Cutting Back Mexican Petunia

[SarahFair]

I wouldnt worry much with it right now but I am about to pressure wash and stain my front porch before it gets too cold. I was wondering if I cut it down to about one and a half to two feet tall it would be ok.
Same with my Canna

 

[injunjoe]

I wouldnt worry much with it right now but I am about to pressure wash and stain my front porch before it gets too cold. I was wondering if I cut it down to about one and a half to two feet tall it would be ok.
Same with my Canna

Here were I live I can cut them to the ground and it just seems to make them mad and grow twice as many shoots twice as fast!

You should be fine unless you expect hard freeze!
Joe

 

[SarahFair]

No I am here in Georgia. No freezes till maybe the end of october. I wouldnt mind them shooting up twice as thick either..
Do you think I will be alright to cut them really close to the ground? About the last stem...

 

[injunjoe]

I would cut them with about 3 or 4 leaf nodes, each one should put out two new branches giving you 6 to 8 from each plant. They get leggy easy so a hard prunning is good for them to make a thicker plant.

Put cuttings in water for a few days then in sterile mix and then you will have a mess of them buggers. I love them! They bloom pink and purple almost all year long for me.

Good luck!

 

[SarahFair]

Thanks!

 

[injunjoe]

Thanks!

My pleasure and

to the board.

 

[Lavender2]

Are there different types of perennial petunia?
The reason I ask, someone brought some to a local plant exchange here in MN. She did not know what kind they were as she acquired them from an exchange a few years ago. She said they over-wintered here and self seeded also. It was a pretty plant, purple blooms, and looked like what I have seen in pics called Mexican petunia, only hardy to about zone 7, I think.

I missed out on getting one at the swap, would like to know a species if there is a zone 5 perennial one, and anyone's experience with it. Wave petunias will self seed here, but not perennial plant.
Thanks!

 

[injunjoe]

Mexican Petunia is a common name for this plant.

It is called that because the flowers look like Petunias.

I have two types of them. Tall and lankey and a dwarf type that spreads in clumps instead of growing tall. They both bloom pink and purple flowers. They look good mixed together so you have flowers from the ground up to 6 and 7 feet. I love them mixed with my morning glories and 4 O-Clocks. They help get me through the day!

 

[Greensage45]

Hi Lavender2,

The use of the term "petunia" with this plant 'Mexican Petunia' is a bit of a misnomer. They are not related to petunias at all. Their real name is Ruella. It can come in pink or purple, and possibly white; and they come in a dwarf variety, but is normally seen in the tall variety.

You can cut Ruella smack dab to the ground without a stem showing and this stuff will generate new growth before you know it. I think the dwarf varieties are a bit less aggressive and make more mounds than they do spreading; however, both will generate runners.

They seed aggressively and when water hits the newly formed seedpods you have to wear safety goggles because they shoot out like little bullets. You can even hear them ricocheting across things like bullets. I have been hit in the face while watering because these seed pods will sit there until they are touched by a bit of moisture. Ouch!

Seed to plant to bloom is less than a month and they will grow to about 4 feet tall by the end of the season. Mine are a jungle and are grown in the worst soil with the least amount of water. I am literally faced with a Hedge of Ruella!

I am not sure of their cold hardiness, but I do not think I have ever met a gardener or region that did not grow Ruella. Some folks consider it far to invasive and a weed.

Pretty flowers. Does anyone grow the Pink varieties or the white?

Ron

 

[injunjoe]

Funny you mention them exploding seed pods. It rains so much here I don't get to enjoy having to wear my shooti'n glasses.

You should see and hear those casterbeans pop and shoot seeds 30 feet easy!

Hey Ron I have both pink and purple in both dwarf and tall.
I wish I had White and have yet to see them. Are they missing a gene maybe? To have a lack of color .

I have test tubes full of them bro! More then happy to hook you up with what ever you want. E-Mail me, the pm box fills to fast!