Petunia seedlings outgrow what to do. Graceful petunia - planting and care features. Secrets of the abundant flowering of petunias
Why do gardeners sow pepper seeds early in boxes? Everywhere it is written that it takes a long time to sprout, therefore it would be necessary to sow early in case the seeds turn out to be of poor quality. To be able to re-sow.
This applies to eggplants and petunias as well. Her seeds are very small, sometimes you can not understand at all that these future plants are in a bag. Dust, real dust instead of seeds.
Sowing petunias you can also start in January, but then you will have to long time create special conditions for its growth. After all, there is no sun yet.
Sowing petunias. First secret.
Put peat tablets or soil in prepared containers. It needs to be pressed down well with a spoon. First, pour water into the containers so that both the tablets and the soil open up. After all, even absolutely fresh soil tends to dry out instantly, as soon as it turns out to be in the air.
And sowing petunias in dry soil is pointless, especially when buying granular seeds. As soon as the granule is on the soil, it should dissolve into wet ground or, and that's what I had, just fall apart into little pieces. If this does not happen, then there will not be enough strength in the seed so that the smallest thin leaves can throw off the shell themselves. We can help, and even then not always successfully, tomatoes and peppers. And the petunia will die. She will rise, stand a sprout and wither.
Sowing petunias. Second secret.
Petunias need warmth to sprout quickly. If the house has an aquarium with lighting, then it is very good. After sowing, you need to put the containers on the top cover of the aquarium, and do not turn off the light. But be sure to lay a cloth in 2-3 layers under the container, this will save you from overheating. And the sprouts will appear much faster.
I have a tank in the stoker, in which there is always hot water. It just goes through the heating pipe. And since the heating is gas, the water temperature is constant. After sowing, I put the containers on the tank. But first I put a shelf on it, which was left from the old cabinet, I put a thick rag on it, and then containers. I grow a lot of petunias, because they stand on the tank like firewood in a woodpile. I change them every day.
Sowing petunias. Third secret.
Help the petunia seeds wake up. To do this, take half a liter of tap water, but not cold. If the water is chlorinated, then here you need to observe General requirements stand the water for several days so that the chlorine evaporates. We will breed Epin-Extra in it. There is only one milliliter of solution in the ampoule, pour it all into water and shake well.
Water must be poured into a spray bottle and wet soil well with the resulting composition.
Then in each container or cell you need to put right amount seeds. I now have petunia seeds bought in China, and the Chinese are not greedy people, they put about 100 seeds in each bag. So I definitely won’t save, I’ll put more than one seed at a time.
The seeds were carefully placed. It is not necessary to press them into the ground, it is not necessary to fill up even with the thinnest layer of sand. It is necessary to spray again with an epin composition from a spray bottle. But now you need to do everything carefully so that the seeds from the jet do not fly out of the cells. Under the influence of the smallest drops of water, the petunia seeds themselves will go deep into the ground, but remain on the surface.
Further watering can be done with a spray bottle, but do it carefully. Then not a single sprout will even hang its head. Watering from a teaspoon is less convenient.
Everything seems to have worked out. It's time to close the containers.
Sowing petunias. Fourth secret.
Maybe a bit of deception, but it seems that where petunia grows in nature, there is always rotten vegetation during germination. It releases carbon dioxide. Its concentration in the air is slightly higher than the standard for these places. Petunia passion, how loves him.
So we will let her breathe air with an excess of CO 2. Where will we take it?
And let's breathe. That's what plastic bags are for. different sizes. Each container must now be pushed into the desired bag and try to inflate it, as we inflate a rubber balloon. Only the ball should increase in size, and plastic bag from such efforts will break.
Therefore, we simply make the mouth of the bag with a bell and apply it tightly to the lips. And we begin to breathe, driving air from the lungs into the bag with the container, and back. Ten breaths are enough. Enough carbon dioxide was breathed into the bag. Now carefully, so that the air does not release from the bag, you need to close it tightly.
Twist, fasten with an elastic band, pinch with a clothespin. Everyone will find their own way.
That's it, the petunia has been sown, treated kindly, the conditions have been created. Now in heat, warm up, wake up.
Sowing petunias. Fifth secret.
Needs ventilation. Therefore, every day we remove the containers in bags from a warm place, take them out of the bag. We do a revision. Is everything alright?
Usually there are no problems, the soil does not dry out. Then we close the containers again, push them into the bags, breathe. We maintain the level of carbon dioxide in the bags.
If all conditions are met, and the seeds are of high quality, then almost all of them will sprout on the fifth day.
But, as soon as half of the sprouts appeared, you need to slightly open the containers, ventilate, but keep warm. And provide good lighting. Can be fluorescent lamps. You can buy special bulbs in pet stores, but they are a little expensive there. For some reason, we sell similar ones in Tekkurila stores. These light bulbs look like normal ones. They are screwed into a regular cartridge. It seems that even the usual table lamp use, but set the cap so that the light evenly illuminates the seedlings.
Can't be placed on window sills. It's cold from the windows. But the stand must be mobile so that the plants are at least a little, but sunlight received.
All. Petunia is up. If you grew seedlings in tablets, then you should buy fertilizer. There is a special one for petunias, very expensive, but from it they grow by leaps and bounds. We do not sell this. Therefore, I buy liquid, which is in stores.
