Do you want to grow petunias in Hardiness Zone 6, but don’t know when to plant them?
Planting petunias is not as easy as it seems.
Here’s why:
- Petunias are not able to survive frost or cold weather under 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
So if you plant them outside too early in the spring they will die. And if you plant them too late, your petunias won’t produce a bloom.
Today, I’m going to teach you the ideal time to plant petunias in Hardiness Zone 6:
- To Learn More About HOW to Grow Petunias, Check Out This GUIDE!
When to Plant Petunias in Hardiness Zone 6
As you may have already guessed, you need to pay very close attention to your local weather in the spring. Specifically, you are going to need to watch when the last frost occurs.
In general, when there hasn’t been a frost for two weeks, you are SAFE to plant your petunias outside in Hardiness Zone 6!
Unfortunately, Mother Nature plays cruel tricks on us every year.
It should be noted that the above dates are just averages.
There are years when the last frost comes MUCH later. Sometimes, the last frost happens much earlier and you can get your petunias planted outside in Hardiness Zone 6 much quicker.
Like I said before, you need to be very diligent in checking your local weather.
So what happens if a frost comes AFTER you plant your petunias?
When you know a frost is coming you need to take action.
- If petunias are in pots, bring them inside
- If petunias are in the ground, cover them in burlap and hope they survive
Also, make sure not to plant your petunias in your garden too late.
- Planting petunias too late will cause small blooms or even worse, no blooms.
When Should You Start Your Petunias Seeds Indoors?
Depending on the type of petunias, it takes roughly 70-80 days (10 to 12 weeks) to grow petunias from seed indoors and then transplant them to your garden. And then another 6-8 weeks to bloom!
For a specific date that you should start petunias seeds indoors you should:
- Find the last average frost date HERE
- And then subtract 70 days from it
Not only this, but I recommend again paying close attention to your local weather report.
It should also be noted that the best technique for bringing your petunias plants outside is to introduce them (in their pots) outside for an hour. And then increase the amount of time they spend outside each day by an hour until they have been outside for 8 hours.
This will “harden” your petunias plant, increasing its chances of fighting off diseases, insects, droughts, and wet conditions.
If you want to learn WHEN to plant ANY Flower in Hardiness Zone 6, head over to HERE and just type in the flower you want to grow.
