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27 Responses to “How to Prune Petunias”Speak Your Mind
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That was GREAT! I sort of knew what to do with petunias but I was mostly guessing. Now I know for sure. Sometimes I get impatient & pinch off the end of the stem. I know I’ll now do a better job. Thanks for another informative video.
@Marie -
Glad you enjoyed it. It’s something I never do enough myself even though I know I should be on top of that kind of thing.
I use the third kind of petunia pruning. When the plant is tall enough and just about to fall over, I cut it back by half using scissor-type pruners. They look bad for 10 days to 2 weeks, but then come back better than before (after 1st prune); as good as before (after 2nd time); not as good (after 3rd time when days are getting shorter).
It takes some nerve to do because they are at their peak and are covered with blooms. I console myself by looking out at my now colorful compost pile.
Thanks for the video, Doug.
Jan
@prairiepetunia -
Jan – the major difference is that your method stops blooming for that 2 weeks while mine doesn’t.
But to be fair, yours is a heck of a lot faster. In the nursery when we were renovating a basket, we’d whack it back using shears and then feed and pamper it for that 10 days until it thickened up and started throwing new blooms.
But if you want continuous blooming, you gotta take the time
Hi Doug,
I think that I am speaking for many of us, your videos on “how to” are so helpful,we can actually see how it is done rather than just a description on how to do it.
I still have 2 questions, I have located the tip but there are usually 2 buds, do you prune both?
Also, how often do you tip prune?
Thanks again for all you do!
@Anonymous -
While it’s possible you have two, my guess is you have a growing point and a flower bud. But the same answer holds true – you can pinch them both off.
How often? It depends on how fast the plant is growng. Whenever it starts to look like there’s a branch heading out on its own too quickly. Those kinds of decisions are what gardening is about.
There is no hard and fast rule so you’ll wind up pinching something almost every week. Not all branches will require it every week or even every two or three. It depends on the plant.
Hi Doug. I was curious if Petunias xcan be kept inside for the winter, ( I live in southwest Michigan ), then survive and thrive again the next spring?.Bob
@Bob Green -
Yes, if you light them properly, you can easily keep them over.
thankyou Doug, for years i have had straggly petunia’s and I plan to prune like you showed in the video and hopefully things will look better. Otherwise I have been purching the smaller petunias so things don’t look so bad. thanks again for the video. appreciate it! cynflo
THANK YOU for this video Doug. I now know why mine are so spindle looking. I need to prune that new growth to thicken them up. I’ll be looking forward to pretty petunia this year!
Thanks so much Doug! I recently tried to look up this info online and saw written instructions that didn’t make much sense, but this is such a clear video…I get it! I love petunias! Mine have looked so sad for the last few years though that I was going to maybe skip them this year. Now I can’t wait to go get some!! Thank you for another helpful video!!! You’re the best! No wonder your latest book is #!
@Peggy -
Just don’t forget that you have to feed and water them.
Doug,
I have a petunia which has very long thin stems with many light brown dried dead leaves half way up the stem.
Blooms beautifully but the dried leaves do not look nice or healthy. Almost 3/4 of the live stems have dead leaves. What do you suggest? Should I cut those long stems with blossoms and dead leaves stems back to 12 inches? This would leave a stem with no dead leaves.
What can I do to prevent the dead leaves?
Thank you, Dave_S
@Dave_s -
Dead leaves are generally either because you water-stressed the plant, it’s old or stressed. They’ll tend to go a little brown if they don’t get light in crowded. Cutting it back works if the stem isn’t too woody – if too woody, cutting back just leaves it like a dead stem. If the buds are alive back there – they’ll sprout and thicken up – if not alive – cutting back is pretty much useless.
Can’t give you good advice from here. Sorry.
thank you very much, I had my husband ask me why they were not growing to many flowers and I thought it was the brand. Hmmm, Thank you very much. That was bothering me and you helped me very much.Now I can’t wait to go out in the morning and check, I hope I didn’t ruin them.
Doug, Thank you VERY MUCH for your comments about the many browning dry leaves. Possibly over crowding is my guess. I do see both some dead stems and others stems with 5 inches green growth at end of 18 inch stem with dead leaves. The dead leaves occur where most crowding occurs, near the ground. Found a tiny green worm on a stem.
This container is crowded with a huge number of green beautifully blooming long thick stems. Is it advisable to removing approximately 1/3 of the healthy long stems to lessen the over crowding?
Can I use the cuttings to make a few new petunia plants? What is the best way to use those cuttings to make new plants? Water rooting, cuttings in potting soil or something else?
Many thanks, Dave_s
@Dave_s -
You’re going to find a lot of these questions are answered (or can be asked) at the website where I handle annual flower questions. http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/annual-flowers.html
Thank you for the video on pruning petunias. It was to the point and very helpful.
so I had these beautiful hanging baskets – lush and green and flowering profusely. now the baskets look “tired” still green and flowering at the tips of the stems, but most of the stem looks yellow-green with barely and leaves. now that I have learned how to properly care for it – albeit a little too late – Can I prune it back to its former glory??
@paula -
Sure you can prune it back but unless you water and feed properly with the right light – you’re just wasting your time. Your problem is cultural rather than pruning – sorry to have to tell you.
Doug, that helps tremendously! I am a visual person so your close up and specific demonstration was most appreciated! You will be glad to know that you saved 3 petunias today! Now on to my knockout rose tree…
I’ll join the rest of the crowd with a big THANKS! and much appreciation.
Never thought much about pruning petunias… figured that it was just their nature to get spindly and ugly after awhile. We hacked them back a few times, but they never did as well after that.
We have great-looking petunias this year… and wondering if there was anything that could be done to keep them looking nice, I decided to log onto the computer and – here you are!
Thanks much!!!
@Jim -
Thanks for the kind words – glad that video worked so well for you
Excellent instruction! short and to the point. This answered all I was seeking. As a teacher of writing and oral reporting, I give you an A+!!!
SO SO SO GREAT! I am a newbie to the plant world, I just took a real interest in petunias this year. And I have/had no clue as to how to care for them. I have a hanging basket that has really taken off, but I would LOVE for it to be one of those fuller more rounded ones. I deadhead religiously, but now I know how to “push back” the growth for that full look! hope this works, thank you so much!
Thank you. Was doing it right but just wanted to make sure.
Thanks for the great advice, it really helped!