HELP!! My Petunias Keep Dying!

19 years ago

I planted white petunias in front of my house this spring as a design plan with my small red roses and juniper bushes. They all grew beautifully. Now since it is summer, the petunias have died on the left side of my house. The other side is still flourishing. When I replant petunias on the dead side, in a week or so, they die. I could pull them up from the ground with no problems. It was like the roots rotted or something! I don't know what is going on. I thought maybe it is too wet on one side because the water drains slower there. Do petunias like alot of water? I don't know what kind of petunias these are, but I got them from Home Depot, and they are not the "wave" kind. (what is the difference between petunias anyway??) Both of my flower beds get the same amount of water. I have some verbenas there too, they are doing fine. Could it be the weather? It has been between 80 and 97 degreees here in Northern Mississippi. Are my petunias dying because that bed is by my walkway to the porch?? I noticed some flowers with bites on them in both beds, but the bed on the right side of the house is still beautiful and bushy, even with bites and alot of sun. Now my whole design plan is ruined. I have one side of my house full of white petunias, and the other side has only two. The two that are left are slowly dying too. I am tired of buying petunias. I may have to dig them up and plant something else if it is not too late. Help.

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Comments (8)

lindac
19 years ago
There are several possibilities...one is you are not watering as well as you think. And the second is some chemical in the soil there. If you lived further north I might suspect it was icemelt ...but not likely where you are. Did you fertilize your flowers? Petunias are tough....the only time I have ever had a petunia die was one time when I over fertilized them.
Linda C
rusty_blackhaw
19 years ago
The only way to tell about moisture is to dig down to root level and see if it's soggy or bone dry. A combination of high heat and humidity along with poorly draining soil can cause rot in a hurry. You might need to heavily amend or replace much of the soil - have other plants grown well in that spot?
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bkreger318_aol_com
15 years ago
My petunias die at the root first and then the rest of the plant dies. I have replaced the plants with the same results. Same thing last year. I planted wave petunias this year. Only about every other one is affected and in other flower beds no problem at all. It is a mystery. Agway sid it might be slugs, so I spread slug bait and waiting to see what happens.
I have a suspicion that it is a soil problem!!!!!!
hosenemesis
15 years ago
It is probably a nematode or soil fungus. It is not recommended to plant petunias or pansies in the same place year after year in warm climates, because plant-specific pathogens build up in the soil. I had to stop planting petunias for a while. I have also had trouble with pansies when I plant them in the same spot two years running. Of course, those are the only plants that look good in those particular spots!
Renee
Kcleaning05_aol_com
15 years ago
Hi, I am having the same problem with my Petunias. They are in a window box on my deck and only the right window box on the very end towards the right is dying.
My question is could this be due to bird droppings (poop) I have a bird feeder on the right side at that end of the dying petunias? HELP !!! I don't like seeing my what was amazing Petunias dead . I live in the New England Area
Thank You
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
15 years ago
how often do you replace the media in your boxes??

katie ... your own post???? .. a picture might sure help ...

and tell me the difference between right and left.. east/west.. n/s?? ... one has sun morning.. the one affected is in hot afternoon sun..

you really havent given us much to go on..

ken
snwchckslt_hotmail_com
15 years ago
I have the same problem in a local bed mirroring another five feet away. All the other shrubs and perennials are fine, the slugs have been maintained, and still I'm having rot. Watering is the same as the other bed, sun exposure etc. I've replaced them several times this season with the same wilting result within days/week. It seems they cannot soak up water. Soil test confirmed localized ph variations of too high, and it looks more and more like a soil borne problem.
Donna
15 years ago
Ken is most likely on the right track. Here in Meridian, Mississippi, petunias of any sort rarely last much past June, because they do not like the extreme heat we get in our summers. This year, June was really more like August, so petunias did even worse. I am guessing that your plants that survived were getting enough shade during the day to allow them to hang on. Next year, maybe you should try white Vinca or White Profusion zinnias or even a white Penta in front of your roses. If they are getting all day sun, these are highly likely to be star performers the entire season.