Supertunias

Dr. Gary Bachman: There are many excellent petunias on the market. So how do you decide? Let me share some simple advice today on Southern Gardening.

Announcer: Southern Gardening with Gary Bachman is produced by the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

Dr. Gary Bachman: Every spring the home gardener is bombarded with new and improved petunias for the garden and landscape. With so many good varieties to choose from, how do you decide which to bring home from the garden center? In my opinion, you simply can't go wrong selecting any of the Supertunias, whether used as spreading plants in the landscape or as container in hanging basket plants. Supertunias have been good performers in Mississippi. Vista Bubblegum was selected as a Mississippi Medallion winner in 2012 with its clear, bright pink flowers. But in reality, all of the Supertunia varieties are winners for the home gardener.

Some of the other colors can be just as stunning. Vista Silverberry has silvery white flowers that have delicate magenta veins. Raspberry Blast is a bi-color with pink flowers that are edged in deep cerise violet. One of the most interesting selections is Priscilla, with semi-double lavender flowers with purple veins. Supertunia simply can't be beat when grown in containers in hanging baskets. These plants have a mature diameter of at least 24 inches with some of the selections spreading out to an unbelievable 48 inches.

The best feature of these outrageous flowering plants is that self-cleaning has been bred into these plants. Any gardener that has handled many petunias knows this means sticky hands are a thing of the past. Keep them watered well fed for best flowering performance. Supertunias should be grown in full sun for at least five to six hours each day to reach their full flowering potential. I'm horticulturist Gary Bachman for Southern Gardening.

Announcer: Southern Gardening with Gary Bachman is produced by the Mississippi State University Extension Service.