As mentioned previously, we had some ordinary petunias and marigolds in 12-inch hanging baskets in our back yard before the greenhouse was delivered at the end of July. They survived in the baskets, but did not thrive. I put the marigolds in the greenhouse's outdoor flower boxes, and stuck the petunias in a pot inside. The trevails of the marigolds vs. the deer are detailed elsewhere, but I wanted to comment on the petunias. Online sources say to fertilize petunias for them to reach their full potential, but all I have really done the past few months is water them. They are not flowering prolifically but they look healthy, and will survive another month until I pull the plug on the greenhouse heater.
So what about next year? I've been reading and watching videos about Supertunias, which is a branded line of mutant petunias sold by Proven Winners from Michigan. Supertunias flower profusely and look to be an excellent choice for hanging baskets. Three different colors in a 16-inch basket could be spectacular. But the list price is $10.99 per plant. As I alluded to by calling them mutants, these are highly-engineered hybrids. They cannot be grown from seed because they don't produce seeds. You have to buy the plants, which might be available in the big-box stores in the spring, or to get the best selection can be ordered online from Proven Winners. There are several competitors to Supertunias (ColorRush, Wave, Durabloom), so I will probably spend a ridiculous sum next year to make huge hanging baskets of Frankentunias. And I promise to fertilize them.
On YouTube, "Up North Garden w/Corey" has a number of videos on growing massive plantings of petunias, including this one:
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