Hi, I bought a big hanging basket early in spring, but now it is so leggy. Can I prune it back and will it put out new blooms? Also, can I root any of what I cut off? It is too pretty to let it die. Thanks for any advise. Alda
Can you prue petunias?
I regularly cut pack petunias and calibrachoa. I also deadhead both.
BTW - deadheading is a breeze with the bonsai defoliating tool seen below.
Al
be sure to feed it when you are done pruning. I like time release fertilizer like Osmacote or the Miracle gro kind for this as it gives a nice steady feed when you water and you don't have to think about it for three months aka all summer.
Martha
The convenience of not having to worry about fertilizing has a cost. I prefer not to use CRFs like Osmocote for the simple reason release of nutrients from CRFs is primarily a function of temperature. So during the heat of summer when you should be cutting back on nutrient delivery, CRFs are maximizing delivery. I like the control offered by soluble synthetics and especially prefer Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 because it has ALL the essential nutrients plants need (very few fertilizers can make that claim) in a ratio that virtually ensures no antagonistic deficiencies, and offers about as much control over your nutritional supplementation as you could wish for.
Al