I asked myself this question for two summers in a row. I managed to grow petunias only in the third year. I honestly read the whole topic about petunias, but nothing worked for me. I will tell you about the typical mistakes of a novice petunia breeder.
How to choose seeds for a beginner?
The most important thing is to buy a package of fresh packaging. In the third year, the seeds may not sprout at all. Expired, and these are most often on sale - even more so.
It is also important to choose a product from a trusted manufacturer. On the forum, Biotekhnika is most praised, for me it gave 90% germination. A little less, 80% was the germination rate of "Aelita" and "Prestige", 55-75% I had "Gavrish" and "Euro-seeds".
It is necessary to tell in more detail about which varieties and species are best to buy for growing for the first time.
Varietal or hybrid seeds?
Buying exclusively varietal or only hybrid (F1) seeds is a master's business. Equally well sprout and grow both of them. Varietal ones are cheaper, a lot of seeds are poured into a pack, which, in general, is very profitable. Hybrid ones are many times more expensive, they are packaged in only 5-10 seeds, enclosed in granules. But hybrid ones are easier to sow, and they give the most unusual and varied colors.
Rice. 1. Modest varietal petunias "Profusely flowering mixture of colors" and "Multi-flowered white glaze" of the "Leader" series from "Aelita", photo in early July.
Rice. 2. Hybrid petunias come in all colors of the rainbow. Photo taken in early August.
Which petunias are easier to grow - compact bushes or spreading ampels?
It is equally easy to grow both. But for the first experiment, I would rather choose those that recover better after heavy rains, do not suffer from winds and do not require plucking flowers after flowering. This is a series giants Typhoon and Tornado, and ampel Velvets.
Sometimes on packs with other varieties they also write about the unpretentiousness of plants, but I would not say that about other varieties. The most important thing is that for all the rest, except for the above species, it is necessary to remove faded inflorescences, and this is labor-intensive. In order not to be disappointed in petunias and fall in love with them at first sight, or rather, from the first season, I advise you to choose powerful Tornadoes, Typhoons or Velvets.
What are petunias according to the length of the branches?
Bush petunias are classified as low (25-40 cm). They will look good in small pots of 2-3 liters, both in the country house and on the southern or eastern windowsill. Bush varieties or not - usually indicated on the pack.
Rice. 3. "Pepermint F1 terry" in mid-July.
Rice. 4. "Dolce trio F1" at the end of June.
Sprawling types of petunias, for example, ampelous ones, look more spectacular, especially if you have something to attach to the site hanging planters. On the packaging, they are indicated by the word Pendula.
Of the voluminous long-braided varieties, there are also cascading ones (lashes are more durable than those of ampels), including ramblines and opera.
Rice. 5. Ampel "Velvet F1" in mid-July. Velvets are best grown in a volume of about 10 liters.
Rice. 7. "Ramblin Peach Glo F1" in early August. For ramblins, you need to find a volume of at least 8-10 liters.
Rice. 8. Ramblins of two types look good in one box (15 l).
Rice. 9. Operas bloom more magnificently than ramblins. In the photo, "Supreme White F1" in early July in a 10-liter tank.
Separately, I would single out ampelous avalanches - the bushes are even more upright than those of the cascading ones.
Rice. 10. "Avalanche Yellow Star F1" and "Ramblin Nu Blue F1", early September, for an avalanche you need 15 liters. per 2-3 plants.
But the most luxurious look surfinias, tornadoes, typhoons and explorers. True, for them it is necessary to have containers of at least 15 - 20 liters, except for surfinia - 5-8 liters are enough for them. Of the voluminous ones, there are also Shock Waves, Fresh Waves and Easy Waves, fortunes and tumbelins, but I have not grown such ones yet, this year there will be a debut.
Rice. 11. "Typhoon F1 Silver": two pieces in a barrel of about 30-40 liters, late July.
Rice. 12. Surfinia "Parple Velvet F1", grown from seeds, in the same barrel in July (also 2 pieces).
What are petunias in terms of size and number of flowers?
To get acquainted with petunias, I would advise you to choose any of Grandiflora or Multiflora, but not terry, although they look more attractive on packs. Multifloras have smaller flowers, but there are many of them, and grandifloras give little flowering, but the inflorescences are large, expressive and no less beautiful than terry ones.
Rice. 13. A trio of lobelias and bush petunias: multiflora "Merlin Red Picoti F1" and grandiflora "Prisma mix F1", "Falcon F1" and "Sophistika Shining Sapphire F1". End of June.
Terry varieties are more capricious, although they look impressive. They need to be protected from the rain, and if the summer is too rainy, the pots will definitely have to be taken under a canopy. These petunias will not "tolerate" dampness, like the two previous species, and will only submit experienced flower growers which I am still far away from.
