These easy-to-make planters are perfect for Wave Petunias that grow over the edge. It will be so much fun to watch them grow over the next few weeks! We put them on either side of our front door.
We’ve worked hard to make our yard and flower beds look nice over the years, but we haven’t done anything to our front porch since we moved in 4 years ago. There are some good things about it, but I think we can all agree that it needs some work. And maybe some removal of Christmas lights.
*This post is sponsored by our friends at WORKPRO. Thank you for supporting the fabulous brands that make Reality Daydream possible!*.
I’ve had a plan in the back of my mind for awhile now. I want to make two petunia planters to go on either side of our front door. This beautiful cascading petunia planter by Her Tool Belt has inspired me. Mine will be smaller and square! But if you want a larger, rectangular one, her tutorial is brilliant. It was so helpful for me as I was planning out these wave petunia planters for myself!.
I didn’t use pallet wood like Amy did; instead, I bought some cedar 1x4s at the hardware store. I also bought 12ft 2×4 in cedar (not pictured).
In this tutorial, I will be showing you how to build one 18×18″~ planter. Feel free to also check out my video tutorial if you prefer that format of learning!.
We’re going to start out by cutting down our 1x4s to 18″ lengths. You’ll need 25 total!
This 5-in-1 Miter Stand is so sturdy and handy. I love that it’s basically a portable workbench, and folds up so easily. It even has casters and can be used as a dolly!.
Take this time to also cut your 1×1 board down to two lengths of 16. 5″ (these are the braces), and your 2×4 down to three lengths of 3′.
Lay out two of your 2x4s, and affix one of your 16. 5″ braces across, 18″ from the ends, like so:
Five of my 1x4s were cut down three more inches to make the bottom of my planter. I also had to rip down one of them a couple inches so they would fit perfectly. Pop these boards on using your WORKPRO Brad Nailer / Stapler. We used 1 1/2 inch narrow crown staples.
We can now turn everything over on its side and begin putting together the first side of the petunia planter with the 1x4s.
Work your way around the planter until all four sides are on. Next, we’ll make holes in the sides so our petunias can grow out of them. Let’s use your WORKPRO Drill and a 2-inch hole saw to make some holes! I spaced mine about 6 inches apart. Remember to write down where the 2×4 is behind the side so you don’t hit it when you’re drilling.
Because my planter will be against my house, I only drilled holes in three sides. I don’t need petunias cascading down the back side, and they wouldn’t get enough sunlight back there anyway.
Use some scrap wood leftovers (I used 1x1s) to fill that gap left in the bottom. In hindsight, I could have left those boards longer. Oh well!.
Spend a lot of money on Wave Petunias or Supertunias. They will fill in faster and grow so much! You can use different colors or just one, like I did.
I first lined the bottom half of the petunia planter with some landscaping fabric using a staple gun. This is just to help keep soil from running out the cracks when watered. Be sure to cut an X in the landscape fabric where your holes are!.
To fill up the space, I put a few pieces of firewood in the bottom of the back of the petunia planter. You could use packing peanuts or empty soda bottles. Then you’re ready to add your first layer of soil!.
Add enough until it just touches the first row of holes. Next, loosen your petunia’s roots and feed it slowly from the inside to the outside (bloom first!). Put more soil and petunias on top of each other, making sure to water well between layers, until you reach the top!
It’s ok if your petunias look really sad at first. They will perk up in a few days! Pinky swear!.
Top off your planter with soil, leaving a well in the center. This is where we’ll hang a basket of petunias! Same thing as before: take it out of the pot, loosen the roots, and put it back in the new soil! I added a little more soil around the edges and gave it a DEEP watering.
Petunias like to be wet. And when they’re outside, they need to be watered EVERYDAY. Set a reminder on your phone!.
I’ve been watering and fertilizing these petunias every day for a month now, and look how beautifully they’ve grown in!!
I’ll be adding new pictures to this post all summer long so you can see how it grows. I’m SO EXCITED! Be sure to check back to see the progress!.
Psssst! You might also be interested in this post from our archives! Tap the pic below.
Petunias are one of the most popular annual flowers for hanging baskets with their profusion of colorful blooms. While some petunia varieties grow in a mounded form, cascade petunias spill gracefully out of containers with their trailing stems covered in flowers. Getting petunias to cascade makes them ideal for decorating porches, patios, and other areas. With proper variety selection and care, anyone can have spectacular cascading petunias in their hanging baskets.
