Best petunias for hanging baskets including Wave and Easy Wave varieties.

Petunia Seeds – Best Petunia Varieties for Hanging Baskets & Professional Planting Techniques

At Garden Starts Nursery, we have years of hands-on experience growing petunias not just as individual plants but as full, lush, overflowing hanging baskets that deliver massive color all season long. This guide focuses on how many petunia plugs to use per basket, which petunia varieties perform best in containers, and how to grow baskets that are full, thick, and dripping with blooms.

🌸 The Difference Between Regular Petunias & Wave-Type Petunias

There are two main performance categories:

❶ Classic/Bedding Petunias

  • upright to mounded growth

  • great for garden borders

  • more compact

  • dense bloom coverage

Examples: Ultra™, Dreams™, Daddy Series

❷ Spreading / Wave-Type Petunias

  • vigorous trailing & spreading

  • cascade dramatically over pot edges

  • outstanding for hanging baskets

  • fast growth & heavy bloom load

Examples:

  • Wave®

  • Easy Wave®

  • Shock Wave®

  • Tidal Wave®

  • Opera Supreme™

  • Ramblin’ Series

These are the star performers for baskets and patio displays.

🪴 How Many Petunias to Plant in a 12” Hanging Basket

This is where real-world experience matters.

At Garden Starts Nursery, our proven formulas are:

🌿 Self-deadheading / self-cleaning petunias

Includes certain series like some Proven Winners® varieties

👉 We plant 3 plugs per 12” basket

These varieties naturally shed spent blooms without heavy maintenance, so they require less density to look full.

🌿 Wave®, Easy Wave®, Shock Wave®, Tidal Wave® petunias

👉 We plant 4 plugs per 12” basket

Why?

Because these are vigorous spreaders.
They fill space fast, and 4 plants ensure:

✔ edge-to-edge coverage
✔ rapid cascading form
✔ big, overflowing shape
✔ maximum color saturation

🌼 Feeding & Fertilizer for Full Blooming Baskets

Petunias are heavy feeders.

To keep them blooming continuously:

Fertilize every 7–10 days with:

  • a balanced liquid fertilizer
    OR

  • a slow-release granular feed in the basket

More feeding = more blooms.

Underfed petunias look thin and pale.
Fed petunias look like a waterfall of color.

🌞 Light Requirements for Basket Petunias

Petunias need:

✔ 6+ hours of direct sun (ideal)
✔ They CAN tolerate partial sun
✔ But full sun = maximum flowers

Shade = fewer flowers, longer stems.

✂️ Pinching & Maintenance

Even with self-cleaning varieties, baskets benefit from periodic pruning.

Every 3–4 weeks:

  • trim long trailing strands

  • encourage branching

  • stimulate fresh flowering heads

A lightly pruned basket looks fuller, stronger, and maintains round shape.

🌺 Recommended Varieties for Best Hanging Basket Performance

For MASSIVE long trails:

  • Wave® Purple

  • Easy Wave® Blue™

  • Tidal Wave® Red Velour

For compact, dense color “ball shape” baskets:

  • Shock Wave® Denim

  • Opera Supreme™ Pink

  • Easy Wave® Coral Reef

For delightful fragrance:

  • Evening Scentsation™

Great for porches, decks, and night seating areas.

🛒 Best Place to Buy Petunia Seeds

You can purchase strong-performing petunia seed varieties here:

📺 Supporting Video Content

Pelleted vs non-pelleted petunia seeds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv_-4SMsi20

📚 Related Helpful Article

❓ FAQ – Petunia Hanging Basket Questions

How many petunias should go in a basket?

3 plugs for self-cleaning types
4 plugs for Wave-type spreaders

How long do petunia baskets bloom?

All season — from spring through fall — if fed regularly.

Why do some petunias look sparse?

Usually due to:

  • low feeding

  • insufficient sunlight

  • overcrowding of roots

Should you trim petunia baskets?

YES — occasional trimming encourages fresh blooms and shape.

Are Wave petunias best for baskets?

They are among the best — especially if you want dramatic cascading trails of color.

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