And more about petunia. Secrets of abundant flowering of petunias

(Petunia) is one of the most common flowers decorating flowerpots, flower beds and hanging baskets. This plant was first found in Uruguay near Montevideo in 1793. A little later, several dozen more species of petunia were discovered in South America. This flower became a godsend for breeders, and in 1834 the first hybrid petunia bloomed. Today, there are several dozen species and many varieties and hybrids of petunia, so it is easy to get confused in the complex taxonomy of this plant.

Petunia is a perennial. However, in culture it is more often grown as an annual plant. Every year, seeds are sown in the spring, and in the fall, the flowering petunia is sent to a humus heap or thrown into the trash. Many amateur flower growers believe that in conditions middle zone this is the simplest solution. In the southern regions, petunia self-sows.

At the beginning of autumn, I look with regret at the petunias that continue to bloom, which are soon destined to end up in the humus heap. They are poorly adapted to autumn colds and frosts, so their lifespan is predetermined. Beautiful plants do not have time to reach their full potential over the summer. Even in autumn they still have a lot of vitality. Petunias can become a mother plant from which strong plants can be cut stem cuttings. Or a flowering houseplant that competes with exotic flowers.

Moving petunia into the house

In nature, petunia is perennial plant, which can be used in its cultivation and reproduction. To do this, in the fall, before cold snaps and frosts have yet begun (petunias caught under them often die), we select several specimens, free them from long shoots and cut off all damaged leaves. The remaining bush should be compact and low. No more than 15 cm in height. Better below. Before bringing petunia indoors, you need to carefully inspect its leaves (especially their undersides) to ensure that whiteflies and the eggs they lay do not get into the house. The end of summer and the beginning of autumn is a time of massive presence of this pest on crops and weeds, but we often do not pay attention to the inconspicuous small whitefly. Until it ends up on our indoor flowers.

If a whitefly or its eggs are found on the leaves of a petunia, then you need to take immediate action before bringing the pot with the plant into the house. The best place for it is a cool, bright window sill, veranda, glassed-in loggia (balcony), bright basement, etc. We are not talking about specially equipped places and greenhouses in which queen cells are grown with additional lighting and the required humidity.

It seems that at first Petunia is thinking about how she will behave in the future. Sometimes it unexpectedly awakens, gives new shoots and even blooms. Or it stops growing, hibernating until the end of winter. It is important to create conditions for petunias so that young shoots do not weaken the plant. No growth stimulants or fertilizers are used during this period. The exceptions are Zircon and Epin (only if necessary).

In March (sometimes from the end of February), the container with petunia should be moved to the brightest place. It should be cool (not lower than +6°C). We set up watering and fertilizing. This regime allows the mother plant to grow enough so that full stem cuttings can be cut in April.

In winter, the condition of petunia sometimes worsens sharply. There are several reasons: either it is powdery mildew and its consequences, whitefly, etc. Often a plant loses its strength in an insufficiently light and warm room. Many problems are associated with waterlogging of the soil. If the leaves dry out and fall off, and the stems turn black or dry out, then this is a clear sign: the petunia is feeling very bad. Normally, only partial yellowing of the leaves.

Cuttings as a simple option for propagating petunia

Petunia takes cuttings well. Many times in the summer I stuck a broken flowering shoot into the soil, and it continued to live. This property is used by professionals and flower lovers, collecting “tribute” from queen cells in order to then propagate the variety they like. Cuttings are cut with and without a heel. The minimum cutting size is 2 - 3 pairs of leaves.

There are no special tricks when rooting cuttings. They are planted to a depth of about 1.5 - 2 cm in a container filled with loose fertile soil, covered with a jar and kept in the light. In order for the cuttings to lose less moisture, it is enough to leave just a couple of leaves. The lower pair of leaves should be completely removed, the upper leaves should be shortened by ½.

Care comes down to watering and ventilation. Do not allow condensation to form. A convenient mini-greenhouse is made from the top part of the transparent plastic bottle, in the lid of which holes are made with a hot nail or drill. Tall transparent plastic glasses with holes at the bottom can also be used as caps. But spraying cuttings with water should be treated with caution. This procedure often results in excessive dampness, rot and mold. Some amateur gardeners root petunia cuttings in jars of water.

The temperature at which rooting occurs is about 22 - 23°C. It's good if there is bottom heating. For example, a battery located close to the windowsill. The first leaves of young shoots appear very quickly. Without additional lighting or sunlight they grow up weak. Rooted cuttings are pinched, which causes further tillering. Over the winter, the cuttings, which began to be rooted in August - September, turn into a beautiful flowering bush. It is cared for as a light-loving houseplant.

