Sounds to me that they were likely root bound to start with. I break up the root ball if it is too tight and pinch off all the flowers the day I plant them. They thicken up better and wave sooner.
However, here in Zone 5 mine are slow as well likely due to the cooler evenings. When it starts getting consistently hot during the day and stays warm at night, they will take off I'm sure of it.

Sounds to me that they were likely root bound to start with. I break up the root ball if it is too tight and pinch off all the flowers the day I plant them. They thicken up better and wave sooner.
However, here in Zone 5 mine are slow as well likely due to the cooler evenings. When it starts getting consistently hot during the day and stays warm at night, they will take off I'm sure of it.

Sounds to me that they were likely root bound to start with. I break up the root ball if it is too tight and pinch off all the flowers the day I plant them. They thicken up better and wave sooner.
However, here in Zone 5 mine are slow as well likely due to the cooler evenings. When it starts getting consistently hot during the day and stays warm at night, they will take off I'm sure of it.

Sounds to me that they were likely root bound to start with. I break up the root ball if it is too tight and pinch off all the flowers the day I plant them. They thicken up better and wave sooner.
However, here in Zone 5 mine are slow as well likely due to the cooler evenings. When it starts getting consistently hot during the day and stays warm at night, they will take off I'm sure of it.

You could have burned their little roots with the fertilizer.
Did you pull the root ball apart a bit when you planted them?
I have never seen packs of wave petunias...even at Wally World...usually they come ont to a small pot....for a price.
Actually osmocoat shouldn't burn....and the starter fertilizer should have been dilute enough not to burn...but really newly plants don't need much but water for a month or so. I'm guessing they will take off any minute now.
Linda C

Call the garden center at Wal-Mart and ask if they have been treated with a growth regulator while being grown.

This keeps the plants artificially compact so that more plants can be shipped in a truck, thereby reducing costs for the grower.

You missed my point, globlugal--Walmart sells the plants, and should follow up with assistance when there's a problem. If they don't know the answer,they should find out and offer advice to the customer.

And the more compact the plant, the closer the shelves on the racks, and the more plants fit on a delivery truck:)

Ok...I'm not going to try to educate the world on how this industry works, all I'm saying is that chances are very good that if she goes back to Walmart and asks for assistance, she will be met with a blank stare and an "I don't know". They sell the plant. Period. They know nothing of the plant's history, how it hs been grown, how it needs to be grown, or how to help with a problem. And yes, more plants will fit on the shipping racks if the plants are compact, but they are grown that way PRIMARILY to keep them looking good for the consumer. If you want to get into an in depth discussion of plant growth regulators, why they were developed, how they are used, I would be more than happy to do so in a more appropriate forum.

debbiel, I also have one of those 6 packs of wave petunias from Walmart (came in pink packs with a handle). I put mine in a hanging basket. I provided no fertilizer except when came with the Miracle-grow moisture control potting soil I used in the basket. We should compare notes to see when they start taking off. Mine is blooming well but no real sign of lengthening. But the other hanging baskets I made with regular petunias are not doing much yet either.

This happened to me last year. I bought 2 different colors of "the wave" petunias in the six packs: red and white. Purchased them both at the same time and planted the same day. The reds did just great, but the whites stayed in a little mound the whole summer. They were planted right next to each other so had the same growing conditions. What color are yours?

BTW, I didn't buy mine at Walmart.

Mine were several mixed shades of pink. For mine it is too soon to tell: they've only been in the baskets maybe a week and a half. Last year I also bought 6 packs of Waves, but from a local nursery. Those I remember took off really quickly.

linnea56, yes lets compare notes, my still are in tight bunches but are blooming nicely. I'm hoping as it warms up they will start doing something!! I have since bought several wave petunia from another place and they are going great!! I'm convinced they were treated with a growth regulator. Debbie

i have the same ones from walmart. for the first few weeks i got nothing out of these babies. i noticed that in one of the pots it's starting to not just bloom (red) but it's slowly spreading (very slowly). i figure that as the weather gets warmer they will start the show.

It has been too cool. Petunias like warm soil to get going. They will perk up when the soil warms up. Nights are still 50-60's in NY. Petunias just wait.

I buy waves in packs all the time. There is a grower nearby and he does them that way. This year I ordered 10 flats from him (at $18 for a flat of 48 its a steal). He does not use any inhibiter, in fact when I got them in early may they were already over-growing the sides.

Give them some MG and see if they take off. Though from Wally world I wouldn't be suprieed if the grower used a regular petunia and just marked them waves to sell more. I don't trust those places. I would rather pay more from a local grower or a Real Garden center that actually knows something about plants, than a big box. (but don't get me started there)

I have the wave petunias from wally world. they all did fine - except one. I had to change its location (it could have been the shadow of eucalyptus prevented growth). Now it is flowering as expected. I like wally world because they bring new items (similarly for no particular reason discontinue some of my favorite ones). The price is always right. I paid $3.88 for a sixpack of waves. People who take care of plants are not expected to posess skills or knowledge beyond watering the plants (severe memory lapses are tolerated....many plants end up in the garbage bin). So dont expect expert advise....they are not master gardners. They can stock, water, move flats, get you the price and in rare cases help you to load your goodies.
Big box stores are not out there to pick your pockets. Knowledgable customer always benifits. There is no hard and fast rule about local, mom & pop or master gardener's product will always be better. Win some, lose some - such is life.

If they are not spreading & you bought them at one of the big "improvement" retailers or similar, the culprit is most likely the use of too much growth regulator on the plants. this keeps them at "marketable" size on the shelf longer. Try a local nursery that grows locally. You'll pay twice as much, but get 10 times the size from "Waves". One plant can cover a square yard.

Here is a link that might be useful:

It is the beginning of April and she is in zone 5. What exactly are you expecting the petunias to be doing? Be patient and wait. And hope you don't get any hard freezes in the next month.

And 3 years ago! Ugh I hate when I respond to 3 year old threads!

I am here smiling, because I noticed the date, and yes....I thought the same thing. A wave shoudn't be doing much set outside in zone 5 in March. And the box stores shouldn't even be selling them then. But, they want to be the first on the market, whether the stuff gets frozen out or not. It's not their problem.

As gobluegal says, don't expect answers to cultural questions at box stores. I get phone calls at my g'houses from customers I know didn't get their plants here. I always ask where they got their plants. Usually a gagmart. Lucky if they even get more than a generic one size fits all tag in them.