Controlled, mounding habits work well in both small pots and baskets.
Description
Blooms resembling miniature petunias cover an abundance of trailing stems in a lush and colorful display. A tender perennial most commonly grown as an annual. Easy care and heat tolerant. Many botanical authorities consider Calibrachoa to belong to the genus petunia.
Additional Info
Loads of colorful flowers cascade from this selection all season long.
All colors flower consistently at 10.5 hours of day length.
Hyper-uniform habits play well together for impactful multi-color combinations.
Keep the pH down in the mid 5s to avoid yellowing - drench with iron chelate if necessary. Avoid overwatering of young plants, however, avoid severe water stress when plants mature. Plants can be pinched twice on baskets and large containers (once in prop, once after transplant). An early Florel spray improves branching. Cabrio was selected to bloom at a 10.5 hour day length, however, longer days will improve overall quality and flowering. Mid-season Bonzi drenches are the key to beautiful mounded baskets. Watch for aphids.
Watering
New plantings should be watered daily for a couple of weeks. After that, depending on the weather and soil type, watering can be adjusted to every two or three days. Clay soils hold moisture longer than sandy soils, so expect to water more frequently in sandy settings.
Different plants have different water needs. Some plants prefer staying on the dry side, others like to be consistently moist. Refer to the plant label to check a plant’s specific requirements.
Ideally water should only be applied to the root zone - an area roughly 6-12” (15-30cm) from the base of the plant, not the entire plant. A soaker hose is a great investment for keeping plants healthy and reducing water lost through evaporation. Hand watering using a watering wand with a sprinkler head attached is also a good way to control watering. If the garden area is large, and a sprinkler is necessary, try to water in the morning so that plant foliage has time to dry through the day. Moist foliage encourages disease and mold that can weaken or damage plants.
To check for soil moisture use your finger or a small trowel to dig in and examine the soil. If the first 2-4” (5-10cm) of soil is dry, it is time to water.
Pruning
Prune plants freely to maintain the desired size and shape. Pinching plants back stimulates dense, bushy new growth and encourages more flowers.
Remove old flowers to keep plant looking healthy and prevent seed production that drains the plant’s energy at the expense of forming new flowers.
Some plants are grown only for their attractive foliage (such as coleus, dusty miller and flowering kale). Their flowers are not very showy and any buds should be pinched off to keep the foliage looking its best.
