General information about the plant
Petunia is a popular garden flower. It is grown in gardens, balconies and terraces. Petunia is easy to care for, but needs your care! The plant does not make high demands on the composition of the soil, it does not require frequent watering, regular fertilization.
The weak side of petunia is that it is prone to chlorosis and tobacco mosaic. Ampel petunia is often grown on the balcony. The homeland of the plant is South America. To date, many species and varieties of petunias have been created.
Plants belonging to the first group are distinguished by large flowers. Their shoots are embossed, large, covered with sticky hairs. From the cascading petunias, many other varieties have evolved, characterized by rapid growth and long shoots. The plants were so popular that they quickly gained a dominant position in the market.
How to pinch petunia for abundant flowering
Trimming the top of the stem of a young petunia will allow the plant to vigorously move into growth and bloom effectively. You need to pinch petunia several times.
It is important to take into account that the first pinching is the most important, and it is carried out at the seedling stage.
You need to remove shoots not with your hands, but with scissors
Pinching by hand is not recommended, since there is a risk of damaging the integrity of the stem, which in the future can lead to decay and loss of the whole plant. You need to cut off the young stem with scissors, a sharp blade or knife. Adult stems can be removed with a pruner.
The first pinch when growing petunias from seeds
When the young seedlings of petunia have grown, many have the question of how to pinch the petunia correctly. Pinch the potted plant as early as possible. It is better to start the procedure when the number of leaves is from 4 to 7 pieces. This happens about 2 months after the emergence of seedlings.
This procedure is carried out to stimulate the lateral dormant buds on the stem to grow. After correct pinching from the axils of the remaining leaves, new young shoots begin to grow up and to the sides. Each pruning is carried out not only for the formation of a bush, but also for abundant flowering. It is advisable to do this at least once a month.
Advice! If necessary, the "pinching" procedure is carried out several times in order to achieve the required density of the bush.
What to do after pinching
After pinching the plant, the young flower actively builds up its green mass, and it needs nutrients for good growth. Therefore, it is necessary to fertilize with fertilizers.
Is it possible to pinch petunia when it blooms
A pinch for a lush and long flowering of petunia is carried out more than once. It is necessary to pinch the plant not only during the formation of a bush, but also during flowering.
If the neat shape of an adult petunia bush begins to lose its neat shape, it is necessary to cut the side shoots again. And the plant will again direct all its forces to flowering, releasing new flower buds.
Pinching a blooming petunia
How to form a petunia so that it bush smartly
It is necessary to form a young plant so that it bush chicly, it is necessary on time. You cannot postpone the operation until later and cut off half of the young bush at once. Instead of growing, the plant will hurt for a long time from such a careless approach, or it may even die. Therefore, in one approach, you cannot remove more than one fifth of the green mass of the entire bush of a young plant.
What is lobelia?
Lobelia belongs to the Bellflower family. It is represented by both annuals and perennials. Moreover, lobelia is not only herbaceous plants, as many are accustomed to think, but also shrubs, shrubs and even trees. The genus got its name in honor of the botanist who discovered it - Martin L'Obel. This famous Dutchman at that time was a physician and botanist of King James I of England and for some time stood at the head of the Royal Botanic Gardens.
The genus Lobelia is represented by 300 species. Ornamental value is about 20. The most popular varieties are with blue and blue flowers. Purple, lilac and white lobelias are also common.
Most varieties of decorative lobelia have a small height - 10-20 cm, but there are also ampelous varieties with a shoot length of 150 cm.If you want to have a spherical bush, then you need to start forming it long before flowering.
Pinching: rules and features
To ensure a long flowering period and normal development of the petunia, it must be pinched in time. Gardeners are interested in whether it is necessary to remove the top of a young shoot. In order for the plant to grow to its full growth, you cannot do without a procedure. If you do not cut off the side shoots, the petunia will go into the stem, turning into an ugly stick bent under the weight of the inflorescences.
Why pinch petunia
Pinching will give the bush splendor and flowering, enhance reproduction. Each cut will give rise to a new bud
It is especially important to carry it out if you are engaged in breeding on your own, and have not bought the variety from professionals. Petunia without circumcision is too elongated, has an unattractive appearance
The procedure can be started as soon as the plant reaches 5 cm in growth, and 5-6 leaves appear on it. This occurs approximately 45-50 days after germination. The first pinching is carried out at the seedling stage.
