How much water do they need?
Watering can be very tricky in the Spring. Keep the weather in mind. On cool cloudy days, they may only need watering every 1-2 days. It's best to feel the weight of the basket to gauge watering needs. You can also use your finger to check the soil moisture and water when the top inch feels dry. Roots don't like to be waterlogged, so be careful not to overwater in the spring or leave them out for days in the rain, especially calibrachoa (millionbells) By summer, roots are completely developed and baskets will need watering every day and on those extremely hot days, twice a day!
When do I fertilize?
These plants are hungry ones! They like to be fed 1-2 times a week with liquid fertilizer (i.e., Miracle Gro , Peters or for an organic alternative--Nature Source). It helps to make it part of your routine, such as every Wednesday and Saturday. If you sometimes forget about feeding (or if you just want an extra happy basket!) just add 1/4 cup of time release fertilizer such as Osmocote around July 4th. If you are too busy to liquid feed them, use Osmocote once a month. This will ensure an abundance of blooms through mid-October!
Do I need to deadhead the flowers?
No need to pick off old blooms! The plants in your basket are self-cleaning, meaning the old flowers shrivel up and new ones will continue to bloom. You won't notice the old blooms, because your basket will be covered with blossoms as long as you are giving it enough fertilizer and sunshine! If the supertunias get too long and a bit straggly in late summer/early fall, don't be afraid to chop back a few inches off the ends. Doing this will push new growth on top.
Whoops! I forgot to water my basket for a couple of days!
Don’t worry! Your basket should perk up after a couple of days with water. (Never fertilize a totally dried out plant.) If it doesn't, cut the foliage back to reduce plant stress, and In a couple of weeks your basket should be beautiful once again!
Do I need to spray for bugs?
In early to mid-summer you may notice a slow down in blooms or that the foliage appears limp even though you are faithfully watering. Most likely budworms are the culprit! They are pesky caterpillars that love to chew on petunia blossoms and are most active at dusk. Another sign that you have budworms, are tiny black specks that resemble poppy seeds. Extremely effective is an insecticide containing \"spinosad.\" We recommend using Captain Jack's Deadbug Brew which does not harm beneficial insects. Spraying every 2-3 weeks will keep your basket blooming prolifically throughout the season! If you have aphids, use neem oil or an insecticidal soap.