How to properly plant petunia in a flower pot and take care of it?

How to choose a planter for a petunia

As a rule, not all of the so-called "mother" plant, which has been growing in the country house all summer long, is dug out for the winter, but its cuttings are planted - petunia perfectly propagates by cuttings, takes root, after which the babies grow quickly.

If you still decide to plant the entire plant, be sure to remove the lower leaves from it, which may be affected by rot or disease.

After that, cut off all the stems and shoots so that no more than 12-15 cm remains of them.After all these manipulations, you can plant the plant in a suitable pot, observing the following conditions:

• the pot needs to be selected not very large, but wide enough and necessarily in the form of a flowerpot on a leg - petunia stalks will hang down as they grow and fall beautifully on the sides of the pots. The pot with the plant should be placed in a bright cool room and left until about the end of February, watering a little so that the soil does not dry out completely;
• if you plant and root the petunia with roots, while you are not going to form a round small bush out of it in the future, but intend to enjoy colorful flowers, you need to plant at least 3-5 plants in a prepared pots, then as the petunia grows it will look really elegant ... Petunias have long stems and all the beauty of this plant is fully manifested precisely when the shoots, decorated with flowers, fall at the base of the container. In the open ground, ampelous petunia simply spreads along the ground, but on the balcony you can arrange real blooming waterfalls;
• at the same time, you can pick up petunias of the same color, or you can plant cuttings of different plants in one pot so that they look contrasting - then the flower arrangement will be even brighter. One potted plant will look poor. Remember that petunias are both simple, which amaze with an incredible variety of colors, and terry, which, in turn, surprise with an exquisite shape of inflorescences and fringed petals. However, terry petunias do not bloom as abundantly and lastingly as ordinary ones, and do not have such a rich palette of shades.

It is on the basis of the above conditions that you need to select a pot for your petunias.

Features of plants

Petunia is a genus of perennial plants belonging to the Solanaceae family. In horticultural culture, flowers are grown as annuals. The leaves are soft, slightly pubescent, arranged in a regular order. The buds are formed singly in each shoot bosom.

The ampel group is characterized by thin long stems creeping along the soil or drooping in ampels - from 50-80 cm to 1.5-2 m. It also includes a separate category of the so-called cascade (or semi-ampel) species. The main difference between them is that in cascading varieties, the shoots are thicker and first grow up and to the sides, before sagging under their own weight, and in ordinary ampelous varieties, they hang freely at once.

Thanks to the flexibility of the lashes, this plant can easily be given any desired shape. It is suitable both for growing in hanging pots and baskets, that is, vertical gardening, and for cultivation in the open field in flower beds and flower beds as a ground cover.

When growing petunias as ground cover plants, long lashes spread over a large horizontal area and turn it into a single variegated "carpet"

How to choose the number of plants?

We would like to bring to your attention variations of the creation of movable flower beds.

Petunia + Lobelia

We fill the soil in the pots to the middle. We place two spray petunias so that after the final backfill, the growing level remains the same.

You can plant petunia and lobelia together

We fill the soil to the top and plant the ampelous petunia.

Letniki in the basket

At the bottom of the basket, you need to lay dense polyethylene with holes - water drains. We pour the soil to the very top.

The first side of the basket will be decorated with bush petunia, and the second - with ampelous plants.

Leave the empty space for fragrant white alyssum. You can plant seedlings or just pour seeds into the ground - the plant will rise without problems. Sow alyssum superficially and cover with a transparent lid until it rises.

You can plant, for example, alissum and petunia together

The result of the work is the most beautiful basket full of petunia flowers. Alyssum has the shape of a cloud, giving an unusual composition. And the ideal complement to the basket is ampelous lobelia.

Blue and white pots

We put a couple of petunias in a container, which have bluish flowers. In between the plants we plant alissum, close it with a transparent lid.

You can combine blue petunias and white alyssums

In a few days, the first shoots will appear - this is a sign that the cover can be removed.

The resulting picture is pleasing to the eye - alyssum creates a lush white cloud in the center, and the blue of petunias decorates it around the edges. Plus, the flowers smell pretty good. To diversify the picture, you can choose petunia hybrids, which have blue-white flowers.

Petunia and Alyssum

It is better to leave the pots in the shade for a few days.