You can try another way of keeping petunias in winter. I learned it completely by accident. It turned out that by August my petunia had grown into such huge bushes that they covered the other flowers and took up too much space in the flower garden. I shortened them, and “stuck” a bouquet of tops into flower pot with garden soil. She placed the pot near the house and from time to time watered the “bouquet” from a watering can. Petunia quickly rose, began to grow and continued to bloom. In September I placed the pot on the glassed-in loggia. In winter I sprayed petunia several times with a highly diluted solution of cheap (!) washing powder. It can be replaced soda ash. I didn't want to use chemicals. This preventative measure made it possible to avoid powdery mildew, the coating of which often appears in the autumn-winter period and destroys petunias. I cut off most of the buds so as not to weaken the plant. Individual flowers were left “for beauty.” It would be possible to leave all the flowers and buds, but for this it would be necessary to organize stronger lighting.

In May, I shortened some of the elongated shoots of the “bouquet”, receiving a lot of fresh cuttings. The overgrown petunia (the former “bouquet”) was divided into several parts and transplanted into a flower garden. Petunia grows quickly and does not like crowded conditions, so it is better to plant its rooted cuttings “for growth.”

Conclusion

IN winter time petunia can be saved as a mother plant for further rooting of its cuttings. Grown from rooted cuttings (cuttings are carried out in August - September), petunia becomes an elegant, beautifully flowering indoor plant, which can later be transplanted into a flower garden, flowerpot or hanging basket and its shoots can be grafted from cuttings. I think the main problem associated with the health of petunia in winter is... But this is already a consequence of some mistakes in agricultural technology.

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This the plant loves loamy soil, but also takes root well in ordinary garden soil, and some varieties even in plain soil. But it is best to grow this beauty in fertile soil, which consists of peat, turf, river sand, and leaf soil. Another excellent option for growing is adding nitrophoska to the earthen substrate.

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

Growing petunias requires special light conditions. She prefers well-lit areas for growing, however, in the scorching sun, flowering may fade. Small shading is also needed.

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

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

Is it possible to grow the plant at home?

Is it possible to grow this plant in room conditions? Yes, but it's more complicated than .

Note! The most important thing is that the soil in the growing container should be light and moisture-absorbing.

Therefore, great attention must be paid to the soil. To do this, it will be enough to mix simple garden soil with purchased peat-based soil. You can also plant in purchased soil, but first add hydrogel to it. The hydrogel must be prepared in advance. It should also be taken into account that such a substrate retains moisture for quite a long time and you need to be extremely careful with watering the plant. Water only when it dries out, especially for newly planted plants.

Growing petunias in a pot or container also involves correct selection the growing container itself. Bush and terry petunias need 3 liters of soil per plant. This means you can plant 3 plants in a ten-liter container. Large containers retain moisture longer, so it is better to plant several plants in one large capacity. But ampelous, cascading petunias and sufinias need 5 liters per plant.

The container must have holes to allow excess moisture to drain out. If you choose the wrong container, then you can achieve beauty, but not for long. Petunias will first thrive and then survive in these conditions. And they will not delight you with long and lush vines and abundant flowering. We discussed what other reasons can lead to the absence of flowers and how to eliminate them.

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

1. Selecting a location– this should be a well-lit place with slight shadows.
2. The soil- both ordinary garden soil and specially prepared using purchased peat-based soil, with the addition of hydrogel, turf, and coarse sand.
3. And– water every day, especially if you see that the top lump is dry. It is best to water in the morning and evening. Petunia does not like stagnant moisture, so take care good drainage. Feed regularly 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 grow a plant, including at home. Buy seeds in a shell - they are easier to plant and are much larger. To begin with, we prepare the soil and maintain the desired temperature of 22-25 o C. We plant it in a container that must have drainage. Before planting, disinfect the drainage with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Carry out the same procedure with the soil; use special preparations to disinfect it.

Sow seeds in slightly moist but not soggy soil. Before this, it is better to mix the seeds with river sand. Next, cover the container with the seeds with glass or film. We grow seedlings at a temperature of 22 o C. To prevent the soil from becoming soggy, constantly remove condensation 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 become stronger, you can either continue growing them in a greenhouse.

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

By cuttings

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

Watch a video about propagating petunia by cuttings:

Planting kit

• Priming.
• Container for planting.
• Disinfectants.
• Seedlings for planting.
• Drainage.
• Mineral fertilizers.

