How to properly grow petunia from seeds at home?

In our country, petunia is grown as an annual ornamental plant. While this representative of the nightshade belongs to perennials. But due to the harsh climate in most of our Fatherland, no one thinks about preserving petunias for the winter. This business is troublesome and unpopular with Russian flower growers. Meanwhile, breeders have long bred hybrid varieties of petunias that are capable of blooming profusely several times a year.

Description of petunia flowers

The flower came to Europe from South America. At home - in Brazil and Paraguay, petunias grow up to a meter in height. Petunias used in cultivated floriculture are plants that have the shape of a small bush.

Its height depends on the type and variety. Low-growing petunias grow up to 20-30 cm, larger ones form a bush up to 60 cm. Petunias are also distinguished by the location of the stem:

• upright;
• creeping.

Breeders are constantly expanding the assortment range of these many-sided decorations for any garden or flower bed. Most often, petunias are divided into two large groups:

1. Shrub.
2. Ampel petunias.

The varieties of the latter type are well suited for planting in hanging pots, because due to the flexible short shoots and a large number of small flowers, a bright "ball" is formed, visible from afar.

By the size of the flower, petunias are subdivided into large-flowered and multi-flowered... The first group is distinguished by flowers more than 10 cm in size. They decorate strong branches with single funnels. Such petunias look very elegant.

In plants of the second group, the flowers are much smaller, a little more than a five-ruble coin, but there are many of them. The bushes look elegant and even fun.

Petunia is extremely popular with flower growers all over the world for its variety of colors, long and abundant flowering with proper care. Many are trying to grow petunia seedlings with their own hands at home.

How and at what time to start this responsible business? How to grow petunia seedlings at home? At the first stage, it is necessary to purchase high-quality seed.

Rules for growing petunias from seeds

Sowing is carried out in late February, early March. Although you can start growing seedlings at a later date, in this case you have a danger of not seeing flowering.

Keep in mind that it will be at least 10 weeks before this beauty will delight you with her colorful outfits. Petunia produces very small, less poppy seed, seeds.

However, you can see them on the shelves of flower shops. granular form... They are much larger and more expensive than conventional ones. The whole focus is in a special nutritionally protective shell that surrounds the seed of the plant.

Sometimes the pellets are sold by the piece. It is impossible to determine the appearance of the seeds in the package, because they are sold in opaque bags. It remains to trust the information on the package. Study it carefully. The label should state:

• Seed producer.
• Shelf life.
• The name of the variety.
• Flowering time.
• Adult height of the bush.

Keep in mind that paper-wrapped seeds remain viable for up to a year. Longer shelf life is provided by packaging foil or polyethylene - up to two years. How to grow petunia from seeds?

How to choose containers for seedlings

For a homemade "greenhouse", in which seeds will germinate and young seedlings will pick up the first leaves, a container for cookies, biscuits, ice cream will do. You can purchase plastic containers at the hardware store.

A budget and convenient option is to use an empty five-liter water bottle. With a sharp knife along the long side, make an incision on three sides and slightly bend the plastic upward, you get a "greenhouse" with a lid, light and comfortable.

Whatever you choose to grow petunias from seeds at home, do not forget to do in the bottom of the container with a heated nail drainage holes... Then the water will not stagnate in the soil and the roots will not be affected by rot.

Soil preparation

You can buy a ready-made mixture at a flower shop. Such compositions are produced on the basis of peat. There is even special soils for petunias... A high-quality substrate is industrially disinfected from pests.

But you can prepare the necessary soil composition yourself, if you have the necessary ingredients, time and desire for this.

Take in equal proportions (2 parts each):

• peat;
• garden land;
• humus;
• add 1 part sand to this set.

Mix everything, the necessary nutrient base for seed germination is ready. Pour a layer of expanded clay or small river pebbles on the bottom of the container. On top of this drainage pad, place a layer of soil about 3 to 5 cm thick.

