How to Prune Petunias

Petunias, with their bright-colored trumpet blooms, are a mainstay in gardens of every shape and size. Trailing varieties like the Wave Petunia are perfect for hanging baskets while a Grandiflora with its large blooms look fabulous in containers. Varieties such as Milliflora or Multiflora with their abundant blooms give a show-stopping effect along garden borders or tumbling through rock gardens. This annual is one of the easiest to grow in full sun or part shade and takes very little maintenance save a mid-summer pruning to rejuvenate the plant.

Garden shears or clean sharp scissors

Instructions

- 1
  Deadhead petunias regularly from the time of planting. Pinch spent blooms just below the bloom or trim with pruning shears or scissors as they begin to die. Annuals expel their energy on three parts of the growing cycle--producing the plant, flowering, and going to seed. By deadheading at the flowering stage, you will keep the plant from going to seed, thus resulting in more blooms because it's trying to get to the final part of its life cycle.
- 2
  Prune petunias in mid-July or when the plant starts to get "leggy"--that is, have too many long stems with just one bloom on the end. Spreading varieties such as the Wave brand petunias growing on the ground may not need any pruning at all.
- 3
  Start by pruning back four to five inches on just three to four stems a day, cutting with one swift motion. By staggering your pruning, you will cause less stress on the plant and should stagger the new growth, making for a fuller plant.
- 4
  Continue pruning a few stems each day or when the sections your pruned start showing new growth.

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