Why doesn't petunia grow tall? How to prune petunia?

Petunias and morning glories are biologically the same genus of plants, and they look similar, but they are still different. Petunias will not grow as tall as morning glories, but they will not grow very short either.

Why Petunia Doesn't Grow Tall

The petunia is not tall because it is a species, unlike the climbing petunia, which can climb several meters.

Another reason is that the soil is not fertile enough, some are hardened, and the fertilizer nutrients are insufficient, which affects its growth and development. Therefore, it is necessary to fertilize in time. Ordinary flower fertilizer can be used.

More importantly, when the petunia grows more than ten leaves, it needs to be pinched and topped, so that more leaves, branches and buds can grow luxuriantly, and the plant will be compact and beautiful.

How to prune petunias

Petunia pruning, especially the branches that have bloomed, should be done in time, because petunia blooms on the top of new branches. Only by constantly topping to promote new branches can it bloom and grow full of buds. For the leaves that grow too densely, they can also be removed appropriately to prevent them from blocking the light of the lower branches.

After the flowers have bloomed, first cut a circle around the pot, so that the branches do not exceed the length of the pot, and cut it into a circular effect when viewed from above. This is the flat effect. We need to observe the elevation from the side and trim the branches to a length of about 10 cm, or until 6-8 leaves are retained.

For petunias grown from seedlings, the tops should be pinched when the plants grow to about 10 cm. When the side branches grow to 6 leaves, pinch 2 and leave 4, and then promote branching. Repeat this cycle until the ideal plant shape is achieved. Upright varieties may need to be pinched more often, while some hanging petunias such as "Wave" and "Beautiful Voice" have good branching properties and require fewer pinching times.

After shaving the petunia, place it in a well-ventilated place with scattered light, and control watering slightly. After the new buds grow, give it a lot of fertilizer, water, and sunshine. It needs more nutrients during the flowering period. It is best to irrigate the roots with a thin phosphorus and potassium fertilizer once a week. Be careful not to spray water on the flowers and leaves. Petunias cannot tolerate rain, otherwise the leaves and flowers will easily rot.

Can petunias be grown on the north balcony?

Generally speaking, south-facing or east-facing balconies are more suitable.

Petunia is a sun-loving plant and needs to be planted in a sunny location. If you don't get enough light, it will grow without blooming, so if you want petunias, you first need to have a sunny environment. Make sure you get at least 4 hours of light a day, the more the better.

However, it is not suitable to grow anything on the north balcony, because most plants like sunlight. The north balcony is only suitable for growing one kind of plant, that is, gesneriaceae, such as African violets, gloxinia, maze rock, sleeve, shade-loving flowers, etc.