The Hedgiflora petunia, or the wave petunia, grows 4 to 6 inches tall and 3 feet wide. These hardy plants provide widespread coverage for your garden bed, but wave petunias do need occasional deadheading to remain healthy.

Significance

• Deadheading refers to cutting away dead flower heads. These unsightly wilted flowers take nutrients away from healthy flowers.
  

  Identification

• To deadhead a petunia, cut off the dead flower below the decay. If the plant’s stalk is decaying, find a healthy, bright green part of the stalk and cut it off at this point. Cutting above the healthy plant into the decay prevents healthy regrowth.
  

  Time Frame

• Petunias can wilt within a matter of days. Check the health of your flowers every three or four days. Deadheads are more likely to appear in late summer and early autumn.