Cultivation

In greenhouses

• Sowing seeds– we purchase seeds in a special store. We purchase or prepare the substrate ourselves. It consists of peat, sand, and earth. Wipe everything well and pour in a solution of potassium permanganate. The wet mixture sits in boxes for several days. Before filling, boxes are sterilized with peroxide or potassium permanganate; peat is spilled with fungicides before sowing. The seeds are sown in peat, the peat layer in the box is 2-3 cm and consists of small 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 o 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 with a sprayer. The water should be settled slightly warmer than the substrate. After germination, reduce the temperature to 18-20 o C.

• Picking– move the plants into cups. Stay in them until the roots take up all the space. At first the cups are side by side, but as the seedlings grow they are spaced apart.
• Watering and fertilizing– when seedlings are planted, you need to ensure that upper layer the substrate dried out before the next watering. Therefore, water the cups once a day or less. It is better to water in the morning and evening. We combine fertilizing with watering.

Rules of care

For petunia will not require you special effort. It is enough to simply 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 day after watering, you need to loosen the soil so that a crust does not form. Remove weeds. Feed a week after planting in the ground. We combine watering and fertilizing. 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 may get sick:

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

They need to be dealt with with special drugs. But it’s easier to prevent them from appearing 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. Pests are dangerous spider mite, aphids, slugs and thrips.

Follow simple rules care for petunias, then you don’t have to worry about the health and beauty of your plant. It will always delight you with beautiful blooms.

Petunia is a representative of the herbaceous genus annual plants, comes from a hot place South America. Belongs to the Solanaceae family. It comes in a wide variety of colors. Petunia blooms all summer and autumn, is not afraid of bad weather and is very easy to grow. They can’t even cope with her breeding experienced flower growers.

Petunia began to be specially grown back in the 18th century. Many new varieties and hybrids have been developed. Some varieties are suitable for flower beds and borders, others decorate balconies and terraces, alpine coaster, let a flower carpet spread across the ground. Depending on the size of the flowers, from appearance All varieties of petunias are usually divided into several groups:

1. multifloral petunia
2. grandiflora petunia
3. floribunda
4. ampelous.

Multifloral petunia

These varieties have a huge number of small flowers with a diameter of 7 cm. The buds grow very densely and almost completely cover the bush. It begins to bloom early and blooms until the first cold weather. It's pretty unpretentious plant, rain and sunshine. Blooms profusely. The colors are both variegated and monochromatic. These petunias are compact and quite low; they are used to decorate flower beds and borders in the form of a carpet flower bed. They are also often cut, turning them into a flower ball. Varieties of multi-flowered petunias that are often grown are the following:

Snowball . Variety with white flowers. Height 30 cm, bud diameter 5 cm. Blooms in June and continues to bloom until the first frost. A variety of flowers that is resistant to many vagaries of weather.

Alderman. Height 30 cm. Diameter of blooming flowers 5 cm. Dark - blue flowers. It blooms from June until frost.

Debonair F1 Black Cherry. Hybrid American variety of petunia. Grows 30 cm tall and wide. Flowers with a diameter of 6–7 cm are burgundy with black tints. Plants bloom continuously.

Duo Summer. Terry multi-flowered petunia with spreading bushes 20 - 30 cm. The leaves are small, the buds are 7 cm. Pink flowers. Blooms from June to the end of September.

Large-flowered petunia (grandiflora)

The most common group. Unlike the first petunia, the large-flowered variety has larger flowers, but there are fewer of them. It does not tolerate bad weather well, so they prefer to grow it on terraces or balconies. The following varieties are popular:

Parade corduroy. Hybrid 25 cm in height. The flowers are burgundy-red.

Sonata. Snowy white flowers 12 cm in diameter, simple form flower.

Pink sky. The flowers are bright pink. Large buds.

Picoti. Height 30 cm. Flowers 7 cm. Color can be red, crimson or blue with a border white.

Ampelous petunias

They are distinguished by long, falling shoots, densely covered with buds. Ampelous petunia has its own peculiarities.

1. The length of the growing shoots is from 30 to 120 cm. They fall down, so it is preferable to grow them in hanging pots.
2. The size of petunia leaves depends on age; the older, the larger.
3. Flowers are formed along the length of the shoot. They have a bell shape.
4. Buds can grow on one plant different colors and sizes.
5. Rich color palette. The petals are most often two-colored. Interior brighter. People like to decorate balconies, terraces, and pillars with hanging plants. Blooms from June until frost.

There are many varieties of ampelous petunia. The popular ones are:

Black velvet has an unusual color. 25 – 30 cm, large flowers 8 cm in diameter, black velvety color.

Mashenka– a densely branched variety, the length of the released shoots is 80 cm, the flowers are funnel-shaped, 6 – 7 cm in diameter. Color pink, yellow center.

The Snow Queen is a hybrid, its shoots reach 80 cm. The flowers are snow-white with a pleasant smell.

