How to Propagate Petunias
Petunias are a popular choice for gardening projects, window boxes, and hanging baskets because of their bright colors and patterns, fragrance, ease of acquisition, and relatively low maintenance needs. If you require a large number of plants, you can save money by learning how to propagate petunias. This process is also helpful in breeding a particular color, as some petunia seedlings are not true to their parent and will revert to white. Propagation of petunias is an uncomplicated process requiring only basic tools and little effort.
What You Will Need
To begin, you will need light potting soil with adequate drainage, a small pot with drainage holes in the bottom, a pencil or thin stick, some water, and the petunia you wish to clone. Fill the pot with the soil and pack it down gently. Ensure that the petunia is well-watered beforehand so that the cuttings have a better chance of survival.
Propagation
When taking cuttings from the mother plant, make the cut under a leaf joint, so there are at least three leaf joints on the clone. These are the nodes that the new roots will sprout from. Remove all of the lower leaves from the stem and any flowers. This allows the new plant to focus its energy on root production. Transfer the cuttings to a water container to keep them hydrated while you work.
Retrieve your pencil or thin stick and make several small holes in the soil. Insert a cutting approximately two inches deep into each of those holes and then gently pack the soil around the stem. Repeat until all of the cuttings are planted and water thoroughly.
Set the container in a sunny location, but not in full or direct sunlight. Shade is also acceptable. Keep the new plants moist at all times, especially on hot days, as they will quickly become dehydrated and die. Water in the morning or evening after the hottest portion of the day has passed.
The cuttings will begin to form their own roots within two to three weeks and should not be disturbed during this time as the new roots are still very fragile. Propagated petunias may be transplanted to a new container or flower bed once they show signs of new growth and a strong root system.
Resources – How to Propagate Petunias
The University of Minnesota Extension – Growing Petunias
Runkle, Erik, et al. – MSU Extension – Vegetative Petunia Propagation and Production Challenges
