Petunia needles where it is best to grow. All the secrets of the petunia flower: growing, care, species. Petunia Dreams - Petunia Dreams

What are we going to talk about? And here's what ... The main character is a petunia plant, planting and care. Let's see the photos, admire ... After all, it is the leader among the most popular garden flowers. It is rich in its diversity, harmoniously combined with other summer flowers in plantings. Petunia is a real decoration of our flower beds, balconies, summer cottages. The lush flowering of this bright plant continues throughout the season, but in addition to its beauty, it is famous for the fact that it is not difficult to plant and grow it.

Photo of petunia, it looks great, even if there are other flowers in the flowerbed:

This lovely garden flower comes in many varieties. Its color shades are varied and the shapes are bizarre. Most often, petunia is divided into two varieties - bush and ampelous. Shrub we most often arrange flower beds or plant it in pots. This variety is unpretentious, sown in early spring - March-April.

Petunia photo in pots on the street, photo

Ampelnaya is a flower "waterfall". It is more suitable for hanging or forming garden compositions. Windows, balconies, pergolas are also suitable for decorating with such plants. These varieties need to be sown before the bush species, around the beginning of February.

Correct seedling of petunia - how to grow

Petunia photo shoots

Most varieties of petunias are quite unpretentious. Even if with the onset of warmth (March-April) you sow seeds in the open field, provide regular watering, it will grow and bloom. But if you want to get lush, well-groomed bushes, then you have to try a little, "conjure" over a small seed.

Methods for planting petunia seeds:

1. The easiest option is to plant in a shallow container or box. The seeds are not dosed (by eye). The most important rule is not to deepen.
2. The use of peat tablets gives excellent results in growing seedlings - it is very convenient and practical. Pre-soak each tablet, place one pelleted seed or 2-3 ordinary seeds there. does not require a subsequent dive. With this method of planting, the bushes (along with the tablets) are subsequently transplanted.
3. Seedling cassettes are also convenient; growing with their help does not involve picking seedlings. Thus, each seed is placed in an individual cell (20 or 50 ml), and after 20-30 days it is transplanted into a pot, where the petunia can grow before the first flowers appear.
4. Sowing seeds in the snow is also practiced. A layer of ordinary clean street snow is laid on top of the soil, and seeds are poured on top. When the snow melts, it is absorbed, automatically pulling the seeds to the ground (to the required depth).

Whichever method is sowing, seedlings need the correct temperature regime (+ 23 ... - + 25 ° С), cover with a film, timely watering.

Usually petunia seeds are sown taking into account the cultivar group (20th of March) in order to get flowering bushes by the beginning of summer. If you want to see flowering earlier, then it is better to start sowing in late January - early February.

A nutritious, loose soil with good water-holding properties is suitable for it. Strongly acidic or alkaline potting mixes should be avoided.

Against the background of the narrative about the details of growing petunias, it is still worth mentioning the possibility of acquiring ready-made seedlings. Cases are different: someone simply does not have enough time to deal with this process, but they really want to have a fragrant flower.

For such cases, petunia seedlings are sold, which can be bought at the market, store, floristic center, even an online store.

Petunia, care and cultivation

At the first time after sowing (the first 7-10 days), the seeds will not be prevented by regular spraying with a weakly borne solution of potassium permanganate. At the end of this period, with the appearance of the first sprouts that have hatched, top dressing can be introduced. At the very beginning, it is advisable to use foliar means - irrigation with mineral compounds. If the situation requires it, then 1 or 2 times you can apply a plant growth stimulator, such as "Epin-Extra".

Seedlings should be provided with a sufficient amount of moisture, but do not be too zealous, as excessive moisture provokes diseases. If the sprouts are oversaturated with moisture, it is necessary to stop irrigation with water. At the same time, it is necessary to moisten the soil only by watering along the walls of the containers so that the water is in minimal contact with the plants.

Seedlings after picking

When the sprouts acquire a couple of full-fledged sheets, start diving. For this, the seedlings are seated one by one in special containers or disposable 200 gram cups (very convenient). The cups are filled with the same nutrient soil that was used for seeding. After planting, the bushes are watered, covered for 1-2 days with some non-woven material (for example, Spunbond).

At the first time after plowing for petunia, moderate soil moisture is important, periodic loosening. If seedlings require feeding, then it can be done 7-10 days after picking (1 time per week).

Before planting petunia bushes for a permanent place of residence, take care of its hardening. To do this, pots with seedlings must be periodically taken out into the cold (but not freezing), providing an influx of fresh air.

Planting petunias in open ground

It's time to dive

This flower loves fertile loamy soils. If you add compost or humus before planting in the place of the flower bed, then the petunia will bloom more actively and luxuriantly. Make sure that the place for the plants is well lit by the sun. Most often, the bushes are planted around the 20th of April (in the Kuban), after the frosts are left behind.

For planting, the seedlings need to be watered well so that they can be conveniently removed from the pot. Plant together with a lump of soil on a flower bed. The step between the bushes should be about 30-40 cm. Then the plants are watered and mulched again (the next day).

Planting seedlings

Follow-up care for petunia includes:

• regular watering,
• loosening the soil,
• getting rid of weeds.

However, the most important factor is feeding with complex and organic fertilizers, which must be introduced 8 days after planting. Potassium supplements should be made every 10 days. We advise you to continue them until August inclusive. You can also use organic fertilizers, such as humus.

