Petunias can be a beautiful addition to your garden, but they’re not always easy to care for. If you live in an area with cold winters, you may have to keep your petunias indoors. If that’s the case, it’s important to know whether or not they’ll survive the winter—and what exactly “winter” means for your particular plant.
Read on for help determining if petunias can withstand frost, and how best to protect them from harsh temperatures!
Can Petunias Survive Frost?
Petunias can survive frost, but they do not like it. They need to be watered and fertilized regularly to help them survive the first year. If you are planting petunias in your garden, it is best to start them indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date, then transplant them outside when they are at least 8″ tall. Petunias do best in full sun but will tolerate partial shade.
How Tolerant Are Petunias To Cold Weather
Petunias are tolerant of both cool and warm weather. However, they do not tolerate extreme cold very well.
Petunias grow best in temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (16 to 27 degrees Celsius). If you live in a region that gets hot summers and cool winters, petunias will do well during the summer months but may die back during the winter.
If you live in an area with mild winters, petunias can survive outdoors year-round. In areas with cold winters, it is best to bring petunias indoors during the colder months so they don’t die back completely.
How To Protect Your Petunias From Frost
There are a few ways you can protect your petunias from frost damage.
Frost Blanket or Row Cover
If you’re growing petunias in the ground, try covering them with a frost blanket or row cover at night to protect them from cold temperatures. This will help keep their roots warm and prevent them from getting too chilly.
Plant in Pots or Containers
If your outdoor garden space is limited and you can’t dig up any more room to plant, try planting your petunias in containers instead! You’ll be able to move them around and keep them close by when frost starts creeping in during the winter months.
Planting Locations
It’s important that you choose an area of your garden that gets plenty of sunlight throughout the day so as not to over-irrigate these plants which could lead to root rot issues down the line (not good!).
Also, be aware that shade tends not to work well for keeping pests away either because they like shaded areas just as much as sunny ones so consider putting up some netting around newly planted sections if necessary – those pesky bugs won’t know what hit ’em when this happens!
Caring For Petunias During The Winter
Petunias are perennial flowers that can be grown in containers or in the ground. They’re easy to care for and thrive in sunny conditions. To grow petunias, plant them in the spring and summer months. Although they will bloom during these periods, they will not produce blooms if they are not cared for properly during the winter months.
If you want your petunias to bloom again next year, you’ll need to take steps to protect them from the cold weather. Here are some tips on how to care for petunias during the winter months:
Choose an appropriate potting mix. You should choose a potting mix that is well aerated so that it does not hold too much water or become soggy when you water it. This will help prevent root rot which can kill your plant’s roots and eventually kill it altogether if left untreated.
Water sparingly. Watering too frequently can make soil soggy and promote root rot in your petunia plants. Watering once every two weeks should suffice, especially if there is snow on the ground which helps insulate the soil beneath it from freezing temperatures (but don’t forget about them completely).
What Temperatures Will Kill Petunias?
Petunias can withstand some pretty low temperatures. They can survive temperatures that are well below freezing, but they won’t last if the temperature drops below 20 degrees.
Temperatures in the teens and lower are deadly to petunias. If you want to keep your plants alive during colder months, select varieties that are more tolerant of cold weather and store them properly in a cool location indoors or in a greenhouse.
Can I Overwinter Petunias?
Yes, but not all varieties. Some petunia types are better suited for overwintering than others. If you live in a colder area of the United States (like New England), there’s no need to worry about winterizing your petunias unless they’re a type that needs special treatment (like hybrid perpetual).
Hybrid perpetuals must be dug up in the fall and stored indoors over winter. Other types of petunias can be left out in the garden, but they’ll need protection from frost and snow accumulation through some kind of mulch or blanket.
Conclusion
Petunias are beautiful flowers to grow in your garden, but they are not immune to the cold. If you live in an area that gets frost during the winter, then you will need to take some steps to protect your petunias from frost damage.