It is possible, after the petunia takes up strength and gives several large true leaves, to feed the nutrient soil prepared in the fall or leaf humus.
Today I wrote and told everything. I'll post pictures as soon as I plant. I will try to show how to breathe into the bag and close it.
26 years ago, a friend gave me some seeds. She said to find a permanent place for them and sow...
And more about petunias. secrets abundant flowering petuniaI have been growing petunia for several years and every time I look for new tips. As the saying goes, live and learn. This year is no exception, and here are some more recommendations.
way 1
For sowing in the fall, I prepare the soil mixture: garden soil, humus, sand in the ratio 1:1:2. Dishes- wooden boxes from under vegetables and plastic bottles cut along.
I cover the boxes with newspapers, fall asleep and leave it in the cold so that it freezes well in winter. And in early January we bring it into the house. When the contents thaw, you can start sowing.
We draw shallow parallel grooves along the surface, spill them well, then cover them with strips cut from colored paper napkins. We lightly press the strips to the ground and carefully (using a wet wooden ice cream stick) spread the seeds in granules on them. The granules easily stick to the strips and are no longer lost in the ground. I don't sprinkle on top. We spray crops from a spray bottle. We put signs along the grooves (we cut them out of cans from drinks) indicating the variety, date of sowing and the number of seeds sown. Then we cover the boxes with a thick transparent film. The heavier it is, the better.
Seeds germinate under a fluorescent lamp in 10-20 days at a temperature of + 20-22 degrees. After the appearance of the first true leaf, we ventilate the crops, remove the film and reduce the temperature to + 14-16 degrees. In the phase of the 3rd leaf of planting, you can thin out a little: plant extra seedlings.
In the future, the main thing is not to overmoisten them. Water every 3 days: if the soil is allowed to dry slightly, the roots will begin to seek moisture and work better. It is advisable to pinch the plants, and when early landings you can take apical cuttings.
When the plants grow up and get stronger, dive them into separate containers. We use plastic cups (0.5 l). We make holes in them for the flow of water. To the previous composition of the soil mixture, add 1 part of the husk from buckwheat or millet. The earth becomes loose, breathable. We put the glasses in a common dish and pour through the pan. Petunia grows strong and blooms in these cups. And when the threat of the last frost has passed, we pour the seedlings into containers in a permanent place, having previously poured expanded clay to the bottom. Sprinkle a little earth on top. Petunia grown in this way practically does not get sick and blooms until the very cold.
By the way
Even if it is not possible to illuminate the seedlings, fortune should be sown as early as possible, at the end of January. It develops very slowly, flowering takes a long time.
Method 2
For seedlings, petunia seeds are usually sown at the end February - early Martha. We do this even in January, because it is possible to illuminate the seedlings. Spread the seeds on moist soil and press down. We do not sprinkle earth on top. We cover the container with crops and put it in a bright, warm place (about +22 degrees).
Light is necessary for emerging sprouts. And the more it is, the stronger they turn out. If there is not enough light, the sprouts stick out and often fall. As soon as all the seedlings sprout, we lower the temperature for the night to + 14-16 degrees. If this is not possible, you can compensate for the light, leaving it over the seedlings around the clock. At an early age, petunias develop very slowly, increasing root system. If, after the appearance of the first true leaf, they are picked, the plants will gain mass faster. Seedlings can be moved to a greenhouse or a glazed balcony when the night temperature does not fall below +6 degrees. Mature plants also prefer well-lit, open areas.
Secrets of the abundant flowering of petunias
The practice of growing petunias has deduced the following formula: large capacity + regular top dressing sufficient watering + removal of faded flowers.
Large landing capacity. The root system of a petunia is very powerful, and it needs quite a lot of land. You need to proceed from the calculation - 5 liters of soil per plant. It turns out that you need to plant 2 petunias in a container with a volume of 10 liters. In a balcony box 1 m long - no more than 3. If planted more plants, the strongest will begin to suppress the weaker ones.
Regular feeding. Petunia loves to "eat" very much. It is necessary to start feeding already 2 weeks after the first picking of seedlings. At the "childhood" age, fertilizers with a nitrogen content are needed - for growth. Later, phosphorus and potassium are required to lay buds. Foliar top dressing is good to carry out complex fertilizers with micronutrients. Iron for petunias is an important part of nutrition. Plants react to its deficiency by yellowing leaves (chlorosis). Iron chelate helps to fix this, or its liquid form - "Ferovit", 3-4 treatments are enough with an interval of several days. Adult plants need to be fed every 5 days, alternate root and foliar top dressing. Petunias are very fond of potassium monophosphate.
Sufficient watering. It is important not to overwater the petunia seedlings, they are very prone to black leg. In general, adult plants like fairly plentiful watering. But short-term drying of the soil is tolerated normally.
Removal of faded flowers. It is advisable to regularly remove faded flowers. It provokes new wave flowering. But if it suddenly decreases, you can cut off the boxes with seeds and dead flowers, feed them and again it will be ... SUCH!
If you want the petunia to bush and not stretch one stem up, you need to pinch it over the third leaf
The leaves will be juicy, and the flowers are large, the flowering period will increase.