Registration of a summer cottage or yard of a house with the help of petunias, photo

The richness of colors and varieties allows you to create incredible combinations of shades, various designs. Multicolor flower beds, flower cascades, fragments of trees equipped for flower beds, even car tires are a field of activity, a source of inspiration for a summer resident.

Petunia goes well with flowers that complement each other in flower bed arrangements (see the first photo). For these purposes, you need to choose the same non-capricious, sun-loving plants (for example - snapdragon, salvia, calendula, levkoi). When decorating a summer cottage with petunias, one should not forget about sunny places, since in shady zones it simply cannot gain strength, fully bloom. Well-lit, slightly shaded areas are ideal for this plant.

Some design options:

Already in itself, ampelous petunia is a decoration, how many pieces to plant in pots - determines the size of the container, for example, 4-5 bushes with a diameter of 20-30 cm.With the onset of spring, shopping centers begin to sell pots 22 cm in diameter, in which 3 bushes are comfortably located ...

Flower bed

Despite all the subtleties, nuances, it is not difficult to grow and plant petunia - it is quite within the power of any novice florist. Attention to seedlings, appropriate care will pay off. If you at least once grow a lush, fragrant beauty from a small seed, you will never refuse her presence at your dacha.

Where to plant petunia in the garden, photo

Do not forget to feed with fertilizers in time, water this amazing flower - it will delight you with its flowering until the coldest days.

Petunias - luxurious annual flowersthat can be used to decorate flower beds, flowerpots and balcony boxes. The variety of petunia varieties is amazing, new products are released every year. The popularity of petunia among flower growers has earned for its long abundant flowering all summer and the ability to grow in containers, flowerpots, boxes, which allows you to decorate terraces, courtyards, verandas and even walls of houses with flowers.

The secrets of the lush flowering of petunias are revealed in this article.... Petunia is grown through seedlings, conducting an early sowing in February or March, about

Seedlings of petunias are planted in late May - early June, when the threat of frost has passed. In order for petunia to bloom profusely all summer, plant seedlings and further care for plants according to the following rules:

1. Space for roots. Petunia has thin branched roots, in adult plants a rather voluminous root system is formed, therefore, when planting flower seedlings in flowerpots, balcony boxes, keep in mind that at least 3 liters of soil should be poured per plant, preferably 5 liters. Thus, 2 or 3 plants can be planted in a 10 liter balcony box, no more.

Many gardeners, when planting petunia seedlings, do not believe that these small plants will soon turn into lush bushes, so they thicken the planting of flowers. Of course, with frequent planting, the petunia will quickly close, bloom, but soon the plants will begin to oppress each other and the flowering will weaken.

For planting large cascading or ampelous varieties of petunias, land with a volume of at least 10 liters is required so that the plants show the full strength of their flowering.

2. Quality land - the key to fast and healthy development of the root system. Petunias need a loose, breathable substrate that will not thicken after frequent watering, capable of simultaneously letting in excess water and retaining moisture. To achieve these properties, garden soil is mixed with peat and humus in a ratio of 3: 2: 1. It is useful to add a little wood ash to the ground for planting petunias.

3. Watering petunias needs regular , this flower does not tolerate the drying out of the earth, and with a lack of moisture, flowering and growth of new shoots weakens. Petunia growing in flowerpots and balcony boxes under a canopy is watered abundantly every day or every other day in hot weather. If the soil in the container has dried out after morning watering, then you can repeat watering in the evening. On a flower bed, petunia is watered according to the state of the earth and depending on the weather.

Petunia cannot stand waterlogging and stagnant water in the ground, therefore, make sure that there are drainage holes in the bottom in the flowerpots and balcony boxes and that expanded clay is filled in with the first layer to drain excess water after irrigation.

Water the petunia at the root so that the water does not get on the flowers, as they will deteriorate immediately, the sprinkling method is not suitable for these flowers. Water for irrigation must be separated, the same temperature as the air temperature.

4. Regular feeding of petunia is necessary to maintain its flowering all summer ... Only with good nutrition will plants be strewn with bright large flowers. For feeding petunias, complex fertilizers for flowering plants are used, in which phosphorus and potassium predominate, but a small dose of nitrogen is also present.

Also, petunias need trace elements, especially iron, with a deficiency of which in petunias, chlorosis or yellowing of the foliage begins. It is recommended to feed petunia with iron chelate or liquid fertilizer "Ferovit».

Petunia loves foliar dressing or spraying on the leaves with a weak solution of complex fertilizer. The flowering of petunia is enhanced after spraying with potassium monophosphate.

It is useful to spray petunias once a month with any stimulating drug ("Epin Extra"), to keep the plants in good shape, to reduce the influence on them of unfavorable conditions - heat or drought.

Start feeding petunia regularly with the first flowers blooming. Fertilizer is diluted according to the instructions and watered on wet soil, top dressing is done every week. Petunias are "gluttonous" flowers, they need constant feeding, especially when grown in boxes or flowerpots, where the amount of land is limited and frequent watering is carried out, washing out nutrients.

5. Plant formation ... Petunias, depending on the variety, take on different forms during growth - bush, cascade or ampelous. Ampelous and cascading petunias have long stems. To make ampelous flowers look beautiful, they are grown at a height in balcony boxes, hanging flowerpots, they perfectly decorate the walls. These varieties do not form, they pinch too long stems so that they begin to give side shoots.

