Problem With Hanging Basket Petunias

Question

I have petunias hanging outside and they appear to be dying near the roots. They are still blooming some but the blooms are getting smaller and the leaves are smaller now. What should I do to keep them from dying?

Answer 1

If you have a lot of heat and these are in full sun, they will struggle. While petunias are a great early season plant, for those of us with hot, dry summers )?_, they usually poop out. I have some friends who have good luck here with Wave Petunias but I don’t. If you want to try to save them, shear them back to four inches or so. Water well and make sure they do not dry out too much. Baskets are hard to keep wet enough. Only after watering well and while soil is wet, fertilize with a good water soluble fertilizer per directions. Do this every two weeks. They may come back and give you another flush of blooms. I just consider them “worn out” and replace them with something that can take the summer conditions.