Well, I found another experience on the Internet:
I have been breeding petunias for several years. Once I bought seedlings in the market. Apparently it was some kind of mixture, because the flowers were very different. I really liked this beautiful and easy-to-care annual. Then I thought: well, can’t I grow seedlings myself, moreover, varieties that I like. In principle, this is not a difficult matter, but there are some nuances. The whole point is that initial stage petunia grows very slowly, it builds up the root system, therefore, from the moment of sowing to planting it in the ground, it takes from 2.5 to 3 months ...
I sow inexpensive seeds without a shell in a prepared soil mixture.
In order not to play with the illumination of petunias, I sow petunias no earlier than mid-March and put seedling containers on the brightest window.
The soil mixture for seedlings should pass water well, be light, but at the same time nutritious. You can make it yourself from equal parts of good humus, soddy land, peat and sand. You can buy a universal potting mix in the store and add sand to it. In order to prevent the occurrence of fungal diseases in future seedlings, I must disinfect the soil mixture a day before sowing by spilling a fungicide solution (for example, ("Fundazol", "Fitosporin-M") or a weak solution of potassium permanganate. You can ignite it in the oven. In the first year, due to the "black leg" I lost most of the seedlings. Now I know for sure that it is better to prevent its appearance than to "play" with diseased seedlings later. By the time of sowing, the earth should not be wet.
For sowing seeds, I use transparent food containers with lids, in which I first make holes for water to drain. At the bottom of the seedling container, I pour drainage, usually charcoal or screening, but the main thing is to ignite or disinfect it in some other way before use. I pour the prepared soil mixture on top, but not to the top of the container, but 3-4 cm lower, so that the seedlings have room to grow at first. I compact the soil slightly.
Since the seeds of petunias are very small, they must be mixed with sand before sowing, approximately 1x10. It is desirable that the seedlings be rare, then it is easier to dive them. If you take a little sand, then the seedlings will grow very densely, and since you need to dive them when they are very small, this will be problematic. I carefully scatter the sand with seeds over the soil, spray it with a growth stimulator solution from the spray gun and, without sprinkling it with substrate, close the container. If it's a regular seedling box, cover it.
glass. Temperature - 22-25 degrees, not lower, otherwise they may not ascend. Petunia seeds sprout better in the light.
Be sure to air the containers every day, remove moisture from the lid and sprinkle the seeds with water. If you see that the ground is wet, it is better not to water.
Shoots usually appear on the 7-10th day.
After the appearance of seedlings, the temperature of the content should be reduced by 2-3 degrees, but not lower than 20 degrees. I maintain this temperature until the first two true leaves appear.
At the same time, it is very important to prevent the appearance of fungal diseases. soil mixture in no case should it be wet, only slightly damp. Therefore, I immediately open the containers, and after a few days I remove the lids completely. Instead of a strait, I spray seedlings from a spray bottle with a very weak solution of potassium permanganate. After two weeks, I feed the plants with a complex fertilizer such as nitroammophoska. I make the solution twice as weak as it is written on the package.
If the seedlings begin to stretch too much, I sprinkle sand with earth, where I add crushed charcoal.
When a crust appears, be sure to loosen the soil, otherwise the seedlings will begin to suffocate.
It is recommended to dive seedlings when they have 2-3 true leaves. But they are still so tiny that it is problematic to do this. It is in order that before the picking they do not drown out each other, I try to sow the seeds of petunias as rarely as possible. I dive petunia seedlings into separate cups when they already have 4-6 leaves. At the bottom of each cup, be sure to pour drainage. It is desirable to treat the roots with some kind of growth stimulator, for example, "Epin" or "Zircon". On the 5th-6th day after that, I water with a weak solution of complex fertilizer with a mandatory nitrogen content. I do this with every third or fourth watering.
Immediately after picking, I pinch the tops of the petunias to better bush. Ampel varieties I pinch petunias once in the phase of 3-4 leaves, and bush ones - 2-3 times.
If the spring is not very sunny, you can water or spray the plants once with a growth stimulator.
The first two months after sowing, seedlings develop very slowly, because the plants build up the root system. At this stage, it is important not to miss the moment when the petunias begin to "grow" out of their cups. If you notice that the roots have filled the entire substrate, the plants should be transplanted into larger pots as soon as possible, otherwise their development will slow down.
Summing up what petunias need at the seedling stage:
- well-disinfected soil mixture;
- mandatory container drainage;
- content temperature - 19-22 degrees;
- maximum lighting (but not direct sunlight);
- top dressing;
- moderate watering;
- timely transplant.
Reproduction of petunias in peat tablets.
Now popular pressed peat tablets for seedlings. They are really very convenient, especially when germinating expensive seeds. It saves space, it’s clean, you don’t mess with the ground, it’s almost impossible to pour the plant, it’s very convenient to transplant the seedling into a pot or soil when it grows up, the root system is not disturbed, and the “tablet” in the ground disintegrates over time. . And they are also with the addition of preparations for root formation and improvement of seed germination, with microelements, which are enough for the first time.
Plants at the initial stage do not oppress each other, tangling the roots. It is convenient and profitable to sow the seeds of terry and large-flowered petunias in peat tablets, which are usually sold in a shell.
If you have the opportunity to highlight the seedlings, sow in February, if not, then it is better to sow at the end of March. Believe me, they will catch up with the February seedlings.