Bush petunias pinch at the beginning of growthso that they have as many branches as possible. Pinching during heavy flowering can reduce the number of buds. Sometimes bush petunias by the end of July lose their decorative shape, fall apart, their flowering becomes weak. In this case, a haircut will help to restore an attractive appearance to the plants. Just cut the stems in half, and then water and fertilize the plants well, after 1-2 weeks fresh greens will appear, new buds and flowering will begin with renewed vigor.

6. Prolong flowering and maintain a neat appearance flowers will be helped by the permanent removal of wilted flowers. Do not let the plants form seed pods and their forces will be directed only to the formation of new buds, moreover, hybrid varieties still do not set seeds.

Petunia is an absolute favorite among the annuals. In terms of popularity, distribution, and abundant flowering, this plant outshines any other competitors. Seedlings of petunias from spring to autumn flood store shelves. Growing petunias from seeds on your own is not an easy task. But with some diligence and attention, you can create your own collection of petunias yourself.

Growing seedlings of petunias from seeds. © Brittney Smart

Garden petunias (Petunia x hybrida or Petunia hybrida) are one of the most famous representatives of the Solanaceae family. With a height of 10 to 100 cm, this herbaceous annual with well-branched, densely leafed, creeping or straight shoots allows you to choose larger or more compact varieties. Oval soft leaves with a solid edge, the shape and presence of a pointed tip, which may differ depending on the variety, sit on the shoots alternately. A beautiful edge emphasizes the light tone of the leaves.

Huge funnel-shaped gramophone flowers of petunias with their correctness or incorrectness and various colors are the main decoration of the plant. They create whole blooming clouds and cascades, but the beauty of each flower is mesmerizing. Blooming in early summer and not slowing down until the arrival of frost, petunia offers a considerable choice of colors, flower sizes, variations of multicolor colors and ruffled edges, varying degrees of terry and even corolla shape.

The variety of petunias is so great that it is not easy even for experienced flower growers to understand the groups, varieties, classes and varieties. But in terms of cultivation techniques, all petunias are similar. In the matter of reproduction, all petunias practically do not differ from each other. And petunias grandiflora, and multiflora, and nana, and individual groups of petunias, and even fashionable novelties multiply mainly by seeds - seedling.

Petunia seeds: self-collection and purchase

After flowering (defloration), petunias are tied with two-nested capsules-cones of fruits a little more than a centimeter in length, which turn golden brown as they ripen. It is by color that the timing of seed collection is determined, which on average is 4-8 weeks after petunias flowering.

There is no need to rush to remove the seeds from the fruit boxes: their full ripening will occur only after 3 or even 4 months. The petunias are laid out in a dark, ventilated place with standard room temperatures. After 4 months, the seeds can be removed, sorted, marked and stored in paper bags protected from cold, heat, light and high humidity.

To get petunia seeds on your own, you need to leave some of the wilting flowers on the plant. It is preferable to leave the lower buds, which are among the first to bloom. When collecting petunia seeds, it is better to be prepared for the fact that the offspring will not retain the characteristics of the mother variety and will surprise with their variety of qualities. In order to collect seeds yourself, you also need to pay attention to three important nuances:

1. To collect your seeds, you will have to select only varieties: sterile hybrids, terry forms of seeds do not form, since as a result of selection, the ovaries of such petunias have transformed into petals.
2. Petunias are cross-pollinated plants, self-pollination occurs only in isolated cases.
3. Pollination of non-double plants with pollen of varietal double petunias allows obtaining part of the seeds with double flowers, but still the number of plants that have retained their characteristics will not exceed 30%. It is for this reason that it is recommended to buy seeds for terry varieties.

Inside the capsule are surprisingly small seeds that make the job of planting a plant very difficult. The diameter of the dark brown petunia seeds merging with the soil is slightly more than half a millimeter. Due to their tiny size, one gram of seeds contains up to 5-10 thousand potential plants (in large-flowered varieties, the seeds are slightly larger than in multi-flowered varieties). About a hundred seeds can be collected from one fruit, therefore petunias are rightly called one of the most prolific annuals.

The number of petunia varieties is measured in thousands. Choosing professional or "regular" petunia seeds is not an easy task:

1. First of all, you need to focus on decorative characteristics - features of flowering, color, plant height, foliage density, shape and length of shoots, the recommended use of a separate variety. Ampel varieties are used only for hanging baskets and cascades in boxes, in all other cases, bush varieties are preferred due to dense tillering and good branching.
2. When choosing petunia seeds, it should be borne in mind that these plants have an average growing season of about 70 days. Small-flowered petunias bloom at typical times, large-flowered petunias bloom at least three weeks later.
3. On sale there are both individual varieties and series, and mixtures of varieties. The latter for petunias are always associated with the risk of not getting exactly the result that is expected. Therefore, it is better to purchase individual varieties and sow them, creating your own collection, rather than buying a variety mixture with different shades.
4. Equally important is the choice of the manufacturer itself, and specialized stores or garden centers, and not spontaneous points of sale. Tested on other letniki, proven to be reliable firms for petunias are preferable to experimenting with new suppliers. Pay attention to the completeness of information about the manufacturer itself, the quality of the description of the plant and the recommended agricultural technology, the availability of all information about the shelf life and the batch of seeds.
5. Petunias are common, but by no means budget annuals; too low a price for seeds is associated with a high risk of buying low-quality planting material.
6. In petunias, ordinary seeds are considered more reliable, although pelleted ones are more convenient to use (but they are more sensitive to the accuracy of sowing - timing - and lighting parameters).