Explorer widely spread. Wide variety of colors. Stems 1.5 meters. The flowers are large, with a waxy structure, which allows them to withstand bad weather.

Floribunda

Petunia floribunda falls between multi-flowered and large-flowered petunias. Tolerates bad weather well. Flowers 10 cm. Floribunda looks best in mass plantings. Grows well in both sun and shaded areas. Popular varieties:

Sonia– a series that includes 11 varieties. The plant is 25 cm, the bush is very compact. Flowers with a diameter of 8 cm, the color can be different: purple, white, red, pink. Can be two-color.

Milky Way – petunia with shoots 25 cm. Snow-white flowers with a pink star inside, reaching 10 cm. They begin to bloom in May and until the end of autumn frosts. They withstand the vagaries of the weather well and do not lose their shape after rain.

Angora – hybrid variety, with erect shoots up to 45 cm in height. Blooms from early June until frost. The flowers are 7 cm in size, with wavy edges, double. Pink color.

Celebrity– a series of hybrids includes 13, both single-color and multi-colored colors. Plants resistant to rain and cold, no higher than 30 cm. There are many small buds on the shoot. It is better to plant in groups.

Growing petunia seedlings

To get strong and high-quality seedlings, you need to be careful when choosing containers and soil. The seedling boxes should be made of wood, plastic or ceramic. Containers should be wide and of medium depth. Drainage holes are required. You can use plastic disposable food containers.

It is necessary to put drainage at the bottom of the container. You can use expanded clay, pebbles. You can buy special drainage from flower shop. This is necessary so that air passes to the roots and water does not stagnate in the soil.

Then the seedling containers should be disinfected. You can use Formalin or a solution of potassium permanganate. After processing, the container should be thoroughly rinsed with water. If seedlings are planted in wooden box, a layer of paper, preferably thick paper, should be placed on the bottom.

Seed selection

Petunia seeds are sold in two types:

• in granules;
• in bulk.

Seeds in granules are more convenient, they have good germination. It is worth deciding on the timing of sowing them for seedlings.

It should be remembered that two months pass between sowing and the first flowers. They begin to plant seedlings from the second half of February until mid-March. This depends on whether it is possible to provide the seedlings with additional lighting, since there is still insufficient daylight in February.

For petunia seedlings, neutral or slightly acidic soil is needed. It should be a nutritious mixture, loose, that retains moisture, but does not get wet. You can purchase the mixture in the store. Universal ready-made substrate Stender. For 5 liters of Stender you should also add half a liter of ash, a large spoonful of potassium sulfate, 250 grams of perlite and mix well.

Another option for the mixture: part garden soil, part sand and two parts peat. Stir, sift through two sieves of different sizes and pour strong solution manganese Or use the Previcura solution.

Drainage is poured into the bottom of the container, then a 6 cm layer of earthen mixture is added. There should still be at least 3 cm left to the end of the sides. Petunia seeds are very small and difficult to sow. Granulated seeds are more convenient. They can be taken with tweezers and placed on the ground in rows.

The seeds are not deepened; they are simply sprinkled with a two-millimeter thin layer of soil. If you use loose small seeds, you can sow them in three ways:

• use of sand;
• use of snow;
• using a toothpick.

The first method is to mix the seeds with sand and spread them over a substrate that has been watered in advance. The crops are slightly moistened on top using a spray bottle and sprinkled with a millimeter of soil. You cannot use a watering can, as such watering will greatly deepen the seeds into the soil.

The second method involves sowing petunia seeds on a thin layer of snow, laid in a 1 mm thick layer on the surface of the substrate. Seeds are poured onto the snow and distributed over the entire surface using tweezers. When the snow melts, it will draw the seed material onto desired depth and moisturize the crops. And you won’t need to water or sprinkle soil on top.

The third method of sowing is using two toothpicks. Seeds are poured onto White list paper. Pick up the seed with one toothpick, with the tip moistened with water, and shake it off with another toothpick, moisten it on top and sprinkle it with substrate.

Having finished sowing, close the containers transparent material and referred to warm room where there is enough light. With a temperature of 25 degrees.

Seeds can be planted in special seedling cassettes. You can select by the number of cells. A cassette with cells is useful for repeated use, and the seedlings in them do not need picking. Experts advise choosing fairly spacious cells with a height of 10 cm.

The cells are filled with substrate. Caring for sprouts in cassettes is the same as caring for seedlings in regular boxes. Some gardeners plant seeds in special peat tablets. It is easiest to plant pelleted seeds in them. You need peat tablets 4.5 cm in diameter. They are placed in water to soak. Next, excess liquid is removed, and the tablets are placed in a container with high edges.

