Varietal variety
Pelargonium has several hundred different varieties. Let's take a closer look at the Edwards series. It belongs to the zonal group because of the special color of the leaf. During flowering, the color of the leaf plate changes, dividing it conditionally into two zones.
Lighter in the center, towards the edge of the leaf, the color becomes darker and richer. All zonal varieties of pelargonium are divided into non-double, with 5 petals, semi-double, with 6 to 8 petals, and terry, with 8 or more petals. Depending on the size of the bush, plants are divided into ordinary (standard) and dwarf. The standard can grow to a height of 30-50 cm, and the dwarf is usually no higher than 25-30 cm. Consider the most popular specimens from the Edwards series.
Calico. The flowers are large, double, have a delicate silvery-lilac shade, rather unusual for pelargoniums. The bush is dwarf, but very branched.
Calypso. The inflorescences are large, multi-layered, rich pink color, which, with proper care, smoothly flows into lavender. The bush branches well.
Syngenta. Semi-double, pale lilac balls, in the center have a white eye, from which darkish veins extend in different directions.
Caris. Terry, snow-white balls, reminiscent of a huge school bow. Under the rays of the sun, a subtle hint of pink appears. The bush can be shaped at your own discretion.
Christina. The flowers are very large, rich salmon color. The plant pleases with its abundant and long flowering.
Courtney. The variety is easily recognizable by its bright orange color with a pink tint - intense in the center, and lighter at the edges of the petals. The petals themselves have a slightly wavy texture.
Elegance. The bush is standard and requires constant crown formation. Double flowers, delicate peach color, like small clouds. Jagged petals.
Toscana. Bush category standard. The inflorescences are multi-layered, up to 10 cm in diameter, have a bright scarlet hue, in a blossoming state they resemble rose flowers. At the same time, the flower inside has a more saturated color, and outside the petals are much paler.
Embers. The bush is standard, with a branchy crown in need of care. The flower is golden in color, the petals on the front side are somewhat lighter than on the back. The foliage has a brownish tint.
Finn. Flowers of a light salmon shade, collected in terry balls. The leaves are pointed, with a pronounced division into color zones. The bush retains its natural shape well, so it does not need frequent adjustments.
Green Eyes. The bush is compact, easy to care for, with huge snow-white balls of double flowers. In the middle of each flower there is a small green circle that looks like an eye (hence, probably, the name - "green eyes"). The flower pleases with abundant flowering.
Hillary. The bush is standard, does not need frequent pruning, the flowers are formed into bright pink hats with a purple tint.
Joyce. Dwarf bush, keeps its shape well. The flowers are multi-layered, semi-double, with white petals. The color of the petals is white with shapeless red strokes, the flowers are formed into large caps.
Kim. Pelargonium is semi-double, with large coral-colored flower caps, a bright red-colored flashlight eye and dense green foliage. The slow growth of the flower is compensated by the abundant flowering.
Pearl. Belongs to the category of dwarf, semi-double. Flowers of a pleasant salmon shade, with a wide white border around the edges. The leaves have a pronounced zoning.
Pleasure. The flowers are star-shaped, fringed at the edges, pinkish-orange, with blue and white blotches atypical for pelargonium. The leaves on the front side are dark green with a beige border, on the back they have a reddish tint.
Romany. Dwarf bush, compact. The flowers are semi-double, pale in the middle, almost white, smoothly turning into pink. In the center there is an orange peephole. The color saturation depends on the intensity of the sun's rays.
Tamara. Pelargonium is dwarf, terry. Peduncles are short, fluffy bush.The flowers are collected in pastel pink air caps.
Blanche. The bush is standard, the flowers are double, white, with an orange core and a light orange-pinkish bloom around the edges. The leaves have a distinct color zoning.
Reproduction of frillithunia
Like all petunias, frillithunias prefer the seed method of reproduction. Since this hybrid develops slowly, sowing should be done very early, even in winter. The optimal time for frillithunia is the end of January or the first ten days of February, if you want the first flowers to bloom in early June.