Petunia seeds remain viable for a long time, they can be purchased for future use. Within three to four years, seed germination is practically not lost, so buying the freshest seeds is not at all necessary.

Shoots of seeds of petunia. © Rishi

Sowing petunias for seedlings

Petunia is not the easiest culture. Small seeds, fragile and sensitive seedlings require care when growing seedlings. Still, the beauty of the summer is worth the effort.

Soil and containers for sowing petunias

To grow petunias from seeds at home, there is no need to select special containers. For this summer, ordinary seed boxes and low containers or bowls are suitable. Since petunia is not afraid of transplanting, it is not individual cassettes or peat tablets that are used for it, but large shared containers. The optimum soil height for petunias is about 6-7 cm, too low containers will not work for this summer, but it is better to avoid deep ones. The containers in which the plants were previously grown must be additionally prepared and disinfected.

For diving seedlings of petunias, small individual plastic and peat pots or cassettes are used. A diameter of 6 to 8 cm is sufficient for the normal development of young annuals.

For seedlings of petunias and sowing seeds, any high-quality soil mixture for growing seedlings is suitable. Both independently mixed and purchased substrates, if they are loose, nutritious, capable of retaining moisture, but not prone to compaction, do not have a strong acidic or lime reaction, are perfect. PH 5.5 is considered the standard.

For petunias, a universal substrate is often used, consisting of equal parts of humus, sod, leafy soil and peat with a halved proportion of sand. Any soil before sowing petunia seeds is best disinfected with a solution of fungicides or calcined a few days before sowing and sifted at least for the top layer. For sowing and diving petunias, use the same substrate.

Sowing petunia seeds

For petunias, early sowing is preferred. If there is no opportunity to organize supplementary lighting, then sowing is carried out in March. For regions with harsh winters, the middle lane, sowing in the second half of March is preferable, but most often, to obtain an earlier flowering, petunias are sown in the first half of March or even in February (the third decade allows sowing in good years without supplementary lighting). Petunias are not sown later in March, since the plants will not have time to reveal all their beauty and their flowering will be very late. There are many nuances in choosing the timing of sowing petunia seeds:

1. Petunias sown in the second and third decades of March bloom by June, when sown in January and February, the dates are respectively shifted to April-May, but such cultivation requires special conditions.
2. There is a variation in the recommended sowing dates and for individual varieties of petunias. Late flowering large-flowered petunias are best sown later, in March, multiflora can be sown earlier, in February, and ampelous petunias for the greatest mass of long shoots are better sown with supplementary lighting in January.
3. At any time of sowing, you should be ready, if necessary, to compensate for the lack of lighting: photophilous petunias in an unsuccessful spring without additional lighting can be completely lost (due to cloudy weather).

When purchasing seeds and planning sowing, it is always better to carry out calculations with a margin, increasing the number of seeds by 30-50%, especially if sowing is carried out at an earlier date. Due to poor lighting, there is always a risk that only half of the seeds will sprout, although under good circumstances the germination rate of petunias is from 80 to 100%.

The main difficulty of self-growing petunia seedlings is rightly called small seeds. They are so inconvenient in work that for the first experience of growing this summer, we can recommend the choice of tape, dragee or encrusted seeds, which are much easier to sow. But work with ordinary "simple" seeds can be simplified:

• mixing petunia seeds with sand (you need to use fine, dry, light sand, and not screenings);
• sowing on a layer of sand or snow, on which even the smallest seeds are clearly visible;
• use a toothpick for "piecewise" folding (this is the most time consuming option).

To sow petunias for seedlings, you must:

1. Fill the selected containers up to half or a third of their height with coarse screenings or whole substrates and tamp them lightly. If the containers are very deep or the soil is fine-structured, then it is better to lay drainage at the bottom of the container.
2. Top up the sifted substrate without tamping. Since the shelter from the crops is removed late, it is necessary to leave enough space in the containers for plant growth: from the top of the substrate to the edge of the containers for sowing petunias, a distance of 2 to 3 cm should remain.The layer of sifted soil should be at least 1 cm (so the seeds will lie more evenly, and the plants will develop equally).
3. Carefully level the surface of the soil and thoroughly moisten it with a fine spray. For petunias, it is sometimes recommended to water abundantly a day before sowing to evenly distribute moisture and "saturate" the soil, but you can also use the classic version. Cover the soil with sand or snow to facilitate planting if you have not taken additional measures.
4. Scatter petunia seeds as rarely as possible, trying to sow evenly over the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe container.
5. Spray the seeds from the top with a spray bottle, taking care that strong jets do not wash out individual seeds. For the first spraying, you can use a growth stimulant solution. When sowing on snow, spraying is not carried out.
6. Cover the container with glass or foil, without covering the seeds on top with even a thin layer of sand.

The first pick of petunia seedlings. © Brittney Smart Transplanting a petunia seedling. © Brittney Smart

Conditions for seed germination

Petunia loves stable heat. For seed germination, it is desirable to maintain the temperature at 20-23 degrees Celsius. Cooler conditions will allow only old varieties or "wild" petunias to emerge, the seeds of which are harvested on their own. All modern varieties are temperature sensitive during the germination stage.

If the lighting is not bright enough, the weather is cloudy, then it is better to place phytolamps for additional lighting above the containers. The film or glass is lifted daily for ventilation.

Maintaining moisture is not an easy task. Before emergence, it is advisable to carry out light spraying daily to maintain a stable light soil moisture. A light fungicide can be added to the seed spraying water (for example, using a weak solution of potassium permanganate).