But before you do this, please accept parasite precautions... Heat the purchased or homemade composition in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or pour boiling water over it.

Some growers advise adding potassium permanganate crystals to the water so that a solution saturated in color is obtained. In this case, hang the container with soil over the basin, where the water will drain. After the ground has cooled down after disinfection, moisturize it well with a sprayer and start sowing.

Sowing petunia seeds

Petunia is a plant that is very fond of light and warmth. For successful germination (assuming you are lucky with the starting material), you need to create these conditions. Therefore, the seeds are only lay out on the surface moistened soil, but we do not fall asleep with earth.

For the convenience of performing the operation, moisten a match or toothpick with water and pick up each seed with it. The intervals between them must be the same, at least 10-15 cm.

After you're done press the seeds to the ground, to improve tenacity. Cover the homemade greenhouse with a lid, glass, plastic wrap and put it in a warm place, the simplest thing is to a room battery.

Additional lighting is not required at this stage, but heat is vital for the emergence of sprouts. Germinate petunia seeds should at a temperature of +25 degrees.

Open the ventilation container lid once a day. Seedlings will appear on the third or fourth day. However, if the seeds are expired, then they will germinate longer, about ten days.

Seedling care: lighting and watering

For healthy and strong seedlings at home, consider some of the developmental features of petunias. If the sprouts do not have enough light, they will reach for the sun, they will turn out to be tall, but weak.

Therefore, after the seeds germinate, move the boxes away from the battery, but closer to the window. At this stage, the second factor plays the main role - light. Without relying on window lighting, resort to the help of additional lighting.

For these purposes use fluorescent lamps or lamps for seedlings. Turn on the additional lighting as soon as the seeds hatch. The lamps should burn over the seedlings for at least 12 hours. In the future, this will contribute to the formation of flower buds more quickly. The temperature in the place where you have boxes with sprouts should be + 18-20 degrees.

It is extremely important at this stage, when the seedlings are fragile and can easily die, carry out competent watering... Experienced growers advise doing this in the evening, when more intensive plant growth occurs.

Water should be soft, chlorine-free and warm... To do this, stand the tap water for at least a day on a windowsill or in another warm place. Before watering, squeeze a few drops of juice from the lemon into it.

From the very first day, as the sprouts appear, ventilate the greenhouse”By sliding the cover. Start with two to three minutes, increasing the aeration time from time to time. Such a simple method will help maintain the right amount of moisture and protect the seedlings from the disease, which is called "black leg".

Diving - how to do it correctly

There comes a time when the seedlings get cramped in the box and each sprout already needs a separate space. For this purpose, a transplant is performed. So that you don't get confused, let's figure out what leaves are on plants.

Germinating, the seed releases two cotyledons. They are elongated and much larger than the leaves that appear later. The cotyledons are a kind of bottle of milk from which the sprout feeds. But now he and his brothers on TV grew up, and like kids in kindergarten, they began to push and interfere with each other.

So it's time to dive. This operation includes transplanting and pinching the root... Each sprout is placed in a separate transparent cup. We deepen the sprout in the soil until the cotyledon leaves.

While the plants are very fragile, the root system has not formed and consists of only one root, as thick as a hair. In order not to damage, the sprout is taken together with a lump of earth and placed in a new place of residence. The soil is sterilized, as before sowing seeds - with boiling water or calcining in the oven.

After the first transplant of petunia seedlings, if you did everything correctly, the plant begins to develop more actively, increasing the root system. About a month and a half after sowing, a second transplant will be required, into larger pots. Here, petunia is left before it is planted in open ground in the garden or outdoor pots.

Strictly speaking, root shortening is included in the diving procedure. They do this so that lateral roots begin to develop and the whole system is formed more powerful, branched. Then the plant will receive more nutrients from the soil.

But recently, flower growers have moved away from this practice, considering it too risky. Some masters in growing seedlings at home, do not do the second transplant.

They choose containers for diving with a margin, "for growth." Explaining this by the fact that there is nothing to injure the plants once again. You can choose the best way from your own experience.

