Galaxy is one of the prettiest petunias you can grow for its starry flowers! Here’s everything you need to know about Night Sky Petunia Care.
If you want a spectacular flowering plant that can brighten up your home, look no further than the beautiful Galaxy Petunia. Each blue flower is speckled with white spots that resemble starry skies or galaxies. If you want to grow it easily, then follow our tips on Night Sky Petunia Care!
Botanical Name: Petunia ‘Night Sky’
About Night Sky Petunia
All Night sky Petunias are different — meaning the patterns on the petals depend a lot on the temperature and growth environment, just like our fingerprints. If grown in the right conditions, you’ll be amazed by the sheer beauty of these flowers!
As annuals, these Petunias start flowering in Summer and last for months before the first frost. Plant them in a spot with full sunlight, where they can soak at least 5-6 hours of direct sun daily.
Night Sky Petunia Colors & Varieties
Night Sky Petunia has beautiful blooms, speckled generously with white flecks around the vibrant color.
One Starry Sky Burgandy is a deep red variety with a gradient of yellow starburst in the center. These beautiful flowers are speckled with white color under the right conditions. Pink Sky is more similar to the Night Sky and has rich Pink blooms speckled with white spots.
Fun Fact: Cooler temperatures will yield more white speckles, and warm temperatures will yield more purple.
How to Propagate Night Sky Petunia
From Cuttings
Choose a healthy plant stem and snip off 5 to 8 inches long cutting at a 45-degree angle.
Remove the lower leaves, dip the end in a rooting hormone, and plant it in a pot filled with a light seed starting mix.
Place the pot in a moderately warm place where it can get morning sunlight — mist the medium often using a mister bottle to keep the soil slightly moist.
The cuttings will form roots in 3-4 weeks.
From Seeds
Purchase the seeds from a garden center, nursery, or online and plant them in moist and nutrient-rich soil. Always keep the top layer of the growing medium, over the seeds thin, as this allows quicker germination.
Germination takes place about 2 to 4 weeks, and post that, the plant is moderately easy to take care of. Always ensure the seedling gets a lot of bright light, and the soil is moist but not soggy.
Night Sky Petunia Care
Caring for a Night Sky is all about learning. You must understand which location is apt for your Petunia, so their speckles exist vividly.
Light
If you want the best flowers and colors, keep the plant in a location where it gets ample sunlight for at least 6 hours each day. The amount of light received also influences the speckles directly. If it is not bright, the speckles could vary and may not come at all.
Soil
Like all petunias, the Night Sky is not too much fussy about the soil type. Use a well-draining potting mix, rich in organic matter. If you are using garden soil, add peat moss or coconut coir and compost or aged manure in equal quantities.
Water
Petunias are picky about watering needs; they are neither too drought tolerant nor love wet conditions, so ensure you are never over-watering the plant and keeping the soil soggy. The best practice to follow is to keep an eye on the topsoil. Check it once in a while, and if it feels dry to the touch, water the plant thoroughly till it seeps out from the drainage hole.
Temperature
The flowers do best in the temperature range of 65-85 F (18-30 C). The speckles will appear as long as the temperature stays the same. You will also notice that as the temperature rises, the flowers will take a more vivid hue.
Fertilizer
Night Sky Petunia will benefit from a balanced feed like 10-10-10, once every 2-3 weeks in half of the recommended strength by the manufacturer. Do refer to the label for dosage and instruction.
Pests and Diseases
The two pests that you need to be careful about while growing Night Sky Petunias are aphids and slugs. They can be handpicked, or you can use an insecticidal soap or organic neem oil solution to get rid of them.
Avoid wetting the foliage to prevent most of the potential diseases.
Important Tip to Make Night Sky Petunia Flower More
If you want Night Sky Petunia to bloom profusely, then it is extremely important that you deadhead it timely. Whenever you spot the flowers dying, simply pinch them away to stop the plant from producing seed pods, thus promoting it to flower all over again.
Grasp the spent or wilting flower, just above the bud, and pull it off the stem. Make sure you are not damaging the plant or entire stem in the process.