I put the tablets in warm water for 3-4 minutes, they swell, increasing up 3-4 times. I put the swollen tablets in a tray.
Granules with seeds are also soaked in barely warm water. When they start to get a little wet, I crush them a little and put them one at a time in the recess on the tablet.
I close the greenhouse and leave it on the windowsill. The temperature of the greenhouse is 23-25 degrees.
Seedlings, depending on the variety, appear on the 6-7th day.
Further, the technology is approximately the same as when growing in substrate. I reduce the temperature of the content to 20 degrees. But not lower, as lower temperatures can kill seedlings. I noticed that the "black leg", which is so detrimental to seedlings, appears not only from the overflow of the plant, but also when it is kept in the cold. Every day I air the greenhouses, remove the drops from the lid.
You need to water the tablets in the pan, but carefully so as not to overmoisten the seedlings. Petunia seedlings grown on tablets are usually not affected by the “black leg”, at least I have never had it.
Again, lighting is very important. Light day at this stage should be at least 12 hours. If the petunias have enough light, then they do not stretch.
Immediately after the emergence of seedlings, I slightly open the lid of the container.
Plants grown on tablets I do not dive at all. If they begin to stretch strongly, I plant a petunia along with a tablet in a glass, top up with a universal soil mixture with the addition of sand to drown the plant. I first remove the mesh from the tablet.
When 3-4 true leaves appear on the plants, I begin to feed them. To do this, I use any water-soluble complex fertilizer such as nitroammofoski, but I make the concentration less than what is written on the package. In general, the main thing is that in this
fertilizer was nitrogen, which is responsible for plant growth. I do top dressing with every third or fourth watering.
At the same time, I begin to pinch the petunias. Bush several times, ampelous only once. Plants from this are more magnificent.
Once again I transplant the plants immediately into containers or hanging baskets, if it is still cold, then I transplant transparent plastic cups into 400 ml. This must be done, because if the roots are already crowded, the plant is inhibited in growth.
If you want the petunia to bloom sooner, light up the plants. The thing is that petunia is a flower of a long day, and the more light it receives, the sooner it will bloom. But there is one nuance here: at the initial stage of development, if petunias shorten daylight hours, instead of tying buds, they begin to bush. And the plants subsequently turn out to be more lush and blooming profusely.
I wish you success!
Petunia is a beautifully flowering perennial herbaceous plant, used in gardening to decorate flower beds, verandas or balconies. Can be grown in open field, and in flowerpots, hanging planters or boxes. The flowers are large, thanks to the selection, many shapes and colors have been bred, the petals can be monophonic or bicolor. Planting and caring for a petunia is not difficult, so gardeners prefer to grow it as an annual crop, sowing a new batch of seeds every spring.
Petunia - features of planting and growing
Petunia seedlings are often sold in specialized stores or markets, however, if the gardener has the time and desire, you can purchase a bag of varietal seeds and grow flowers yourself.
Soil composition requirements for sowing petunia seeds
For successful cultivation the substrate should be nutritious and loose, it is better to prepare it yourself:
- leaf ground - 2 parts,
- rotted humus - 2 parts,
- fibrous peat substrate - 2 parts,
- fine-grained sand - 1 part.
Sowing petunia seeds
Petunia - planting and caring for it after sowing is simple, but close attention from the grower will be required. Most auspicious time for sowing seeds - the end of February or the beginning of March. Seeds must be mixed with a small amount of sand and spread over the top layer of soil in the box. Then you should spray and cover the box with transparent polyethylene or ordinary glass providing seeds with greenhouse conditions. It is important that germination occurs at a temperature of +20 °C to +23 °C, not lower. The first shoots will appear quickly, in 7-8 days. At this stage, the most important thing for the gardener is to provide the seedlings with high air humidity, but at the same time to prevent the appearance of the "black leg" - a dangerous fungal disease.
The soil should be sprayed twice a day and regularly ventilate the "greenhouse". The signal for the next ventilation will be the accumulated condensate on the glass or covering polyethylene, drops of water will need to be removed. Periodically it is recommended to spray the seedlings with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, this will prevent the appearance of many diseases. As soon as the first leaf appears on the plants, the covering material can be removed, the soil sprinkled with sand a little, and watering and spraying should be reduced to prevent excessive dampness.
Growing seedlings of petunias
Growing a flower such as petunia, care for it should be careful and accurate. The stems of the plant are fragile and tender, so the seedlings for further picking pry thin sticks or fireplace matches, carefully removing the seedling. This should be done after the formation of the third or fourth sheet. Seedlings are planted in small containers with a similar soil composition or in a peat tablet.
During further care for the petunia the main task grower - do not allow the substrate to dry out. The frequency of watering depends on the volume of the container and the air temperature. 8-10 days after picking, seedlings need to be fed with complex mineral fertilizer. You can use "Kemira", "Mortar" and other liquid formulations. Root top dressing it is recommended to supplement by spraying, but in this case the fertilizer concentration should be halved.
Planting petunias in open ground
Petunia is planted in open ground or flowerpots in May, depending on the climatic features of the region. If the weather is consistently warm and the forecast does not portend night frosts, then the procedure can be carried out in the first days of the month. A few days before planting in open ground, petunia should be prepared for fresh air by placing boxes with seedlings on a balcony or terrace. Planting a petunia and caring for it is best planned on a cloudy day, so the acclimatization of the plant will pass faster.
