
Repeat this trimming process in late summer or early fall to keep your Supertunias blooming strong until a hard frost.
If your Supertunias look healthy but aren’t blooming, check for budworms.
In some parts of the country, Petunia Budworm (Heliothis virescens) will feast on petunia flowers in the summertime. The very small, brown caterpillars typically attack the flower buds and developing flowers first, leaving ground black pepperlike excrement in their wake.
To prevent and control Petunia Budworm, use a non-toxic, all-natural control called Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis). You’ll find it in spray or powder form at garden centers and hardware stores. Bt is safe to use around children, pets and wildlife, and very effective at controlling Petunia Budworm. (If you’re also dealing with caterpillars on your geraniums and tomatoes, Bt is effective on them too.)
Look for Supertunias at your local garden centers this season. Since they are both cold and heat tolerant, you’ll find them out early in stores. Be sure to snap up your favorite colors before they sell out!
Contributor Bio: Susan Martin is an avid zone 6 gardener and content creator who enjoys spreading her passion for plants to others across North America.
All images courtesy of Proven Winners.
Patent Information: Supertunia® Hoopla® Vivid Orchid™Petunia USPP36627 CanPBRAF; Supertunia® Honey™Petunia USPP26888 US Utility 7642436; Supertunia Mini Vista® Scarlet Petunia USPPAF Can7281; Supertunia Mini Vista® Indigo Petunia USPP33278 Can6649; Supertunia Mini Vista® Violet Star Petunia USPP28051 Can5516
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