Petunia in landscape design

Planting petunias in pots is an excellent option for decorating a summer cottage landscape. Hanging planters decorate the entrance area, patio, pergola, awnings, veranda and other garden structures with bright flowers. They are placed on recreation areas, terraces. Even a simple planting of petunias in even rows along the garden path will perfectly decorate it.

You can equip a flower bed against the background of a lawn, break an alpine slide and decorate stones with a cascade of flowers. The presence of petunias in flower arrangements makes them truly attractive. Various shades of the flower will decorate other landscape compositions: mixborders, rockeries. The lawn looks original with flowerpots with beautiful garlands hanging down to the ground.

Two options for creating mini-flower beds in the garden:

1. Petunia and Lobelia. Fill the prepared pot (large volume, preferably rectangular) up to half with soil, place two petunia bushes in it. Next, cover with earth almost to the top. Plant ampelous lobelia between petunia bushes, which has a very superficial root system. It will not interfere with the growth of petunias.
2. Summer basket. Take a large basket, cover the bottom with thick polyethylene. Make small holes in it for the outflow of water. Cover the basket with soil. On the one hand, plant a petunia bush, on the other - beautiful annuals (pelargonium, ageratum, verbena, calendula, marigolds). Petunia looks beautiful with a white fragrant alissum, which is better prepared by the seedling method. In a composition with petunia, it is enough to place 2-3 alissums.

Petunias are a wonderful decoration for your garden. This flower will be a bright accent in any landscape design.

Varieties of ampelous petunias with a photo: "Avalanche", "Opera", "Velvet", "Shock Wave" and others

Currently, both simple varieties of ampelous petunias and hybrids of various generations are on sale.

It is recommended to purchase F1 series hybrids for self-cultivation - they are hardy in unfavorable growing conditions, stable with insufficient care.

The offered varieties of ampel petunias are subdivided according to their biological and botanical properties. Among them, it is worth highlighting several species groups:

1. drooping lashes, densely covered with foliage and buds, reach a length of up to 100 cm (true ampelous culture, forms a dense curtain of lateral shoots);
2. semi-ampel culture, in which initially during the growth period all shoots, including the lateral ones, are directed upwards, however, after they reach a height of up to 15 cm, they droop and begin to cascade downward (this form is suitable for the formation of spherical flower arrangements);
3. cascading petunias are distinguished by a limited length of lashes that do not grow more than 50 cm, these plants are used for balcony culture and landscaping of decorative fences.

Next, you can look at the photo of some varieties of ampel petunias, well, let's start considering individual hybrids intended for growing in your garden:

Ampel petunia "Avalanche" is a delightful plant that is ideal for decorating loggias, balconies, forming shady gazebos in the garden.

Differs in the richness of the color of the petals in the buds. There are blue and white, red and orange colors. Can be in a mix that produces a wide variety of shades when grown properly. Long flowering period and high decorative properties.

Cascade ampelous petunia "Shock Wave" is a hybrid form that allows you to enjoy not only simple, but also double flower buds. The most decorative is white color, which is perfectly set off by the foliage of a rich emerald color.

This variety is suitable for indoor cultivation in winter and propagates easily by dividing by cuttings.

"Velvet" is an ampelous petunia, which is characterized by a velvety surface not only of foliage, but also of petals of buds

Slightly rough, they attract the attention of not only humans, but also many insects

The plant is an excellent honey plant. Therefore, the planting of the "Velvet" variety is useful in those gardens where there is a lack of pollinators for cultivated garden and horticultural plants.

Opera Supreme petunia belongs to the collection of F1 Petunia spreading hybrids, developed by Japanese breeders.

A distinctive feature is unpretentiousness to the length of daylight hours. Therefore, the variety can perfectly decorate the interior of a house and apartment in winter conditions.

It is absolutely unpretentious to growing conditions and does not require constant care. Regular watering and pruning is enough to form a beautiful plant.

One seedling, when used as a soil covering plant, can form a carpet with a covering area of ​​up to one and a half square meters.

But it looks best in the form of an ampelous culture planted on a balcony or loggia. In this case, the length of the lashes reaches almost 120 cm. But the buds are relatively small and do not have doubleness.

Please note that this variety requires a large amount of soil. 1 seedling requires at least 8 liters of volume

Otherwise, the plant will develop poorly.