Petunia prefers the rich fertile soils, therefore, before planting in a flower bed, it is recommended to add humus, and then dig up the site. Cow dung should be avoided, it promotes the active reproduction of fungal diseases.
Before removing the petunia from the container, the earth ball should be well moistened. Over the summer, the bush will grow, so when planting several specimens on a flower bed, it is worth keeping a distance of 40 cm. If the plant is planted in a flowerpot or planter, it is important to remember that each specimen needs at least 5 liters of land. For example, in a balcony box 1 m long, no more than 3 bushes can grow at the same time.
Features of petunia care
After planting in open ground, petunia care is almost the same as for other garden plants.
Lighting and environmental conditions
The flower prefers a lot of sunlight, so the flower bed should not be located in the shady part of the site. If petunias are grown in insulated containers, they should be placed on south-facing balconies or terraces.
Considering that petunia has very delicate stems and especially flowers, it must be protected from heavy rain and gusts of wind. If the plant is grown in flowerpots, then in bad weather it is recommended to bring them under a canopy or indoors. Under the influence of strong wind and raindrops, the petals may tear, which will spoil appearance plants.
Watering petunias
The flower is able to withstand a short-term drought, but needs regular watering to preserve its beauty. If the summer turned out to be sunny and hot, then the procedure is recommended to be carried out twice a day, or to replace evening watering with intensive spraying. Stagnation of moisture in the soil can be detrimental to a plant, especially when grown in a container, so it is important to observe the measure.
Fertilization
For luxurious flowering, petunia care must necessarily include top dressing. If the flower is grown in open ground, and in landing pit a nutrient substrate or fertilizer has been introduced, then there is no need for additional nutrition. potted plants it is recommended to feed mineral compositions at least 2 times a week.
Petunia pruning
Pledge of lush and bright flowering- regular removal of fading inflorescences. If this rule is neglected, then the plant will direct all its forces to the ripening of seeds, and subsequent flowers will be small and, perhaps, not so bright.
Sometimes a gardener may notice that in the middle of summer, petunia bushes began to lose their decorative effect, the flowers became smaller and rarer, and the stems were too long. In this case, it is recommended to carry out rejuvenating pruning, leaving stems no longer than 15 cm long in bush forms, and cutting off exactly half in ampelous forms. Young shoots will grow very quickly and the petunia will bloom again, delighting with its beauty until the first days of November.
In the fall, you can dig up bushes and arrange for planting and caring for petunias in an apartment. In this case, the plant is planted in a pot, and the stems are cut. Throughout the winter, the substrate is slightly moistened and new shoots may appear in February. Some growers cut them off and plant them in nutrient soil caring like a cutting houseplant. This method is suitable for those who find it too troublesome to grow seedlings from seeds.
Video how to grow petunia
? Is it possible to grow petunias in an apartment?
If your windows are on south side, then be sure to grow petunia seedlings for yourself so that later all summer and autumn you can enjoy the beauty of this annual.
If the windows are on the north side, then the flowering of the petunia will not be so plentiful. Basically, the petunia will produce green tops, not flower buds.
? Petunia on the balcony. Can it be grown?
If you have a sunny balcony, then growing a petunia on the balcony will be a pleasure. Daily flower beauty can please not only you, but also your neighbors, as the petunia planter can be placed both inside the balcony and outside the balcony.
?How long does it take to grow petunia seedlings?
In order to get seedlings of petunia from the moment of sowing to the formation of a bush with 2-3 flowers, 2.5 months are needed. For terry petunia - 3 months.
?When is the best time to sow petunias?
If you plan to grow petunia for yourself, then it is better to sow it at the end of February - in early March.
? How to grow a petunia?
At the first stage of germination, it is necessary to create high level soil moisture within 22-24°C. When sowing, do not cover the seeds with soil!
At the stage of emergence of the root and cotyledons, it is necessary to reduce the level of soil moisture to 20°C. Use a maximum illumination of 25,000 Lux
At the true leaf stage, it is necessary to allow the soil to dry out between waterings, the temperature of the soil drops to 18-21°C. Use lighting with a maximum of 50,000 Lux. Fertilizers are applied at this stage.
At the fourth stage of growing petunias, the first transplant (dive) is carried out. Use medium humidity. The soil temperature is lowered to 16-18°C. Illumination maximum 55,000 Lux
Use growth regulators and fertilizers.
The second transplantation is carried out in pots: for trailing - 17-20 cm, for other petunias - 10.5-13 cm. .
? What fertilizers should be used different stages growing petunia seedlings
When the root and cotyledons appear and before the first pick, it is necessary to use calcium nitrate, which is responsible for the skeleton of the plant. At this point, phosphorus is excluded, since phosphorus and ammonium nitrogen contribute to the elongation and lodging of seedlings.
After the first pick (transplantation, transshipment), i.e. damage to the root, 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% + a complex of trace elements in chelate form.
Before planting, to accelerate flowering, you can give foliar top dressing with 1% boron.
After landing, we again give phosphorus.
During flowering, an increased dose of potassium is needed (15:5:30).
? What conditions favor the growth of the root system in petunias?
For better growth petunia roots, it is necessary to observe the regime of agricultural technology.
