How to Grow Petunias in Hanging Baskets: Step by Step Instructions

Petunias in Hanging Baskets – Petunias in the shape of waves are lovely and spectacular plants. It’s no surprise that they are so popular in the gardening world, given their robust growth and profusion of blossoms. These annuals are very popular in hanging baskets because of their low maintenance.

Wave petunias can be grown in hanging baskets, which could produce a beautiful show of cascading flowers that will brighten up any room in your home or office.

If you are planting your own wave petunia hanging basket, we’ve put together this guide to go over some of the things you should keep in mind.

Already have a wave petunia basket in your possession? There’s nothing to worry about! Please feel free to move ahead to the wave petunia hanging basket maintenance instructions section to learn how to keep your basket looking its best all summer long! First and foremost, a word or two on selecting flowers for your hanging basket.

About the Wave Petunias in Baskets

The spreading habits of wave petunias, as well as their proclivity to bloom continuously, make them a popular choice for hanging baskets. Wave petunias can be grown on their own (in a single color), in groups of different colors of Wave petunias, or with other annuals to make a beautiful arrangement of flowers and leaves.

Petunias in the shape of waves are fast-growing plants. So, it’s important to pick companion plants for Wave petunias that can stand on their own, so to speak.

The annuals listed below are some of the most often seen when wave petunias are planted together. These plants are either comparable spreaders to wave petunias or have a sufficient height to prevent them from being overshadowed by the wave petunia. They also have comparable needs in terms of sunshine and irrigation.

Verbena stolonifera (Trailing Verbena)

Trailing verbena is a wonderful companion plant for wave petunias. These plants will spread and cascade over the side of the basket in the same way as wave petunias do, and their different bloom and leaf colors will contrast well with wave petunias.

When you choose to combine your wave petunias with trailing verbena, you will have a greater variety of color and aesthetic possibilities. Unlike wave petunias, which come in a range of hues, trailing verbenas have some stunning bi-color flowers that make them a wonderful complement to wave petunias, whether planted in a hanging basket or container garden.

Calibrachoa (Million Bells)

Million Bells are another aggressive grower that should not be outpaced by Wave petunias in terms of size and blooming time.

A relative of Wave petunias, Million Bells feature smaller flowers that give some diversity to a hanging basket arrangement.

Geraniums

Looking for a little more height? Geraniums are a terrific flower option for contrasting with a wave petunia basket, and they are very inexpensive. A hanging basket with wave petunias spilling over the side and a geranium creeping up the middle makes for a lovely mix of flowers.

Geraniums, on the other hand, can withstand the sun, allowing both plants to get the sunlight they need to put on a spectacular display.

Plants that produce sweet potatoes are known as “sweet potato vines.”

Sweet potatoes are a favorite “spiller” for hanging baskets because of their sweetness. Yellowish-green and dark black are two of the most popular hues. These accent hues are the ideal complement to a wave petunia bouquet.

Steps to Plant Wave Petunias in Hanging Baskets

The following are the steps to take if you already have your plants and are ready to put them up in a hanging basket.

1. Preparing your hanging basket is the first step.

Take your hanging basket and fill it with potting soil until it is just a few inches short of the brim.

2. Remove your Wave petunia plants from their container.

Squeeze the bottom of the container and gently lift the petunia plant out of the pack or pot to remove it. In order to get gravity on your side, you may flip the container upside down while you are doing this.

3. Getting your Wave petunia plants ready for display.

Prepare your plants in the hanging basket in the manner in which you want them.

You may help wave petunia plants by gently pulling the roots apart a few times if they get root bound (meaning their root cubes become extremely tight and interlaced). This will help the plant grow more vigorously. In this way, the plant is encouraged to stretch its roots out into the new soil.

4. Planting the wave petunia in a hanging basket.

Cover the Wave petunia plugs with soil to bring them up to the same level as the plants’ soil line.

5. Watering the garden plants.

Apply slow-release fertilizer to the Wave petunia basket and water it well (if not already included in your potting soil).

Additional Tips to Care for Petunias in Hanging Baskets

1. Do not overfill your planting baskets.

Wave petunias, as previously said, are fast-growing plants that produce a lot of flowers. It is important not to make the error of overfilling your Wave petunia basket while the plants are still young. While Wave petunias aren’t nearly as robust as Supertunias, they have the ability to outcompete other plants in a hanging basket if given the opportunity.

If you’re using just wave petunias in your hanging basket, you may be able to get away with just one plant per basket, but many people like to plant three or four to really have a lovely show (stick with odd numbers). Although the number of plants you need may vary depending on the size of your basket, three plants will easily fill a standard 12-inch basket.

If you are putting wave petunias in a hanging basket with another plant, be sure that none of the plants is crowded by the other plant.

2. Choose a hanging basket with adequate drainage.

Ensure that the hanging basket you choose has enough drainage holes. This will aid in the prevention of root rot in the wave petunia.

3.Plant the hanging basket as soon as possible.

Wave petunias are excellent growers, and they will thrive even if they are planted late in the season. In general, though, the sooner you can safely plant annuals outdoors, the better. This will help you get rid of your cabin fever while also getting a first glimpse of some blossoms.

4. Fertilize your plants throughout the summer.

Even though the potting soil in your hanging basket already has a slow-release fertilizer in it, we still recommend treating the hanging basket during the summer.

Some gardeners advocate feeding hanging baskets every third watering, but this may vary depending on how much fertilizer was in the potting soil, how the plants are looking, and how much light the hanging basket is getting at the time of fertilization.

 

5. Continue to expose yourself to the sun.

In the same vein, make sure your Wave petunia gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. Petunias can withstand the heat of the afternoon sun if they are given the correct care. The majority of petunias are sun-lovers, so make sure they are receiving enough natural sunshine.

If you don’t give the Wave petunia adequate sunlight, you may find that it doesn’t bloom as much or that its development is hindered.

6. To encourage new growth, prune back the wave petunia.

Wave petunias have the significant advantage of not necessitating the removal of spent blooms. On the other hand, wave petunias seem to benefit from being pruned back to foster growth and subsequent blooms.

If you see that the wave petunia in your hanging basket is becoming straggly or is encroaching on the other plants in the basket, you may choose to prune it back.

7. Water the hanging basket on a regular basis, but don’t overwater it.

While wave petunias thrive in the sun, they will be more reliant on you for water if they are grown in a hanging basket. It is important to keep the basket well-watered throughout the summer, especially on very hot summer days.

Depending on how hot it is throughout the summer, you may need to water the hanging basket once or twice a day. Keep an eye on it so that you don’t overwater it.

If the first inch or so of soil is damp, it is a good indication that it needs to be watered. Alternatively, you may test the weight of the basket by lifting it from beneath. When a wave petunia hanging basket is in need of watering, it will be considerably lighter in weight.

In general, wave petunias are excellent annuals to use in a hanging basket arrangement. Because of their cascading blossoms and spreading, these plants will stand out on your front porch or anywhere sunny on your home.