It is well branching (which means no pinching), and the foliage is not sticky (less deadheading). Petchoa withstands heat, wind, and rain better than either of its parents. The petchoa inherits strong roots, good pH tolerance, and general vigor from the petunia parent. Petchoa (pet-KOA-uh) has l arge flowers, as wide as t he petunia and almost as long. So what does it bring us? Here’s Why You Might Choose Petchoa! So why do we need another very similar plant, a recently bred hybrid? It is a cross between a Petunia and a Calibrachoa. It is called “million bells” for the very large number of small but petunia-like blooms. Use calibrachoa for its ability to last longer than petunias in the heat of summer and its unique colors. Later we discovered its unique and valuable ability to be bred in extraordinary colors, and the rest is history, However, unlike the petunia, which was universally loved almost immediately, the calibrachoa was for many years ignored as it was considered hard to grow. So it has a place in our gardens.Ĭalibrachoa and petunia were both discovered in South America in the 19th century. The flower is similar to the Petunia, and the plant has better resistance to hot, humid summers than the Petunia. We, gardeners, love Petunias and we are happy with the much newer Calibrachoa, which looks like loads of small petunias on a colorful, mounding, and trailing plant. It fully meets the definition of what we want from a blooming annual plant. It should perform in your garden or in containers from spring to fall and do so every day. It is petunia-like, with large, wide tubular blooms in brilliant colors, and is more tolerant of heat and rain than either of the other plants. And as a cross between the petunia and the calibrachoa, it has features not found in either plant. They remain evergreen perennials throughout most of Australia but in areas of hard frost should be treated as annuals.Do You Wish Petunias Would Last Longer In The Summer? You can enjoy a continuous procession of flowers from spring to frost without a lot of effort. They have a strong root system so will cope well in stressful situations. SuperCal Petchoas even have superior mildew resistance. Prune back as flowering starts to wane in winter and await their reshoot in early spring, you will have years of love from these plants.Īs you can imagine it is a difficult breeding program to merge two plants and to do it so successfully is a testament to the advancement of the nursery industry. You will need more water in pots to keep them happy and healthy as potting mix is perfectly drained. Water to establish and then keep moist in active growth. You can add a liquid fertiliser every other week to keep them blooming at their best, or use a slow release fertiliser spring and summer – remember they flower a lot so need a good supply of nutrients. Grow your SuperCal Petchoas in a sunny spot with well drained soil. They are frost tolerant and don’t mind the heat - in fact they are more tolerant than either Petunias or Calibrachoas. SuperCal Petchoas will soon be one of your favourite plants. Plus, the plants are self cleaning, so you don’t have the hassle of sticky flowers as you do with Petunias. The blooms open across three seasons and are fantastic no matter the weather the flowers remaining open, even after rainfall. You get the big flowers and easy growing nature of the Petunias and the colour, trailing habit and flower power of the Calibrachoa. SuperCal Petchoas are a hybrid of Petunias and Calibrachoas and give you the best of both worlds. The plants have a naturally rounded, well branched habit so there is no need to pinch out the foliage. In pots, choose ones that are around 30-40cm so that the foliage can spill from the sides. In the garden, place them around 40cm apart. SuperCal Petchoas are so wonderfully versatile, they have a semi trailing to trailing habit and can be grown in gardens, containers, window boxes, hanging baskets, as ground covers, garden edging or filler plants in your borders. Handsome, wine red flowers with a dark centre.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |