insert plant ... into fresh good potting media ... not soil or dirt

water with soluble fertilizer every time .. diluted ... maybe 1/4 to 1/2 the recommended rate .... perhaps even read the package directions ... lol

and never miss a watering for any reason ...

and deadhead the old flowers ..

a plants goal in life is procreation ... so usually.. if left to go to seed.. it will stop or slow down flower production ... so deadhead them often ..

its basically the same for all annuals ...

ken

PS: also.. picking the right petunia.. will add to the cascade effect

A lot of the times it will depend on the variety you purchase - wave, supertunia, rambler etc. When I purchase small plants, the first thing I do, if possible, is pinch off all the tips so that I get more side branching lower down. This can delay the appearance of that all important first flush of blooms (so hard to wait for!) but to me I get a larger plant with many blooming branches. My zone we grow from June to end of August for sure, usually the cooler nights and days may start in September, and we'll start getting frosts mid sept to end. So, at the end of June and July, I will pinch back pretty good, but not at the end of August since there usually isn't time for the plant to really recover strongly to make it worthwhile. So you need to know how much good growing time you've got too, pinching petunias (and by that I don't usually do all the tips, just 1/2 at one week, maybe another 1/2 2 to 3 weeks later) usually results in more flowers down the road.

Thanks Ken and Kioni!

This is just what I was looking for. I guess I have to pinch. I just hate to do it, but I know it brings a much prettier result!