Supertunias Vs. Wave Petunias

Plant Groupings

• Thanks to effective marketing strategies, gardeners recognize the name Wave petunia, and often quickly recognize them at nurseries because they are sold in color-coded containers. At least 55 petunia cultivars are marketed as some type of Wave petunia, grouped in series with trademark names such as Wave, Shock Wave, Tidal Wave, Easy Wave or Double Wave. Around 30 cultivars are in the Supertunia series of petunias.

Features

• Flower color varies among Supertunia and Wave petunias, but they all encompass numerous shades of white, lavender, pink, blue, purple and red. Supertunia petunias generally mature as a mound about 10 inches tall and spread 18 to 30 inches wide. Of the many Wave petunias, they grow slightly larger as a true ground cover flower, around 6 inches tall and 30 to 48 inches wide. Neither petunia type requires deadheading, or clipping off old flowers, to continue to produce new flowers across the growing season. Frost kills both of these warm-season, fast-growing annuals.

Growing Insight

• Wave petunias develop much longer stems than Supertunia petunias. As a consequence, by middle to late summer, Wave petunias may look haggard with bare lower stems and require a trimming back to rejuvenate with new growth. By contrast, Supertunia petunias' stems aren't as long and remain more leaved and covered with flowers across the heat and humidity of July and August. Wave petunias also look better when their foliage and stems are not wet overnight during summertime. If any petunia looks rather tired during the dog days of summer, be patient but keep the plant alive. Once the heat subsides, petunias again bloom nicely in the cooling days of autumn up until frost.

Similar Fertilization

• All petunias, not just those known as Wave or Supertunia types, benefit from evenly moist but well-drained soil. Plant them in full to partial sun to promote faster drying of stems and foliage as well as production of blossoms. Apply either a slow-release fertilizer to the soil or a biweekly feeding of a well-balanced water-soluble fertilizer. Petunias kept well-watered and fertilized in the intense heat of summer fare better and are less likely to sustain yellowing or drying leaves.