Years ago, I found the ultimate way to grow petunias whether in pots or, more to my experience, in beds. I have to say that I owe this all to two people, a gardener at the Sunset Gardens in Menlo Park, CA, and a Japanese gardener at a local nursery. The first rule is that whatever annual flower you plant, crowd it. If the directions say to plant 8 inches apart, plant 6 - 7 inches apart (6 would be better). The next thing is that when the plant is about 6 inches high, pinch it back by hand or use small scissors to clip the center of the crowns growing from the plant. Do this at least twice over the first couple of weeks after planting and the plant will respond by becoming more "shrubby" and producing more foliage, and in the end will not become "leggy." This practice will also allow the plant to produce three to four times the number of blooms than otherwise. I have also used the clipping back or pinching back for other types of plants and the result is always the same, a shrubby appearance rather than sparse foliage that just doesn't look very nice. This practice gets rid of the leggy appearance that some annuals often develop later in the season.

Nice informative video. My mom was a master gardener, and she taught me this as a child. Now mom is gone, but I still grow flowers. And I have a daughter who loves to garden too, so mom's legacy lives in.

I was desperate for some petunias and bought plants that looked so far gone but decided to take a chance. I watched this video and took the advice on pruning and cutting back hard. They turned out gorgeous and bloomed up to frost.

Thank you, for years I just popped off the flower....It makes sense that the plant will go to seed and die...Now I am going out to buy some petunias.

Thank you. I’ve just been given a tray of petunias. About a week ago and yes, I now see that I need to trim them back as you advise. So today, I am going to plant them out into some pots and enjoy them. Great tip about putting the trimmings into water to root and make more plants- I do this with my Vietnamese coriander and then once they have rooted I plant them into pots and after a few weeks, put them on my wall in the front garden with a little sign about them and people take them and enjoy them. Engenders a good community spirit- people have left me notes, seeds, seedlings in return…….Make someone’s day, give something beautiful away!

Thank you so much, that was so interesting, I have always loved Petunia's but reluctant to buy them because I have always thought they only have one flowering cycle, Im 71 so you are never too old to learn.

I watched this last summer and followed your advice. I couldn't bear chopping them all back at once, I don't have much company over so all the flower beauty is for me ...so I would cut back part of the plant weekly. And instead of just deadheading old flowers, removed the "green chocolate chip ". And watered at least once a day, and used Miracle Grow. My petunias were SPECTACULAR. I got so much pleasure from them. Thank you for your advice!

On Sundays before I had to leave the cottage for the week I would pluck every single flower and made sure I got the stem as well. No one would believe that my flowers were really petunias. They were like shrubs, huge, colorful and beautiful by the time I returned. Not doable in most cases but taught me what the dead heading can do. Lol

I know this is an older post but I wanted to say thank you for the detailed information. I've never seen anyone else cover it so well. 🌺

Gotta tell you, after 40 yrs of growing red petunias for the humming birds, I found out that when I do the heavy pruning, the flowers make fantastic cut flowers!!!! The blooms that only last one day "on the vine" lasted 10 days!!! So I am going to put a small vase or rocks glass in the middle of my pruned petunias and fill it with the blooming trimmings! I could not believe my trimmings never wilted! And the buds slowly bloomed also, so it was GORGEOUS!!! Try it! I hated clipping major blooming chunks of my plants off, until I got to put them in a vase and not lose the beauty! Just strip the leaves off the bottom of the stem and change the water every couple of days. What you got to lose?!? Also, try lining your flower pots with overnight strength diapers. They absorb and hold the water but don't drown the roots. And the water doesn't wash out the nutrients and dirt!

These are the things they never tell you at the nursery, lest you should never return! And this is one of the very best pieces of gardening information I have ever set eyes on. Heartiest congratulations, Bill!

Very interesting video. Thanks for sharing! What I’ve learned to do over the years is to break every dead flowers off halfway down the stem instead of breaking it at the flower, so then it gets thicker at that lower spot. So instead of breaking it at the flower and seed, and then trimming 1/3 of them back at a later time, you can break the flower at a lower spot every time and then your plant will get bushy overall instead of one section at a time.

Thank you for this advice! As a beginning gardener trimming is so intimidating. I didn't know petunias thrived this way. I always wondered how some people's hanging baskets stayed looking so fresh.

The advice you've given here is exactly what I tell my customers at the nursery where I work. I find that most people are amazed to know that they can understand and manage plants in their gardens especially rampant petunias. Thank you so much for this very helpful video.

