Calibrachoa Million Bells
When visiting your favorite garden center, I know you’ve noticed the plant that seems like it has a million small flowers that resemble petunia. Calibrachoa, or more commonly called Million Bells, is a relative of petunia and a great warm season performer. Million Bells should be grown in full sun. The plants will produce an unbelievable number of one inch wide flowers. Though these plants really put on a floral show with literally hundreds of flowers, they are self-cleaning. This is great because deadheading is not required. Part shade will be tolerated but with less flower production. The growth habit of Million Bells is suitable for the landscape, but they really excel in containers and hanging baskets. The spreading habit and trailing stems will sprawl over the container edges. Million Bells like to be a bit on the dry side. Only water when the top of the planting mix feels dry. When growing Million Bells in containers, fertilizer every other week with water soluble fertilizer using 1 tablespoon per gallon. Use controlled release fertilizer in the landscape to maintain flower production. Million Bells are vigorous, heat tolerant, and have few insect pests. If you’re looking for a prodigious producer, Million Bells lives up to its name. I’m Gary Bachman for Southern Gardening.