Why do my petunias feel sticky ?

Question:I have a hanging basket with 3 different colored petunias and it was beatuiful 2 weeks ago now it is sticky feeling and looking yellow at the bottom leaves .They smelled soooooo pretty what happened to them ? HELP PLEASE!

Answers:
All petunias are sticky. It is their defense mechanism. When picking off the dead blossoms or cutting the plant back, wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the stickiness (or just wash your hands with soap and water).

Petunias LOVE the sunlight which means they should be in the sun as much as possible during the day (LOTS of direct light)! I am guessing that the basket is not getting enough sun and that is why the leaves are yellow.

Petunias are one plant that needs to have it's dead blossoms picked off. If the dead blossoms are not, then the plant will not look as nice.

Feel free to cut the basket back, if you wish. Do not worry about taking "too much" off, because as with many other plants, the petunias will grow back much thicker!

Also remember to water your basket thoroughly in the morning by lifting up the lower leaves instead of from the top of the basket. This prevents fungus and other mold from growing inside and killing your basket. When you water, it is ok for the water to run through the basket and out unless the basket is air light. If the basket is air light and the water is running through, it means the soil is not holding water. To cure this gradually add water until the soil re-expands and holds water. On extremely hot days, feel free to water throughout the day if it is needed. However, NEVER water your basket heavily at night because again, this can bring on the growing of mold!


Good luck and enjoy your basket! Petunias are beautiful!