Temperature regime and feeding

Having received a separate living space after diving, the seedlings begin to grow vigorously. Now, for their own benefit, start accustoming young petunias to low temperatures, up to + 10 °. Florists use the term "hardening" in this case.

Seedling cups taken out to the glassed-in balcony or open a window in the room. Start with 15 minutes, gradually increasing the time.

After a couple of weeks of such repetitions, and provided that the outside air temperature does not drop below normal, the seedlings can be left completely in a cool place before they are transplanted to a permanent place.

It is impossible to grow good seedlings without care, and also timely and regular feeding... Start fertilizing two weeks after the first seedling transplant. In the future, do this for adult plants, once every two weeks.

Specialized shops offer florists complex fertilizerscontaining a lot of potassium. Concentrated liquid formulas are also good and must be diluted with water at home.

After the second transplant and in the future, do not forget about loosening the soil. The roots need oxygen. Petunias will respond to such care with prolonged flowering until late autumn.

Pinching seedlings

The heart rejoices from looking at the bright dense "ball" of multi-colored petunias. How to achieve perfect shape at home? The secret is simple. It's all about pinching the top of the plant.

Begin this procedure as soon as four to five leaves appear on the sprout, not counting the two that grow from the hatching seed (cotyledon). It turns out that you will do the first pinching when there are seven leaves on the petunia.

By limiting upward growth, you force lateral shoots to develop. So it will be formed round bush... But keep in mind that pinching postpones the beginning of flowering in time. Therefore, leave the plant alone a couple of weeks before.

Growing seedlings in peat tablets

In addition to the above-described method of growing seedlings, there is another, more economical in time. Industry produces peat tablets, which are great for getting strong seedlings at home.

They are placed in a plastic deep dish and fill it with water. Within 10 minutes, swelling, the tablets increase in volume several times. Drain off the excess water and make a small indentation in the upper part of the peat column with a match or toothpick.

Place the seed of the petunia there. Sowing is complete. In the future, take care of the seedlings as described above. Convenience is that in the case of peat pellets, a dive is not required.

The grown seedlings are planted immediately in open ground, along with a tablet. In the ground, it will disintegrate without your intervention. It is also good that peat gives necessary nutritional supplementation developing petunia roots.

From all of the above, we can conclude that even a beginner can grow petunia seedlings at home.

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Petunia has long conquered floriculture enthusiasts and has become No. 1 among the leaders in the number of varieties, in the number of grown specimens, in terms of use in various compositions. It takes root well in flower beds, ridges, alpine slides, in pots and containers. And everywhere it feels great, adding bright, sunny colors to our world. Consider what kind of petunia is needed for growing from seeds and when to plant seedlings.

Plant advantages

Why did the plant become so popular in a fairly short time? After all, growing petunias from seeds is not an easy task. But flower growers cope with these problems because they know what the result will be: a chic, bright bush, covered with simple or double flowers, with a wonderful aroma. It's worth the work!

And the qualities that distinguish it from other colors are many:

1. cold resistance, which is especially appreciated by residents of the northern regions,
2. unpretentiousness and ease of growing,
3. you can grow yourself, and not buy seedlings in flower centers,
4. has many shapes and shades,
5. many varieties are fragrant,
6. good in both single and group landings,
7. blooms throughout the summer.

In addition, hybrids (F1) appeared on sale, completely unique in their survival rate, abundant flowering, and a variety of forms. There are plenty to choose from and create a unique floral arrangement.

Seed selection

Breeders offer a huge selection of seeds. This is great, but the choice must be approached consciously. Remember that hybrids for the next year will not give you a flower waterfall, such seeds are used once. Look at the expiration date on the package, because the seeds "hatch" for a long time, and it will be unpleasant if they do not sprout at all.

Choose seeds based on your needs. What compositions do you want to create, what dreams and fantasies do you want to realize? Maybe cascading or ampelous petunias are needed. Maybe double forms or simple ones are interesting, but so that the scent surrounds your home.

