Gardeners, please help!

[Cetti]

My Petunias are looking a bit yellow, straggly and slighly manky despite continual dead heading. As our house is still unsold I am desperate to keep these pots going as these are the only means of garden colour at the moment.

Can I poke other flowers in the pots or will this overcrowd those already there? Would a dose of some sort of feed help??? Any suggestions very, very welcome.

[missieb]

Yes you've hit it on the head. They are starving. Cut half of them back really hard now (to about 6 inches long) and give them a good feed with Miraclegro. In a couple of weeks when the new buds which form on the new growth are about to pop open, cut back all the other growths in the same way. You can probably keep the petunias going until the first hard frost like this.

[Robinia]

Hi Cetti - oh dear still not packed up your cart?
Well unless we have some warm sunshine pdq your petunias (& mine) will struggle to put on much of a show. I would go off to the garden centre/market again I'm afraid & buy whatever has flowers on. There should be plenty of pansies about - look for the ones with most flowers which will go on all winter if you're lucky. You might even find some dwarf chrysanths that will keep going until the frosts.

<looks in crystal ball> I'm seeing a woman with long dark hair making you an offer on your house very soon...... :o)

[Cetti]

Sounds perfect missieb, but would I be able to use Tomorite as I found some this afternoon - or is Miraclegro better? Do I cut back the ones trailing over the sides or leave them?

Hello Robinia! I shall do as missieb suggested but also buy some pansies and dwarf crysanths.Thanks for that idea.

Do you know, a woman with long dark hair actually did make an offer not long ago, we accepted - we haven't seen her since. Spooky, or what????

[Robinia]

well, don't give up Cetti! :o)

re the plant food - Tomorite will promote flowers but maybe miracle grow would give a better all round boost. Are they in the sunniest part of the garden? they're real sun worshippers - more like winter honeysuckle weather here!
I'd trim the trailing ones.