Care: watering and forming petunias
Petunias are very fond of water and sun. But while they are small, they need to be watered extremely carefully, under the spine. Straight from a teaspoon. And you can't fill it, it will wither and rot in the "swamp".
Plants must be pinched. If you leave it to grow as it is, then you will have two or three branches of long sticking out, and there are few flowers. And if the tips are trimmed, then the side branches will begin to grow and you will get a lush, beautiful bush.
Many people like to plant petunias in pots, pots and decorate a balcony or plot. Do not try to plant a lot of plants there, they will oppress each other. On a 5-liter pot, it will be enough to plant 1-2 bushes. And if surfinias are cascading, ampelous, then they need 7-10 liters per plant.
Petunias have a lot of roots growing, and there is simply not enough earth in the pot. It is necessary to constantly feed and water.
By the way, about fertilizers. I insist on herbs in the summer and water everything I can. Just push in a bucket of herbs, add water and leave for two weeks. Then I add a liter to a watering can or a bucket of water when watering. And the seedlings grow normally even without fertilizers, the first two months slowly, though. But then they begin to grow right before our eyes.
How to plant petunia seeds for seedlings
Beautiful delicate petunias can be grown with your own hands at home. For seedlings, seeds of petunia in central Russia should be planted in early terms - January-February. Then by the beginning of June you will have a good seedling of petunias.
However, if you sow petunia seeds in January or early February, then the seedlings will definitely need to arrange additional lighting. If this is not done, the seedlings will turn out to be elongated.
"Why are different sowing dates indicated on the bags with petunia seeds?" The thing is that there are many varieties and groups of petunias and each group has its own growing season.
Petunia groups
- large-flowered (10 cm in diameter or more),
- small-flowered ampelous (forming a continuous waterfall of flowers),
- dwarf and bush (bushes about 15 cm tall).
Ampel petunias are planted on seedlings by the very first - in January. This is necessary to obtain a large vegetative mass. Simply put, in order for the petunia to grow long shoots, numerous flowers will open on them.
Dwarf bush petunias can be planted a little later - in late February - early March.
Soil for seedlings of petunias
If you prepare the soil mixture yourself, then in the fall you need to collect garden soil, humus and sand in a 1: 1: 2 ratio. This potting mix should be left in a cold greenhouse or greenhouse to freeze.
If you have not prepared the soil for seedlings of petunias since autumn, then you will have to purchase the necessary soil in garden stores. You should not buy acidified soil mixtures, as petunias do not tolerate acidic soils. It is desirable that the ground be loose and allow air and water to pass through well.
Pots and dishes for petunia seedlings
Petunia seeds are very small, so large boxes will not be useful to you. Ampel petunias can be immediately planted in hanging pots, in which the plant will bloom all summer.
Small seedling cassettes or small boxes can be used for bush petunias; remember, all seedling containers (especially if they have already been in use) must be disinfected before planting. Treat with potassium permanganate solution or pour over boiling water if the boxes are ceramic.
Before filling with soil, check if the seedling container has drainage holes (holes in the bottom). If there are no such holes, the soil may acidify and young petunia seedlings will die.
Filling cassettes with potting soil
Place a layer of drainage at the bottom of the seedling trays, then sprinkle potting soil on top. If the soil is very loose, compact it a little. Water the soil prepared in this way. Place the cassettes or boxes in the pallet so that the water flowing from the irrigation does not spoil your tables or window sills.
Let the soil settle for one day and start sowing petunia seeds.
Planting petunia seeds for seedlings
The seeds of petunias are very small, one might say dusty. Therefore, be careful when opening the bag.
Remember, petunia seeds need light to germinate !!! Therefore, the seeds of these flowers are not buried in the soil, like peas or nasturtium, but are placed on the surface of the substrate.
Petunia seeds for sale
- in bags with a Zip-Lock latch or a so-called gripper. In such bags, petunia seeds are dark and unprocessed,
- in capsules, individually processed seeds in a special white shell.
Untreated (dark) seeds are best sown over white snow. To do this, carefully pour a small layer of snow into the box and distribute the dark seeds with tweezers or a toothpick.
If you purchased petunia seeds in a shell, then just gently put them on the soil, they are clearly visible on it.
Planting petunia seeds in peat tablets
Now it has become very convenient to grow plants with small seeds in special peat tablets.
Such peat tablets are very convenient for planting petunia seeds. First you need to place the tablets on the tray. Deepening up. Then pour warm water into the pan. The pills will begin to swell before your eyes. Wait until all the peat tablets are straightened out (you get small barrels).
Place a petunia seed in the well of each peat tablet.
Petunia seedling care. Topping.
Seedling care is very simple. The plant itself is small, not as much space is required as, for example, tomatoes. Although with the latter it is not so difficult. And if the petunia was immediately planted in a nutritious soil, then all care can be limited to simply periodic watering.