Petunia shoots appear (on average) 5-7 days after sowing. Petunias germinate for 2 weeks, you should not expect sprouting longer than this period: if there is no result, you need to adjust the agricultural technique and re-crops. This summer plant is characterized by friendly shoots, usually shoots appear evenly and within a short period.

Growing plants

Petunia seedlings are very tiny, fragile, capricious and sensitive to the slightest deviations in growing conditions or moisture levels. Petunias develop slowly. Temperatures and bright lighting for small petunias are kept the same. The optimal daylight hours for young seedlings are 11-12 hours.

The film or glass from containers with petunias can be removed only after the first sheet appears. Daily airing is carried out 2-3 times a day, preventing the accumulation of condensation and maintaining a healthy environment for plant development.

The greatest danger during the growing stage is high humidity. Petunias are one of the most prone to black-footed diseases, therefore, waterlogging and generally inaccurate watering are extremely dangerous. But drying out of the soil can destroy all seedlings. Gentle spraying of crops is carried out daily to create stable, slightly moist conditions.

Small shoots tend to bend. The containers need to be rotated in relation to the light source several times a day so that they develop evenly (there is no need to rotate with top supplementary lighting).

Excessive moisture, lack of comfortable temperatures or lighting can lead to the spread of diseases. If the seedlings show signs of the development of a black leg, the plants begin to hurt, then in this case an emergency dive is carried out. To reduce moisture, the seedlings must be carefully sprinkled with a layer of dry sand and immediately proceed to transfer them to individual containers.

Diving seedlings and caring for young plants

In petunias, diving is carried out as soon as a pair of true leaves is formed on the plants. It is better not to delay the process of planting seedlings, but an earlier transplant is an exceptional option only for diseased plants. Plant transplant is well tolerated. They are seated one at a time. After diving, the plants are watered carefully and set for a day or two in places with diffused lighting or shaded with paper to better restore them in a new place.

Bright lighting for petunias is important at any stage of their development. Supplementary lighting on cloudy days is carried out after a dive only for a weakened one that has begun to stretch or clearly signal a lack of lighting for seedlings. The temperature can be left in the room range, but it is better to gradually start lowering it to 18-20, and then 16-18 degrees with somewhat cooler conditions at night. Both the frequency and the airing time are slowly increased before quenching.

Top dressing for seedlings is very dangerous, they can be started only after diving - after about 1-1.5 weeks. At the stage of growing seedlings of petunias, they are carried out to obtain strong branched plants and abundant flowering. Apply fertilizer to the irrigation water every week using half the manufacturer's standard dose. At the seedling stage, you can alternate foliar and root feeding. With slow growth, nitrogen fertilization is carried out, but petunias still prefer complex and organic fertilizers.

The main attention should be paid to high-quality and moderate watering. Waterlogging even on grown petunias is very dangerous; it can provoke the development of rot and death of plants. Watering is carried out with a small amount of water, but often checking the degree of soil drying. These neat procedures are a must for petunias to avoid dripping on greens and shoots. When it grows enough leaf mass and releases the first buds, the humidity for it can be slightly lowered.

In caring for petunia seedlings, it is better not to forget about two more procedures:

1. Pinching the shoots allows you to get dense, branched and more compact crowns in bush petunias.
2. Loosening the soil after watering will maintain the optimal air and water permeability of the soil (this procedure must be carried out carefully, without touching the extensive root system of the petunia).

Transplanted petunia seedlings. © Brittney Smart Growing seedlings of petunias. © Brittney Smart

Hardening of petunia seedlings

For petunias, hardening should be started as early as possible. Usually, plants begin to take out at least a few hours to fresh air as soon as the weather permits and the temperature rises during the day. Hardening from April to the moment of planting in the soil or in containers in the garden will allow you to get more resistant and hardy, lush flowering plants.

Planting petunia seedlings in soil and containers

For petunias, despite its status as a capricious queen, planting in open ground is suitable from the second half of May. It is better to wait until the return frosts stop. Sowing earlier requires a willingness to protect the plants from possible weather surprises. If petunias are planned to be grown in a container culture, then planting can be carried out already from the beginning of May: pots and baskets can always be brought into the room if necessary.

When choosing a place for petunias in the garden, it is worth staying in warm, well-lit places. In terms of resistance to cold and drafts, it is better to rely on the characteristics of a particular variety, but all petunias bloom better in protected, secluded places. Large-flowered petunias are more thermophilic and sensitive to dampness and bad weather (the smaller the flower, the less capricious the petunia is). Ampel plants must be protected from the wind.

A high-quality universal substrate for growing in ampels, baskets and pots can be selected from the number of purchased soil mixtures, and mixed by yourself. The ratio of leafy, soddy soil, humus, sand and peat for petunias is not so important: the main thing is that the soil is loose, but nutritious, moisture-absorbing, but not prone to compaction.

These annuals grow well with the addition of disintegrating components (for example, perlite) and a water-retaining additive in the form of a hydrogel. A high drainage layer (at least 5 cm) is laid on the bottom of any containers. For petunias, gravel, expanded clay, and other materials are suitable as drainage. A neutral soil reaction is preferred.

When planting in open ground, fertile or medium-nutritious garden soil must be checked for water permeability. Petunias prefer sandy loam and loam, but any nutrient soil is suitable for them. You can improve the quality of the soil by adding mature organic fertilizers - compost or humus. Like most annuals, petunias do not tolerate fresh manure.

