Expert: C.L. Fornari - 8/17/2009

Question
Fertizer wave petunias one a week but with what type? Liquid? Good for other plants?I live in Oregon alot of rain.Do the bloom die in fall and come back in Spring?

Answer
Bobbie,
Fertilize Wave Petunias every other week - be sure to water them before fertilizing (don't fertilize with the water no matter what the package says) or fertilize them after it rains.  Clipping three or four stems in half once a week can also help to keep the plants bushy and filled with flowers, since these plants make flowers only at the end of the stems.  A liquid is fine - mix according to directions and don't make it stronger or the plants might get fertilizer burn.  Next year if you plant them again you could mix some time-release fertilizer such as Osmocote Plus into the soil before planting and this fertilizes for two or three months.

Petunias are annuals that don't live through the winter, but they are so flower-filled that it's worth it to buy them every year!

all the best,
C.L.