Lighting is a very important condition for the development of seedlings. The duration of daylight hours for petunias is 12-14 hours. Therefore, the seedlings must be supplemented with phytolamps. If there are no fitolamps, you can use well-known fluorescent lamps for 36-40 watts of cold glow, lowering them at a distance of 15-20 cm from the seedlings.
With a lack of lighting, the seedlings can stretch out. In general, the stretching of seedlings is mainly affected by high temperature and lack of light. If you solve these two main problems, then your seedlings will always be strong and healthy.
From everything written above, there are several main points:
- high-quality soil substrate for planting
- lack of high temperature when growing seedlings
- good lighting
A high-quality earthen substrate provides nourishment for the seedlings and facilitates maintenance, keeping it to a minimum. The lack of high temperature and sufficient lighting prevents the seedlings from pulling out, making them short and strong.
One of the useful operations for petunias is to pinch the central stem. As a rule, it is carried out after 3-4 of this sheet by cutting off the crown.
As a result, new shoots will appear from the leaf sinuses, which can later also be pinched. Pinching is stopped a month before planting in open ground. Let the seedlings get stronger and go to the budding phase. The next pinching will be done in July, after the first wave of flowering.
It is believed that pinching is carried out only for bush varieties of petunias, that it is not suitable for ampelous. Nothing of the kind, ampelous varieties, as well as bush varieties, give new shoots from each leaf axil. And by planting one ampelous bush in a flowerpot, then pinching it, you will get several beautiful lashes.
Secrets of correct seeding
The most important thing is good seeds from trusted suppliers.You need to be prepared in advance that high-quality seeds and new items will be quite expensive. I always sow proven varieties and hybrids, and always something new.
Treatment
Usually fresh petunia seeds do not need additional pre-sowing treatment. Old seeds can be immersed in hot water for 1 minute or soaked in vodka for 20 minutes. If the seeds are in granules, the hard shell must be soaked.
Sowing
There is no need to save on growing - buy well-proven peat tablets. Using a toothpick, I spread the seeds into the deepening of peat tablets, spray them with a spray bottle.
- Seeds without a shell do not need to be moistened.
- It is also not necessary to cover the seeds of petunia with soil - the seedlings need light.
I also sow in a cassette with a transparent plastic lid. I fill the cells with soil, water them, spread the seeds on the surface and lightly press them down. Then I water it periodically. I remove the lid when the plants reach 3–5 cm in diameter.
IMPORTANT
I water the seeds only by spraying from a spray bottle.
Under no circumstances should the soil be allowed to dry out!
- I put the peat tablets in a transparent plastic container, put a seed in each (and they, as a rule, are always coated), pour water into the container, close the lid and wait for the shoots.
- I put the peat tablets in a tray and pour warm water into it. I add a drop of any stimulant to 1 liter of water and pour it in parts into a tray.
- When the tablets have absorbed the liquid, no water should remain in the pan.
- After sowing, I put a tray with peat tablets in a bag and send it to the kitchen cabinet: there is the most suitable temperature for the emergence of seedlings.
How to plant petunia seedlings with snow
Planting petunias in the snow is accompanied by the following materials:
- Soil for flower seedlings
- Pure snow
- Favorite petunia seeds
- Small garden scoop
- Sowing container
- Glass or plastic
- Scissors
Step 1
Put soil in the seedling container, level and compact it. Soil for flowers is applied in a bowl so that its top layer of soil does not reach the edge by about 2-3 cm. It is good when the planting of petunias with snow occurs in the soil that is spilled with a fungicide solution (Fundazol, Ridomil, etc. ). This is done in order to prevent various diseases, diseases of the black leg, for example. The soil is spilled with a solution no later than a day before sowing petunia seeds. Then lay snow on the surface of the soil with a layer of 1-1.5 cm.
Take a suitable item and tamp the snow in a bowl.
Step 3
Place the seeds of the petunia on a sheet of paper and shake them in small portions into a bowl, trying to distribute them evenly. Spread the granulated seeds over the surface.
Step 4
Then lightly loosen the snow with a toothpick in the places where the petunia is sown too densely, and distribute some of the seeds to the free areas. When the snow melts, the seeds will be slightly pulled into the soil. It is not necessary to sprinkle the crops with earth - petunia rises in the light. Planting petunias in the snow for seedlings does not need to bury the seeds, they remain spread out on top.
Step 5
Place the pot in a bright, warm place to germinate the seeds. If the windowsill is cold, you can place it under a table lamp and cover it with glass or a plastic bag. The first shoots will appear in about a week. Petunia grows very well under the snow, you shouldn't have any problems.