Be sure to read the characteristics on the back of the bag, and the shape of the plant itself will become clear, how much space it will take, what diameter the flower will be. Now they sell all the seeds, mostly pelleted, wrapped in a nutrient film. There are not many of them in the package. And they are usually expensive. But do not spare the money, because you need a good result. A beautiful, lush petunia originates from a small seed.

Soil composition and sowing containers

It is best to use containers with transparent lids (possibly heated), in which plastic or peat jars, peat tablets, egg trays are placed. There are universal containers on sale: with jars inside, with a lid, and heated. All the conditions so that you can grow petunias from seeds at home.

Tip: you can take different containers for planting, but remember that the seeds are very small, therefore, at first, the container will need to be covered with glass or transparent material on top to retain moisture.

The composition of the soil consists of leafy soil, peat, fine sand and humus. That is, the mixture is light and nutritious at the same time. The mixture should be sieved and steamed for 1 hour (against diseases and weeds). A layer of fine gravel can be poured into the bottom of the container, or a hole can be made (which is best) so that the root system can consume the required amount of water. When grown from seeds at home, petunia is painful to lack of moisture, so the soil should not dry out.

Fill each container with soil, not reaching 1 cm to the top (for watering), slightly compact it, otherwise the seed may "fall" into the soil. In the center of the jar, make a small indentation for planting.

Tip: It is advisable that the container is under one plant, and it can be removed without damaging the roots when you plant it in a permanent place.

Rules for growing seedlings of petunias from seeds

The main question of interest to flower growers: "When to plant petunias from seeds, followed by cultivation in the open field?" After all, large seedlings will hardly take root, and small ones will not have time to please us with flowers throughout the summer.

Petunias at home should be sown no earlier than mid-March, when daylight hours will be longer, and the seedlings will turn out to be medium in size. You can plant seeds in the last days of February, but in this case additional lighting will be required. Germination of seeds requires a high room temperature - +25 degrees.

How to properly grow petunia seedlings? Let's consider several ways:

• The seeds are mixed with sand, evenly scattered over the surface of the earthen mixture, sprayed with a spray bottle and covered with captivity.
• If the seeds are pelleted (covered with a nutritious shell), then each seed can be placed separately in a peat tablet, making a small depression in it and covering it with a film.
• Compact the soil a little, cover the top with a small layer of 1-1.5 cm of snow. Spread the seeds evenly on the snow.It will melt and the seeds will be on the surface of the soil. Cover the container with glass, place in a warm, well-lit place. You can put a table lamp next to it.
• Place the seed in each individual peat pot and cover with foil. Place the pots in a tray. So it is more convenient for you to monitor the seedlings, and excess moisture will collect at the bottom of the pallet.

Tip: The seeds of this flower culture are small in size and do not need to be sprinkled with earth. But they need moisture: constant spraying is necessary as well as regular ventilation.

It can be concluded that growing petunia from seeds is troublesome, but the result will exceed all your expectations!

Features of caring for flower seedlings

If you do not have specific knowledge of how to grow petunia seedlings, then we will tell you about it in stages:

1. Seedlings will sprout in a week. Seedlings are weak and small, all the forces of which are spent on the development of the root system. If the plants are densely growing in the container, carefully thin them out. Otherwise, the seedlings will stretch out and turn out to be frail and weak.
2. In addition, it is necessary to periodically ventilate the seedlings. Remove the film or glass, remove the condensation and leave the seedlings for an hour "in the fresh air." Also remove moisture from the seedlings so that water droplets do not appear on the leaves. If the air stagnates in a humid environment, then mold, fungi and still weak seedlings can get sick on the surface of the earth. You need to ventilate every day.
3. Continue watering, but very gently. Watering should be drip or can be sprayed from above using the same spray bottle. Do not fill a container or pot with water. Neither excess nor lack of moisture is needed here.
4. Seedlings grown in a container should be dived into pots. Gently loosen the soil with a toothpick or fork, pinch the long roots and transfer to a separate container. With a noticeable stretching of the seedlings, it is better to place it in a cool place for a while (veranda, balcony).
5. If containers or pallets with seedlings are located on the south or west windowsill, then there should be no problems with lighting and the seedlings will not be pulled out. But the north and east sides require mandatory lighting. Now there are special lamps on sale, but you can do it yourself. For example, place a sheet of foil (or mirrored sheet) so that the sun's rays are reflected and re-incident on the plants.
6. Grown hybrids, with strong shoot growth, need to be pinched. The shoot must be pinched over 4-5 sheets. The plant will begin to bush well, which is what is needed for abundant flowering and large volume.
7. Seedlings can and should be hardened, especially if you survive in the northern regions. We harden it gradually: first, we take it out into a room where the temperature is 10 degrees, for 10-15 minutes and every day we increase the time. Subsequently, the plant will be resistant to temperature extremes in the open field.

At home, growing petunias on your own from seeds is not so difficult, because it is constantly under supervision, and if you correctly follow all the rules of care, then the seedlings will turn out to be strong and strong.

Tip: root picking should be carried out when the plant has already formed and has 4-5 leaves, i.e. when the plant is strong enough for such a procedure. Plants in peat tablets are not dived.

The front of the work is large, but now there should be no questions about how to grow petunia, so you are guaranteed success in the form of bright, flower beds.

Any garden will be decorated with petunia, abundantly blooming in various colors all summer and autumn. In addition, petunia is unpretentious, not demanding in care.
Therefore, many are interested in how to grow petunia from seeds - planting features, caring for seedlings and an adult flower.

Methods for growing petunias from seeds

To get seedlings of petunias, you need to sow seeds in February or early March.To do this, you can use seedling containers, or apply the technology of growing petunias using peat tablets.

• Most often, seedling boxes are used for this purpose. The seeds of the flower are light-like, that is, they need light for germination. Therefore, the sowing is done superficial, it is impossible to sprinkle them with earth, and for better contact with the soil, it is enough just to press.
• Seeds germinate at a sufficiently high temperature, about +25 ° C and an air humidity of 98%.
  Such conditions can be ensured by placing the seedling boxes in a lighted warm place, covered with a light non-woven cloth. You can use glass or transparent film for this purpose, however, the non-woven fabric provides the seeds with a more favorable growing environment, since moisture is better retained and the seedlings can breathe air.
  The non-woven fabric is removed when the seedlings grow a little.
• Sowing grains into peat tablets is much more efficient. Practice has shown that growing plants in peat tablets does not require subsequent diving, and grown seedlings can be planted directly into the ground.

The advantage of the tablets is the natural properties of peat, its water and air permeability, besides, they contain enough nutrients necessary for the development and growth of seedlings.

It is very convenient to use these tablets for growing petunias from seeds. They are placed in a container - a plastic container with a lid, and filled with water.
Within 10 minutes, the tablets will swell, increasing in height, but maintaining the diameter. After waiting another 5 minutes, drain the excess water and, using tweezers or a toothpick, place one seed in the depression that is in the upper part of the tablet. Then the container is closed with a lid and placed on the windowsill.
Further growing and caring for petunia consists in maintaining the temperature and humidity necessary for seed germination and growth.
To prevent condensation from dripping onto the sprouts, you need to periodically ventilate the container and remove excess moisture from its walls and lid.

Not everyone has the conditions to grow petunia seedlings in an apartment. It is quite possible to breed petunias in a greenhouse, however, the seedlings for planting in the ground will be ready a little later than home ones.

The main thing is to prepare the greenhouse in such a way as to provide the plant with the desired temperature and humidity conditions.