Rice. 14. Makhrushki "Pikoti Pirouette F1", "Valentina F1" and the most beautiful of all white petunias "Sonata F1". July.
floribundas- this is a variety between grandiflora and multiflora, but I have never seen them for sale.
My mistakes when sowing seeds
In the first year, my seeds did not sprout at all, and in the second, out of six dozen seeds, only 4 sprouts grew, which gave weak flowering. Here's what I was doing wrong:
- In the first year, I pressed the seeds into the ground so that they almost went underground. And you just need to spread the seeds superficially.
- Sowed in the "tight" dense earth. And the earth should be loose, breathable. It is better to sow in general in tablets, you can 2-3 seeds in one.
Rice. 15. In tablets with toothpick flags - hybrid petunias, with a flag in a glass - varietal. In the rest of the tablets -.
- Did not destroy the shell of the granule. It must be gently touched with a toothpick, and it will fall apart if the tablet is moistened enough.
- I put the crops in loosely closed containers, where there was a draft. Sometimes the tablets dried up, and this should not be allowed, tender shoots quickly die.
Rice. 16. Even special greenhouses must be wrapped with a film so that there are no gaps, and ideal wet conditions are maintained inside.
- I didn’t ventilate every day, and the shoots began to rot.
Rice. 17. In order not to suffer with winding and unwinding the film with each airing, I came up with this one.
Rice. 18. Or you can put the tablets in an Ikea container and cover with glass.
- Even before the appearance of sprouts, it is necessary to illuminate the petunias! I somehow thought of putting petunias in the country on the northwestern windowsill without a single sunbeam. Of course, they didn’t bloom well there, although the bush was very lush and green. If you sow ampels in early to mid-February, you need to highlight at least from 7 am to 10 pm. Bush should be sown in March and illuminated in the same mode at least until May.
Rice. 19. I illuminate with an ordinary fluorescent lamp. Under the light they usually germinate in 5-7 days. Without light, they may not ascend at all.
Mistakes when growing seedlings of petunias
- As soon as the shoots have appeared, we put them in a cooler place so that it is about 20 degrees. Airing should be more frequent. But do not repeat my mistake, do not remove petunias from the "greenhouse" until the first true leaves appear! After 2-3 days, you can reduce the daytime temperature to 15-18 degrees, and make the night temperature even less. Petunias need those temperature drops!
- Be sure to add vermiculite to the soil or ready-made purchased soil and mix well.
Rice. 20. This is how the pickled seedlings of ampels in the soil with vermiculite look like at the end of February.
Rice. 21. And so - in the 20th of March. Large ones are ampels, smaller ones are bush ones.
- From the beginning of April, as soon as it becomes about 10-15 degrees on a closed loggia or balcony, it is necessary to take out the seedlings for hardening. It is necessary to accustom to the bright sun gradually.
- Be sure to sign! I also mark if it is a bush petunia or not. Because there is no way to grow lush bushes without pinching. They will be like a single flowering stick. As soon as the second pair of leaves has grown at the bush, we pinch or cut off the very tip of the trunk with nail scissors. And we repeat this procedure once or twice a month, until mid-May.
Rice. 23. On the left - ampels that we do not pinch. On the right - pinched at one time bush. They will bloom later, but a bush will form.
- The first buds take away the strength of the plant, it is better to pluck them.
- Be sure to feed the petunias. If you cannot remember the recommendations of professionals, which trace element to use in which period of growth - phosphorus, boron or other elements of the periodic table, then at least use Fertik once a week. I alternate it with another mineral fertilizer, for example, with Biomaster - Seedlings. I start feeding 10-14 days after picking, combining it with preliminary weak watering. That is, it is impossible to pour fertilizer on very dry soil - neither in the seedling stage, nor in an adult plant.
- Don't get carried away with acidifying the soil. I managed to avoid this mistake, despite the fact that many advise watering with acidified water or planting in special soil with an acidic environment, for example, as for begonias. Therefore, my petunias have never had such a common disease as chlorosis. It is easy to recognize chlorosis - the leaves begin to turn white, and dry out along the edge with a thin border. Then they start to fall off. The top is twisted. To get rid of chlorosis, you can spray the leaves with chelated iron, for example, Ferovit or Antichlorosis.
- Don't flood seedlings! Petunias, like tomatoes, love the alternation of drought (but not critical) and complete soaking of the soil. Every day we will water petunias only when they grow in the country or on a sunny balcony. If the petunia began to lie down from the black leg, treat it with Fitosporin.