As soon as the first green sprouts appear, you need to ventilate the pot with plantings 1 - 2 times a day. When removing the lid, first wipe off the condensation from it and leave the crops open for 10-15 minutes. The exact time doesn't really matter. Nothing bad will happen if you cover crops right away (for example, being late for work). You can also air an hour if you have other things to do at this time.
It is only important not to forget to do it regularly, every day.
At first, how to sow petunia on the snow, the seedlings will develop very slowly: all the main forces of the flower go to the creation and growth of the root system.
If in some places the seedlings of petunia seedlings have sprouted very densely, you can thin them out with tweezers.
When the petunia seedlings grow up and the leaves touch the glass or plastic bag, remove it. At this time, you need to carefully monitor the moisture content of the soil. Petunia seedlings love moist soil. Overdrying will kill your plants. You can moisten it from a pan or watering "at the root", try to water so that no drops of water remain on the leaves of the seedlings.
As soon as the petunia seedlings grow up so that they can be held with your fingers, cut them into pots or cassettes, gently loosening the thin roots with a spatula or toothpick
Step 6
If, when diving, you see that the roots are long, then pinch them so that during planting you can freely distribute them in the ground
After transplanting, water gently until the soil settles.
In how to plant petunias in the snow, we will give you one piece of advice. If you are planting granular seeds for growing in a planter or balcony box, plant them directly in your permanent growing area. This will avoid a transplant. Do this if there is enough space on the windowsills for flower seedlings.
Step 7
To prevent the plants from stretching, place the grown petunia in a cooler place. A month after the pick, it can be taken out to a glazed balcony, veranda or greenhouse.
Step 8
Varieties and hybrids of petunias with strong shoot growth need a pinch. Then the petunia bush will bush. To do this, when the petunia plants reach a height of 5–7 cm, for better tillering of the plants, pinch the shoots above the 4–5th leaf.
Step 9
A new shoot grows from the bosom of each leaf, and the petunia blooms more abundantly, and the bush will look more decorative.
How to care for petunia seedlings
Watering petunia seedlings
Since petunia seedlings need a moisture balance, it is very important to learn how to water them correctly. After all, if water is supplied in excess, this can lead to fungal diseases, and the seedlings will die from a lack of moisture.
Moistening of the substrate is required as soon as its top layer dries. Watering is carried out through a syringe: water is dripped under the root of each seedling, trying not to fall on the leaves. You can pour water along the inside of the container wall, but it is best to pour thawed or settled for two days tap water at room temperature or slightly warmer into the pan. It is good to add a little natural lemon juice to the water. In cloudy weather, watering is best done in the morning, and in sunny weather - in the evening. Avoid the appearance of a crust on the surface of the substrate: loosen the soil after watering, otherwise the seedlings will suffocate.
Top dressing of petunia seedlings
Seedling petunias from seeds requires regular feeding. At the stage of development in seedlings of 3-4 true leaves, add a solution of half a tablespoon of yellow Kristalon in 5 liters of water to the substrate. You can also treat seedlings on the leaves with a solution of Kristalon or Uniflora micro complexes. Root and foliar feeding is carried out in turn every 2-3 days, and the older the seedlings, the more often the feeding should be. Seedlings that survived the pick need a root formation stimulator, therefore, two weeks after the pick, they are treated with Aquarin, Kemira Lux, Plantafol or Solution in accordance with the instructions.
You can only do without top dressing during the seedling period if you sow the seeds in a nutrient-rich substrate. When using light soil, top dressing is required.
Lighting for petunia seedlings
For the normal development of petunia seedlings, bright illumination in the range of 50,000 lux is needed at least 11-12 hours a day, but at this time of year the nights are still too long and the days are short.Therefore, you will have to organize an additional light source for the seedlings, which you will turn on at 7-8 o'clock in the morning and turn off only at 21-22 o'clock. After picking, the illumination should be slightly increased - up to about 55,000 lux. For illumination, you can use fluorescent, LED, gas-discharge lamps and phytolamps, which are installed above the seedlings at a height of 20-25 cm.
Pinching petunia seedlings
For better branching, the seedlings are pinched. Fast-growing hybrid varieties are pinched over 4-5 leaves, that is, they break out the upper part of the stem along with the growing point. After that, a new shoot will begin to grow from each sinus and, accordingly, this bush will give more flowers. The next pinching is carried out in two weeks, and in total several more such procedures may be needed. The ampelous petunia seedlings do not need to be pinched, since this process has little effect on its branching.
Hardening of petunia seedlings
Hardening procedures, preparing seedlings for life in the open air, begin to be carried out two weeks before planting the seedlings in a permanent place - in open ground, balcony containers or suspended structures. For the first time, the plants are taken out into the garden for 10-15 minutes, but the duration of the air baths is increased daily. By the time the seedlings are planted, seedlings should be carried out in the open air around the clock without harm to health.
