What is "deadheading" petunias?

Question

I've decided to take my first step in flowering - so I bought already potted pink and white supertunias. The care sounded easy - full to part sun and normal water. If I can keep this plant alive, I may try to actually plant next year. However, after about a week and a half my poor plant has more dead stems and pathetic blooms than nice full blooms. I water every night - until the soil feels very nice and moist and it's on my front porch where it gets full sun probably around the noon hours - and then it's in the shade for the rest of the day. I keep reading about "deadheading" but I'm not sure what that is exactly or how to do it. For instance, I noticed on some of my stems where it's nice and green and then all of a sudden it's brown. Do I just rip off the brown part of the stem? Or do I just pull the dead flowers off the brown stem?? Do I need to put it out in the sun more??? Any help would be appreciated because I really want to keep this plant alive!! Thanks!

Answer 1

Here's a picture of some daylilies "before and after" deadheading ... which is simply clipping, cutting or breaking off withered or dead plant material:

http://www.gardening-quick-n-easy.com/de...

*~ Enjoy ~*

Answer 2

Removing the dead flowers.

Answer 3

pinching off the flowers after they have wilted and died off...this will give the plant the ability to produce more new blooms and will keep your flowers looking great longer!

Answer 4

About how much sun. Full sun means sun most  if not all day - no shade. Petunias want sun all day long.

Water - light watering daily is not good.Soak it really well each time you water and let it go several days between waterings - unless it is really hot and it dry out and starts to wilt.

Answer 5

Dead heading means cutting the dieing flower off just below the flower so the plant can put more energy into new flowers rather than seed.

Answer 6

First of all, Petunias are a full sun plant. They do their best in the sun.  I have seen them do ok in some shade but not in mostly shade. They tend to stay to moist and grow more leaves and flowers in the shade.  If they do stay too moist, they are prone to rotting..which it sounds like yours are doing in places.

Deadheading is a term that refers to removing spent blooms. To dead head, pinch or cut out the dead blossoms just below the blossom and where it's stem joins the main stem of the plant. Not that hard and it encourages new blooms.

If you are really daring, cut of about 1 to 2 inches of from the very tips of the plant.  It might miss a few days of blossom time, but what you will be rewarded with is a nicer, fuller plant with lots more blooms on it!  I do this with all of my petunias later in the season to fill them in when they have got too leggy..or tall.

Hope this helps.

PS..I don't think you need to water it as often if it isn't in the sun. Sound like you may be over watering it a bit too.  try to go every 3-4 days..or lift the pot from the bottom...if it feels light, it's time to water.