Nuts For Petunias 2010

Hope it's ok with everyone to start a new thread. Let's see how you petunia fetish is evolving.

We came from here: Anyone Nuts for Petunias? http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/981694/


This message was edited Jan 27, 2010 11:20 AM

You can start a new link anytime, especially when you post THOSE kinds of photos. To steal one of your phrases..."I think I have zone envy".

Has anyone grown Cherry Frost Petunias?

Heres one from last summer called 'Fortunia', it was fragrant too!

and heres an heirloom one, I like the star pattern!

I envy you Joanna for being able to plant solid baskets of just Petunias. I never seem to have the self control to plant solid containers of just one plant! :D

I seen Lindenberg Seeds has the Frost Series in their 2010 catalog. 500 seeds for $5.25. I should not order any more petunia seeds.

The Hot Pink Tidal Waves in the Urns beside the table have only one plant per urn. They are fragrant as well

I'm unable to speak here........................did you say one plant per urn? How long does it take to fill out?

Tidal Waves are the coolest. I start them in Mid March. By Mid April they are in a 4" pot, by May they are in a 6" pot. Last year we had a really cold, with snow May & June, but here's a picture at the end of June

And here is Mid July.

This is a great resource with awesome pictures. Since they are in Australia, I wouldn't order anything from them, but I sure like their Petunia brochure.
http://www.highsun.com.au/files/2009%20Cult%20Notes/CN%20Bedding%20Potting/Petunia%202009.pdf

of course the Supertunias are nice too.
www.provenwinners.com


This message was edited Jan 27, 2010 4:39 PM

Ok, Joannabanana, how do you water the baskets over the window and what direction do they face. They are fantastic! Do you think color has anything to do with the scent?

Joy

The window baskets in my back yard face SSE, so the get full sun fro sunrise until 3PM. I have a long watering wand that has a nice curve hook. Here's the kid watering in early June last year

Thanks Joanna, your gardens are beautiful. I'm not new to DG but have not spent much time in the Annual Forum. I think that is about to change!

I like the Harlequin and the Opera Supreme Lilac Ice...also another one called 'Strawberry Sundae'. Thanks for sharing that brochure!

There's a great but of people on the Annuals forum with tons of great advice and chat. I just realized that you were asking about the window basket on my garage, above the window. I use the same water wand as above picture. That window faces West, may even be a bit NW. We are on a bit of an angle.

McFayden's is the only place that I seen had Lilac Ice. It is in the picture of the basket "above" the window.

Oh and here is mid September....really am NUTS for petunias!!

This message was edited Jan 27, 2010 4:58 PM

I was so busy looking at all the other plants in the picture I didn't even realize that it was a different basket. You garden the way I try to, but I seem to run out of steam before the end of the season.

I know what you mean Joyous. Always like to look the photos over and see what else is growing/going on in the background. It takes awhile to really check out Joanne's photos. There's plenty to look at. Joanne, I like the way you're able to add so much color to your yard, and it's very organized and well thought out. There's space available where you can walk around and really enjoy everything.

Haven't grown "Frost" petunias Daniel. Some of them (Red Frost, Blue Frost, Velvet Frost) look very similar to the "Hula Hoop Series" of petunias.

By the way Joanna, I added Tidal Wave Cherry to my order form from Lindenberg, I'm hoping it will look nice with 'Cherry Frost'

LOL. I typed Joyous instead of Joanne. I wonder what that was all about??? Hmmmm

Joanne, your yard is absolutely beautiful.I use lots of petunias too. I ordered the grape avalanche seeds today. I think I am going to get some other colors of the avalanche series too, but I need to order those on another day, I was afraid that the grapes would sell out...lol...I love supertunias. I had several different colors of those last year and will probably buy some more this year. Another new one that I am growing this year is Shockwave Denim.Joanne, I hope you have lots more pics to post of your gorgeus(misp) yard...They shoo away my winter blues! Thanks, a bunch
Dee

Thanks everyone. I post a ton of pictures on DG and if you click on my name you should get an option to look at Threads I had started, which most have pictures. I've always bought petunias, but only started seeding them 4 years ago. 2009 was our 10th year in our home and I put some before (1999 vs 2009) and after pictures on this thread. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1026448/

My daughter was a year old when we moved in and at one point we had a 21' swingset and a 10' x 12' trampoline in the back yard. After I used the swingset for my "first" greenhouse, the kid thought gardening was a fun too. I've had a real hobby greenhouse for 2 years and an indoor seed starting shelf/light assembly for 3 years. We took the trampoline to the farm in June last summer. Since then, I have been working on rearranging the back yard.

