The insects are most active when temperatures are 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Look for groups of them massed on stems and the back of leaves. Most petunias have naturally sticky leaves, but aphids compound the problem by excreting gooey, undigested sap called honeydew.

Most homeowners can control and kill aphids on their petunias using natural methods. A chemical approach is often used when the aphid infestation has gone too far.

Healthy petunias make a dazzling garden display. Are you noticing small green bugs on your petunias? While this low-maintenance annual is generally pest-resistant, it sometime attracts small green bugs called aphids.

The best way to learn how to get rid of aphids on petunias is with a simple home remedy of soapy water. Liquid dish soap is a perfect natural bug spray for plants, particularly if they’re on a single petunia plant or your rose bushes.

When tiny insects get onto potato plants’ hairs, they become trapped. This commonly happens with aphids. Although aphids are among the most likely pests for petunias, petunias have something in common with them. The tiny bugs give off honeydew, which is sticky in its own right.

Oil Insecticides Nowadays, several types of horticultural oil, such as all-season oil or summer oil, can safely be applied to plants, including petunias, to control spider mites, scales, aphids, leaf miners, fungus gnats and other bugs.

Petunia flowers are highly sensitive to ethylene, a naturally-occurring plant hormone that causes petunia flowers to wilt and die prematurely. Ethylene is a colorless and odorless gas that’s produced either within the flower or may be present in the air.

Petunias prefer full sunlight, so be aware, container plants may dry out more quickly during hot weather periods. During such periods the plants require two daily waterings. Bedded plants need once-a-week a deep watering. Deep watering helps the plants produce long and healthy roots.

Petunias are subject to root and crown rot, a result of uneven watering. “Like pansies,” she says, “petunias must never be allowed to wilt, either from under- or overwatering. Once they wilt, it’s all over.” She advises providing good soil conditions, including preparation with organic materials and ample mulching.

Maybe the most common (and easily fixable) is improper watering. Like lots of plants, petunias respond to a lack of water by wilting. Wilting petunia flowers can also be a sign of too much water. Always check the soil around your petunias before watering–if the soil is still damp, don’t water it.

With quick intervention, petunias can often be revived. Cut back foliage on overly dried petunias to within several inches of the soil level. If foliage remains green, the chances of success are good. If leaves have yellowed, become brittle or begun to turn brown, cutting the petunia back may revive it.

Petunias are susceptible to Fusarium, which is a fungus rather than a true disease. The fungus invades the roots, and takes in the water before the petunias can. Just like an under-watered plants, this leads to wilting. You may also see yellowing or browning of the leaves as well.

To save an overwatered plant, start by moving it out of the sun and into a shady spot. Then, carefully remove the plant from its pot and place it on top of a baking rack for several hours so the roots can dry. If any of the roots are brown or smell like they’re rotting, prune them off.

Determine which by feeling the leaf showing browning: if it feels crispy and light, it is underwatered. If it feels soft and limp, it is overwatered. Yellowing leaves: Usually accompanied by new growth falling, yellow leaves are an indication of overwatering.

Signs Plants Have Too Little Water

1. Wilting. This is the classic sign of an under watered plant.
2. Dry soil. If the soil around a plant is dry, it may need more water.
3. Dry, dead leaf tips. When a plant doesn’t get enough water, the tips and edges of leaves dry out and turn brown.
4. Slow growth.
5. Visible footprints.

Sun baking the wet soapy water into the foliage may damage the plants. Do not apply the soapy water to the petunia plants if the temperature is over 90 degrees F because the plants may suffer damage at high temperatures.

Organic Pesticide – Vinegar Aphid Spray Recipe Like dishwashing soap, vinegar is lethal to all insects, whether they are the Japanese species of aphids you are trying to get rid of or the good bugs you need in your garden. Use a spray bottle to spray the tops and bottoms of the leaves lightly.

Apply rosemary oil or insecticidal soap to a hibiscus infested with many winged aphids, or to any plant whose aphid population is not reduced by water sprays. Coat the entire plant thoroughly, being sure to cover the undersides of leaves as well as the crotches of branches.

Lifecycle. Root aphids are surprisingly adaptable and their lifecycle can vary tremendously. They reproduce asexually during the growing season. Eggs over-winter in soil or, in warm seasons, are attached to leaves and stems above the root line where they hatch and fall to the ground.

Aphids are common pests of plants wherever they are grown. They don’t infest the soil or potting mix, so you can safely re-use the potting mix.

Look for misshapen, curling, stunted, or yellow leaves. Be sure to check the undersides of leaves, aphids love to hide there. If the leaves or stems are covered with a sticky substance, that is a sign that aphids may have been sipping sap.