A serving of complete mineral fertilizers will also provide the plant with everything it needs. The reaction of the soil should not be acidic: any soil with a pH below 5.5 needs to be limed and adjusted. When planting in open ground, it is advisable to prepare the soil in advance (not from autumn, but at least a month before planting seedlings).

The distance between plants is usually limited only for petunias grown in open soil. For 1 square meter of planting area, no more than 10 petunias are used for cultivation. For multi-flowered or bush petunias, the recommended distance is from 15-20 cm for small-flowered varieties, up to 25-30 cm for large-flowered varieties. For large and ampelous petunias, a distance of 30 to 50 cm is considered the standard.For pot and ampelous plants, the distance is usually halved, although first of all, petunias are planted in containers and baskets so as to achieve the maximum decorative effect.

It is better to maintain a minimum distance of 8-10 cm in any case, although the general norms limit the planting density to only a maximum of 60-70 plants when planting in a container culture.

There is nothing complicated in the transplantation of petunias, the plants adapt quite easily and quickly and are not afraid of this procedure. But the fragility, juiciness of the shoots imposes its requirements on the accuracy of the work: so that the plants do not suffer from injuries, they need to be handled as carefully as possible, carefully holding the green mass and avoiding unnecessary contacts. It is better to transfer seedlings to new containers or into the ground on cloudy days or in the evening so that the plants do not suffer from the sun and adapt faster.

The transplant is always completed with abundant watering, which is carried out without affecting the leaves. It is better to mulch the soil around the plants (peat or humus is perfect). Even potted petunias love protective mulching, which also plays the role of insulation.

Calling petunias unpretentious and easy-to-grow annuals or considering them one of the most capricious plants is a very individual question. For some gardeners, they are perfectly tolerant of almost any treatment with pets, while for others they please only with careful care. But immediately after transplanting petunia seedlings, in any case, it is worth providing careful and systematic care.

Maintaining a stable soil moisture is the main point in the care of transplanted petunias. It is better to protect young plants in pots and baskets from wetting and precipitation, even if the varieties have increased resistance.

Many modern varieties have both moisture and drought resistance, they tolerate an abundance of precipitation and drying out of the soil well, but still, in the future, the more stable the conditions for the plants, the better. Watering petunias growing in the soil is rare, but abundant, during periods of prolonged drought, trying not to soak the leaves and directing the water to the root. Potted plants are watered, allowing the upper and partially middle layers of the substrate to dry out, avoiding prolonged drought and dampness. On hot days, petunias need frequent watering several times a day, and it is advisable to add spraying to the care program.

Feeding for young petunias begins after the resumption of active vegetation (about a week after planting in the soil or containers. For them, a standard portion of complex fertilizers or special fertilizers for flowering summer plants is applied with a frequency of 10-15 days for plants growing in the soil and 7-10 days for potted crops Feeding for petunias growing in the soil is sometimes continued only until August, but it is better, as for potted petunias, to carry out these procedures before the end of flowering.

When choosing fertilizers, you should pay attention to complex preparations with a high potassium content. Mineral dressing can be alternated with organic fertilizers in liquid form. For potted plants, you can use long-acting fertilizers and alternate foliar and root dressings. In case of an unsuccessful season, bad weather, if growth is too slow or flowering suffers, it is better to carry out additional feeding for petunias with growth stimulants.

For any potted and ampelous petunias, from the beginning of flowering, it is better to introduce the removal of wilting flowers into the care program. It is especially important to promptly "clean" large-flowered or terry petunias, which look very sloppy with dry flowers. When grown in soil, wilted flowers are removed only where petunias are clearly visible - in flower girls, borders, near a recreation area, where unpleasant details are striking.

Growing petunias by sowing in open ground

Sometimes in regions with a mild climate, a much simpler method of growing from seed is used for petunias - sowing directly into the soil at the growing site. Sowing in April allows plants to bloom in mid-summer. This method is used mainly for small-flowered varieties of petunias, which are grown as a ground cover or border plant. In regions with severe winters, sowing in greenhouses and greenhouses for seedlings is possible, but flowering will still be late.

Cutting of petunia seedlings. © Brittney Smart Planting petunia cuttings. © Brittney Smart Rooting cuttings of petunia. © Brittney Smart

Alternative breeding methods for petunias

Terry varieties and some hybrid petunias are not propagated by seeds, but vegetatively. The non-conserved characteristics of the mother plants require a change in the growing strategy of especially valuable petunias. For cuttings, the plants are kept for the winter, and in the spring, uterine cuttings are cut from the mother bushes.

Petunia bushes winter only in bright light and cool, but not cold - the optimal temperature is from 10 to 12 degrees. They are watered very carefully. You can not save the whole plant, but cut the cuttings from the bushes and keep in the winter in similar conditions in a light substrate. After rooting in the spring, they are seated in individual containers.

Some petunias in favorable conditions and with luck with the weather in regions with a milder climate can self-seeding. Despite the spread in the quality of flowering, such "wild" petunias are striking in their endurance and unpretentiousness, and often also in the size of the bushes. Young seedlings can be used as seedlings or left as semi-wild, abundantly flowering accents.

Petunia is a perennial plant in the nightshade family. Often grown as an annual. There are many varieties of petunias that differ from each other in color and shape of the flowers. It can be in the following colors: red, yellow, white, cream, blue, light blue, purple and many other shades.

The shape of petunia is:

• ampelous;
• bush;
• cascading.