Last year, I bought 2 six packs, planted them in 2 pots, enjoyed them for 2 months, then they looked dead, but I kept one pot, they survive and have been blooming again, so they are perennial in Southern California! So glad I just learn how to care to remove the “chocolate chips” and trim them, thank you for great video and tips from everyone 🙏

Thank you so much! I needed this video - been wondering why I keep deadheading them and they are getting thinner and thinner. Well turns out I wasn't pulling off the seeds at all. Lifesaver. Thanks again!

Put the trimmed "branches" in a cup of water in the windowsill and it grows roots. Plant it to have MORE flowers😁💕

Thank you for explaining not only how to prune, but WHY!! That helps me remember a lot easier bu understanding why i have to do it!!

I always thought you pull out the dead flower that a new one comes out. I’ve learned something today. Thank you!

Very well done and instructive video! I had always avoided petunias since they always seemed to look sick and dried out after a while. With this tutorial I can go petunia-crazy. They should add a riot of color to my garden and deck. Many thanks!

Surprisingly informative ! I also used to just take the dead flowers off and not the small stalk . Thanks !

It's also well worth popping the off cuttings into moist compost. In about two weeks, a lot of them will have rooted and you have brand new plants too ☺

I stumbled across you video last year when my mom gave me several pots of petunia last April. With the tips you gave me, I managed to get them to blood until late November. I had a good 7-8 months of good active blooms. The pinching and pruning is the secret to it all. First time I hacked the leaves off, I almost had a heart attack. LOL My neighbors thought I cared for the plants like the boss.

I’m so glad I came across this video. For the first time I planted petunias. I’m looking forward to keeping the beautiful bloom going. Thank you.

I'm fairly new to gardening and the petunias in my balcony boxes were growing like crazy in all directions in different lengths. After watching your video I've been trimming and deadheading for over a month and my blooms are so much fuller and neater looking. Thanks so much! :)

Wow, who knew!! I'm gonna try this this year, thank you!! It would be REALLY fun to see a 2 week time lapse of this once you cut them back!!!

Best video for dead-heading I have seen. Excellent!

Thank you for good advice I’m working on my first petunia plant. My three grandchildren gave it to me for Mothers Day

Never too old to learn something new....but didn't think it would be this long, especially about my favorite petunias. Love your candor and excellent explanations. 😊

I kill just about everything I try to grow. Your video was extremely helpful!!! I had no idea they required so much watering. I've been underwatering!! Also your demonstration on cutting them back and not just pulling off that yucky bud. I'm going to try one type of plant at a time ...master it.. then go onto another. Will return to your videos for tutoring! Thx!

All these years I had no idea about the little leafy part left after you dead head the flower. No wonder it didn’t work. Thank you so much for this much needed advice and help!!

Thanks after growing petunias for years; I never knew about getting rid of the dead flowers and their stems. Thanks much.

This is brilliant! I have loved petunias my entire life and never knew how to keep them full. Thank you so much for this useful and helpful information!

Thank you so much for this video! I just made a huge purchase at my neighborhood nursery much of which was petunias, I love them! Unfortunately they always end up looking "leggy" and bare. Now I know that it's because I haven't been caring for them properly! I have asked at the nursery how I should deadhead and they always say just pull off the dead flowers, I never new about the "green chocolate chip". I can't wait to get out there tomorrow morning and go to town! Thanks again Bill, great video!!!

I love that you made the comment about cutting back 2 weeks before company is coming over. Very relevant and a keen observation.

I am lucky enough to have a green thumb, but I don't really know what I'm doing. I didn't know the logic of why I had to remove the seed pods, but I knew I had to do it. Now my husband will believe me when I tell him to remove the pods. Thank you so much, we will have a great season next year.

Thank you so much for your video. I knew about deadheading but not taking off the seed pod the flower grew out of and pruning it. We have only had our basket for two weeks so I immediately went and cut off as many of the pods as possible. I have subscribed to your videos because I have just started getting serious about gardening since I retired last June. Thank you again for such great info.

Finally! A video that shows EXACTLY what to do with petunias. A flower I love but have never been successful at! Fingers crossed for this year! Thank you so much!!

The same is true of MOST annuals -- deadhead the bejesus out of them, especially when you first plant them! Many beginners don't understand that if your plant goes to seed, it has no need to flower anymore, so it will stop. My other trick is Miracle-Gro Ultra Bloom -- they flower like mad if you given them a dose of that after deadheading. Thanks for posting this, there will be many more happy beginner gareners next year with gorgeous petunias of their own!

Thank you sooo much for this valuable advice! My petunias were looking pathetic until I followed your suggestions. Now they are fuller and more vibrant than when I bought them!