Look at the varieties of ampel petunias in the photo, which illustrate the richness of shades and colors:

Another series of varieties that deserves the attention of a florist is surfinia. These plants are resistant to all known diseases and pests. They tolerate partial shade and lack of watering.

Perfect for landscaping areas in dry summer conditions. Surfinia cannot be grown from seeds; pre-prepared cuttings are required for planting them.

Terry flowers are presented to the gardener by a series of varieties called TUMBELINA. These plants mainly have lilac, blue and purple petals.

But "Fortunia" (WONDERWAVE) and CONCHITA allow you to observe both simple and double inflorescences at the same time and at the same time in numerous shades.

Features of caring for ampel petunias

Ampel petunias decorate balconies, terraces, gazebos in summer cottages.

In order for the territory to drown in the lush flowering of these plants, it is necessary to follow the most elementary care rules:

• Lighting. Ampel petunia needs abundant light. With its lack, the house plant will develop poorly and will begin to increase only the green mass, and will forget to think about flowers at all. Therefore, for a beauty, they choose either a well-lit area, or provide her with additional artificial light. However, on hot days it must be protected from the scorching sun rays.
• Temperature. The plant easily tolerates a sharp drop in temperature, but if it drops below zero, the petunia will stop blooming and will go into hibernation.
• Watering. Ampel petunia is very fond of water, so it needs to be watered every day, and on dry days even 2 times a day. However, watering should be moderate, otherwise excessive moisture can lead to root rot. On cloudy days, plants can be watered every other day. To prevent water from stagnating, you need to put good drainage in the pot. Some summer residents recommend placing a sponge on the bottom, which absorbs moisture well.

Petunia ampelous

Top dressing. Regular use of fertilizers promotes abundant flowering, therefore, fertilizing should be applied about twice a month. Fertilizers are applied for the first time 2 weeks after planting. In the early stages, it is not recommended to use nitrogen fertilizers. It is better to give preference to dressings that contain phosphorus and potassium. They contribute to good and fulfilling development and growth.
Loosening. In order for oxygen to easily and in sufficient quantities to reach the roots, the soil must be loosened regularly.

However, this must be done with great care so as not to damage the root system.
Pruning
It is very important to follow the shape of the flower, otherwise it will lose its decorative effect. If you ignore the pinching, then the petunia will slow down in growth and may stop blooming.

Since summer residents love to grow petunias in open areas, care must be taken to ensure that the flower is not attacked by pests such as spider mites, aphids and snails.

Important! For preventive purposes, the green beauty should be watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Against aphids and spider mites, flowers should be sprayed with soap or tobacco solution. To prevent snails from reaching the plants, you need to cover the soil around them with stones or eggshells, since they prevent the movement of these pests.

Against aphids and spider mites, flowers should be sprayed with soap or tobacco solution. To prevent snails from reaching the plants, you need to cover the soil around them with stones or eggshells, since they prevent the movement of these pests.

As for diseases, petunias are susceptible to mold damage, which can lead to root rot. To prevent this from happening, for preventive purposes, the soil is mixed with sand before planting, but this method does not give a 100% guarantee that it will be possible to avoid mold damage. To combat this disease, potassium permanganate is used, which is stirred with water.

To avoid a disease such as chlorosis, it is necessary to add iron to the water.

This is especially important for white petunias, which most often suffer from this disease.

Petunia cascading

Types of petunias and their place in the garden

Recently, the fashion for petunias, which were still loved and appreciated by our grandmothers, has returned. Once again, we admire the lush and colorful clouds in graceful hanging pots, garlands that fall and wrap around the gazebos, as well as bright flowers growing in flower beds and along garden paths. This is a hybrid plant, the varieties of which are usually divided into groups.

Bush hybrid groups

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The formation of the bushes occurs independently. If there is a desire to influence the appearance of the plant, it is enough to cut off its top at the level of the third internode, then the flower will begin to branch and become more luxuriant.

A group of flowers resistant to weather

The group is called floribunda. This is an average variant, which, according to its characteristics, can be placed between Multiflora and Grandiflora. Mass plantings are often decorated with terry floribundas. The most popular are the Celebrity and Sonya series.

Unpretentious but delightful plants that, with proper care, will delight you and those around you throughout the summer with their lush flowering

Picturesque flower bushes

Cascading groups can produce shoots that grow in all directions, forming dense flower bushes. This is a great decoration for gazebos, verandas and terraces. Scourges up to 1.5 meters throw out remarkably beautiful varieties of Typhoon, Rose, Cherry, Ramblin and Silver.

