Wave petunias just get up and grow

NEW MARKET, Va. -- If petunia popularity was the stuff of showbiz, then you might see headlines like these dominating all the trade papers: "Wave Draws Raves; Becoming a Flower Family Fave." Or "Petunia Powers Way to Top of Petal Parade." Over-the-top theatrics to be sure, but the boldface assertions would be true.

"We're entering our 11th summer with the Wave series of petunias and we probably can claim 10 percent of the market," said Ben Walraven, director of sales and marketing for Pan American Seed Co., West Chicago, Ill.

"It's one of the few plant brands that people come in (to stores) and ask for," Walraven said. "No matter how green or black your thumb, you'll have success with it."

Four vigorous cultivars comprise the Wave series of petunias: Tidal Wave, Easy Wave, Double Wave and the original Wave.

Each comes in the traditional petunia colors, which means shades running from cherry to purple, silver to pink and a bunch in between. There are two dozen colors in all.

Use determines which variety or varieties gardeners might choose. The original Wave petunia, for example, is a low-growing flower. It quickly carpets large sections of ground. The Tidal Wave is a climber, capable of covering fences or trellises to a height of three feet. Many gardeners space the flowers closely together, creating a profuse and long-blooming hedge.

The Easy Wave has mounding tendencies, making it a good choice for screening the unsightly legs of roses or other long-limbed perennials. The Double Wave is what you might expect -- a "semi-double bloom" with a great deal of eye-appeal when placed in landscapes or pots.

"All tend to work better if they're in sun, like regular petunias, but you can use them differently," Walraven said. "If you have a wall and you want something to cascade over that wall, you can use the Wave. Regular petunias don't trail that well.

"Some of the Wave spread three to four feet, like a blanket. You can't do that with regular petunias." Wave petunias were developed after seeking out their genetic roots.

Problems often develop when petunias are grown in cool, wet climates. They don't display well when soggy or after a good rain although the Wave series doesn't seem bothered by that, Walraven said.

"Plant them where they'll get about six hours of full sun a day and if you do get some tough weather, the plants will bounce back. Because they spread so much, you get good value for your investment. Wave varieties will cover five, six or seven times as much ground as the regular petunias."

One of the major reasons why petunias -- any petunias -- are so popular in American gardens is the length of their growing season. These standout annuals bloom continuously from early spring until the weather turns cold again in autumn.

Like athletes seated around a training table, Wave petunias have huge appetites. They need to be fed more frequently than regular petunias, every 10 to 14 days, using an all-purpose fertilizer. That's especially important if they're grown in containers.

Water them regularly or enough that they won't dry out.

Extra nutrition aside, Wave petunias require less maintenance than their more ordinary cousins. Take deadheading spent blooms, for instance.

"You don't have to deadhead the Wave," Walraven said. "They put out so many flowers and grow so fast that if you have some old blossoms dying, the new blossoms will cover them up. They always look fresh and beautiful."