Such sowing dates also cause the main problem with the cultivation of frillithunium - the need for additional supplementary lighting. Since the plant needs a day of light for about 14 hours, lamps are indispensable. If providing the plant with additional lighting can become a problem, then it is better to immediately abandon the idea of growing frillithunia and just buy several ready-made copies for review: the seedlings of frillithunia will appear on the shelves closer to summer.
Having enjoyed the beauty of the plant, you can remove the bushes in the room with the arrival of cold weather, save them as mother plants until spring and cut cuttings for propagation. Of course, you can sow in mid-March, but this way your frillitunia will bloom only on the eve of August and all efforts will be spent on just a few weeks of lush bloom.
Sowing seeds
Sowing seeds is best done in special ready-made universal substrates, light, friable and balanced. For frillithunia, shallow containers and containers with a maximum wall height of 5-6 cm are used. For this plant, drainage holes and disinfection measures for both soil and sowing containers are very important.
Petunia flower fryllithunia pink
Frillithunia seeds are sown in warm ground. Having filled the containers with soil, it is first poured with hot water, then the substrate is allowed to stand a little until a medium-warm state and, with a toothpick or tweezers, literally one seed at a time is laid out on the leveled surface of the moistened soil (because of their small size, fryllithunium seeds are most often sold drained) ...
If you are buying plain seeds, mix them with sand and sprinkle them sparingly. It is better to leave the distance between the seeds significant immediately, from 2 to 3 cm between the seeds. You do not need to sprinkle the seeds of frillithunia with soil on top. But it is imperative to cover the crops with glass or transparent film.
Frillithunia seeds can only germinate at temperatures of about 22 degrees or higher. The container should be ventilated twice a day, slightly opening the glass or film. Immediately after the appearance of the first sprouts, the containers with frillitunia must be rearranged to the best possible lighting and the shelter removed.
For frillithunium daylight hours should last at least 14 hours, so the plant is grown mainly with additional lighting lamps (backlight level - 7-8 cm). The care regimen for frillitunia is quite specific. Plants do not tolerate drying out of the soil, but do not tolerate waterlogging. Watering is carried out with a syringe, literally under each plant. Spraying for frillithunias is unacceptable because of the greater vulnerability to blackleg, even compared to ordinary petunias.
Seedlings dive only after the release of the second pair of true leaves. This petunia hybrid should not be tolerated too early, the roots of young seedlings are too tender and the plants may die even with extreme care. For frillithunias, a double pick is recommended: first, into seedling cassettes or larger containers, and then into individual containers.
After the first transplant, it is advisable to lower the temperature of the frillithunium content to 18 degrees. Care should consist of moderate watering that does not allow waterlogging or drought.
Frillithunia. benary
Frillithunia can be transferred to soil and containers for terraces, balconies and gardens only after the threat of return frosts has completely disappeared, in June. Before the callout, the plant must be hardened. When planting in containers or soil, the distance between the bushes should still not be closer than 20 cm.
It is impossible to collect seeds from frillithunia on your own. This hybrid from its collection can only be propagated vegetatively, while keeping the mother bushes cool and well lit indoors until spring and rooting shoots under a film or hood to get new specimens.
Petunia "African Sunset" - my cultivation experience
The traditional colors of petunias are white and various shades of purple, due to the natural coloration of the wild ancestors of hybrid petunias. But companies engaged in the selection of ornamental crops are well aware of the fact that varieties with flowers of rare colors that are not typical for a particular species are in the greatest demand among florists.
As stated by the growers, the African Sunset petunia was the first orange petunia hybrid that can be grown independently from seed. Previously, petunias of the orange-salmon color range already existed, but these were cultivars that propagated exclusively vegetatively, and they were rarely found on the market.