- Do any foliar top dressing in cloudy weather, do not put the plants immediately under the lamp, let the spray soak into the leaves. I once almost burned all the seedlings with vitamin B6, all the foliage went stained from burns.
Mistakes in garden care
It would seem that they grew seedlings, brought them on time, transplanted them to the required volume after 100% cancellation of the threat of return frosts - and wait ... But still, petunias are not given lush flowering. I had this because I neglected the following rules:
- I forgot to feed on time. Petunias are very "gluttonous"! The most important thing is regularity! Weekly "Fertika" or "Akverin" for flowers, but at least "Ideal". Nothing without this. Petunias do not like organics, only mineral fertilizers. Therefore, the soil for flowerpots should be mixed with ready-made humus or sand for better breathability, but not with immature compost.
- I put the pots in partial shade or in the shade. Petunias will only bloom in full sun!
- No need to tie branches. I don’t know why, but my petunias then simply stopped growing.
Rice. 26. Even if it seems that the petunias are about to break, do not pick them up with a garter. The wind will whip and break.
- Insufficient height of the flowerpot. Petunia builds up a large mass of roots pointing down. In a container with a height of less than 20 cm, the petunia will develop until the end of June, and then it will wither.
Rice. 27. There is no way to buy flowerpots - plant petunias in homemade boxes, even a 10-year-old boy can put them together. This box is made from an old picket fence.
- Another one of my "favorite" mistakes is to set the petunias in the flowerpot so that they are too low from the planting hole, and new side shoots stuck under it, not getting out up into the light.
(Petunia) is one of the most common flowers that decorate flowerpots, flower beds and hanging baskets. This plant was first found in Uruguay near Montevideo in 1793. A little later, dozens of other petunia species were discovered in South America. This flower became a godsend for breeders, and in 1834 the first hybrid petunia blossomed. To date, there are several dozen species and many varieties and hybrids of petunias, 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 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 under conditions middle lane this is the simplest solution. In the southern regions, petunia gives self-sowing.
At the beginning of autumn, I look with regret at the petunias that continue to bloom, which will soon be destined to be in a humus heap. They are poorly adapted to autumn colds and frosts, so their lifespan is predetermined. beautiful plants over the summer they do not have time to fully develop their potential. Even in the autumn they have a lot life force. Petunias can become a mother plant from which you can cut strong stem cuttings. Or a flowering houseplant competing with exotic flowers.
We move the petunia into the house
In nature, petunia is perennial plant that can be used in its cultivation and reproduction. To do this, in the fall, before cold snaps and frosts have yet begun (petunias that fall under them often die), we select several specimens, free them from long shoots and cut off all spoiled leaves. The remaining bush should be compact and low. Not more than 15 cm tall. Better below. Before you bring a petunia into the room, you need to carefully examine its leaves (especially their underside) so that the whitefly and the testicles laid by it do not get into the house. The end of summer and the beginning of autumn are the time of the mass presence of this pest on cultivated and weed plants, however, we often do not pay attention to the inconspicuous small whitefly. Until it ends up on our houseplants.
If a whitefly or its eggs are found on the leaves of a petunia, then urgent measures must be taken before bringing the plant pot into the house. The best place for him is a cold, bright window sill, a veranda, a glazed loggia (balcony), a bright basement, etc. We are not talking about specially equipped places and greenhouses, in which, with additional illumination and the required humidity, mother liquors are grown.
It seems that the petunia is at first thinking about how she will behave further. Sometimes it suddenly wakes up, gives new shoots and even blooms. Or stops growth, falling into hibernation 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 and fertilizers are used during this period. The exceptions are Zircon and Epin (only if necessary).
In March (sometimes from the end of February), the petunia container must be moved to the brightest place. It should be cool (not lower than +6°C). Set up watering and fertilizing. This mode allows the mother plant to grow so that in April it was possible to cut off full-fledged stem cuttings.
In winter, the condition of petunias sometimes deteriorates sharply. There are several reasons: either it is powdery mildew and its consequences, whitefly, etc. Often the plant loses strength in an insufficiently bright and warm room. Many troubles are associated with waterlogging of the soil. If the leaves dry up and fall off, and the stems turn black or dry out, then this clear sign: petunia feels very bad. Normally, only partial yellowing of the leaves.
Cuttings as a simple option for propagating petunias
The petunia is beautifully cut. 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 mother liquors, in order to then propagate the variety they like. The cuttings are cut with and without a heel. Minimum size cuttings - 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, it is better to shorten the upper leaves by ½.