Thank you so much for this video! I feel stupid but I wasn't sure if the flowers were ones that had bloomed already or were new so I was only removing the ones that I was sure were finished blooming. Now I will go out and finish the job. This is one of the only videos that really explained and showed a close-up of what I needed to look out for. 😀

This video helped my very first ever petunias survive through the summer. Gave me a boost in confidence to continue attempting to garden. As someone else here said, the nursery doesn't tell you how to keep them alive and flowering through the season. It's extremely demoralizing to a new gardener when the plants don't last. Thanks for your videos.

Thanks for watching :) Glad you found it helpful.

I have had petunias off and on for years and did not know this! Getting my coffee and going out to trim now! Never have like the leggy look, so now I know. Thank you!

Great program!! Always wondered why my petunias stopped flowering so early in the season, always got rid of dead flower, but not the part below, this year will be different!1 Happy planting everyone!!

Love these plants, I've had them for yrs. This is the first time I've heard of removing the seed! Thanks for that.

Good luck :) Thank you for watching :)

Thank you for watching :) I hope you send me some petunia updates next summer :)

I followed your tips for my pansies and now they look so full and gorgeous. It's become my ritual to go out every morning and cut the spent flowers. Thanks so much for the video!

Sir, GREAT stuff!....I've subbed...My Wife passed in February. ...She loved purple...Her favorite color. So, on the way to the cemetery, I stopped at the local greenery. ..Purchased two plants... Thanks to you, I know how to maybe keep them going! Best regards, Kirb

Hope it helps :) and thanks for watching :)

I’ve been planting for over a decade now. I love petunias. But I’ve never heard anything like the great information you gave. I’m a follower from now on 🙃 thank you so much ❤️

I'm so happy that you found this useful :) please keep me posted as to how your petunias grow this season :)

Thanks, I didn’t know that is how you dead head them, I was just pulling out the flower. Great information.

Hey man, I love to see YOU cut and teach. I wish I had watched your VIDEOS long ago. You are so incredibly gentle handed. THANKS

I was one of those people who religiously picked off the spent flowers but left the seed pod! No wonder my flowers were looking so poorly! Gonna cut back some of those straggly petunias now! Thanks :)

Thank you for the video. I am watching a lot of them as I am finally getting to do my own flower gardening and have never done any kind of pruning before. I am really learning a lot.

I saved one of my petunia cuttings last fall and the plant survived all winter long inside the house in a jar and became the mother of all the petunias that I have all around the house. I continued to make cuttings and had them in vases and glass jars near a window. I eventually put the plant in starting soil and treated it like a house plant and continued to make cuttings. I didn’t need to start from seeds again ( bought the seeds from WM for .20 cents). Thanks for the info on keeping them looking sharp and full. Petunias are a great plant. I wonder if I can do that with a vinca?

I have grown Petunias for many years. I wonderf why I never saw this video before ....wow finally I can enjoy my petunia through the summer. Thank you . Great video !!!!!!!!!

I can’t believe I have never heard all this before. I love growing petunias. Thank you for the info! They will look better now!

i was just plucking the that flower. Glad i saw your video

Didn't know you could do that with petunias, I thought you did that with roses only. Thanks for the great tips.

Oh my goodness! I was just picking up the flower ha ha not the green part it came out that’s what I’ve been doing wrong every year makes so much sense now and I had no idea about the thinning awesome video thank you so much

So glad I saw this. I must be like a lot of us - just plucking the old flower! Thanks for a great video!

I bought a packet of seeds a the dollar store, started them in this tiny tray, neglected them for a good 2 months, let them freeze several times, didn't prune it at all, and now (almost a year later) it is covered in fowers.

Just in time I happened to watch this excellent video. My petunias need exactly what you've been showing and explaining. Thanks so much for the info and tips!

Summer 2021 my petunias are dying happy I found this video. Going to work on getting them healthy and beautiful!!!

I hadn’t been doing as you advised and vowed not to buy petunias again. Now that I have this information I am delighted. I can enjoy petunias petunias again. Many thanks.

Your information is very helpful to me. Thank you. I am looking forward to incorporating this for my petunias!

Thank you so much! I so appreciate you instructions on plant care. You have helped me to understand the nature of my plants to support a comfortable life cycle for them. I feel so much better being a responsible plant owner now. You’re Brilliant!

I’ve been dead heading completely wrong! My petunias look amazing usually always🤣🤣 but I find the season is months short! Thank you! I noticed the seeds last year and your video answered every question!