You can use cassettes. Place one seed in each tablet and water it with a pipette to soften the seed shell. When the shell gets wet, you should smear it with your fingers so that the seed germinates faster. The plantings are covered with transparent material.

It is believed that such seedlings are easier to care for; they do not need to be replanted and it is easy to understand when they need watering. In addition, with this method, the germination rate of petunia seeds is much higher.

Seedling care

If everything is done correctly, the first shoots will be visible in a week. Care for flower seedlings is very important:

• watering;
• feeding;
• lighting;
• temperature regime;
• dive;
• topping;
• control of diseases and pests.

Watering

Petunia seedlings need moderate humidity. The soil should not be wet. This can lead to rot and disease. But overdried soil is also detrimental to seedlings.

Young plants need drip irrigation. For watering, use a syringe or pipette, pour at the root, do not get on the leaves. You can pour water over the wall, or use a tray for watering. Water for irrigation needs to be settled, at room temperature, or slightly warm.

Two minutes before watering, add lemon juice to the water. Water the flowers, depending on the weather. If the day is sunny, water in the evening. If the weather is cloudy, then watering is carried out in the morning.

Top dressing

Feeding young plants is also very important. It is recommended to apply fertilizers systematically. In the first two weeks, you will need to spray the petunias with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or Pervikura. After the appearance of the fourth leaf, the plants are fertilized with a solution of yellow “Kristalon” in the amount of half a tablespoon per 5 liters of water.

Fertilizing can be done both by foliage and by adding fertilizer to the soil. For foliar feeding, “Kristalon” and “Uniflora micro” are used. Seedlings are fed three times a week, using two methods alternately. After picking, it is recommended to use fertilizers that stimulate root growth. Such as “Aquarin”, “Solution”, “Plantofol”. Everything is prepared according to the instructions.

Temperature

Petunia seeds germinate at 25 degrees. If the temperature is low, the seeds simply will not sprout, and if it is higher, the plants can become very stretched and begin to hurt. After the shoots appear, you will need to open the plants twice a day, starting at 20 minutes.

The covering is completely removed when the plants grow to it. The temperature is reduced to 20 degrees during the day and to 16 at night.

Lighting

Flowers need lighting almost around the clock. Good lighting allows young plants to grow well and speeds up the flowering period. Duration required daylight hours need 12 hours. The lighting is turned on in the morning at 7 o'clock and turned off in the evening at 22 o'clock.

Additional lighting is installed at a height of 20 cm from the seedlings. For this purpose, LED, fluorescent, and phytolamps are used.

Picking

Picking seedlings is carried out only if they grew in common boxes. For picking, select 250 ml cups with holes for drainage. When the shoots are 5 cm in height, begin picking.

1. Using a sharp garden knife, plant the plants to a depth of 3 cm. The knife is inserted at an angle of 45 degrees. It turns out that by pinching off a piece of the root, the development of the root system is stimulated.
2. The flower is placed in a separate container.
3. Add substrate to fill the voids. Watered.
4. The temperature is reduced by three degrees for a week, and sunlight is avoided.
5. You can feed only after a week and a half.

If the seedlings are grown in tablets, then the seedlings can be planted in an individual container along with it.

Pinching

Pinching is done for all varieties of petunias, except for hanging varieties. It consists of removing a piece of the stem at the 4th and 5th leaf along with the growing point.

Young shoots will emerge from each leaf axil, and in the future such plants will bloom profusely. After half a month, a second pinching is carried out. To obtain lush bush, pinching must be done several times.

Improper watering and excess moisture can lead to blackleg disease. A dark spot forms at the base of the shoot, the tissue underneath becomes soft and rots. A constriction forms and the plant falls.

All diseased seedlings must be destroyed, and the soil must be watered with a solution of potassium permanganate or Formalin.

Often, due to excess moisture, petunia seedlings may experience iron deficiency. In this case, iron chelate, which is contained in the Ferovit product, should be added to the soil. Conversely, excessive dryness leads to the appearance of spider mites, which settle on the leaves. For the fight, special drugs are used: Neoron and Fitoverm.

Petunia transplant

When, after the picking, the seedlings take root and begin to grow, they begin to prepare them for planting. The plant is hardened for two weeks and accustomed to fresh air. Start with 15 minutes outdoors. And just before planting, flowers should be exposed to the air around the clock.

Flower planting begins from the second half of May until mid-June. Petunia is a fairly unpretentious plant, but still prefers sunny areas. Prefers loamy, fertile soil. The soil is dug up, humus or compost is added, and weeds are removed.

Flower seedlings are planted when there is no sun, or in the evening.

