My Petunia has Only a Few Small Blooms. Why is this Happening?

Is your petunia positioned somewhere where it can get full sunlight during the day?

Have the old petunia blooms remained on the plant?

Is your petunia plant overcrowded in its flowerpot or the ground?

Does your petunia show any other sign of sickness like discolored, wilted or mottled leaves or white powdery spots of spores on leaves and stem?

Do you see any signs of pests on your petunia?

Some perennial plants like the petunia require specific lighting needs in order to flourish properly. Petunias love full sun with 6 or more hours of sunlight during the day. The plant will survive in partial sun (4-6 hours of sunlight), but with fewer blooms. Move your petunia somewhere where it can get more sunlight.

Plants usually slow down their flower production if the old flowers remain on the plant and start forming seeds because the energy is diverted into seed production rather than in flower production. Cut off all flowers that have started to fade, because that is when they are starting to produce seeds.

When plants are overcrowded they must compete for light, nutrients, and water. This can lead to plants not getting enough nutrients which in turn can result in poor flower production. Thin out the plants by picking the selected stems from the ground. You can transplant or simply discard them.

Sick plants can't produce healthy flowers. Most usually diseases that petunia can get are root, stem and crown rots, Botrytis blight, powdery mildew, Verticillium wilt, and viruses. Check for the symptoms to determine which disease your petunia contracted and treat it accordingly. Note that some diseases, like viruses, are untreatable and the best thing you can do is discard the plant.

Some pests, like insects, can cause poor flower production. Petunias can be attacked by mites, thrips, and caterpillars. try to determine the exact pest that attacked your plant and treat it accordingly. Insecticides usually help, but be careful when using synthetic pesticides as they can be toxic to humans also.

Your plant is suffering from the nitrogen sufficiency. Plants need a balanced diet of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to produce healthy blooms. Too much nitrogen disrupts this balance and encourages leaf growth at the expense of bloom production. You should fertilize your plant with the fertilizer that has more phosphate which will help in better flowering.