Thank you so much for this simple video. I wish I saw this early summer! I am a Landscaper and was tasked to take care and water plants. My company left me on my own and I didnt know very much how to care for plants. We had a client that had 4 massive pots full of petunias! Its was overwhelming! They even had aphids that I didnt know how to get rid of the whole summer!!! I shook the plants like hair and so much came off and bugs everywhere! I eventually learned to cut them back but I felt like it was too late for the season. I hope for a better year for them next year!

Thank you so much!! I always pulled just the dead flower not the whole part of the stem.

I'm so happy you shared this info and I found you. I did this and it definitely works. After almost 2 weeks my whole pot has bloomed beautifully. Thanks for the video. Yes the cuttings last longer in a vase ;)

Thank you. I was afraid to prune them so much but I will try it soon.

Thank you! I believe you have helped me solve my petunia problem. I've never been shy about ruthless pruning, but I really didn't know you should do it to petunias. Thanks again!

What an excellent and very helpful demonstration. Thank you!

Nicely done! I enjoy the larger petunias & fertilize them before I put them into the ground. This summer I will try the hanging petunias- the are magnificent!

Oh thank you so much! I removed those starry bits as you described and the plant looks better already - I bet this is the key which has eluded me for years to keep my petunias nice all season!!

This is the most informative video on Petunias I’ve seen. Thank you so much for sharing!

Thank you! I always wondered why my petunias got so leggy and didn't look like those beautiful plants I see all over the place in the summer. That's for that insider trick : D I'm going to get to work!

This was so helpful, especially the part about the little green chocolate chip! I just found a couple in my recently planted containers. I will be watching this again when they are a bit more established to figure out which growth to trim back. Thanks!

Oh what a wonderful tip, just purchased two baskets from my local garden center, I will follow your tips to make them last all summer, so happy I discovered you🙂

Watched "How to Revive Petunias"....excellent, clear, concise! Thank you!

Thank you; this is a great video regarding petunias. Well; no wonder some of my petunias have had issues over time. I dead headed the spent flower "only". I never knew how important it was to remove the star shape that tells the plant to go into seed mode. I immediately went outside this afternoon and properly dead headed my new petunia plants. ^×^

Best explanation ever!

Finally got my answer as to what to do with the spent flowers and how to trim the plant. It's May 2022 and I just had to pay $150 for 3 flats 3 different colors (30 containers total). $150!!!!!!! They'd better live and look gorgeous for that price!! So this video is very helpful. I grew Petunias for the first time in pots with other flowers and they drooped over the years beautifully. Don't remember trimming them and they did great. This year I'm just growing Petunias. I have three 3-feet by 1-foot planters atop 3 feet long legs. Also have two 3-gallon pots on the ground. Hope I bought enough Petunias cuz can't afford to get more! Plus got Miracle Grow ($35) to put them in. Wish me luck!!!!

I love petunias, they look great in baskets and planters, but I didn't know how to care for them. So glad I watched this!

Thanks for your excellent tips-just in time too!

I do this with my petunias, but I don't wait until they look "scraggly" before I do it. I cut them back when they start to get leggy. I find that I can cut them back two or three times a season and they come back looking like new plants every time until it gets too hot for them. I also pinch off dead blooms every day, not just when cutting them back. This makes them bloom like crazy! Don't forget the fertilizer. Great video.

Wow I just did it to my petunias... Thanks for this petunias' life-saving video

FINALLY!!! Thank you for answering several question I’ve been uncertain about for many years.

My husband thought I was mental when he saw me cutting my petunias right back . Flowering does go on for much longer

I've always had petunias. Love the way they smell. They spread everywhere! Never thought of just keeping them small and manageable. Now they won't crowd out other flowers I have planted. Thanks!

Thank you so much for the explanation! I have been growing petunias for five years now and I never knew to deadhead the five speared plant underneath the dead flower bloom. Who knew?! Not me! Haha!

I learned SO much from this video. Thank you.

That is exactly what I'm thinking!! Its too late. I have been doing exactly what you said not to do. I would just pull out the dead flower but not the little stalk that goes with it. I wish I would have looked this up about 5 years ago!!

wow. i'm glad i watched this! i didn't know about cutting off the seed thing..which explains why my petunia plants never lasted. thank you so much for sharing this.

This is hands down the most comprehensive schooling on petunias I have yet seen. Or heard, for that matter. Petunias are one of my favorite 3 season flowers, but I've never had 1 last all 3 seasons. I have to replace them throughout the growing season, which can be kind of pricey. I am going to try your methods starting today. Thank you so much!

I knew all that, I pride myself on learning everything on the flowers I love but I still enjoy hearing you tell it and sometimes I learn stuff I didnt know 😁