There are rules that will allow you to successfully carry out the procedure. How to pinch - detailed step-by-step instructions with a photo:
-
You need to choose the right pinching time. The first time this is done immediately after planting seedlings in the ground. It is necessary to wait until the plant gets used to the new conditions. To ensure that the sprouts take root, you should not plant them too tightly. You need to leave room for the formation of a lush bush.
-
A couple of times a day, the plant needs to be watered and sprayed. Once a week, it is advisable to feed the roots and stems with soil fertilizers using a spray bottle. If the development does not take place in the open air, but in a greenhouse, you can start the procedure two days after the dive.
-
Watch the growth of petunias. If the plant grows up quickly and becomes thicker, you can start processing. It is necessary to cut off the upper shoots, which weigh down the plant, counting four leaves from the beginning of growth. The top growth point is found on the stem, cut off. The tool must be sharp, otherwise the vessels of the petunia will be damaged, and it will die.
-
You need to pinch it carefully, without leaving any burrs. For the speedy healing of the wound and strengthening the health of the plant, charcoal or active charcoal is applied to the cut.
Even if the flowering stops, do not worry: this is a prerequisite for the formation of fresh shoots. New buds will appear in a month. When the petunia blooms, you should pinch a second time. This will enhance the growth and flowering.
You can even pinch young shoots with your hands. For mature ones, it is better to use pruning shears. If you cut off an adult petunia by hand, a soaked stem will remain. This will lead to decay.
It is worth pruning in dry and warm weather. Then the slices will heal faster. If the bush lacks side shoots, you can promote their growth with a clothespin on the main stem. You can watch how experienced gardeners do this in a detailed video:
The bush itself grows luxuriantly and forms a regular shape. It is worthwhile to carry out the clothespin only when it has fallen to one side.Especially in need of this ampelous varieties.
It is best to remove no more than one fifth of all petunia leaves. Reinforced pinching will kill the plant. The procedure can be carried out even during the flowering period. They do this if the moment of pinching is missed, and the bush has not acquired the shape it would have liked. During this period, the plant experiences stress. The main thing is to feed the bush with fertilizers. Then abundant growth can be achieved.
Useful Tips
When forming a pinch, no additional tools are required. Nail scissors or a paper knife will work. Instruments must be sterile. Remove damaged, diseased, dry and withered leaves. Weak and thin shoots should be given a chance. The optimal frequency of the procedure is once a month.
It is more convenient to pinch a large-flowered petunia, but it is less adapted to the local climate. It is better to plant small-flowered specimens that are resistant to weather conditions.
If the sprouts are young and fragile, the procedure should be postponed. You do not need to pinch seedlings in boxes. After germination, the soil should be promptly rid of pests and weeds. You can see the result after pinching after two weeks.
Important! It is not necessary to pinch the varieties for professional cultivation. Only simple species need the procedure
If the bush grows evenly, it can be skipped.
Some gardeners argue that removing shoots from professional petunias will speed up the formation of the desired bush shape. The procedure is also done in order to save space in the seedlings.
Tips for beginners on how to properly pinch petunia for abundant flowering:
These recommendations will be useful for novice gardeners, and will also be very useful for experienced professionals.
- There is no need to delay with the petunia pinching procedure, otherwise you may be late.
- Do not remove too many leaves at a time. Leave at least 5-6 and only cut the shoot behind them.
- How many times to pinch a petunia - it is necessary to repeat pinching a petunia at least 1-2 times a month.
In addition, the set of general rules for any plants continues to apply:
- Proper care, timely watering and fertilizing. In the heat, spraying is best done 2-3 times a day.
- When you need to pinch a petunia - the first pinching of a petunia must be done after it has matured and acclimatized, after transplanting to a permanent flowering site. The topmost shoot must have at least 5 leaves. The rest need to be pinned.
You should not be upset if, after the process, the flowering schedule is slightly out of order. At this time, the petunia will give increased growth to the side shoots. In addition, they will have large buds, which will enhance the beauty of the flower.
Pinching petunia over which leaf
How to pinch petunia seedlings
- We form a petunia seedling as soon as it began to gain strength and grow.
- The best time to pinch a confusion is when it has developed several (5 - 6) leaves. If this is not done in time, the seedlings will stretch out, the bush will not have a spherical appearance, the stems will not branch.
- When you need to pinch petunia - when planting seedlings of petunia flowers in a flower garden, pinching is performed after its rooting and adaptation (usually at the end of May). In order for it to take root well, it needs to organize suitable conditions for development: we plant the seedlings not thickly, then they will develop better, fertilize (feed) them at the root, regularly moisten and spray the leaves with water.
