Overton, Texas
May 11, 2007
 Tidal
Wave Cherry petunias are a bright red that can be seen from
a quarter mile away, said a Texas A&M horticulturist.
Tidal Wave Cherry and its sister plant, Tidal Wave Silver, are
the newest Texas Superstar releases. Tidal Wave Silver is
"white with a lavender blush that mixes well with purple foliage
in cool color schemes," said Dr. Brent Pemberton, research
horticulturist with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station.
"Both petunias have been tested in locations across the state -
Overton, San Antonio, Dallas and College Station - and been
found to thrive in summer conditions," said Pemberton, who is
based at the Texas A&M University System Agricultural Research
and Extension Center at Overton.
Texas Superstar program is a cooperative effort between
university and industry leaders to identify pest-resistant
plants adapted to Texas conditions, Pemberton said. The
candidate plants are never sprayed with any pesticide and grown
at several locations in rigorous Texas A&M Agriculture field
trials.
Petunias have been a popular plant for home gardens and
landscapes for years, Pemberton said. There are a "rainbow" of
colors available to Texas gardeners for just about as long. But
what hasn't been available is a petunia that is both showy and
that holds up to the heat and humidity of Texas summers.
Tidal Wave Cherry and Tidal Wave Silver are not the first
petunias designated as Texas Superstars. In 1999, the *Laura
Bush* petunia, developed by Greg Grant, Stephen F. Austin State
University lecturer, was designated a Texas Superstar, Pemberton
said.
"Greg's release was representative of a new class of petunias
referred to as the 'trailing petunia,'" he said. "Both Tidal
Waves are also trailing petunias."
Both new varieties need at least six hours of sun each day, he
said. In the heavier soils of the Dallas and San Antonio areas,
chlorosis - yellowing of leaves - is a problem with some
petunias but not with the new SuperStars.
"Good drainage is beneficial, " Pemberton said.
Both Cherry and Silver varieties grow from 18- to 20-inches tall
when spaced 1 foot apart. If planted at wider spacings, they
will spread up to 4 feet but won't grow quite as tall.
The plants resist lodging and are not usually damaged by heavy
rainfall. They can be lightly trimmed in mid- to late-summer,
though they should be fertilized afterward, Pemberton said.
It's not necessary to fertilize before planting, but Pemberton
recommends applying something similar to a 19-5-9 slow-release
mix at the rate of 2 to 3 pounds per 100 square feet a week
afterward.
"Water-soluble fertilizer high in analysis such as 20-20-20 may
also be used with the first application being made the day the
petunias are planted," he said. "Apply the water soluble
fertilizer as instructed on the container."
Petunias have few serious insect or disease problems. Slugs and
aphids are the occasional exceptions. As for fungus diseases,
these can be largely avoided if petunias are not watered from
above.
"This can be accomplished by the installation of drip irrigation
tubing in the flower bed before planting," Pemberton said. " It
is also important to remember that petunias don't like water on
their flowers.
"Note that, after a rain, petunias close up and appear to be
wilted. So, when you water, use a watering wand or drip
irrigation system so plants are watered well at ground level.
Once water has touched the flower, it will take several days
before it is fully open again, though the Tidal Wave flowers
recover more rapidly after rains than the grandiflora types."
In Experiment Station tests, both Tidal Wave varieties have
survived winters in north Texas "as long as the soil has good
drainage," he said.
Pemberton also recommended petunias be purchased as flowering
plants in containers 6 inches or larger.
For more information on the Texas Superstar program or to find
the nearest official Texas Superstar retailer, go to
http://www.TexasSuperstar.com.
Writer: Robert Burns |
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