The petunia originally comes from South America and has started its triumphal march through the gardens and planters of this world not least because of its enormous abundance of flowers. Since the petunia likes to thrive in a little shelter from wind and rain, the balcony is an ideal location for this plant.

Hanging petunias look particularly good in balcony boxes

The hanging varieties of petunia

Hanging varieties of petunia are particularly appreciated, which with their bright colors can conjure up color accents on the balcony railings of houses that are visible from afar. Hanging petunias include the following subspecies:

  • Petunia Bordeaux
  • Petunia Violet Star
  • Petunia Chocolina
  • Petunia Porch White
  • Petunia Supercal Velvet
  • Petunia Conchita Doble Blue

If you plant these petunias as early young plants after the ice saints in a sunny balcony location and take good care of them, the shoots overhanging the balcony box can reach lengths of up to 60 or 80 centimeters by late summer.

Long shoots need sufficient nutrients and water

Even if a lot of sun and warmth is important for strong growth of petunias with many flowers, this alone is not enough for magnificent hanging petunias. Since petunias can be very sensitive to waterlogging and rainy weather, they should be planted in a substrate that is as permeable as possible and ideally partially covered. In addition, the plants should be watered with soft water at least once a day during the warm summer days. For the formation of long "curtains" of leaves and flowers on the balcony railing, petunias need a lot of nutrients, which you can give them by fertilizing them with liquid fertilizer once or twice a week. Pay particular attention to an adequate iron supply so that deficiency symptoms such as chlorosis do not occur.

Use caution when caring for hanging petunias

While the smaller-flowered magic bells need less attention during the flowering period, the petunia usually has the wilted flowers removed every few days. It is a matter of taste whether this is also absolutely necessary for hanging large specimens. However, you should always keep your own safety in mind when caring for the plants and checking for lice.

tips

So that no accidents happen when caring for petunias, you should not bend down over the balcony railing to the flowers. Watering hanging petunias in a hanging basket (€11.99), which is sometimes unsafe with a stepladder, is easier with a special watering aid or with a garden hose.

Category:

Indoor plants