The holes should be ten cm deep. The distance depends on the selected variety. Between large-flowered ones - 23 - 25 cm, between small-flowered ones - 18 - 20 cm. Ampelous ones are planted 28 - 30 cm from each other. Before planting, seedlings are watered for better removal from containers.

To avoid damaging the roots, plant them together with a lump of earth. After planting, the flowers are watered, and the soil nearby is mulched with humus or peat. Petunia should be protected from strong sunlight for several days. This can be done using canopies made of cardboard boxes.

Flower care

Care consists of:

• in timely watering;
• in systematic feeding;
• in the picking of withered flowers.

Petunia should be watered only in dry weather, preferably in the evening. The plant does not like excessive humidity and when water stagnates in the hole. It is enough to simply moisten the soil around the roots a little. The next day, the ground is loosened so that a crust does not form, and the weeds are removed.

The beauty and duration of the flowering period of petunia depends on regular feeding. After 10 days, the plant is fertilized for the first time. Use nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Nitroammophoska has proven itself well.

During the formation of buds, potassium salt and superphosphate are used. You can use wood ash from a fire. If the leaves begin to turn yellow and fall off, the plant may have developed chlorosis. This means he lacks iron. In this case, “Ferovit” will help. They spray petunia 3-5 times with a period of three days.

Flowers that have bloomed are removed. This pushes the plant to form new buds and prolongs flowering. Using the pinching procedure, the bush is given a beautiful shape.

You can make a bush in the form of an unusual flower ball with many blossoming buds.

Collecting seeds

If you need petunia seeds for seedlings next year, you should select several lower buds on the bushes of the selected varieties. The process of seed formation in these buds is faster. After 60 days from the formation of buds, the seeds will ripen.

The capsules are cut off, the seeds are poured out and stored at room temperature. Each box contains about one hundred seeds. They are very small, about half a millimeter. Then the seeds ripen at home for four months. They do not lose their viability for about four years.

It is best to distribute the seeds into bags and label which variety so as not to confuse them.

Pests and diseases of flowers

Petunia is a fairly hardy plant, but it is still susceptible to disease and is loved by insect pests. Diseases to which you are susceptible:

1. Powdery mildew is a common fungal disease that affects both leaves and buds. Spreads from bottom to top. White plaque, starting from the leaves, covers the entire plant. The leaves dry out and curl.
2. Gray rot– also a fungus that can destroy a plant in a few days. Brown spots appear at the bottom of the petunia, then they dry out and become covered with a fluffy coating. The entire plant is affected.
3. Blackleg is a disease that can spread from one seedling to another. The stem at the bottom of the plant darkens and rots, and the plant falls away from the root. The disease can destroy all flowers.

To combat these diseases, it is recommended to treat seeds, destroy diseased plants, maintain a watering regime, prevent soil acidification and use preparations such as “Skor”, “Bravo”, “Topaz” to combat powdery mildew. For gray rot they use “Trichodermin”, “Integral”, “Skor”. From the black leg "Trichodermin".

1. Spider mite colonies form sticky webs on plants. White spots form on the leaves and increase in size. The leaves dry out and fall off. The parts of the plant on which the aphids have settled become covered with sweet dew, then a sooty fungus appears. The leaves curl. Aphids cause viral diseases petunias.
2. Thrips – small insects, settle on leaves. The buds become deformed and the plant withers.

Will help against pests chemicals, which are sprayed on plants. Such as: “Spintor - 240”, “Confidor”, “Aktar”.

Petunias are beautiful flowers with a delicate aroma. Exists a large number of colors that can be chosen to suit every taste. Starting from snowy whites and ending with exotic blacks. And also pink of all shades, purple, red, blue, multi-colored and many others. And most importantly, petunia is an unpretentious plant, a little knowledge, a little work and the flowers will delight you throughout the summer season.

Question: Do petunias need pinching?

Answer: Petunia seedlings are very tender and fragile. It requires compliance with various agrotechnical rules. One of them is pinching petunias. Many fans of this amazing plant easily cope with pinching. They put a lot of effort and patience into growing petunia and making it a decoration for their balcony, flower garden, or home.

Firstly, because the variety of colors and sizes of flowers, as well as their shapes, distinguish this plant from all others. Anyone who starts growing one type of petunia, after a while gets acquainted with its new and amazing varieties, giving them his heart.

Secondly, abundantly flowering plant feels great both in a suspended state and in pots, flower beds, ridges and boxes filled with earthen substrate. And one more plus in her favor: she is not capricious in her care.

Pinching petunia- this is one of the most important agricultural techniques aimed at correct formation bush due to an increase in the number of side shoots. If you neglect this operation, the plant may end up elongated and have a pitiful appearance.