Features of growing petunias

Growing petunias indoors is troublesome, but very exciting.
The main thing is to ensure the light regime and maintain the required temperature.
Seedlings appear after about two weeks after sowing the seeds. This is a signal that it is necessary to reduce the temperature of the seedlings: during the day it should not exceed 20 ° C, and at night 16 ° C.
So that the sprouts that appear do not stretch out and grow well, they do additional lighting using a variety of phytolamps.

Additional lighting should be started as soon as the sprouts hatch. It is desirable that the plantings are illuminated for approximately 16 hours a day. This helps the seedlings grow strong and healthy, and further accelerates the formation of flower buds.

Diving and caring for petunia seedlings

Seedlings dive when the first full-fledged leaves appear.
In the agrotechnology of growing petunias, this is perhaps the most crucial moment. The sprouts are very delicate and fragile, for planting them you will need maximum patience and accuracy so as not to injure them.

For transplantation, cups made of transparent material filled with sterilized soil are used. In them sprouts are transplanted, dug out together with a lump of soil near the root.

Seedlings at the germination stage are quite capricious.
For about a month after the emergence of the sprouts, their development proceeds very slowly, since at this stage they build up the root system. More active growth begins when the seedlings are one and a half months old.
When the soil in a transparent cup is strongly intertwined with roots, the sprouts are transplanted into larger pots (up to 2 liters) and left there until planting in a permanent place.

The cultivation of ampelous petunias from grains, as well as the cultivation of cascade flowers, is carried out using the same technology as for other varieties.
Ampel petunia is the best option for hanging planters.

The ampelous group also includes cascading varieties. They have flexible, but thicker and shorter stems than ideal ampelous forms.

Growing terry petunia, surfinia petunia has its own characteristics. The fact is that they do not give seeds, therefore they propagate by cuttings of shoots.

To do this, a shoot with two internodes is cut off from a flowering bush. Flowers and buds are removed. The tip of the cutting is "powdered" with root and planted in a glass, which is set in the shade. After 3 weeks, roots appear. Plants overwinter in the house, at a temperature of 16 ° C.

How and with what water to water petunia seedlings

It is very important to learn how to water the petunia seedlings. This should be done in moderation and on time, observing some rules:

• Watering with a watering can is absolutely excluded. A fine spray gun is best suited to moisten the substrate. Waterlogging of the soil is dangerous by the appearance of a "black leg" - a disease in which the sprouts rot from below and die. Drying out is also detrimental to tiny seedlings.
• The most reliable way to maintain the correct soil moisture is to water the seedlings from the bottom of the pallet, not from the top.
• Use soft, chlorine-free water for irrigation. Therefore, be sure to defend tap water for at least a day, and add a little lemon juice just before watering.
• Water and substrate must be at the same temperature.

Important! In sunny weather, seedlings should be watered in the evening, because it is at night that their growth is most intense and water consumption is greater, while during the day the water evaporates strongly.

Fulfilling these little secrets of breeding petunias, we get a full-fledged seedlings

What soil is needed for petunias?

For sowing seeds, it is allowed to use various soil mixtures based on peat, with the exception of alkaline and strongly acidic ones.

Self-preparation of the potting mix requires certain skills, and the constituent components need to be sought somewhere, so the best option is to purchase a substrate in a flower shop.
It contains in an optimal ratio all the necessary substances for plant nutrition and growth.

To protect the plant from diseases, the acquired mixture must be spilled with a fungicide before planting.

Fertilizers for petunias

A plant cannot grow full-fledged without the use of fertilizers throughout its development. Petunia is incredibly responsive to fertilization, and has a high need for them. Only when it receives the necessary fertilizing in abundance, it will bloom profusely until the coldest days.

Try to use only specialized fertilizers, otherwise it is very difficult to maintain the concentration. Complex fertilizers with a high potassium content are also excellent for fertilizing.

At home, the easiest way is to use liquid fertilizers, which are diluted with water before watering. Their choice is wide enough.
Feeding should start a couple of weeks after transshipment. Throughout the season, you need to continue to fertilize at intervals of two weeks.