Of course, as a curiosity lover, I immediately purchased orange petunia seeds as soon as they went on sale. According to the description of the producers, the hybrid "African Sunset" was a bush 35 centimeters high with large flowers 5 centimeters in diameter. Some sellers attributed this petunia to cascading or even ampelous, promising that its stems can fall from the edge of the pots and hang 60 centimeters.
In addition to other varieties of petunias, I have grown this cultivar for three years in a row, and in different conditions the variety showed itself about the same. First, a few words about the color: I would not call this petunia exactly "orange", because I personally associate this color with the color of the flowers of marigolds, marigolds or zinnias, and the petals petunias African Sunset I would rather call it “salmon pink”.
Moreover, in photographs under different lighting, the same bush looks different: its flowers seem either almost pink, or more close to a real orange color. In addition, I want to note that as they dissolve, the petals also change color: the most saturated color, close to orange, have just blossomed flowers, but over time they gradually fade and become more pinkish.
The inflorescences of this petunia are large, 5-6 centimeters in diameter, the petals are delicate and pearlescent, which is why they can suffer from heavy rain. As for the habit, I can say with confidence that this petunia is still exclusively bush, and, planted in different conditions, never behaved like ampelous. The African Sunset is quite strong and pointed upwards, so the bushes do not cascade even when planted at the edge of the container.
Unlike genetically ampelous petunias, this hybrid is not particularly prone to branching independently, and in the absence of formation, it can grow as a "stick" with flowers at the end. Therefore, in order to get dense, branchy bushes, for better tillering, African Sunset petunia must be pinched several times as it grows.
I did not notice any significant features when growing this unusual petunia. Seeds are sold in granules, like most modern hybrids, seedlings appear in a standard time - from three days to a week. Seedlings are uneven, in one batch of seeds there are both rapidly developing and initially frail specimens (it is better to remove the latter immediately, since they are not promising in the future). When sown in March, flowering begins in June.
I really enjoyed using African Sunset petunias in container compositions in combination with annuals of yellow or purple colors. But one day I could not find the seeds of this hybrid on sale in large flower shops.
Petunia African Sunset. Lyudmila Svetlitskaya
Reproduction of surfinia and petunias
Reproduction of surfinia can occur both vegetatively and by seeds. However, the second method presents a certain difficulty, since the result usually grows a small bush with little flowering.
The Russian climate is not very suitable for these heat-loving plants. The process of growing seedlings from seeds will be very time consuming, and the result is not guaranteed.
The seeds themselves are quite small. Before planting, they must be mixed with sand or bought in the store special seeds in the shell. Then they are sown on the ground, but not buried. The soil must be moistened; a spray bottle is suitable for this.
After that, the ground is covered with a film. Spray with water regularly. The sprouts will appear in a week. When the leaves begin to grow, they are transplanted into separate pots. This is the disadvantage of surfinia: growing from seeds will require a lot of attention from the gardener.
Petunia does not have such disadvantages, since it can be planted in February, and it is guaranteed to please with bright flowering. Petunia is not afraid of cold weather, and short frosts will not destroy the buds.
At the same time, it blooms almost all summer and September. In order for the petunia to be comfortable, it only needs good soil, regular watering and feeding.
For ordinary amateur gardeners, the ideal way to propagate surfinia is to use cuttings. It is enough to cut a stalk from a bush and transplant it into the ground. This should be done as quickly as possible so that the stalk takes root.
A planted stalk must be covered with a jar or foil and placed in a warm place. Watering is required. When an escape appears, the jar can be removed. Care must be taken to keep it warm at all times. In the spring it can be planted, and in the summer it will turn into a large, brightly blooming bush.
Despite all the beauty of surfinias, petunias should not be discounted. New mini-varieties will also delight you with their flowering. The species with amber flowers is gaining popularity. In combination with the ease of care, petunia will easily compete with surfinia.