Choosing the Right Cascade Petunia Varieties
The key to getting petunias to cascade is choosing a trailing or prostrate variety. While petite mounding varieties like Dreams look full and fluffy in containers their growth habit is compact and upright rather than spilling. Look for petunia varieties described as cascade trailing, prostrate, or spreading when selecting seeds or plants.
Some excellent cascade petunia varieties include:
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Wave Petunias: The Wave family features some of the best cascading petunias. Wave, Shock Wave, Tidal Wave, and Easy Wave petunias are vigorous trailing types that bloom freely all season. They come in multi-colored patterns as well as solid colors like purple, pink, red, blue, and white.
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Supertunia Mini Vista Petunias: These gabby petunias are mounded trailing types. They are covered in 1-1.5 inch blooms. Vista varieties include indigo, pink, and bubble gum.
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Supercascade Burgundy Petunia As the name suggests, this variety has draping dark wine-red flowers that made a bold statement in hanging baskets
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Cascadias Petunias: Sold as hanging basket blends, these feature trailing petunias with large blooms in shades like blue, purple, red, pink, and bicolors.
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Ramblin Petunias: Another mixed series bred for hanging baskets and containers. Ramblin varieties trail up to 4 feet (120 cm).
In addition to blooms, evaluate foliage when selecting cascade petunias. Varieties like Wave Purple have green leaves while Tidal Wave Silver has distinctive silvery-green foliage that provides added ornamental value.
Growing Trailing Petunias Successfully
Once you’ve selected the perfect cascading petunias, proper care is required to get the most of their trailing habit. Here are some tips:
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Site in full sun: Like most flowering annuals, cascade petunias thrive in a site with at least 6 hours of direct sun daily. Insufficient light leads to reduced flowering.
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Use well-drained planting mix: Petunias will rot quickly in wet soil so plant them in a commercial potting mix made for containers. For even better drainage, amend with perlite or vermiculite.
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Allow soil to dry between waterings: Check hanging baskets daily and water thoroughly only when the top inch or two of soil is dry. Avoid soggy soils that can also cause fungal issues.
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Fertilize regularly: Feed cascading petunias every 7-10 days with a water-soluble fertilizer made for blooming annuals or use controlled release plant food.
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Deadhead spent blooms: Remove faded flowers to encourage new flushes of bloom instead of seedpod formation. Cut back stems by one-third midseason to refresh growth.
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Watch for pests and disease: Spider mites, aphids, and thrips can be problematic. Powdery mildew and root rot are possible if plants sit in moisture.
With the right petunia varieties and proper care, you’ll be rewarded with spectacular cascading color in hanging baskets all season long. Trailing petunias are ideal for decorating porches, patios, balconies, and other areas where they can show off their flowing form. They also make great gifts for gardeners. A bit of effort is all it takes to get petunias to cascade beautifully.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cascade Petunias
Getting petunias to cascade gracefully requires starting with the right varieties and meeting their cultural needs. If you’re new to growing trailing petunias, here are answers to some common questions:
How long do cascade petunias bloom?
With proper care, cascading petunias will bloom freely from late spring until fall frost. Deadheading spent blooms and fertilizing regularly lengthens the bloom period.
What size hanging basket is best for cascade petunias?
Use at least a 10-12 inch (25-30 cm) basket or larger. This gives petunias enough room to drape without becoming overcrowded.
How often should you water hanging petunias?
Petunias are quite drought tolerant but cascading varieties in hanging baskets require frequent watering. Check soil daily and water when the top 1-2 inches become dry. Avoid saturated soil.
What causes petunias to stop blooming?
Insufficient sunlight, overwatering, underfertilizing, pests, diseases, or allowing plants to set seed can cause petunias to stop flowering. Cut back plants by 1/3 and care for properly to rejuvenate blooming.
Can you plant petunias from seed directly in a hanging basket?
It is best to start cascading petunia seeds indoors 10-12 weeks before your last spring frost date. Once the risk of frost has passed, transplant the young plants into your prepared hanging baskets.
With their long trailing stems covered in colorful blooms, cascade petunias are ideal for hanging baskets and containers. Do some research to pick the best varieties for your needs then give them what they require for optimal cascading beauty all season long in your baskets.
