With the onset of spring, all gardens and summer cottages begin to be full of a variety of bushes of everyone's favorite - petunia. Every year, more and more breeders are developing different colors, new varieties of this lush beauty. It not only has a wide range of colors, but also differs in both a simple flower shape and a terry one.
Petunia: description
Petunia is a plant rich in its color range. It is unpretentious in care, is not afraid of large and frequent watering, but does not tolerate excessive moisture and marshy soils. It is not afraid of drought, does not require shading even at midday. In the sun, it blooms even brighter and more intensely. It loves fertile substrate, but will not refuse poor soil if it is periodically fed.
The plant has a rod-shaped root, goes shallow, weakly branches. In short moments of decreasing air temperature, it stops blooming buds, but with the first rays of the sun, it blooms again, once again delighting with a riot of flowers.
It grows in any conditions: flower beds, in vases, on border lawns, in indoor pots and hanging flowerpots.
For these purposes, a huge number of different species have been bred, which are divided into several separate types:
- Bush
- Ampelous
- Calibrachoa
- Cascade
- Floribunda
Bush species can boast of different diameters of inflorescences - from 4 cm and from 15. They grow into a chic bush, provided that the upper shoot is pinched.
Ampelous or creeping petunias are known for their downward growth, so they are used for hanging flowerpots.
Cascade species are endowed with gorgeous long elastic stems, striving to twine around everything, grow both to the sides and upwards. Their numerous flowers are not distinguished by their huge sizes, but their average volume is not inferior to anyone.
Seed preparation
The most difficult moment in the entire growing process is the stage of sowing seeds. Usually, plants are planted first as seedlings, and then transplanted into open ground or prepared pots. It will not work to sow them immediately in the soil - so the seeds will not only not grow, they will not even sprout.
For planting, a specially prepared substrate and certain conditions for germination are needed. The percentage of seedlings not germinating is very high, so many, having tried once, no longer take on this difficult task. Certain special preparation is not required for seeds before planting, they do not need to be soaked or additionally processed. The most inconvenient thing is the miniature seeds. Their diameter is mostly 0.2 mm, but sometimes there are quite large specimens - up to 0.5 mm.
It is very difficult to work with such miniature planting material. The main thing is to buy seedlings in specialized stores and in no case from hands. Seeds are sold either loose in packaging or in a special flask as processed granules. It is better to take granulated planting material for planting. It is good because the seeds are enclosed in a shell, which already contains all the nutrients that contribute to rapid and high-quality germination.
Soil preparation
For planting seedlings, you need light, fine-grained, very light and medium-nutritious soil. To prepare it, you need to combine turf or leaf soil, humus, lowland peat and sand (river). It is well watered and thoroughly dried. Each ingredient is taken in equal proportions.
To this mixture, you need to add 0.5 l of wood ash, 1 tbsp. potassium fertilizer and a handful (250 g) of perlite. The resulting substrate should be sifted through a sieve at least 2 times. First on a sieve with large holes, and then with small ones. This is necessary so that any small stones do not get into the fertile soil and interfere with the growth of the young plant.
Petunia germinates well in peat tablets. Before planting, they need to be well watered for swelling. And before planting in open ground, you can not free the roots from the peat shackles, the main thing is to remove the mesh so that the roots can continue to grow in width and feed on substances from the soil.
Before sowing in a container, 1 day before, the soil must be watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, then fried in the oven. Such a measure is needed to protect seedlings from black leg, since petunia is easily infected with this disease. The prepared soil is laid out in a container. Drainage is applied to the bottom of the box in a thin layer, and then the remaining space is filled with earth, but so that at least 2 cm remains to the top. The last preparation is to moisten the soil well, but not to a swampy state.
In which container is it better to plant seeds
When the seedlings are purchased, the soil is prepared for planting, you should take care of the container. Any option will do for this purpose:
- Wooden containers.
- Plastic flowerpots.
- Plastic cups.
- Egg trays.
The selected container should be thoroughly disinfected by first pouring boiling water over it, and then placing the flowerpot in any antiseptic substance (potassium permanganate or formalin).
The planting container should be small and of insignificant depth. The main thing is that there are drainage holes at the bottom. If they are missing, they should be made so that the water does not stagnate and the young shoots do not die. Thus, not only selected high-quality seeds, well-chosen soil, but also flowerpots play a big role in the successful germination of capricious seedlings.
Sowing seeds: timing and rules
You can sow at any time, but the sowing period determines when the inflorescences will bloom. If the seedlings are planned for a flowerbed, then it is advisable to plant them in early June. Such a late transplant date is due to the fact that petunia does not like a drop in air temperature, which is still possible at the beginning of summer.
If the petunia will be showing off on the balcony, then you can plant the seedlings in early May.
For ampelous species, the planting dates should be shifted slightly, planting them 2-4 weeks earlier. During this time, they will have time to grow a luxurious head of green fleshy leaves. Thus, the period from March 5 to 15 is suitable for sowing seeds for seedlings for open ground for planting seedlings, while it will be possible to plant ready-made young plants in a flowerbed from June 1-5.
Balcony varieties are subject to sowing even earlier than bush varieties. They should be planted no later than February 10-15, then their planting in pots for a permanent habitat is suitable for May 5-15. It is advisable to plant ampelous species from February 1-5, but be sure to illuminate them with phytolamps. The period of transshipment into a prepared flowerpot begins on May 1.
Sow planting material for seedlings in two ways:
Combine with snow. This method is not only more reliable, but also preferable. If there is snow in the yard during the planting period, it should be carefully spread in a thin layer (1-1.5 mm) over the surface of the prepared substrate. The snow is placed evenly over the entire area of the flowerpot or container. Place the seeds on top of it in the required order. Either tweezers or a toothpick will do for this purpose. Then cover the plantings with film. There is no need to water, the snow will melt and independently pull the seedlings to the desired depth.
Mix with sand. This option involves combining a small amount of river sand with seeds. The composition is mixed well and evenly scattered over the territory of the earth. It is necessary to water the crops from a spray bottle, after planting, sprinkling them with 1 mm of soil. It is not recommended to water from a watering can, otherwise the water will wash away the seeds.
Thus, there are certain terms, thanks to which you can achieve flowering in early summer or even late spring. And correct planting will ensure uniform germination and optimal conditions for growth.
Seedling care
Useful tips for care:
After planting, the first shoots appear in 1-2 weeks. At this point, the container should be moved to a room with a temperature of +20 C. The container must be covered with film or glass, creating optimal conditions for growth. The crops should be illuminated, especially in late February - early March. Additional lighting should be turned on both in the morning and in the evening, for 2-3 hours.
The first fertilizing with fertilizers is recommended to be done a month after sowing. After that, mineral fertilizers are applied once every 2 weeks - until transshipment to a permanent place of residence.
When 3 full leaves appear, the seedlings are picked. The process must be carried out very carefully, moistening the soil well before the event. In no case should the growth point of the plant be covered when moving, otherwise it will rot. You should carefully monitor watering: overwatering leads to fungal diseases, but at the same time, drying out has an adverse effect on the condition of the bushes. Initially, watering is done with a syringe. It is completely inserted into the ground. It is necessary that water does not get on the foliage, this can damage the tender young leaves. The best method of watering is from the tray. Water for watering plants should be soft, without chlorine (settled), at room temperature.
Thus, an important moment in caring for petunia is its germination at a certain time. After this, only abundant watering and feeding remains. Then the lush beauty will illuminate with a bright color until the frost.