petunias

[coralbelle]

I'm wondering why some of my petunias are just not growing well. Some are blooming and look great and one foot away the others look like they are almost dead. I'm stumped. The soil is rich and the plants are mulched. Any ideas? Thanks from Coralbelle.

[Newt]

Are they all planted in the ground?* I'm thinking they are from your description of the soil.* Were some more rootbound then others?* If you didn't loosen the rootball they might be struggling to get enough water to bloom.* Have you fertilized?*

Newt

[coralbelle]

Hey Newt, you always have great advice. The petunias are in the ground. They are the one annual I can't resist. I have been watering but haven't fertilized. Maybe I'll try digging them up and checking the roots. We got all of two minutes of rain yesterday not enough to even wet under the tree canopies. I think we need to do a raindance here as we have had one day of rain in weeks. At least the oppresive heat is gone. I appreciate all you tell me and I'll let you know if lifting and checking the roots helps. Maybe I'll mix up some of my smelly* spray feed ( it smells like dead fish ).Always, Coralbelle.

[Newt]

Coralbelle, you are so very welcome!* I'm glad I can help.* :)* I'd love to know what you find when you dig up one.* Oh, and don't breathe too deeply when you use that fertilizer.* :shock:

Newt

[meredithkay]

I love petunias, too! This year I have had a problem with some plants, not necessarily close together in the beds, just 'giving up the ghost'. When I researched the grower's website, it stated that gardeners should not plant petunias in the same beds consecutive growing seasons. Just as good crops deplete the soil's nutrients and need to be rotated, so do the petunias.... as stated by the growers/developers of "The Wave" petunias.

I still don't understand the demise of some of my plants, though. Any ideas?

[Newt]

Hi Meredethkay,

Which plants did you lose?* Were they wave petunias and planted where you'd had them before?* Can you describe what you saw happen?

Newt

[meredithkay]

Thank* you for your response. Yes, they were wave petunias, planted in the same place from last year. Both years have been spectacular shows of color, but this summer, about the first of July in spite of water and fertilizer some of them began to get sparse of leaves and then faded right out... although there were blooms still on the stems. When the leginess first appeared, I did cut them back by 1/3 as I have on previous years at this indication, but they just withered away. Interestingly, 'volunteer' petunias are sprouting where the previous plants died.

*

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[Newt]

Well, I did a google with several terms and the one that seemed to get the most results was:
wave petunia + not thriving

From what I'm reading that does seem to happen to them.* I suspect that the soil being too moist could be part of the problem.

I plant the dark purple waves in pots every year.* This year some seeded in the garden where the pots are and they are magenta, white and some purple.* I dug up a few and put them in pots and they aren't doing well at all.* The ones that self-seeded are doing ok, but they aren't thriving either.* I use organics in my soil and add a timed release fertilizer to the pots.* I didn't add the timed release fertilizer this year so that could be contributing to the problem.* Read the last Q & A here.
http://www.ajc.com/living/content/li...es/071604.html

Newt