The most exciting thing this fall was my next door neighbor had nine 30 foot evergreen spruce trees removed. 3 of which were on the property line along the side of my house. This year there will be a whole new gardening option for that entire side of the front yard. Way more sun and the plants won't be competing for moisture. It is very exciting indeed.

In addition to being a petunia nut, I have a thing for roses as well. Oh who am I kidding, I have a "thing" for flowers.

I plant up people's containers and sell a lot of my annuals in May. It helps pay for all the gardening expenses.

I remember looking at your "before and after" photos Joanne. There's quite a difference. Do you make it a point to try some flowers, completely different and new to you each year? If so, have you decided on a few you might try growing in 2010?

Jon

Absolutely new ones every year. New petunias will be Denim Shockwave; Violet & Plum Vein Easy Wave; Neon Rose, Peach Glow, Salmon Capri Ramblin'

Here's my 2010 petunia seed order:

Avalanche Grape
Baby Duck Yellow trailing
Easywave Formula Mix
Easywave Plum Pudding Mix
Explorer Coral
Flambe Salmon grandiflora F1 Hybrid
Limoncello grandiflora F1 Hybrid
Opera Supreme Lilac Ice
Opera Supreme Pink Morn AAS Winner
Picobella New Mix
Prism Sunshine grandiflora F1 Hybrid
Ramblin' Calypso Mix
Ramblin' Razzleberry Mix
Ramblin' Red
Ramblin' White
Shockwave Electric Mix
Shockwave Denium
Shockwave Collection, Pink Vein, Ivory, Purple
Tidalwave Hot Pink
Tidalwave collection Cherry, Silver, Purple
Wave Blue
Wave Rose
Wave collection Purple, Blue, Misty Lilac


I have my seed list on an excel worksheet and there are 251 line items. That includes tomatoes and veggies though.

This message was edited Jan 27, 2010 9:57 PM

That's a lot of petunias. What flowers are you going to try for the first time, or are there too many to list? For example: I try a few new things each winter, just to keep things interesting. They're all flowers that I've never grown before so I don't know what to expect. This winter it's: Calendulas, Amberboa Muricata, Larkspur, Texas Bluebonnets, Cineraria and several different flower bulbs.

Holy cow, we start a new thread and already its a long one!! LOL!

Great pics guys!

Jon, Cineraria is amazing! I bought one once for Walmart and it was the most stuning deep TRUE blue, not purplely. Did you start them from seed?

Joanna, do you keep some of each petuina for yourself and sell the extras? Or start some varieties just for selling? Also, can I ask where you sell your plants? Farmers market, garden clubs? Thats a very impressive list by the way. I really like the Flambe Salmon! I saw it in T&M.

Yes, I keep some of all. I sell them from my back yard. I have a number of people that bring their pots to my house we have a container planting workshop and they buy my plants. The petunia list is huge this year because I already have a number of orders for specific varieties or colors.

I started a little garden club about 4 years ago and we have about 36 members. I sell a lot to that group and also the Calgary Horticultural Society has over 5000 members, so I posted info about my plants on their on-line forum. And I also am a member with the Calgary Rose Society, so there is another group for plant sales. I make my money on the petunias & tomatoes (many of which are heirloom). I seed everything with a good seed starting medium and never use those mesh jiffy pellet things. All the seedlings get a weekly shot of fish fertilizer. My petunias are always bigger & look healthier than the ones for sale in the garden centres. Since they do go thru the delivery process (dark & cold, change of fertilizer & water) there is less transplant shock etc. They are also hardened off by that time too.

A lot of my gardening friends also like the fact that I take plant trades. A very cool way to get a great selection of plant material.