In petunia, root growth in coolness overtakes up that which seedlings are grown in more warm conditions. However, if it is not possible to grow a petunia in a "cool-warm" mode, the problem can be solved using large quantity light when growing seedlings. With good lighting and warmth, petunia seedlings will also turn out good.
Also, when watering, you need to let the seedlings dry out between waterings. Petunias are best watered in a pan.
It is necessary to fertilize petunias with a fertilizer containing a large amount of phosphorus, which is responsible for the active development of the root system. If you water the petunia with fertilizers from infancy. containing a large amount of potassium - a frail plant with a weak root system will grow.
To build up the root, Radipharm is used - a plant complex of extracts enriched with vitamins and microelements. Radifarm stimulates the development of lateral and additional roots, helps the plant survive transplant injuries, as well as high temperature, excess moisture. When picking petunias, it is good to shed the plants 2-3 times at weekly intervals.
Also, if there is no radiopharmaceutical, zircon can be used.
?Why do petunia leaves curl?
One of common causes twisting and yellowing of the leaves of a petunia is the presence of pests. The first pest is the spider mite. If you look at the leaves in the light and the leaves will seem to be pricked with a needle, these are definitely tricks spider mite. Urgently treat all plants with Taurus.
For prevention from spider mites, it is necessary to treat petunia seedlings with fitoverm or actofit.
Also, the twisting of the leaves of a petunia can occur due to the fact that the temperature is very high, the air is dry and there is no light. The higher the temperature, the more light, if, on the contrary, at a low degree there is a lot of light, then the plant lays many points of growth and a more compact plant is obtained, but if it is warm, above 20 ° C and there is little light and even dry air, the plant tries to avoid moisture loss by twisting the sheet.
? How to ensure that the petunia is squat, plump and bushy?
In order for the petunia not to stretch, it is necessary to observe the agricultural technique of growing petunias: withstand day and night temperatures. Low temperatures at night (up to 5 degrees Celsius) and high temperatures (16-18°C) during the day contribute to the fact that the petunia will be plump and bushy without a lot of pinching.
? Why does a petunia grow in one stick with a bud at the end?
At high temperature(about 18 ° C) and without differences between day and night, all seedlings of terry petunia grow in 1 stick.
Petunias need to be pinched for bushiness. Without pinching, lack of light and keeping petunia seedlings in a warm place, an elongated and non-bushy plant will grow.
? When should you pinch a petunia?
You need to pinch the petunia after 2 pairs of true leaves. This promotes the growth of axillary shoots.
?How to feed a petunia?
It is better not to feed the petunia with anything before picking, but to start fertilizing the picked seedlings 2 weeks after the pick.
Petunia loves when root and foliar top dressing alternate. If you have a lot of seedlings, then it is more convenient to use the leaf feeding method. The plant absorbs nutrients better when foliar feeding is used. Splash better evening or early in the morning.
?What to feed petunias?
10-14 days after picking, you can spray the petunia seedlings with radipharm (root formation stimulator).
Then you can use complex fertilizers - Kemiru Lux, Solvent, Aquarin or Plantafol (nitrogen 10.30.10, potassium 10.54.10, phosphorus 5.15.45) in turn with a frequency of about 7-10 days.
?What conditions are needed for petunias to bloom?
Petunias need long days and strong light to bloom.
? What contributes to the formation of side shoots?
For the formation of lateral shoots, pinching and a lower night temperature (13-15 ° C) are needed.
?How to achieve long lashes in an ampelous petunia?
Petunia is a "gluttonous" plant. Therefore, the larger the amount of land for a petunia, the longer the lashes will be at the ampelous and luxurious bush at the bush. From this we conclude that what less land and the petunia will have nutrition - the less attractive the plant will be and vice versa.
? Why does the petunia not bloom (or is the petunia empty flower)?
If the sun is not enough, then the petunia can gain a lot of decent greenery and not bloom.
Also, in a small container, petunia roots have nowhere to roam, there is less nutrition and flowering will be rare or not at all. Petunia is a voracious plant, loves top dressing. During the flowering period, fertilizers should have little nitrogen, and be more phosphorus and potassium.
Please note that the first petunia flowers are almost always half empty, later the plant will gain strength and delight with chic flowers.
If you were fond of pinching, then this one also delays flowering.
? How to speed up the flowering of petunias?
To accelerate flowering, when a bush has formed, they give top dressing with a predominance of potassium. Once give top dressing on the sheet, before flowering at the rate of 1 gr. boric acid for 1 liter of water.
H What affects the brightness of the color of petunia flowers?
The reason for the change in the brightness of the color of petunia flowers can be: lack of light, pests, damage to the roots during transplantation, lack of certain nutrients, soil acidity.
To enhance the color of petunia flowers, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are used. If you overdo it with nitrogen fertilizers, color fading is possible.
? Why do petunia leaves turn blue-purple?
With a lack of phosphorus, the leaves of a petunia can turn purple. If the measles is good, then this is not the reason.
With a difference in day and night temperatures in winter, petunia leaves can also turn purple.
? What to do if petunia leaves chlorosis (turn yellow)?
Usually, the problem of chlorosis in petunias is dealt with with the help of iron chelate, which is applied to the plant either under the leaf or under the root. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. It all depends on the manufacturer of the chelate and the expiration date.