Care is reduced to watering and airing. Condensation must not be allowed to form. A convenient mini-greenhouse is obtained from the upper part of the transparent plastic bottle, in the lid of which holes are made with a red-hot nail or drill. High transparent plastic cups with holes at the bottom can also be used as caps. But spraying cuttings with water should be treated with caution. Often, excessive dampness, rot and mold appear from this procedure. Some amateur flower growers root cuttings of petunias in jars of water.
The temperature at which rooting occurs is about 22 - 23 ° C. Well, if there is a bottom heating. For example, a battery located close to the windowsill. The first leaves of young shoots appear very quickly. No additional lighting or sunlight they grow weak. Rooted cuttings are pinched, which causes further tillering. During the winter, the stalk, which began to root in August - September, turns into a beautiful flowering bush. It is looked after as a light-loving houseplant.
You can try another way to keep petunias in winter. I picked it up quite by accident. It so happened that by August my petunia had grown into such huge bushes that they covered other flowers and took up too much space in the flower garden. I shortened them, and a bouquet of tops "thrust" in flower pot with garden soil. I put the pot near the house and from time to time watered the “bouquet” from the watering can. Petunia quickly rose, began to grow and continued to bloom. In September, I put the pot on the glazed loggia. In winter, I sprayed the 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 preventive measure avoided powdery mildew, the raid of which often appears in the autumn-winter period and destroys petunias. Most I cut off the buds so as not to weaken the plant. Separate flowers remained "for beauty". It would be possible to leave all the flowers and buds, but for this it would be necessary to organize a stronger backlight.
In May, I shortened some of the extended shoots of the "bouquet", having received many 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 crowding, so it is better to plant its rooted cuttings "for growth".
Conclusion
IN winter time petunia can be saved as mother plant for further rooting of her 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 cuttings from its shoots. The main problem associated with the health of petunias in the winter, I think. But this is already a consequence of some oversights in agricultural technology.
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Petunia/petunia/ - plentifully flowering annual. Flowering can last from early June until frost. Not difficult to grow. Grows on any soil. There are shrubs, completely strewn with flowers, stunted globular varieties, and chic ampelous varieties with long lashes. It has terry and simple flowers of a wide variety of colors. Flowering can last from early June until frost. Just a godsend for a grower!!!
Family: Nightshade.
Region of origin: South America.
Usage: Petunias are grown both in the open ground in flowerbeds, borders, as borders, and in hanging baskets, planters, containers, exposing and hanging them on terraces, balconies, arbors, etc. Ampel varieties can successfully decorate fences and hedges.
Reproduction:
Petunia is propagated by seeds and cuttings.
Seeds are sown in late February - March. In order for the seedlings not to be affected by fungal diseases, it is necessary to take care of good drainage of the container in which you will sow petunias and disinfect the soil mixture. Petunias sprout at a temperature not lower than 22-25 degrees. After the appearance of sprouts, it is gradually lowered, but not lower than 20 degrees.
Advice. Sow petunias no earlier than mid-March. With early sowing of petunias, additional illumination is required. If the sowing was done in March, then they usually have enough light, but for cultivation it is necessary to choose the sunniest window.
It is very important not to overwater the seedlings in order to avoid the appearance of fungal diseases. In addition, it is not advisable to water petunias with hard water, it is better to use boiled or settled water. cold water.
After the appearance of sprouts in 10-14 days, it is recommended to feed the seedlings, and top dressing should be done regularly with every 3-4 waterings.
When the seedlings have 2-4 true leaves, they dive into separate cups. A fan of petunias with many years of experience tells in more detail in articles "Propagation of petunias by seeds" And "Propagation of petunias by seeds in peat tablets".
Terry and ampelous petunias are easier to propagate vegetatively. The whole point is that it hybrid plants and they do not produce seeds. Therefore, in order to preserve your favorite variety and not buy new seeds every year, it is better to resort to propagation by cuttings. To do this, it is necessary to bring a petunia into the house in the fall before the onset of frost, which must be preserved. Don't cut it too hard. Wintering petunias are watered a little, making sure that the earthen ball does not simply dry out.
In the spring, petunias begin to be fed with nitrogen fertilizers so that they grow faster. Cuttings are cut with 4-5 leaves, cut them, treated with root and planted in prepared containers.
Petunias take root in a few days. One of the main conditions is to plant the cuttings no later than an hour and a half after they are cut.
Details on how to properly root petunias in the spring and save the mother plant in winter can be found in the article.
During the first months of summer, it is not difficult to obtain additional plants by rooting cuttings of existing petunias. Thus, you will receive more beautiful flowering annuals.
