so on the balconies. Abundant flowering begins in early May and pleases with its beauty until the first serious frosts. Petunia flowers, planting and caring for them is considered easy, as the plants are not whimsical. But for successful cultivation it is required to know certain rules:
- plant loves sunshine;
- prefers sandy or loamy soils;
- does not tolerate prolonged fluid retention;
- requires constant feeding( 1 time in 12 - 15 days).
Planting petunia seeds for seedlings
Planting petunias with seeds for early flowering should begin in mid-February. A prerequisite for growing seedlings is the availability of the required amount of light. If in the room where it is planned to grow petunia of this component is not enough, it is advisable to use special lamps.
The plant begins to bloom 65 to 92 days after sowing seeds. It depends on the type of petunia. The larger the flowers of the plant, the longer it takes to bloom.
Before planting petunia seeds should be prepared:
- containers for planting with drainage holes;
- soil;
- claydite;
- sprayer with water;
- covering material( it is desirable to use non-woven material, for example, spunbond, allowing the plant to breathe);
- selected seeds.
At the first stage, we prepare the seedling containers:
- at the bottom of the cup, with the drainage holes prepared in advance, pour a layer of expanded clay approximately 1 cm high;
- lay out and slightly tamp the soil mixture. To the edge of the container it is necessary to leave a distance of 3 - 3.5 cm. We moisten the soil with an
- .
We start planting petunias. Since the seeds of the plant are quite small, when planting, you can use a mixture of seeds with sand. This will allow the most evenly place the seeds in the pot. Dried petunia seeds can be used, but their cost is much higher than that of ordinary ones. It is not recommended to sprinkle petunia seeds with soil. It is best to lightly press them to full contact with the ground.
Read also: Revsion Cherry: description of the variety, photo and crop care
After planting the petunia, the boxes should be covered with a covering material. Instead of matter, you can use glass or polyethylene. In this case, the plants will have to be forced to air.
Under favorable conditions( ambient temperature 24 ° C and humidity 98%), seeds germinate on days 7–9.
There is a simpler, but more costly method for obtaining seedlings of a plant - planting petunias in peat tablets. To do this:
- purchased peat tablets are poured with warm water and wait for it to swell and cool;
- tweezers place the seeds of petunia in the center hole;
- moderately watered.
In plants or in the ground plants dive with pills. Damage to the root system is completely excluded. For beginner gardeners, this method of growing flower seedlings is most preferable.
Planting of ampelous petunia is done in the same ways as spray petunia.
Growing seedlings of petunia
When the seeds germinate and the first leaves appear covering material from the box must be removed. Carefully water the plants and reduce the ambient temperature to 18ºС.
At the first stage, the petunia develops very slowly. Initially, the root system of plants is strengthened, and only after that the stems and leaves become stronger. This stage lasts about 4 - 5 weeks.
During this period, you must follow:
- soil moisture. It should not be dry or waterlogged.
- timely fertilization. For petunia, suitable complex fertilizers or drugs with a high content of potassium.
- sufficient lighting. In the daytime, the lamp should work at full power, and at night it is advisable to dim the light, but not turn it off completely.
Read also: Sprouts in eggshell - a simple, practical and profitable solution
For the development of strong and abundant flowering plants after the appearance of several leaves, the top of the flower must be pinched. The strengthened plants are transplanted into separate, more spacious containers and continue to care for the seedlings according to all the above rules.
A month before planting a petunia in the ground, the plants are quenched for 10 days. In the first half of the period, the daytime temperature around the seedlings should be 18ºС - 20ºС, and the nighttime temperature should be 16ºС.In the next five days, these figures are reduced by 2ºС - 3ºС.After such a procedure, the flowers that have become stronger will be the least painful to carry the pick into the open ground.
Video: how to plant seedlings of petunias
Planting petunias in the ground
Let us proceed to the question of how to plant petunias in a permanent place:
- plant the plant best in cloudy weather or after sunset;
- dive the seedling, preferably with a clod of earth from the pot;
- fossa for a seedling must be at least 10 cm deep and wide;
- distance between plantings depends on the type of flower. For large-flowered petunias, it is necessary to withstand 23 cm - 25 cm. For small-flowered enough, 18 cm - 20 cm. Shrubs of ampelous petunia are planted at a distance of 28 cm - 30 cm;
- after transplanting flowers watered;
- for better rooting of the petunia, the ground around the transplanted plant can be covered with humus or peat. Such a shelter for a longer period to keep moisture and protect the flower from possible frost.
Petunia care.
Petunia care consists of watering plants, timely and constant feeding, removing faded flowers.
Watering the plant is necessary only in dry weather. It is advisable to carry out this procedure after sunset. When watering water should not stagnate. Simply moisten the ground around the root of the flower.
The first dressing is carried out 9 to 11 days after transplanting the plant to a permanent place. It is best of all to start feeding plants with nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Nitroammofosku can be used.
Read also: Edible honeysuckle fruit: useful properties and contraindications
For abundant flowering, during the formation of buds, it is preferable to use fertilizers containing large amounts of phosphorus and potassium, for example, superphosphate and potassium salt.
Petunia can be fed with wood ash. This fertilizer contains all the components necessary for the plant. And you can use both purchased fertilizer, and made independently, after a fire or from the stove.
An important component for proper plant nutrition is iron. In the absence of a sufficient amount of iron, petunias can get chlorosis. The first signs of the disease appear on the leaves: they begin to turn yellow and fall off.“Ferovit” will come to the rescue, with which plants are sprayed 3–5 times with an interval of 2–3 days between sprays.
Withered flowers should be removed from the plant. This leads to the formation of new buds and the long duration of flowering. Pleasing the flowers of petunias, which are properly planted and cared for, will be even greater if a beautiful plant crown is formed in time. To do this, young shoots seeking high growth pinch. The procedure is considered correct if pinching is carried out after 4 - 5 leaflets. After the operation, the plant produces abundant multidirectional shoots that are necessary for the formation of a beautiful "cap".
Proper planting and caring for petunia leads to long and rich flowering. Planting petunia seeds on video will help novice gardeners become more familiar with the procedure.
When planting petunias on seedlings - read here!
Video: seeding and picking petunias
