Expert: Long Island Gardener - 5/22/2011

Question
QUESTION: I planted petunias this year in circular bed around a bloodgood red maple. They get enough sunlight when there is sun! We have had rain on LI for the past 4 to 5 days. I have been deheading them everyday during persistent rainfall. Should I be doing anything else? I am worried they will not make it.

ANSWER: Fear not - Petunias are a hot-weather mid-summer superbloom that pales in rain and the raw, gray Spring weather they've been subjected to.  In addition to deadheading, make sure you pinch them too, to keep them spreading and sprawling sideways, otherwise you'll hit the Summer wall with terminal buds and fewer flowers.

These temps and this moisture are prime Fungus conditions.  That's just a warning of what you might see.  Don't be alarmed.  The sun will bake the spores away and the Petunias will recover without obliterating the friendly Fungi that are so important to your garden's ecology.

The biggest threat to your plants right now: Garden slugs and snails.  This spate of Spring showers and warmer weather is sure to be follows by those herbivores from Hell -- with baby snails and slugs hatching all over the place.  Put an anti-slug program in place as soon as possible.  And pick those slimy things off your Petunia leaves, stems and flowers diligently so they can take off as soon as Summer hits the island.

Make sure by the way that when your Maple is finished opening all its foliage you still have plenty of sun for your Petunias.  As you know, they need lots of footcandles of direct sun to do well.  Move them if you see shade down there and plant Impatiens or Coleus, instead, under the tree.

Happy gardening!

THE LONG ISLAND GARDENER

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your response to my question and all the great advise.  I have a follow up question to your point about the maple tree opening all it foliage.  The tree is quite tall.  There are not many low branches and it will be getting pruned/trimmed next week. I am hoping this will give the bed and grass more sunlight and not compromise the beauty of the maple.  I was concerned that I may have picked the wrong flower(petunias) to plant under this maple. There is a section right now that is not blooming well. It is a pretty big bed. I put in about 4 flats. Is it normal to move that many petunias and plant something else? If I move them can I harm them? As you can probably tell I am somewhat new at this and can you some help!

Answer
Petunias are beautiful flowers that positively glow off the ground. In addition, White Petunias emit a strong scent in the dark.  Hybridizers aren't content with all that, coming up with new, improved plants with larger blooms and brighter colors.

That doesn't make them hard to grow, however.  Or expensive.  This is not a supply/demand situation.  They're in big demand, and they're dirt cheap.

Plus... Petunias thrive -- THRIVE -- with NO FERTILIZER and CRAPPY SOIL! (In fact, fertilizing Petunias will give you a lot of Petunia leaves and NO FLOWERS!  Remember that.  Repeat: DO NOT FERTILIZE!!!!)


Translation: You can move them and there will be no ill side effects.  For all this, Petunias ask for very little.

But they do ask for full, pure, 100% U.S. SUN.  Their chlorophyll cannot succeed without it.  They also do better in hot weather (much better than you or I. in fact).  And they MUST NOT be overwatered, or you'll rot the roots in no time flat.

Don't be discouraged by their poor performance to date. Remember, as I said last week, these are Summer plants.

Do you swim?  How's your swimming these days?  Freezing cold?  Non-existent?

Figure you put your Petunias out there to swim in the Spring rain, under a tree, without a jacket or a towel, and slugs all over the place.  You'd be miserable too.

Just wait until that Sun comes out.  Then get out the sunglasses.  Petunia petals jump for joy when the temperatures rise.  We have another month before Summer rolls in.  Get them over to a spot where you can't spend 10 minutes without a sunscreen.  That's the Petunia paradise, my friend.

Impatiens are made for the shade.  Begonias are made for the shade.  Coleus are made for the shade.  Petunias worship the sun.  Keep in touch,

THE LONG ISLAND GARDENER