Have you ever visited your local city garden, garden center, or public office and seen those huge, vigorous petunia displays, wondering, “How did they do that? My petunias at home don’t look that large or healthy!” You might think there’s some industry secret or special quality of flowers that you just don’t have access to.

Well, today, I’m here to dispel those thoughts and show you how to transform your disappointing petunia display into a stunning showcase right at home. No industry tricks, special equipment, or extensive dripline necessary.

There are two key elements to tackle before planting: the vigorousness of your flower blooms and the fullness of your display. Vigorous growth starts with the right planter location. Our planters will be on our front porch, where they will get plenty of morning sun and late afternoon shade.

The vigorousness of your growth is also greatly impacted by your plant selection and fertilizing schedule. But we’ll get to fertilizing later. For our display, we chose the Supertunia Vista Bubblegum by Proven Winners. These petunias have an excellent track record of being vigorous growers, reaching about 2 feet high and trailing up to 4 feet out of your planter.

Next, let’s talk about fullness. Achieving a full, lush display means choosing the right number of plants for your planter. For our 15-inch by 15-inch planters, we used four Supertunias in each, ensuring they were spaced appropriately. This gives us 360 degrees of fullness around our planters.

When planting, use potting soil that has moisture control and some fertilizer mixed in. We’ll be adding our own fertilizer too. We chose the Proven Winners Continuous Release Plant Food. This heat-activated plant food won’t have an immediate effect, but as we get into the dog days of summer, it will provide an additional boost. Sprinkle it into your soil and mix it in well.

Instead of filling the planter entirely with soil and then digging out space for the plants, I prefer placing half of the potting soil in first, positioning and spacing the plants, and then filling in the open spaces with soil. This method is much easier.

While we get these nestled in, let’s discuss watering and water-soluble fertilizer. For the best results, I water every other day, and every day during the hottest parts of summer. There’s no drip line attached to these planters, so I use a 2-gallon watering can, filling each planter with two gallons or until water drains out the bottom.

They say you should fertilize with a water-soluble fertilizer every third watering. However, anyone who works and has kids knows that keeping such a schedule is challenging. I ensure to fertilize at least once a week. Since they came in a pack together, I use the Proven Winners water-soluble fertilizer, but any reputable brand should work.

By following these steps, you can achieve those lush, vibrant petunia displays you admire. Remember, it’s all about the right location, plant selection, and consistent care. Thanks for joining us on this gardening journey. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more tips and updates. Happy gardening, and see you next time!