it is probably what comes out the backend of a caterpillar...

you will have to find it..

most likely EXACTLY the same color as the plant itself

or seed from something above/near ???? if they are all EXACTLY alike ...

ken

pickin, it is caterpillar frass, or more commonly, poop :) If you could reach your baskets, chances are you could have found it, may have just been one...if you had many, you'd have asked about the damage before you'd asked about what they/it had left behind as evidence.

Hoping to not sound critical, but if I could make a suggestion - better would be to ask and identify first if you don't know, and treat second. An insecticide for a light infestation of caterpillar - I'm assuming light if you didn't complain of half your plants eaten - is really overkill. And if you should find yourself in a circumstance where an insecticide is ever necessary, a hose end sprayer is about the last thing I would recommend for delivering a product of any kind. Rarely would you need that much product, delivered by a means where you have the least amount of control.

if you find it .. its gotta be pretty big.. based on poop size ...

place it on the driveway.. and a very happy bird will fly away with it faster than you will believe ...

the only issue is you.. sucking it up ... and touching it.. lol ... i still use gloves.. but if you have a 10 year old boy around.. they will grab it.. lol ...

ken

Are you sure they're not Petunia seeds?

This happens to TONS of people growing Petunias, thinking they have bugs, don't feel bad. If you snip off as many of those little seed things as you can find, that will encourage your plant to bloom more.

Lolol...this happens at LEAST once a year in the forums, if not more. All the more reason to make sure that a pesticide treatment is warranted BEFORE spraying. Automatically reaching for the "Flit " is old school...so yesterday!

When you've got a camera, computer, and us.....we can help you ID most common issues.

No doubt! The cool thing is now you know too, pickindaisies, and may be available to help the next concerned Petunia'er. Pay it forward :+)

Now if only I could get more of the blossoms to come back . .

==>>> ok newbie ...

a plant has really.. only ONE goal in life.. and that is procreation .. and in this case.. its those seeds ...

your plants are slowing down bloom.. because the job is nearly finished .. and in fact.. it could simply die.. once the job is completely done ... [dont panic.. that is the extreme just to make the point]

the way to avoid the flowering slow down.. is to deadhead your plants.. as the flowers fade ... and do NOT allow them to SET seed ... and they will bloom their brains out.. trying top make the seed ...

and i can be a real PIA to deadhead individual flowers/seed pods on a petunia ... and what you end up doing.. is cutting back some of the longer branches ...

anyway.. check out the link.. there is even a utube of questionable import.. lol ... [its useless to just pull of the flower part.. use scissors.. and cut off the seed pod .. and i would snip back to a further back growth tip ...]

good luck .. learning is fun ... well. it should be.. lol ..

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link