In summer, cuttings can be planted directly in the containers in which they will grow. Before rooting, it is desirable to treat the sections with root, although this is not necessary. The cuttings are planted to a depth of no more than 1.5 cm. The roots will appear in 10-15 days. The difference is that in the spring the containers with the cuttings are placed in the brightest place, and in the summer - in the shade. They do not have to be covered with glass, the main thing is to water them in time, the earthen mixture was always a little wet. Do not use cold water for irrigation. After the roots appear, young plants are fed about once a week. complex fertilizer with nitrogen content. Flowering of petunias rooted in summer can begin in a month.
Soil requirements: Petunia is not very demanding on the composition of the soil. It will be better to grow on non-acidic soils (pH over 5.5). Abundant flowering responds to the application of complex fertilizer with a high nitrogen content - in the first half of summer, phosphorus-potassium - from the second half. Due to the likelihood of damage by fungal diseases, it is not desirable to introduce fresh manure.
When planting in pots, hanging baskets or containers, the soil mixture is prepared from 2 parts of soddy or leafy soil, 2 parts of good humus, 2 parts of peat and 1 part of sand. Due to the fact that the soil in hanging containers dries quickly, hydrogel can be added.
Landing: Planting plants on permanent place after the retreat of the cold. The root system of petunias is very well developed, so the plants can easily tolerate transplantation. Immediately after transplanting, they are watered abundantly.
Petunia will grow best in sunny, not windy places. Can tolerate light shade. Dislikes stagnant water.
You can read in detail about the conditions for growing various annuals, where they will grow better, in the sun or in the shade, whether they tolerate winds or not, etc., you can read in the article "March is the time for sowing ampelous annuals."
Terry and large-flowered varieties of petunias prefer places protected from rain, because the flowers lose their decorative effect after contact with water. It is better to grow them in pots, containers on terraces and balconies.
IN open ground petunias are planted at a distance of 15-25 cm from each other.
Care features: If you follow a few simple rules, there will be no particular difficulties in growing petunias. In order to avoid root rot, it is not recommended to overmoisten the soil, but it should not be allowed to dry out. This leads to the fact that the flowers of the petunia become smaller, the leaves dry up. It is necessary to water carefully under the root, trying not to get on the leaves and flowers. Water for irrigation should not be cold.
For more abundant and long flowering, petunias in the first half of summer must be fed with a complete complex fertilizer such as nitroammophoska. Since July, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers have been applied 2-3 times a month.
More demanding in the care of petunias, which are grown in pots, containers. The root system of petunias is quite well developed, it grows actively, for abundant flowering uses a large number of nutrients that need to be regularly replenished by applying complex fertilizers. In order to avoid waterlogged plants grown in closed containers, good drainage is essential. It could be expanded clay broken brick, gravel, etc.
Planters with ampel varieties of petunias should preferably be hung in places protected from the wind.
To preserve the decorative effect, abundant flowering and so that the plants do not waste their strength on the ripening of seeds, faded flowers must be removed in time throughout the flowering season.
Two to three times per season, it is recommended to drastically cut bush varieties petunias. Plants are cut at a height of approximately 10-12 cm. They tolerate pruning easily, responding to it with abundant flowering. Plants become more accurate, compact, bushy better.
After pruning, the plants must be fed with a complex fertilizer with a high nitrogen content.
Terry and large-flowered petunias are not recommended to be cut short. It is better to slightly adjust their growth, giving the plants a neat look.
Ampel varieties of petunias pinch only in early spring, and in the future, you can only slightly trim some of the shoots of the plant to give it a beautiful regular shape.
Bloom: Petunias, depending on the variety, bloom from May until the first frost. The variety of flowers is simply amazing. Not so long ago, a black velvet petunia variety was bred. When grown in shady places, flowering is not as plentiful as in sunny ones. If you cut the plants, you can achieve repeated flowering.
The most unpretentious group of multiflora varieties in cultivation. Its flowering begins earlier than in other varieties and may, with proper care, create a solid flowering carpet.
Groups of ampelous petunias create spectacular waterfalls of flowers up to 1 meter in length. The ampelous hybrid of surfinia looks especially attractive, the flowers of which are not very large, but due to the abundant flowering and pure saturated color, it deservedly won the love of flower growers. Terry and large-flowered varieties petunias are not so plentiful, but they attract with very unusual, diverse in shape and color inflorescences.
Fruit: The fruit is a bivalve capsule with very small seeds. If there is a need to collect petunia seeds, the box must be plucked before it is opened, otherwise it will simply spill out.
Pests and diseases:
Petunia practically does not attract harmful insects.
It can suffer from various fungal diseases, when affected, diseased plants are destroyed, and healthy ones that grow nearby are sprayed with 1% Bordeaux mixture.