A very convenient and less expensive way is to water the chlorosis seedlings of petunia with citric acid at the rate of (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water) or (1 g per 1 liter). After two weeks, pale, yellow seedlings turn green again. However, keep in mind that yellowing of the leaves is not always an indicator of iron deficiency or indigestion. This may be a lack of manganese, nitrogen and other trace elements.
From a lack of nitrogen, small and yellow leaves. From a lack of iron, light yellow or white leaves are formed, the apical shoot is affected.
From the lack of magnesium, which manifests itself on the lower leaves, the leaves become variegated in color, turn brown and fall off.
Usually, a concentration is used to prevent chlorosis. citric acid at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water. If you have few plants, then it turns out 1 g per 1 liter. 1 g is about a few crystals of citric acid.
?How to make your own iron chelate?
In 3 liters of cold boiled water dissolve 12 g of citric acid. 7.5 g is added to this solution. iron sulphate. The result is a complex ferrous salt of light orange color. This solution is suitable for spraying a diseased plant and for top dressing at the root. The remains of the unused solution can be poured under the garden flowers.
?What are the most common diseases in petunias?
Petunia seedlings are susceptible to black leg damage.
The most common petunia problem is leaf chlorosis, which happens from frequent watering and non-compliance with agricultural practices for growing petunias.
Petunia can be saved in winter. Many people think that petunia is an annual, and it is often written on seed packets that petunia is annual plant. However, it is possible to extend the life of our beauties until next year. To do this, at the end of August, cuttings are cut from beautiful pets and rooted. These cuttings, which will have time to get stronger and build up the root system, will overwinter. Petunia should winter in cool conditions. It is advisable to leave it on a cool balcony with a positive temperature. If this is not possible, you can bring the petunia into the room and put it on the coldest window sill. In the room, due to dry air in winter, petunias may be affected by spider mites, so periodically (a couple of times a month) you need to treat the mother liquor with fitoverm or actofit.
In the spring, cut cuttings from the petunia mother liquor and root. These cuttings will be new plants. Rooting cuttings will take about 2 weeks, unlike sowing petunias with seeds, which will take more than 2 months.
?When are petunias cut?
You can cut petunias at any time of the year, if you have the opportunity to highlight them with phytolamps.
After rooting the cutting, if it has taken root well after 2 weeks, you can safely cut half of this cutting into a new one. Thus, you will force the plant to start up new shoots from the leaf axils and get another seedling.
? What is a petunia pinch?
In order for the petunia to bush and not grow in one lash, pinch it. Pinch the tip of the crown with a fingernail. Keep in mind that it is not a leaf, but the tip of the top. Pinching postpones flowering for 2-3 weeks, but later there will be a beautiful bush.
? What to do if the petunia seedlings have outgrown (stretched out)?
If the petunia seedlings are stretched out, there are two ways out of this situation.
The first - you can pinch.
The second - you can transfer the seedlings into large cups. For example, if the petunia was in 200 gr. a glass, transfer it to 500 gr. glass and sprinkle with earth. Petunia, like all nightshades, tolerates transshipments normally.
? How to achieve a large hat of flowers in an ampelous petunia?
The more soil and feeding, the larger the head of flowers will grow in a petunia.
? When will the bush petunia planted at the end of February bloom?
Bush petunia sown at the end of February with additional light of 14-16 hours and a temperature above 25 degrees will bloom by the end of April.
? Why turn yellow lower leaves at the petunias?
The lower leaves of a petunia usually turn yellow from overflow, lack of nitrogen, or a small amount of earth.
? Petunia afflicted with whitefly. What drugs to take with whitefly?
From the whitefly, you can use Aktara, which is sprayed with a petunia and spilled. Aktara is good because it almost does not smell. Please note that the development cycle of the whitefly is about 21 days, the larvae themselves cover themselves with a wax coating, therefore they are well protected from external influences (unlike ordinary aphids).
?Why did petunia seedlings stop growing?
Stopping growth may be due to a lack of boron, which results in the death of the apical points of growth. To solve the problem, you can spray the petunia with a solution of boric acid (7 grams per 10 liters of water). The result should appear in 10 days.
? What to do so that when picking the plants take root better?
After picking petunias into other containers, there may be damage to the root system. Therefore, after a week, it is better to give the plants monophosphate or fertilizers with a high content of phosphorus in order to better take root.
? Why pick off faded flowers from petunias?
Those flowers that have faded in petunias are cut off not only for aesthetic purposes, but also to stimulate flowering.
?How often to water a petunia growing on a balcony?
Petunia loves to drink. Therefore, petunias on the balcony need regular watering once or twice a day. The top soil clod must not dry out completely. On hot days, water the flower abundantly. Petunia easily tolerates if watering is too plentiful. The only thing that can negatively affect is the stagnation of water. Regular watering of petunias will provide you luxurious flowering and lush bushes.
For watering petunias great importance has the acidity of water. Petunia loves more acidic water. As you know, most of us have hard water. Therefore, there are two options: either acidify the water for irrigation, or simply plant the plant in an acidic soil mixture.
? How often to fertilize mature plant petunias?
In order for the petunia to please beautiful flowers An adult petunia plant needs to be fertilized at least every 10 days.
? How to cut a petunia?
Petunias can be cut different ways. The success of rooting a petunia cutting is an earthen mixture. It must be airy.