- When keeping seedlings in a greenhouse (we grow them together with others), we make pinching only after diving. Flowers quickly (in a few days) adapt. And then they can be cut off.
- Pinch the petunias with shears, scissors or fingers. Pinching the petunia over which leaf - over the last (5 - 6) petunia leaf, remove the apical bud. This will create a new point for the stems to grow and branch out.That's all the subtleties of how to pinch a petunia, after that the petunia will bush and bloom perfectly.
Caring for flowers after the pinching procedure
Petunia needs care, but her cultivation and pinching does not require special skills - the gardener will only need patience and attention. After pinching, it is necessary to provide the plant with additional nutrition and proper care in a timely manner.
In addition to feeding the flower with fertilizers, you need to organize proper watering. In the summertime, the branches are watered twice in the morning, when the scorching sun has not yet risen. And then - in the evening, when the heat of the sun dies down a little.
After pinching a petunia, the plant grows lateral shoots twice as fast, spending a lot of nutrients on it. To replenish their supply, the flower is fed. Florists recommend spraying the flower with succinic acid after pinching. And fertilize with complex mineral fertilizers.
To replenish the stock of micro- and macroelements, the following drugs are suitable:
- complex products with the inscription "For petunia";
- nitroammophoska;
- succinic acid;
- complex fertilizers "For flowering plants".
If you do not feed the flower after pinching, the new side shoots will be weak, and the expected result will not work.
For a complex effect, you can also use home fertilizers:
- Infused water on fresh banana peels. This water is rich in potassium and nitrogen, which allows it to build up a good leaf mass.
- Ash. Sprinkle it on the plant at the roots.
- Chicken droppings are insisted and diluted, the plant is watered with this solution. After such fertilization, the flower will bloom well.
- Compressed yeast. This requires only 50 g of yeast per bucket of warm water. After stirring the solution well, it is left to infuse for 3-4 hours. The resulting solution is diluted in the following ratio: a half-liter can of solution in a bucket of warm water - and the bushes are watered.
After proper feeding, the plants quickly build up the green mass, and the root system also grows quickly.
However, it is important to consider that it is better not to water these flowers with cold water.
Important! All fertilizers are applied to moist soil, otherwise the root system can be damaged
Description and characteristics of the petunia plant
Let's start the description of the petunia plant with the fact that it comes from Argentina and Brazil. In their homeland, the plants are perennial, but we do not hibernate and are used as annuals. Of course, modern garden hybrids are very different from their wild ancestors. The main breeding work on their creation began in the middle of the 19th century in America and continues throughout the world to this day. There are more than 25 species, among which there are small-flowered forms with a plant height of 20 to 40 cm, blooming 70-75 days after germination, and large-flowered, the height of which can reach 60 cm. These petunias bloom two weeks later than small-flowered ones. There are terry ampelous forms, the shoots of which can reach more than 1 m in length.
Fresh articles about garden and vegetable garden
What to do if petunia turns yellow: main causes and treatment
Lilies: species, varieties, names with photos, tips for care
Medvedka - an uninvited guest at their summer cottage
Petunia leaves can acquire light or dark shades of green, their shape is oval, length from 6 to 12 cm. Petunia stems are straight, with densely spaced branches.
In the process of development, a bush of the correct silhouette is formed, which eliminates the need for decorative pruning. The only thing that is required is pinching the top for a more intensive growth in width.
In its natural habitat, petunia reproduces by the seed method. Its seeds ripen in a bivalve capsule and are very small (0.8 mm). In one box, it can easily ripen, and then sow about 100 seeds.
To obtain planting material, the most decorative bushes are transplanted into pots in autumn, and used for grafting in spring.Large-flowered petunia is more thermophilic than small-flowered petunia. In rainy weather, it loses its decorative effect, and the agricultural technology of its cultivation is more complicated. Therefore, it is more often used as a pot culture.
Time to pinch petunia
A suitable time for procedures is considered the period after transplanting into containers, soil or pots.
- For this, 14 days must pass from the day the flower was moved (for rooting and gaining strength). Before pruning, the flower should have shoots of at least 9 centimeters. Small shoots need to grow up.
- Pruning is done when the stems are growing rapidly.
- Petunia should be sprayed and fed by Kornevin.
- After the first procedure, 2 pruning is foreseen after 30 days. She is responsible for the gorgeous, abundant flowering.
If you do not pinch, the plant develops the growth of green mass (in one branch). The shoots are long and not beautiful (like whips), there are few flowers.
Important: pruning is carried out only on healthy plants, the procedure can harm weak flowers.