Bushes can be miniature (up to 30 cm), and can reach 70 cm.

REFERENCE! Petunia is a relative of tobacco. Her homeland is South America. It was introduced to Europe in the 18th century.

Features of outdoor cultivation

Petunia is a fairly thermophilic plant. However, some varieties and hybrids can tolerate cold snaps. As a rule, in central Russia, it is planted in open ground in the second half of May. Flowering seedlings are allowed to be planted earlier - at the end of April or the first half of May. Petunia in open ground pleases with its flowering from mid-summer to late autumn.

Petunia can be planted in the ground with seeds and seedlings. The second option is most often used. At the initial stages, it is easier for a novice florist to purchase ready-made seedlings.

For planting petunias, you must choose a light, windless area. She also tolerates partial shade well. A few days before planting seedlings, you need to fertilize the soil with humus, and 3-4 days it is recommended to take it outside. Landing takes place in the evening or on a warm cloudy day.

The distance between the holes depends on the plant variety. The optimal distance between them:

• 18 - 20 cm - small varieties;
• 20 - 25 cm - large varieties;
• 25 - 35 cm - bush varieties.

Before removing the seedlings from the container, you must first water it well. They are planted in the hole together with an earthen lump. The soil around the seedling is tamped and watered abundantly with warm water, and sprinkled with peat or humus on top. The first couple of days after planting the petunia should be protected from direct sunlight.

ATTENTION! You can not fertilize the beds before planting petunias with fresh manure, as it can provoke fungal diseases.

How to care for a flower?

Correct includes the following key aspects:

1. Loosening.
2. Formation of the bush (s).

The above aspects of petunia care are relevant at any time of the year, but each period has its own characteristics.

We talked in detail about caring for a flowering plant, and from you will learn what to do if petunia does not bloom.

In August

An important element of petunia care is that it is produced in August. During this period, the plant spends a lot of energy on seed formation. It is necessary to remove all wilted flowers from the bush. If the shoots of petunia have grown a lot, become heavy, they also need to be cut off. This will give the bush an aesthetic appearance and have a positive effect on its general condition. Pruning can be done with scissors or by gently removing excess with your hands.

What to do in the fall?

In late August - early September, the petunia must be dug up together with an earthen clod and transplanted into pots. Their diameter must be at least 15 cm. Dried leaves and shoots must be removed. Experienced growers recommend cutting off the shoots, leaving 10-15 cm of their length.

By placing the pots of plants in a cool room, you need to provide them with care. During the autumn period, the plants will root well and will be able to survive the winter.

is to ensure optimal temperature conditions. The air temperature in the room should be at + 10 - 12 degrees. If it is higher than these indicators, it is necessary to provide it with illumination up to 12 hours daily. Those. the higher the temperature, the more light the plant needs.

Watering petunia in winter is necessary as needed. If the leaves begin to fall, this is a signal for action.

Top dressing is rarely done in winter, about a couple of times during the entire period with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. At the same time, the spider mite is treated with special preparations several times.

IMPORTANT! In winter, petunia may look wilted and weakened. But don't discount it. In the spring, the plant will again delight with its healthy appearance.

In the spring

Caring for petunia in the spring is to prepare it for propagation by cuttings. This will be discussed below.

Possible problems and illnesses

The most common pests and diseases for petunias are:

• Aphid. The main symptoms of the appearance of aphids are leaf deformation, wilting. It can be diagnosed by the appearance of shiny dew. In such cases, it is necessary to treat the plant with special means (for example, Aktara, Taran, Kemifos).
• Whitefly. It appears on the lower parts of the leaves and resembles a moth. It leads to wilting and yellowing of the leaves. They treat whitefly with Taran or Aktara.
• Spider mite. The leaves of the affected plants brighten and subsequently become covered with dark spots. To combat the tick, they are treated with Demitan or Apollo.
• Powdery mildew. Plants affected by this disease are covered with a white bloom. New leaves grow twisted, and old ones fall off. The main reason for the appearance of the fungus is the wrong one. Plants are treated with fungicides (Forecast, Vitaros, Previkur).

After wintering, you need to take care of transplanting petunias from pots, or rather about its reproduction. This requires:

Reproduction

You can propagate petunia by cuttings in the summer.

1. From a healthy plant, lateral cuttings (7 - 10 cm) with 3 - 4 true leaves are cut.
2. The cuttings are planted in separate pots, watered and covered with jars. It is necessary to maintain optimal soil moisture and regular ventilation. The favorable temperature for rooting is 22 - 23 degrees Celsius.
3. After the formation of leaves, pinching is done, and then planted in open ground.

It is impossible to call the process of growing petunias quite easy, since there are many nuances and difficulties in this matter. However, with the right approach and following the recommendations, this is quite possible. And then all the work and efforts will pay off with the wonderful flowering of petunia.

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it the plant loves loamy soil, but takes root just as well in ordinary garden soil, and some varieties even in a simple soil. But it is best to grow a beauty in a fertile one, which consists of peat, turf, river sand, leafy land. Another great option for growing is adding nitrophoska to the soil.

In the garden soil, the greenery of the plant becomes juicier and its growth accelerates, because they are very fond of a slightly acidic environment.

Growing petunias requires special light conditions. She prefers well-lit growing areas, however, blooms can fade in the scorching sun. Small blackouts are also needed.

Lighting is one of the main conditions for growing petunias. Therefore, well-lit areas with darkened areas are ideal.