You can prepare the following mixture: 2 parts moss + 1 part vermicult + 1 part terra earth, some sand.
We moisten the earthen mixture and insert the cuttings into the cups. The cuttings are deepened by 1.5 cm. Cut off the lower leaves.
Cover with cellophane. After 10-12 days, depending on the variety, the first roots will appear.
Petunia is considered beautiful, but capricious plant. In today's article we will tell you about the features of growing petunias.
Petunia loves open sunny places. If you plant it in the shade, it will stretch and lose its decorative purpose, since to the detriment of the flowering process, the petunia will give all its strength to the formation of new leaves.
If your loggia or balcony is located on the south side, then the petunia should become their indispensable decoration. When planting a petunia in a summer cottage, you need to choose a sunny place for it.
Petunia- this is a heat-loving and drought-resistant plant, but the flower beds themselves are hard to endure the heat. In hot weather, the plant often strikes.
For a long time petunia can live without water, but for full development it needs regular moderate watering. On the balcony, flowers need to be watered twice a day.
Feels good in moist soil, but water stagnation should not be allowed. On hot days, to prevent the appearance of spider mites, the plant must be sprayed with water.
Petunia takes root well on any soil, but still it prefers sandy and loamy soil.
Timely feeding of petunias with complex fertilizers lengthens the flowering period. Fertilizers should be enriched with potassium. Top dressing is carried out throughout the entire flowering period, preferably every two weeks.
The duration of flowering determines the timely removal of old fading flowers and the elimination of emerging ovaries. The ovaries with seeds during their maturation take away the strength of the plant, it ceases to bloom profusely.
To get an attractive bush, you need to pinch the petunia shoots. Thanks to this, new branches of the flower begin to develop, it becomes larger and more magnificent, and blooms more intensively.
Reproduction of petunia
Today, you can buy ready-made petunia seedlings at any garden center. In addition, you can grow it yourself. You will need quality seeds and a little patience.
Petunia seeds should be sown in seedling containers in February-March. To grow good seedlings it will take about three months.
The soil for sowing seeds is prepared in advance, it must be sifted and moistened. Petunia seeds are evenly distributed over the surface of the soil, and sprayed with water using a spray bottle. Then the crops should be covered with a film, and the containers themselves should be placed in a warm place.
The optimum temperature for seed germination is 20-23 degrees Celsius. At higher temperature seedlings will begin to stretch, and then lie down and get sick with a fungal infection. The film from the crops must be removed regularly to ventilate the plants.
Under normal conditions, the first seedlings of petunia can be found within a week after sowing the seeds. At this point, the film is removed, and the seedlings themselves are carefully watered. In this case, the air temperature should drop to 18 degrees.
A month later, the grown seedlings need to be thinned out or the plants dive into separate peat pots. In order for the petunia to initially grow lush and compact, its shoots are pinched.
In April, the seedlings need to be hardened, and when the threat of frost has passed, plant the plant in the main place of residence - country cottage area or balcony.
Between flowers, the distance should be 30 centimeters or more. On balconies, petunias are recommended to be planted in 10 liter containers in an amount of no more than 3 pieces. With a more compact planting, the plants will not be able to develop normally, they will stretch out, losing their main purpose - decoration.
Many petunias reproduce by seed. But you can multiply them and. To do this, in the fall you need to dig up the mother flowers, planting them in pots.
On the plant, it is necessary to remove all shoots and place it in a bright, but cool, well-ventilated area. The air temperature should not be below 10 degrees, moderate watering is recommended.
With the beginning of spring, young cuttings are cut off from the plant, no more than 10 cm long. The cutting should have a couple of leaves, everything else is removed.
For the development of the root system, the cuttings should be placed in a solution with phytohormones. Then the cuttings are planted in loose soil at a shallow depth.
The soil needs to be moistened, slightly compacted and covered with a film. For the development of roots, the plant needs a temperature of 20 degrees and good lighting at least 10 hours a day.
The soil must be constantly moistened. Somewhere in a week, the cuttings release roots, and with the appearance of leaves, they can be planted in separate larger containers. Further, the care of seedlings corresponds to the care of seedlings.
Petunia diseases
Petunia is considered a hardy plant, but there are still adverse factors that can affect its growth and development.
More often, difficulties in growing petunias are associated with the mistakes of the gardeners themselves. For example, excessive watering, low temperatures, improper soil and dense sowing of the plant lead to rotting of the root system of the petunia, otherwise it is called the "black leg" disease.
When the first signs of the disease appear, it is necessary to take urgent measures: remove diseased plants, treat healthy ones with fungicides, and establish regular watering at the request of petunias without stagnant water in the soil.
Sometimes on the leaves and flowers of petunia is found white coating. It's about about a fungal infection - powdery mildew. It affects the plant at high humidity and temperature changes. Leaves affected powdery mildew, must be removed immediately, and the plant itself should be treated with sulfur.
For the prevention of fungal diseases, the following recommendations should be followed:
- the soil for sowing should be light, loose;
- before sowing, it is desirable to steam it for the purpose of disinfection;
- plants should not grow in close quarters, at a close distance from each other;
- important to observe optimal temperature in the process of growing;
- regular but moderate watering is important;
- do not overfeed the plant with nitrogen fertilizers.
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