Pinching petunia is done for the first time, as soon as its top grows eight centimeters long. Having planted the seedlings on permanent place, you need to feed and water the plant in a timely manner.

When the side shoots grow ten centimeters, it is recommended re-pinching petunia.

Although it is not necessary if, for example, the flower grows in a suspended state, and you want its shoots to be as long as possible. During the growing season, subsequent pinching of the petunia is done in cases where it is necessary to form a uniformly developing bush. In such cases, you only need to prune shoots that are very elongated compared to others. However, the distance between plants also plays an important role in the formation of a bush. Densely planted seedlings will not be able to produce good lateral shoots, even if the petunia was pinched in a timely and correct manner. Select plant spacing according to the petunia variety, following the recommendations on the seed packet.

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YELLOWING LEAVES, CHLOROSIS:

Question: Why did the first pair of leaves begin to turn yellow?

Answer: In our case there is a few reasons chlorotic yellowing:

1. violation temperature regime:
in this case, a purple tan appears on the leaves and stems, and then yellowing.
Can be sprayed with any ammonium fertilizer in the appropriate dose. Just spray it. If you are not a metropolitan resident and you have problems with soluble ammonium fertilizers, take ammonia. 1 ml per 5 liters of water and per sheet. Well, eliminate the cause.

2. spider mite:
Oddly enough, even experienced gardeners forget that mites easily settle on petunias and massive damage to seedlings occurs, which looks like chlorosis. If you are growing seedlings at home where there are flowers, the likelihood of mite infestation is high. As a rule, such chlorosis is difficult to treat with iron supplements.

3. iron deficiency or true chlorosis:
Remember that petunias (especially surfinias) and calibrachoas are sensitive to iron deficiency. Especially when growing them in pots!!! And a lack of iron does not mean that there is not enough of it in the soil, it’s just that petunia is unable to absorb it from the soil. This happens in alkaline soil. Once again I draw your attention to the fact that it is due to alkalization of the soil that true chlorosis appears. I don’t know where the myth about chlorosis and acidic soil is circulating on forums - obviously not from botany textbooks.
An integrated approach is needed here. Tap water never has an acidic reaction (we also have hard water - increased chlorosis), which means you either plant the plant in acidic soil or regularly acidify the water for irrigation. I try to choose fertilizers that are acidic. Your fertilizers should either include iron or water with specialized fertilizers for preventive purposes. At the slightest sign of iron deficiency, water with special fertilizers.

Chlorosis in petunias appears due to a lack of iron, which ceases to be absorbed when the pH increases above 6.3, that is, in the alkaline side (we will not get into the difference between hardness and alkalinity). But by adding dolomites, you will increase the pH, thereby contributing to the appearance of chlorosis.

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PRESERVATION OF QUEEN HOUSES, CUTTINGS:

We begin preparing queen cells in July.

We select healthy, well-formed plants and transfer them into 11 or 13 * centimeter pots, depending on the development of the root system.
The most convenient place for storing petunias in winter is an upper, well-lit and open rack on the south side, where you can provide good ventilation and maintain the temperature within 10-12 degrees Celsius.
In September we pour a mixture of turf and humus soil (1:2) onto the rack. We knock out the queen cells from the pots and plant them in the soil of the rack, 12 pieces per 1 sq.m. First, cut off the upper parts of the shoots. In mid-December, the axillary buds of the queen cells begin to grow and by February they are overgrown with new shoots. We begin the first cuttings on February 15th.
When calculating the number of plants left for queen cells, it is necessary to provide 10% for fall during winter maintenance.
*/ - 11 cm pot - V - 0.5 l, diameter 11 cm, height 9 cm
- 13 cm pot - V - 0.9 l, diameter 13 cm, height 10 cm.

In January and February, the bushes acquire new shoots; we begin taking cuttings for the first time on February 15th. Remember that from mid-February to May, from one mother plant You can cut no more than 25 cuttings. For March cuttings, we also use the tips of the shoots (5-6 cm long with 2-3 internodes), which we remove during molding pruning of the rooted cuttings - one from each bush.

Before planting the cuttings, we disinfect the rooting rack, pour a 3 cm layer of high-moor peat, wash it 2 cm on top river sand. After abundant moistening, compact the sand.
We do not trim the cuttings; we do not cut the leaves by half, as usual when cuttings. We plant the cuttings on March 15 under a marker to a depth of 1.5 cm. The first batch of cuttings takes root in a month, and the subsequent ones in 20 days. We pinch the rooted cuttings above the 3rd internode.