A cascading petunia falls on you with a whole flower waterfall. Imagine your gazebo in such a colorful design, and you immediately want to embody what you imagined.

Live flower curtains

Unlike cascading species, ampelous ones emit shoots that are directed only downward. These petunia varieties are ideal for hanging pots. However, when planted in a flower bed, they form a beautiful flower cover on the ground.

We offer you to watch the video material in detail about the varieties and the best varieties.

How to grow seedlings correctly

Seedling preparation

The saying “prepare the sleigh in summer” as accurately as possible reflects the actions of any flower lover who dreams that petunia in pots and pots will grow well, please the eye with its color.

Seeds for seedlings begin to be sown at the end of winter, in sod mixed with humus, with the addition of peat and sand in arbitrary proportions. But first they are mixed with sand and after that they are poured over the prepared soil.

In order to cover the container in which the petunia has just been sown, you can use a glass cover. The seedlings are moistened with a sprayer.

As soon as a couple of leaves appear, the seedlings must be thinned out. To do this, they are seated so that the distance between them is the size of a matchbox. You can add a little soil to strengthen the excessively stretching stems. If you pinch the tops, the plant will be more lush.

Disembarkation in a container

In the conditions of central Russia, petunias planted in pots or pots are not immediately taken out on the street, they are left in a cool room. In the process of planting in a pots or pot for petunias, you should carefully place it in it, and then fill all the free gaps with prepared soil.

Many are interested in how much pot is needed for a petunia. When planting an adult plant, flower growers recommend adhering to the rule: one plant has a five-liter container, if the varieties are terry - about three liters.

Now about how many petunias to plant in one pots.

Simple varieties can be safely planted in heaps - up to five bushes in one pot. It is not necessary thicker, the plants will be too cramped.

Clay and ceramic pots will perfectly fulfill the role of pots for petunias. But ordinary plastic cans or buckets of paint or mayonnaise have worked well. Only one plant is planted in each of them. And don't forget to drill a hole in the bottom to prevent excess liquid from accumulating. You can even place a piece of foam rubber on the bottom of the container.

Instructions: how to plant?

Petunias are grown for seedlings from February to March, which ensures flowering throughout the summer. In order for the plant to gain strength, it must be dived.

Healthy seedlings can be transplanted into pots just before being outdoors, or transplanted as soon as it becomes apparent that the plant's root system is running out of space. Petunia can be taken outside after the threat of spring frosts has passed.

If the planter is used for its intended purpose, that is, as a decorative pallet, then there is no difficulty in transplanting a plant, you just need to put the pot in a planter of a suitable size.

If we fill the soil directly into the pots, then in this case it is necessary to make drainage holes at the bottom, which are usually not provided there so that excess moisture flows out through these holes. This measure will prevent root rot.

Instructions for transplanting petunias into pots:

Choose a planter large enough for the plant to grow.
Prepare and disinfect the soil. Petunia likes neutral or slightly acidic soil with a high sand content. You can buy a ready-made mixture. You can disinfect by heating in the microwave, watering with potassium permanganate or other special compounds.
Pour the drainage mixture to the bottom: perlite, coconut, etc.

tamp the bottom with soil.
Turn over the pot (container) with wet seedlings, carefully so as not to damage the roots.
Transplant the plant into a pots, fill the cavities with soil, tamp.
Water the plant.

The first time after transplanting, it is better to protect the flowers from direct sunlight.

We offer you to watch a video on how to plant a petunia in a flowerpot correctly:

How many pieces can you place?

Ampel petunia is characterized by rapid growth and lush flowering, therefore no more than two plants are planted in one pots. Sometimes, thanks to planting several varieties of matching color in one container, you can create unusual flower arrangements.

Petunias can be not only ampelous. We also offer you to get acquainted with dwarf, undersized and vegetative varieties.

How to prepare the soil for the pots?

When preparing a mixture for planting, you need to take into account such nuances.

Petunia does not like excess moisture

To make the soil ideal for petunia growth, you need to purchase a hydrogel and add it to the soil prepared for the petunia. This substance will allow you to regulate the air and water balance. Now they sell pots designed specifically for petunias, but there is no hydrogel in them. So you need to prepare the conditions for the life of the petunia yourself.