In addition to feeding, caring for petunia involves periodically loosening the soil to ensure oxygen supply to the roots and watering.
Caring for adult petunias, many do not know that in order to form lush bushes, it is necessary to pinch, that is, remove, the tops of regrown shoots. This should be done in the phase of active growth, when 4-5 leaves are formed.

Petunias bloom profusely and for a long time. They are planted in flower beds, in vases and containers, used to decorate flower beds.With a little effort and time to grow seedlings, you can plant the beauty of this delightful flower all season.

Article when to plant petunias for seedlings!

Growing and caring for petunias - video

Most gardeners are interested in how to grow petunia from seeds, because the cost of planting material is high and arranging a large bright flower bed will require significant financial costs. It is better to learn how to independently cultivate seedlings, the effort is worth it - the flower garden will shine with buds with elegant "skirts" of various colors.

How to get petunia seeds at home?

For the first time, the seeds can be bought at the store and grown seedlings. But then, when breeding flowers, the question still arises - how to collect petunia seeds at home. There are some tips:

• grains for future flowers are taken from mature and withered plants, which must be noticed even at the time of their flowering;
• the seed ripening cycle is 2-3 months, when collecting them, it is important not to rush;
• it is necessary to store the seeds in a dry place with room temperature, wrapped in paper or foil, they retain their germination for several years;
• many varieties are hybrids and do not produce secondary offspring. You can get your own seeds from simple varieties of petunias.

Planting petunias with seeds

In order for the germination process to take place as soon as possible, before planting petunia with seeds, they must be processed. To do this, it is necessary to carry out the scarification procedure - the grains are placed in a pot with moistened sand, wrapped in foil. Then the seeds are kept in the refrigerator for 2 months. Periodically, the pot must be taken out and the sand watered.

Sowing seeds of petunias - timing

To plant petunia seeds correctly, it is important to choose the correct sowing time:

1. Petunia can be rooted very early - in February. But the lack of light leads to the fact that the sprouts become elongated, weak, unable to cope with diseases. Such landings need to be additionally illuminated with lamps in order to increase their daylight hours (it should be about 16 hours).
2. For normal sowing, seeds are planted from mid to late March. At this time, the sunny day is already long in order to provide the sprouts with the necessary amount of light. In this case, it is better to place the container with seeds on the south, east or west window.
3. It usually takes 3-3.5 months from planting in the ground to flowering culture.

How to properly grow petunia from seeds?

Before growing petunia from seeds at home, prepare wide, not very deep containers - cassettes, boxes, cups. In any container, you need to make more holes so that water does not stagnate, otherwise the seedlings will die from a fungal disease called "black leg". Alternatively, you can plant petunia seeds in a pot, but it is more convenient to take a plastic rectangular transparent cake box with a lid. There are some features of how to grow petunia from seeds:

1. Its grains are small, so they are laid out on the surface of a moistened substrate with a toothpick, without then falling asleep with earth. Flower seeds need light to germinate. Therefore, the sowing is carried out superficial, it is impossible to sprinkle the grains with earth, otherwise they will not be able to break through. For better contact with the soil, the seeds can be lightly pressed with a toothpick.
2. Then the container is covered with a lid, foil or glass, placed in a warm place.
3. Growing petunia seedlings is carried out at + 20-25 ° C.
4. To prevent condensation from dripping onto the sprouts, you need to systematically ventilate the container and wipe off excess moisture from its surfaces.
5. When the first leaf appears at the seedlings, the plantings begin to air.

How to grow petunia from seeds - soil

For decorative petunias when grown from seeds, you need a loose, fertile and moisture-absorbing soil. Plants like purchased peat-based flowering soil. You can also make your own mixture.To do this, mix the same parts of humus, sod land, peat and sand. Before planting, it is better to sift the substrate and disinfect it in a double boiler or colander for an hour. This will protect petunia sprouts from diseases and weeds.