To plant rooted cuttings, we use an earthen mixture enriched with organic matter and minerals.
A month after cuttings (for the first batch on March 15), we plant the plants in pots (9 cm) without drainage, place them close to each other (100 pieces per 1 sq.m.), and after a month we arrange them (50 pieces per 1 sq.m.). 1 sq.m). 4 weeks after placement, the petunias reach standard conditions and are ready for sale. We do not shade from direct sunlight and they form compact bush with shortened internodes.

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FERTILIZERS, STIMULANTS:

Question: How to dilute "Epin" to spray seedlings, and how to store the solution?

Answer: 4 drops per glass of water (250 ml).

If a large volume is not needed, I “suck” 1 ml with an insulin syringe (it holds 1 ml), squeeze out 4 drops per glass, store the rest in the syringe, removing as much air as possible, in the dark and in the refrigerator.
Also: epin is destroyed in an alkaline environment, and tap water- all neutral. Either acidify it (ascorbic acid, lemon juice) or melt the snow.

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Question: What should prevail in fertilizers during the period:

a) growing seedlings
b) before flowering
c) during flowering.

Answer: 1) When the root and cotyledons appear and before the first picking, we need calcium nitrate - it is responsible for the skeleton of the plant.

At this point, exclude phosphorus - because phosphorus and ammonium nitrogen contribute to the elongation and lodging of seedlings.
That is, we get watering every other time with “Calcium nitrate” and “Fertilizer with microelements” where nitrogen: phosphorus: potassium are contained in a ratio of 20:10:20. Of the ones you suggested, this is the “Flower” fertilizer N-18%, P2O5 - 6%, K2O -18%.

2) After the first pick (transfer, transshipment), i.e. root damage, it is necessary to give phosphorus so that the roots develop well.
You can "Monophosphate", or you can "Aquarin "Super" N-18%, P2O5 - 18%, K2O - 18%, MgO - 2%, S - 1.5% + complex of microelements in chelate form

4) Before planting, to speed up flowering, you can give foliar fertilizing with 1% boron.

5) After landing at the site - see point 2.

6) During flowering, an increased dose of potassium is required
from what you suggested - this corresponds to fertilizer
"Flower" N-13%, P2O5 - 5%, K2O - 25%, MgO - 2% + complex of microelements in chelate form. Ideally, of course, 15:5:30, I would add potassium nitrate to this fertilizer, but that’s all.

About dosages - I wrote about doses in phase 2-3 in the previous series, and starting from sheet 5-6 - the dosage is the same as for adults.

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Question: For some reason, petunias from the same bag develop differently. Out of 5, two are normal. 2 have frozen and are not growing. 1 has not sprouted.

Those that are not growing are already far behind. Perhaps they were thrown overboard? Since they are so weak and don’t grow, it means they won’t be of any use.

Answer: Try to "disperse" those lagging behind.

I do this: I dilute 1 ml of cyanocobolamin (Vit B 12) in a glass of water and drop 1 drop onto the seedlings with a pipette, such as leaf feeding.

You just have to do it carefully, the seedlings are tiny, they can easily be turned out or nailed to the ground. As a rule, such stimulation helps those lagging behind to improve.

If you need a carpet, then choose ground cover plants:

Ramblin or Tidal Wave can occupy an area of ​​1 sq. m. The planting distance is 70-80 cm. The pot for growing seedlings is at least 2 liters!!! Otherwise, they will recover for half a month and still will not show their full power.

Petunias are nightshades, but in their characteristics they are closer to peppers than to tomatoes and they are like peppers to get good harvest, we need to ensure a decent childhood.

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Question: How to dilute calcium nitrate for plants?

In stage 2-3, i.e. cotyledons - the first leaf. At the same time, I start feeding with fertilizer for seedlings "Aquarin" or calcium nitrate in a very low concentration - 25 ppm. How to dilute - Aquarin - 20 g packet, I dilute 20 g in a 2 liter bottle - this is a stock solution (1000 ppm), then I dilute the stock solution with water in a ratio of 1:39. Technically, if you don’t have tools, you can do it like this: measure out 1 capful of mother liquor and 39 capfuls of water; when 1-2 true leaves appear, the concentration can be increased to 75 ppm, which is about 1:14. When 3-4 true leaves appear and the root leaves appear outside the tablet (first transplant), they can be fed simply with the mother solution.

In fact, growing and fertilizing petunias is very simple:

For bush plants - 0.2% - 2-3 times a week,

Ampelous - 0.1% with each watering.

For seedlings - phase 2-3 - 0.02% - once a week and from phase 4 (3-4 true leaves) also 0.2%. And 0.2% is 2 g per 1 liter of water.

Problems begin when you don’t have instruments, even simple scales. Then in a volumetric ratio, as I wrote above. With liquid fertilizers everything is even simpler.