Hydrogel

For pots, the composite soil characteristics should be as follows. Parts of the turf are mixed with two parts of leafy soil, this mixture is diluted with peat and humus (one part each). For looseness, a little perlite is added to the ground.

Perlite is added to the soil for looseness.

Care

• A place. Petunia is located on the southern sunny side, as the plant is sun-loving.
• Watering. Petunia is hygrophilous, but it tolerates dry periods quite well. Signs that watering is required is drying out of the topsoil if it doesn’t smear on the fingers, and wilting of flowers. On especially hot days, watering is possible 2 times a day, the rest of the time - once a day.

  In order not to water the plant too often, some gardeners add hydrogel balls or balls from baby diapers to the soil, which retain the liquid and give it to the plant as needed.

• Top dressing. After 1-2 weeks after transplanting, the plant can be fed. During the period when the green mass of petunia is formed, it needs nitrogen-containing fertilizers to strengthen the shoots and stimulate growth. After the appearance of the first buds, you should start feeding with fertilizers with phosphorus and potassium, excluding the nitrogen-containing ones. Also, to prevent yellowing of the leaves, you should use iron fertilizers. Top dressing should be done at least once every 2 weeks.
• Pruning. Some cultivars also require pruning to form the neat appearance of the plant. Also, to preserve decorativeness, it is necessary to remove withered flowers and yellowed leaves.
• Transfer. Sometimes petunia outgrows the size of its pot, which affects the health and appearance of the plant. In this case, the plant needs to be transplanted into a larger container.

In general, petunia is loved by many for its unpretentiousness and is suitable even for novice growers. It is not for nothing that it is actively used in the design of public places, squares, courtyards, etc.

Ampel petunia is a beautiful and unpretentious plant and will decorate your garden, yard or balcony. With proper care and choosing the right pots, it will delight you with lush flowering until the very frost.

How to grow?

Landing

Petunia seedlings can be purchased in garden centers and markets, or you can risk planting and growing wonderful flowers yourself.

Purchase petunia seeds from Western producers.
The best seeds are those covered with a protective coating of fertilizers (pelleted).
Mix the soil: sod land - 1/5 part; sand - 1/5 part; humus - 1/5 part; peat - 2/5 parts.
Disinfect the substrate in the microwave or oven to get rid of harmful bacteria and pests.
Prepare plastic boxes with drainage holes for seedlings.
Pour damp soil into containers.
Place the seeds carefully on the ground.

It is better to plant ampel petunia seeds in mid-February. Containers with crops are covered with glass or foil and placed in a warm shaded place. They do not need to be watered or sprayed.

Seedling care

The sprouted sprouts are transferred to a bright place and left in the greenhouse until the first true leaves appear. The film is lifted in order to spray and ventilate the plant. To prevent decay of seedlings, a weak solution of potassium permanganate is added to the water. When the seedlings have grown, they are watered into a tray. Excess water must be removed. Now, in the evening, seedlings need additional lighting.

With the appearance of the next pair of leaves, the plants dive into separate cups with loose soil and put on the south window. The room temperature should be no higher than 20 degrees. Plants are hardened by opening the window for a while. Fresh cool (but not frosty) air is good for petunias. The first fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is applied with the appearance of the fourth leaves.

We plant in the pots correctly

The grown and strengthened sprouts are planted in a permanent place in a flower pot on the street around May 10. To form a lush bush, several plants are planted in one planter.

• A pot with a capacity of 6 to 7 liters is suitable for one petunia.
• For 2-3 plants, you need pots with a volume of at least 15 liters.
• Planting of plants is carried out clearly at the point of growth, not deeper.
• It is better to plant petunias in the evening, in cool, calm weather.
• Correctly plant bushes in boxes and pots in well-lit places.

Conclusion

Petunia is a rather unique plant, because with all its excellent decorative properties, it is rather difficult to grow this plant in the absence of the necessary knowledge. Therefore, for novice gardeners, this can be a serious problem, especially if they plan to plant it in open ground.

However, if you use the accumulated experience of gardeners, you can successfully grow this capricious plant in our latitudes.You can increase the chances of success if the petunia is grown by seedling. Then the grower will have at his disposal strong and hardened seedlings, which, with appropriate care during the planting period, will feel quite comfortable in the prepared flower bed.