Wave petunias-advice please?

Question

My wave petunias look bad. A few weeks ago, they were full and beautiful. But, the heat has gotten so bad. They look wilted and like they are dying-despite my watering them in the a.m. & in the evening.
I have searched online & think I need to add more soil to their containers. And, maybe trim them back. But, I get conflicting info re. pruning.
Can anyone here tell me, should I trim these plants until they are lush & healthy again? Will it help or harm them?
Wave petunias are supposed to be heat tolerant so I am really puzzled by their appearance.

They are in good sized pots. I bought them from a nursery and I am guessing the pots are b/t 12-16 in. They are in hanging pots & they do drain well.

Oh, when you say "feed them" do you mean special petunia food? I have food that I bought fo rmy roses that says it is good for "roses, shrubs and all potted plants". It seems to be working fine on the roses, iris, and pansies.
(I live in an apt so all my plants are potted-lol).

And, I do deadhead them although a perk of Wave petunias is that you do not have to-according to the Wave website.

Answer 1

snip them out and have a rock garden. then irregardless of how much or how little care you give it, it will always yield the same result, ja? :)

How's THAT for "outside the box" Laney my dear.

Answer 2

I would dead-head them, (and prune back the yellow and brown parts of the leaves) but there is something wrong with the soil. Are you over watering? The dirt should be moist, not soaking wet. Waves are tough enough for Austin's heat. I added peat to the soil in my pots there to retain moisture.

Wilting usually indicates not enough water, too much sun or over fertilizing. Petunias need fertilizer but too much will also kill them. Once a month, but every week?

Take one back to the garden center and ask an expert if all else fails. They see this every day and can look at the leaves and soil better than we can imagine. Good luck!

Answer 3

You need a larger container to keep the moisture in. Even heat tolerant plants wilt in heavy heat. The soil you need should be able to hold water yet allow excess to drain off. Also have more than one plant in pot as they keep each other from loosing as much moisture. I just brought home some fuchsia colored ones very pretty take care ! Hope that helps

Answer 4

You didn't say what size containers you put them in. Wave petunias need a fairly large container, at least 12 inches. They are also very heavy feeders so you need to feed them once a week.

Petunia also don't like to be wet, so make sure the container drains well. They also like sun, lots of it.

So to review, repot them in a larger pot, cut them back, keep them moist but not wet in a sunny place, and feed them once a week.

Answer 5

Petunias are susceptible to some soil borne viruses. They are incurable once you get them. You should probably throw out the soil and sterilize the container....

Answer 6

One may actually be watering too much.
Refer to the site for Wave Petunias - Answers all your questions!
http://www.wave-rave.com/How_To_Grow.aspx

Answer 7

no, they do not need to be cut back. just deadhead them daily. that is to pull off the dead blooms once they begin to wilt. make sure the roots are covered up really good. any exposure to air and they will die. they souldn't need watering in the am and pm though. once daily should be sufficient.