The soil in which the petunia grows should be moist, but not flooded. An excess of moisture will stop its growth. It is also important to ventilate the soil in which the plant grows. Growing these flowers will not be difficult if you just follow the lighting conditions, watering and soil composition.

Can I grow a plant at home?

Can this plant be grown indoors? Yes, but it's harder than that.

Note! Most importantly, the soil in the growing container should be light and water-absorbing.

Therefore, great attention must be paid to the soil. To do this, it will be enough to mix simple garden soil with purchased soil on a peat base. You can also plant in purchased soil, but after adding a hydrogel to it. The hydrogel must be prepared in advance. It should also be noted that such a substrate retains moisture for quite a long time and you need to be extremely careful with watering the plant. Water only as it dries, especially a recently planted plant.

Growing petunias in a pot or container also implies the correct selection of the container itself for growing. Shrub and terry petunias need 3 liters of land per plant. This means that 3 plants can be planted in a ten-liter container. Large containers retain moisture longer, so it is best to plant multiple plants in one large container. But ampelous, cascading petunias and sufinias need 5 liters per plant.

There must be holes in the container for excess moisture to drain. If you choose the wrong container, then you can achieve beauty, but not for long. Petunias will thrive first, and then they will survive in such conditions. And they will not delight you with long and lush lashes and abundant flowering. What other reasons can lead to the lack of colors and how to eliminate them we discussed.

It is important to pick off faded flowers from the plant. Secrets of growing petunias:

1. Seat selection - it should be a well-lit area with slight blackouts.
2. The soil - both an ordinary garden one and specially prepared using purchased peat-based soil, with the addition of hydrogel, turf, coarse sand.
3. and - water every day, especially if you see that the top lump is dry. Best watered in the morning and evening. Petunia does not like stagnant moisture, so take care of good drainage. Feed regularly with mineral fertilizers. The main thing is that it contains potassium and phosphorus - they are responsible for the development of flower buds.

Reproduction methods

You can propagate in two ways: growing seedlings from seeds and cuttings.

This is the most common way to breed a plant, even at home. Buy seeds in the shell - they are easier to plant and they are much larger. To begin with, we prepare the soil and maintain the desired temperature at 22-25 o C. We plant it in a container, which must have drainage. Before planting, the drainage should be disinfected with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Carry out the same procedure with the soil; use special preparations to disinfect it.

Sow the seeds into slightly damp but not damp soil. Before this, it is better to mix the seeds with river sand. Next, cover the container with seeds with glass or foil. We grow seedlings at a temperature of 22 ° C. To prevent the soil from becoming soggy, constantly remove condensate from the glass or change the film.

On a note. Don't forget about good lighting. As soon as small bushes appear and the roots get stronger, you can either continue growing in the greenhouse.

Watch a video about growing petunias. Sowing seeds for seedlings:

By cuttings

It allows the plant to grow much faster. It assumes the presence of an already mature plant. To do this, cut off the side shoots of the petunia. Then cuttings are disinfected and planted in small cups with light soil. We put it in a shaded place. Do not forget about soil moistening and fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. Thus, the plant is prepared for wintering. In the spring, we plant it in open ground.

Watch a video about the propagation of petunias by cuttings:

Landing kit

• Priming.
• Planting capacity.
• Disinfectants.
• Seedlings for planting.
• Drainage.
• Mineral fertilizers.

Cultivation

In greenhouses

• Sowing seeds - we buy seeds in a special store. We purchase or prepare the substrate ourselves. It contains peat, sand, earth. Wipe everything well and pour with a solution of potassium permanganate. The wet mixture is kept in crates for several days. Before stuffing, we sterilize the boxes with peroxide or potassium permanganate, before sowing, spill peat with fugnicides. Seeds are sown in peat, a layer of peat in a box is 2-3 cm and consists of fine particles, well sifted and even.

  Important! The seeds are not covered with soil so that light falls on them. We also provide additional lighting.

  We germinate at a temperature of 22-25 ° C. The required air humidity is 95-98%, to maintain it we cover the crops with glass or polyethylene. The substrate should not dry out, so we often water it from a sprayer. The water should be slightly warmer than the substrate. After germination, lower the temperature to 18-20 o C.

• Picking - we move the plants into cups. They are in them until the roots take up all the place. At first, the cups are next to each other, but as the seedlings grow, they are placed apart from each other.
• Watering and feeding - when the seedlings are dived, you need to make sure that the top layer of the substrate dries up for the next watering. Therefore, the cups are watered once a day or less often. Better to water in the morning and evening. We combine top dressing with watering.

Care rules

Petunia will not require much effort from you. It is enough just to control the watering and feeding of the plant. You need to water at the root of the plant so as not to damage the delicate flowers. The next day after watering, you need to loosen the soil so that a crust does not form. Remove weeds. Feed one week after planting in the ground. We combine watering and feeding. We feed with fertilizers with potassium.

Problems, diseases and pests

Sometimes you may encounter a problem such as yellowing or drying of petunias. If you do not follow the rules of care, the plant can get sick:

• late blight;
• chlorosis;
• black leg;
• gray rot.

They need to be dealt with with special drugs. But it is easier to prevent their appearance by proper care. If these rules are not followed, then in addition to these diseases, petunia can be affected by viral diseases. There is no cure for them - your plant will die. Of the pests, spider mites, aphids, slugs and thrips are dangerous.

Follow the simple rules for caring for petunias, then you will not have to worry about the health and beauty of your plant. It will always delight you with beautiful flowering.

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