Jon,

Regarding my seed list & new stuff. too many to list. I did manage to enter my list as a DG Journal, so I think you can view it there

Yes, I started the Cineraria "Jester Mix" seeds about 2 months ago. They've been very easy to grow from seed. Here's a photo of one of them today. I have 4 growing in pots and 1 in the ground in "morning only" sun. I hope at least one of them is the blue one, but the lavender and the red ones look very nice also.

Holy smokes. That's a long list Joanne. I only saw about 10, or so, that I'm growing this winter.

Wow, you started your own club! Impressive! I usually give away my extra plants, people are always thrilled to get some plants that are a little different. We grew some heirloom tomatos last year and they were great! And I love the way they look too, how sometimes they're odd shapes.

Jon, that plant looks really good for only 2 months! Where did you get the seeds from?

Thanks Steven. I wanted the mixed colors seeds so I ordered them on E Bay from a seller using the name "another39again". I'm a bit hesitant to order seeds from people on E Bay, but I've ordered from her many times and have always had good germination results. She has quite a selection of flower seeds and some very unique and new varieties. Thompson & Morgan has them but only "Jester Scarlet". The "Jester Mix" seems to be fairly difficult to find.

Jon

DeeS,

The Avalanche (for me anyways) does not drape like the Waves. It does hang over, but not as long as the Waves. Love the Grape color.

I ordered a gazillion seeds from Stokes. Most of my petunias are from Stokes and I had only one item of the entire order backordered: Avalanche Grape Ha!Ha!

At least it wasn't cancelled.

This message was edited Jan 30, 2010 9:53 AM

How funny. I guess word gets around when we all start hyping up some certain variety.

Joanna - I am absolutely CRAZY about petunias too - the look, the smell everything. My idea of heaven would definitely be YOUR GARDEN - it's BREATH TAKING! Course it's hot here in OK but I usually do well with keeping them looking fairly decent but they are nursery bought not from seed. Can you tell me which ones do you think germinate fastest and is "hardy"? I bought Frillytunia - cause it looks so different. That's the only time I tried to grow from seed was pretty but leggy and then something ate the planter box! So I ordered more this year determined to get some unusual plants myself that's cheaper on the pocketbook!

How much do you dilute the fish emulsion - is it very weak as it's for seedlings? (Sorry edited to include this question)...

This message was edited Feb 8, 2010 5:27 PM

Hi Ultimateshopper,

I have not tried the Frillytunia, but I did try some Superbissima last year which sounds similar. I don't deadhead, so not the petunia for me.

I choose the varieties from these common descriptions: Multiflora or Milliflora Hybrid, Free Flowering, Hanging basket type, trailing etc. Free flowering is important since I do not deadhead and if a normal petunia goes to seed it stops flowering. Also, I prefer the trailing ones to obtain the big full ball look. I like the Waves, Easy Waves, ShockWaves, Tidal Waves, Ramblin', Avalanche and any others that state Free Flowering.

I buy most of my seeds pelleted, which means each seed has a clay coating, so it's bigger making it easier to seed and work with.
This is how I seed them: Pre-moisten the soil with warm water. let stand for 15 minutes. fill the cells in the tray. I use a tapered cell tray and bottom water so I lightly push the soil down (do not compact) so the soil will be in contact with my wicking mat inside the water tray. Fill in the cells loosely and level with the tray. One seed per cell. press lightly into soil. You should be able to see the seed. I mist with a spray bottle that contains a "damp-off" or chamomile tea. The misting will settle the seed in with good soil contact. Should still see seed though. The pelleted seed needs daily mist to wash away the clay and be sure to have the damp-off product or chamomile tea in the spray to prevent damping off. The seed needs light to germinate, so do not cover with soil. Cover tray with a clear dome or plastic to retain moisture

A heat mat is best to keep the soil at about 24ºC or 75ºF for germination. If you don't have a heat mat, on top your fridge will work. Locate your light about 2 inches above the tray for about 14 hours a day (timer works great). As soon as they germinate get them under lights if they are not already. remove the dome & plastic immediately after they have germinated and remove bottom heat. Start fertilizing with diluted fish fertilizer (1 cap per pint watering can) once a week. Use the damp-off or chamomile tea until the get the 2nd set of leaves



Petunias will germinate within 6 to 10 days depending on color. White & pink 1st and red last