How to pinch a petunia so that it blooms gorgeous
This spectacular flower requires proper care. In order for the petunia to form a beautiful bush and please with flawless flowering, it is necessary to pinch the petunia.
Lush bloom of petunia
What is the pinching process
Pinching is the removal of the top of a young shoot. After removing the central stem of petunia, any of its varieties forms a new growth point and after some time begins to grow in different directions. Due to this procedure, more branches appear on the bush and, accordingly, more flowers.
Pinching can be easily done with your hands
What is the use of pinching
If you do not pinch and do not form a young plant, it will give up to 3 stalks, and after a short time after a short flowering, it will lose its beautiful appearance. Soon, an unkempt petunia, under the weight of long stalks, is pressed to the ground and completely loses its aesthetic appearance.
Interesting! The pinching procedure is otherwise called pinching.
Pinching brings visible benefits: the bush grows not in length, but in width, each of the side shoots sprouts flower buds. A pinched bush develops much more beautifully
Pinching is the main condition for lush and abundant flowering, which is why the bushes after pinching so attract attention
Do all varieties of petunias need to be pinched
There is an opinion that only simple varieties should be pinched, and professional ones should branch out on their own. But after pinching both conventional and hybrid varieties of petunias, the flowerbed looks more magnificent. So, for visual effect, to give impetus to multiple branching, pinch cascade and ampel varieties.
Petunia varieties
It is imperative to pinch if you have such problems:
- insufficient light, due to which young plants are too stretched;
- excessively high temperature;
- insufficient area with a large number of seedlings.
For petunias, proper growing care and pinching are essential.
When to do it
Pinching petunias for bushiness should be carried out when 6-7 leaves grow on young seedlings. It is this period that is considered the best for pinching a flower. Correctly performed procedure guarantees a powerful impetus for the growth of young and strong shoots.
If for some reason you miss this moment, then it will be much more difficult, and sometimes almost impossible, to achieve a spherical shape from a flower. The plant will begin to actively stretch upward and will quickly lose its decorative shape.
Important! On overgrown bushes, it is impossible to achieve the expected effect of a pick.
Features of the formation of different types of petunias
Now let's look at how to pinch a petunia so that it blooms gorgeous.
Ampel petunia
Ampel petunia is genetically designed to form a lush, branched bush.It is not necessary to form an adult plant, the exception is the removal of faded buds and seed bolls. This measure will allow the plant to direct all its forces towards the formation of new buds and gorgeous flowering.
Early pinching at the seedling stage is desirable. Pinching the main shoot will help the lateral stepchildren grow more actively.
Important! In cool and humid summers, you should pay special attention to the petunia bush. Many growers note that in damp weather, excessive splendor can lead to the development of fungal diseases on petunias. Therefore, it is advised to thin out the petunia, achieving good ventilation of the bush.
This is especially true of ampel and cascade varieties.
Therefore, it is advised to thin out the petunia, achieving good ventilation of the bush. This is especially true of ampel and cascade varieties.
Cascading petunia
Cascading petunia, in addition to early pinching, needs to be pinched 1-2 more times per season. This is necessary for her to bush better.
The second and third pinching of shoots is carried out with a difference of a month.
The step-by-step operation looks like this.
- A clean and sharp tool is prepared: a pruner or garden shears, a jar for cut cuttings, a disinfectant powder (for example, activated or charcoal).
- The plant is carefully examined and the shoots for removal are determined. Pruning is a creative process that requires a lot of imagination. You need to mentally imagine how the trimmed plant will look like, on which side the shoots are superfluous, and on which side it is not worth removing anything, which shoot must be pinched to stimulate the growth of the stepsons.
- Use scissors or pruning shears to cut off unnecessary shoots. The cut must be done cleanly without leaving any burrs. Trimmed shoots are not thrown away, they are useful as cuttings for rooting and to obtain additional planting material for petunias.
- Slices are powdered with charcoal to prevent diseases and quick healing of the wound.
Important! It is better to prune petunias outdoors in dry and warm weather. Then the slices will dry out faster.
Shrub and terry petunia
Bush and terry varieties of petunias are pinched, based on the varietal characteristics of a particular plant. If you can see that petunia forms few lateral shoots, the bush should be "spurred on" by pinching the central stem.
It is necessary to remove faded buds, damaged dried leaves on any varieties of petunias.
Multi-flowered petunia Alderman, forming a compact and very lush bush 30 cm high, does not need to be pinched. An exception is if the petunia seedlings are stretched out and begin to fall to the side.
