I live in Houston and have problem with potted Petunia's. I watch for snails and slugs and fight them with Deadline, so my probelm should not be snails. But I don't know what is it that eats the leaves of Petunias starting with the bottom leaves and going all the way up the stems. Leaves first get "marked" with some white lines or with ends that are beginning to be parched. Pretty soon, the leaves are all parched and dead but the stems are still green only very brittle and can snap off very easily. While this is happening the blooms are still coming out only beginning to be smaller....The uneffected leaves are sticky....I water only when the pot is almost dry...so it is not overwatering problem. I pick off the spent flowers too. When the "infection/invasion" takes best part of the bottom stems I simply cut the stems back and new growth comes back. Until the next ocassion of "infection/invasion"! Any ideas/suggestions on preventing this occuring?
Also, any ideas on how to take Petunia's cuttings?
Thanks in advance
Sonja Myers
Houston, TX
Problem with Petunia's
Hi Sonja. You guys have lots of different critters down there. You might have more success posting on the Texas forum or the annuals forum. Also, do you have a photo? Good luck!
Sonja, bring a clipping of the nibbled on/infected part to your county extension office/master gardener program, and they should be able to ID whatever it is, and should also be able to assist with some sort of IPM for it!
How old are the plants? In southern climates, petunias can live a long time, but they're still annuals and still going to get woody and eventually die. This sounds like the way mine always die off when they're done - the bottom leaves dry up and fall off while the ends get kind of spindly and the flowers bloom but often start to get smaller.