It is most commonly grown in containers, where it spills gracefully over the sides of the pot or hanging basket but has a dense trailing habit rather than a spindly one. Dyer began her writing career as a staff writer at a community newspaper and is now a full-time commercial writer. Pinch the stems back to a healthy section of plant just under sets of leaves if they become tall and leggy, which often happens in midsummer with million bells. Calibrachoa, also known as Million Bells, is one of the most popular plants for growing in containers. ), better known as million bells, is a blooming annual and top performer in the garden, as well as in hanging baskets and window boxes. Million bells do not require deadheading to bloom well, but the practice cleans up the plant. If so, you can prune it back by about one third and it should develop two new stems wherever you make a pruning cut. Discard clippings in the compost pile or trash so the ground below the million bells does not become a breeding ground for insects or disease. M.H. These plants require regular waterings and fertilizing to grow well, but the results are well worth this little bit of effort. Million Bells is a drought-tolerant plant. 1 Pinch off fading flowers just under the blossoms as desired. She writes about a variety of topics, with a focus on sustainable, pesticide- and herbicide-free gardening. Calibrachoa Million Bells Information. Pinching encourages a new flush of healthy growth and flowers. Calibrachoa (Million Bells) can get gangly – so be sure pinch or trim your Million Bells during the summer, especially on top. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. You can give it a quick haircut with pruning shears, but more deliberate trimming creates a well-rounded plant. If you have too many Million Bells plants for stem-by-stem trimming, then use shears to remove about one-third of the plants' height. Lewis holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Million bells plants also attract hummingbirds and butterflies to boot. Water the Million Bells' soil to a depth of 6 inches after trimming the plant, and allow the soil to dry between each subsequent watering session. tall, along trailing stems and flowers in shades of violet, … This low-maintenance plant requires no deadheading but can become leggy in midsummer. Prune the Million Bells nearly to the ground in late autumn if you live in USDA zone 9, 10 or 11. Leave only 2 to 3 inches of its stem above ground. Some varieties of Million Bell hanging baskets tend to get flat on top – a phenomenon we call that ‘balding’ – and they need to be pinched back regularly. Calibrachoa is a prolific bloomer and produces one-inch blossoms that resemble tiny petunias. The plant will return in spring for another season of blooming in those USDA zones. It comes in a rain… Wipe the blades of pruning shears or clippers with rubbing alcohol or a solution containing 1 part household bleach and 9 parts water. Pinch million bells with your thumb and a finger, or use garden scissors or pruning shears, if desired. But, if after pinching out the growing tips of the stems the stem deteriorates rather than developing new stems, yours is one of the oversensitive plants that just doesn't want to be managed by pinching or pruning. Feed the Million Bells, providing it with a nutritional boost for healthy regrowth. Repeat in two or three weeks. She is an Oregon State University Master Gardener and Master Naturalist and holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction writing. Cut each Million Bells stem down to about 3 to 5 inches in length. Pinch off fading flowers just under the blossoms as desired. Pinch the stems back to just under the topmost set of leaves to encourage branching and full, compact growth. Sanitizing tools before and after trimming prevents the spread of bacteria and pathogens that can cause plant diseases. Pinching, or removing, the growth tips of young Million Bells plants at planting time and again about three weeks later encourages full, bushy growth. The plants may look bare for a few days, but soon they will send out new growth that continues until autumn. Often called trailing petunia, Million Bells is a type of calibrachoa (Calibrachoa x hybrida) trademarked by Suntory Flowers Ltd. Leave only 2 to 3 inches of its stem above ground. How to Water Transplanted Blueberry Plants, How to Prune Passiflora After Frost Damage, Missouri Botanical Garden: Calibrachoa (Group), Greenhouse Product News: Producing Vegetative Petunias and Calibrachoa, Penn State Extension: Pruning Herbaceous Plants, California Getting Started Garden Guide; Bruce Asakawa and Sharon Asakawa, New York Times 1,000 Gardening Questions and Answers; Leslie Land; Editor. Pinch each tip just above a set of leaves. Melissa Lewis is a former elementary classroom teacher and media specialist. my million bells plant seems to be dying, can I trim it and will it come back? Expect the flowers to be a bit smaller but much more plentiful if you incorporate this gardening habit. They also work in unusual containers like colanders or even plastic laundry baskets. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Shade-Tolerant Perennials That Attract Birds & Butterflies, National Gardening Association: Time to Deadhead, Portland Nursery: Calibrachoa -- Million Bells. Well-suited for hanging baskets and patio containers, Million Bells is a bushy, trailing plant with a summer-long abundance of small, brilliantly colored, bell-shaped blooms. Pinch million bells with your thumb and a finger, or use garden scissors or pruning shears, if desired. Although you do not need to pinch back million bells, you'll be rewarded with more compact growth and cleaner plants if you do. Use a water-soluble, 10-10-10 fertilizer, mixing 1 tablespoon of it in 1 gallon of water and applying the mixture to the plant's soil during a normal watering. Make each cut just above a healthy set of leaves. Million bells is an annual flower that blooms nonstop from spring to frost without the need for deadheading. A classic spiller plant, they have a trailing habit and look great in hanging baskets, bowls, or mixed containers. If your million bells plants begin to lose their vigor and become leggy despite your care, pinching or cutting back might be necessary. Prune the Million Bells nearly to the ground in late autumn if you live in USDA zone 9, 10 or 11. Most often grown as an annual, Million Bells is perennial in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11. The blooms of million bells are approximately 1 inch across, and many sport veining or color… Calibrachoa, commonly called million bells or trailing petunia, is a tender perennial that produces mounds of foliage, growing only 3 to 9 inches (7.5-23 cm.) She has also written for various online publications. Calibrachoa (Calibrachoa spp.