The Supertunia Vista® Bubblegum® petunia is truly a sight to behold with its vibrant pink flowers that add a pop of color to any garden. This delightful plant is not only beautiful but also tough, especially when it comes to surviving in a place like San Antonio, Texas.
This mounding, trailing beauty can grow to an average of 12-24″ tall, trailing to 24-36″ wide. It looks great in both landscape plantings and container gardens. Drought and heat tolerant, Bubblegum® petunias don’t need deadheading for its continuous blooms that attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
Bubblegum® petunia is more heat tolerant than many other petunia varieties making it a more reliable spring planted option that will likely see you through the summer as well. With the right care, and if we have a somewhat mild winter, this annual can practically morph into a perennial.
Really! Even with a couple of hard freezes under our belt this winter, we’ve had success with Bubblegum® petunia resprouting in spring. (See the picture below to see new growth resprouting after a 14 degree cold winter in Spring Branch!) Its hardiness is truly impressive, making Bubblegum® petunia a favorite among gardeners in the area who appreciate a plant that can withstand the unpredictable weather.
5 Tips for Growing Bubblegum® Petunia
To successfully grow Bubblegum® petunias in San Antonio, Texas, it’s essential to provide the right care to ensure these beautiful flowers thrive for a long time. Here are some tips to help you cultivate a stunning display of Bubblegum petunias:
- Sunlight: Ensure your petunias receive plenty of sunlight, at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily. In San Antonio, it’s always a good idea for that full sun to be given during the first half of the day, offering some shade during the hottest times in the afternoon to prevent any wilting.
- Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Water Bubblegum® petunias deeply when the top inch of soil feels dry. Be mindful of the heat in San Antonio, as your plants may need more frequent watering during dry spells. Avoid overhead watering on petunias (or any plant, for that matter).
- Soil: Plant your Bubblegum petunias in well-draining soil enriched with organic matter. If If planting in beds, consider adding compost, or soil conditioner to improve soil quality and drainage.
- Fertilization: Feed your petunias with a time release granular fertilizer at the time of planting whether planting in containers or landscape.
- For landscape plantings, a follow up application of time release fertilizer can be beneficial when offered before summer heat rolls in. Follow the instructions on the fertilizer package for best results.
- For containers, also offer a water soluble, balanced fertilizer every 2-3 weeks to promote healthy growth and abundant blooms. These liquid fertilizer doses will make a huge difference on the performance of your plant through our San Antonio summers. Petunias are heavy feeders.
- Pruning: If your Bubblegum® petunias start to look a little leggy, or tired, you can trim about ⅓ of their growth with a pair of sharp scissors or pruning shears. Offer them a dose of liquid fertilizer followed by a good watering and in about a week, your petunias will be bouncing back. Pruning promotes new, fuller growth with more branching and flowers. prune as needed throughout the season.
(This is new growth in March, after being cut all the way back after winter.)
So, if you’re looking to add a splash of color to your garden delivered in an annual that can handle the Texas climate with ease, the Proven Winners Bubblegum® petunia is definitely a top choice. Happy gardening!
The Happy Gardener, Lisa Mulroy
Discovered these last year at a local strawberry farm and bought a 14″ basket for my mom for Mother’s day… And got another this year.
So bummed that I threw mine out last year! I won’t make the same mistake this year!
I found this article after a neighbor mentioned that she’s had hers for 3 years .
I guess they call it an annual so the unsuspecting gardner will toss them and buy more next year…
Can anyone comment on splitting these?
Best way to winter them if in pots?
What to do in the spring to bring them back?
I’d like to put some in the ground but the deer here eat EVERYTHING, so if I can split these and they’ll keep coming back, I’ll risk putting them in the ground… Once I have a few.
The 14″ pot has a 36″ across “bush” of growth, so I’m hoping I can split that in half each year, doubling them.
Hi Darren,
If you decide on planting Bubblegum petunias in the ground, through winter you should plan on cutting them back, digging them up, and potting them up so you can place them in a greenhouse or a warm area with bright light. Water only slightly through the winter to prevent the rootball from completely drying out, and keep an eye on foliage to check for pests throughout winter.
You can either dig up and divide the plants in November as you prepare to overwinter, or in early spring before you set them back out. Use a serrated knife to cut cleanly through the rootball, making 2 – 4 new root balls. Sometimes you can gently pry apart the roots for sections, but I find the knife to be easiest and cleanest.
Offer plants some root stimulator in spring to get them going, and then 1/2 strength water soluble fertilizer after a couple weeks of growth, then continue with a regular feeding schedule through the growing season. Hope this helps.
Thank you!!
I found another article from a lady who has these in the ground all winter. She stated that in her area temperatures get down to 14 degrees, but her vista tunias still came back! Seems they are heardier than advertised.
I’ll follow your suggestions and see what happens. I’m in zone 9 so it generally doesn’t get below 25 here and even then, only overnight. I have a small greenhouse so I’ll have to split this one in the fall to get it in there.
Best of luck to you!
I just read yesterday that putting a fragrant bar of soap like Irish Spring in a mesh bag and hanging them around the yard will deter deer. I cannot vouch for that but it would be a fairly inexpensive experiment to try without harming plants or animal… but maybe keeping your plants safe! 🙂
That is one of the tactics that people try. Like all scare tactics and deterrents for deer, you just have to mix it up after awhile because they are smart and get on to what we are doing. Ha! Worth a shot.
How many Bubblegum petunias would you recommend planting in a 14 inch hanging basket?
Honestly, you probably only need one. They have a vigorous spreading habit.