Petunia from seeds at home - watering

For garden petunias when grown from seeds at home, it is important to properly water the seedlings. The sprouts need to be checked so that the soil is not very wet, but also not dry. To do this, seedlings are sprayed daily at least a couple of times a day. It is better to water it in a tray or gently right under the very roots. Periodically, it is recommended to irrigate seedlings with a weak solution of potassium permanganate so that they do not get sick with a black leg.

The quality of watering is also important, since in order to successfully grow petunias from seeds, you need a soft liquid that does not contain chlorine. To do this, it is recommended to stand tap water for at least a day; before watering, add a little lemon juice to it. The temperature of the liquid and the soil must be the same. Watering is carried out in the evening, since at night the growth rate of shoots is higher.

How to grow petunia from seeds - top dressing?

To grow petunia from seeds at home, it will take 2-3 months until it gets warmer outside. To obtain strong and healthy seedlings, when the seedlings grow up a little, they begin to feed. The flower is very responsive to fertilization. Knowing how to plant petunia with seeds, and giving the plant plenty of nutrients, the culture can delight with bright buds until the very cold. First, top dressing is applied from 5 to 14 days - when the first shoots appeared. It should be based on calcium (prevents stretching) and nitrogen (stimulates the development of lateral shoots).

The next make-up is applied after a couple of weeks after picking every two weeks. At first, only fertilizing foliage is used for seedlings, alternating growth biostimulants and mineral complex fertilizers containing nitrogen, for example, Agricola. In the future, for budding, it is necessary to carry out root feeding with compositions based on phosphorus and potassium. It is better to use liquid forms that are diluted with water.

How long does it take for petunia seeds to germinate?

When asked how much petunia seeds will sprout, experienced gardeners give an unambiguous answer - after a week or two. At the same time, the lid or glass is not immediately removed, the plant is first taught to fresh air - it is opened for a couple of hours a day. After two days, the cover can be removed completely. The temperature of the seedlings is reduced - during the day it should not exceed + 20 ° C, at night - + 16 ° C (this is an important point of growing).

When 4-6 leaves appear on the seedlings, they are dived - each copy is transplanted into a separate transparent pot. In this case, the seedling is deepened to the first leaves in order to reduce the likelihood of rotting. Placing in larger containers will allow plants to grow roots for the first month. When the soil in the cup is tightly intertwined with underground processes, the shoots are transplanted into pots with a volume of up to 2 liters, where they grow before planting in the garden.

From the end of April to the beginning of May (after spring frosts), grown and strengthened seedlings are transferred to open ground. Planting is carried out in the evening or on a cloudy day, having saturated the roots of the seedlings with water in advance. The distance in the flower bed is 20-25 cm, after moving the flowers are watered, the soil around the seedling is mulched with peat, humus to protect it from the cold and preserve moisture.

Why petunias from seeds don't bloom?

Before growing petunia from seeds, it is important to study the peculiarities of plant cultivation. If the plant does not bloom for a long time, you need to pay attention to the following main points:

1. To grow petunia from seeds at home, you need to plant seedlings in the garden in a well-lit place - the plant likes light and warmth.
2. The beauty needs nutritious feeding.It is recommended to alternate watering with fertilizers: nitrogen stimulates growth, is used at the beginning of the growth of the bush; potassium and phosphorus are needed for bud setting. The optimal feeding scheme: watering, applying organic matter or mineral fertilizers, again moistening, spraying with top dressing on the leaves.
3. Soil moisture. Adult plants need, though not frequent, but abundant watering. And young seedlings cannot be moistened a lot - they may die.
4. Dead petals must be removed along with the pedicels, this will provoke a new wave of budding. It is better to do this every day, otherwise the seed pods will begin to tie, and the flower will give all its strength to the formation of seeds.
5. Pinching is necessary for young bushes, the top is removed from them, leaving 3-4 leaves. This stimulates the growth of new shoots and buds.
6. In the lower part of the plant, it is also necessary to systematically remove wilted leaves. Some pest can start in the rotting tops.