How to care for surfinia
Surfinia and petunias are very fond of sunlight, so it is advisable to plant them in a well-lit place. At the same time, they should be protected from rain. The presence of a canopy does not hurt at all.
A feature of planting surfinias is the need to prepare the plant for the cold. To do this, it is taken out in pots for several hours outside. As soon as the weather is warm, the plants can be placed in a flower bed or flowerpot.
For petunias and its ampelous hybrid, special soil mixtures sold in stores are well suited. Flowers need daily watering and sunlight. Regular plant feeding is desirable.
Surfinia is a more delicate flower than petunia, so you need to feed and water it more often. At the end of summer, the bush must be pruned. Since surfinia is a perennial plant, it should be moved to a warm room for the winter. Frost will not kill her there, and in the summer she will decorate the garden again.
Petunias and Surfinia ampelous hybrid are used differently in landscape design due to their size and flowering characteristics. At the same time, one cannot say that any of them are worse.
On the side of petunias, ease of care, resistance to cold, great opportunities in the design of lawns. Surfinia is softer, but blooms more magnificently. However, each is beautiful in its own way.
Growing and caring for frillitunia
Frillithunias are quite specific in cultivation. They need stable humidity, because drought is very bad for flowering.But at the same time they are afraid of waterlogging and dampness much more than petunias: any "overflow" for them can be literally the last. Water the plant sparingly, always controlling the degree of drying of the substrate and letting it dry completely in the upper part, but not allowing it to dry out in the middle layer.
Frillitunia, or Petunia large-flowered fringed
Fertilizers for frillithunias are often applied to compensate for the bright flowering and large inflorescences. The optimal strategy is to apply fertilizers with a high potassium content every 10 days until September. The first dressings for frillithunias, unlike many annuals, begin to be carried out a week after planting in a permanent place, in the main containers. And the rate of dressing is not slowed down until the end of summer.
It is better to remove wilting inflorescences from bushes by hand. But pinching the shoots of frillithunia is not needed, because the bushes are by nature very compact. But if you want to shorten a twig that is too elongated, you can safely cut it.
Frillithunias - the best corrugated petunia hybrids
These are annuals, which could be called the complete opposite of another petunia hybrid - calibrachoa. After all, if the “thousand bells” have smaller flowers than ordinary petunias, then the frillithunias have much larger flowers. And if calibrachoa are more hardy, then frillithunias are just the opposite. But the difference between hybrids does not end there.
Frillithunias (registered trade name frillytunia, refer to the species petunia hybrid) are varieties of hybrid petunias with twice the size of flowers. They form atypically dense bushes with large, bright, but simple greens, neat and dense in appearance.
In height, bushes of strong shoots of fryllithunia can reach 40 cm. The plant looks good in an ampel, but does not form luxurious cascades and rather seems to be a hemisphere or a pillow, and it is still better to plant it as a "upright" summer plant, creating strikingly beautiful flowering "balls" ...
The main pride of the plant is the huge gramophone of flowers. In diameter, funnel-shaped, with a solid corolla and, as a rule, a dark throat, the inflorescences of fryllithunias reach 10 cm. After all, a beautiful, wide rim is decorated with a strong filigree ruffle along the edge: no other summer has such corrugated varieties. The flowers seem lacy, surprisingly spectacular, like luxurious, exquisitely decorated with filigree ruches.
The color palette of frillitunias is still far from being as extensive as that of the petunias themselves; the choice of varieties is still quite limited. Among these newfangled annuals, there are white, pink, cherry, and purple shades of colors. Moreover, for frillithunias, there are much more characteristic bright, absolute colors, the so-called pure and cold colors, and not unique pastel or watercolor shades.
The flowering of frillithunia always begins in June, even with the January sowing, earlier flowering cannot be achieved. But this capricious beauty may well bloom later. But on the other hand, the parade of elegant phonographs continues until the first autumn frosts.
Frillithunia. joji137
