Growing ampelous petunia from seeds: when to plant it for seedlings? How to sow it correctly

When to plant petunias of various types on seedlings

It is recommended to sow ampel varieties first, since the period of their development is longer. It is known that modern, hybrid varieties of petunias are classified as fast-growing species. But we must not forget that the emergence of seedlings can be delayed by 2 or more weeks.

Due to the fact that varieties such as floribunda are resistant to the vagaries of the weather, they can be planted first. Therefore, it makes sense to start sowing petunias early, before early March. As a result, this will make it possible to achieve flowering plants in June or at the end of May.
Petunias of all types can be planted in pots or flowerpots. If there are conditions for winter illumination and a place for spring overexposure in closed ground, then early, until February, sowing will provide the decorative effect of the site already in May. On the forums of gardeners, you can increasingly find out about the opening of the seedling season in January.

Sowing seeds

Many growers are wondering when to plant petunias when grown from seed. The start of sowing depends on the conditions of their germination and expected flowering. Seeds are usually sown at the end of January, but the process can continue until the end of May. The sooner the seeds are sown, the more efforts will have to be spent on growing seedlings, since too early dates suggest problems with ensuring the required temperature and mandatory additional lighting.

When sowing seeds late, this is done directly in open ground, but the plants will bloom later. The optimal time for sowing is the end of March. Then the flowering of the petunia will begin at the end of May or the first half of June.

On sale you can find seeds of two types: regular and granular, coated with a special composition. It contains nutrients and drugs to protect against disease. The shell dissolves when exposed to water.

The main methods of sowing seeds for growing petunias:

A hydrogel is added to the soil mixture placed in prepared containers to maintain moisture and good seed development. For 1 part of the gel, take 4 parts of the earth. The product provides good germination and strong shoots. The seeds are poured onto a sheet of paper (there can be up to 10 thousand of them in 1 g) and with the tip of a toothpick dipped in water, the seeds are transferred into the soil. You don't need to deepen them. The container is covered with a lid and seedlings are expected to emerge.
Sowing granulated seeds is done immediately in flower soil (you cannot take them with wet hands). Ordinary seeds should be lightly sprinkled with soil, then sprinkled with flower fertilizer and covered with glass.

For the normal development of sprouts when growing petunias from seeds at home in containers, additional illumination is required, for which a fluorescent lamp or a 15 W bulb is suitable. They are installed at a distance of 15 cm from the ground surface. The optimum temperature for seed germination is from +20 ° С to +22 ° С, then it can be reduced to +16 ° С.

During the first days, watering the seedlings is done with a pink solution of manganese to prevent blackleg infestation. The drug "Athlete" helps the sprouts to stretch less.

Petunias: care and cultivation in pots

Before you start planting a perennial, it is important to familiarize yourself with the peculiarities of growing and caring for ampelous petunia. When choosing pots, it is important to take into account the type of plant that is to be planted at home.

For planting ampel petunias, five-liter containers are best suited. For terry perennials, a pots are enough, the volume of which is 3 liters. You can put a couple of ampelous petunia bushes in it so that the decorative vase takes on a chic appearance. In a container measuring 40X18X15 cm, you can simultaneously plant three ampel petunia bushes.

It is very important to consider the need for waste water. It is advisable to lay a small layer of foam rubber on the bottom surface of the planter, which will absorb excess moisture

Important! As a planter, you can use a clay container, a wooden or plastic pot, a bucket of mayonnaise

Planting ampelous petunias

In order to prevent the soil from drying out in the pots, experts recommend using a hydrogel or vermiculite. The hydrogel must first be soaked in water. Instead of water for the hydrogel, you can use a fertilizer solution for flowers. Vermiculite is mixed with the soil during the preparation of the soil mixture. It is advisable to add a small percentage of slowly dissolving complex fertilizer to the soil mixture.

Planter in blue and white shade

A pair of petunias with flowers painted in a blue tint are planted in a flowerpot. Alyssum is sown between two bushes and covered with a transparent film. After a few days, the seeds will begin to germinate. The film material can be removed.

Note! After a week, it is worth removing the excess sprouts of alyssum. It is best to leave 3-4 strong plants

During flowering, an amazing composition of a fragrant cloud of white shade with blue petunia flowers at the edges is obtained. In the case of planting flower seedlings in late spring, the pots can be taken outside. However, for the first week, it is better to hold the flowers in a shaded area. This will speed up the process of adaptation to new conditions and enable them to get stronger.

Seedling and seedling care

It is important not to miss this moment, otherwise the seedlings will instantly stretch out. Seedlings appear within 5-15 days. The first time the seedlings of petunias grow slowly.

So that it does not stretch, it must be placed on a well-lit window or supplemented with a special lamp.

An unsuccessful solution would be to place a container with petunia seedlings on the windowsill. The seedlings are cold even on the most insulated windowsill, since the cold comes from the glass. They also lack lighting.

Supplementary lighting

Petunia shoots appear on the fifth day. As soon as the first shoots have appeared, I put the tray in the light.

I use LED lamps as artificial lighting, which I mount on racks at a distance of 15–20 cm from the shoots.
For seedlings, any lighting is suitable, with the exception of ordinary light bulbs, which are very hot.
The light must be on for at least 12 hours a day

It is important to exclude drafts.

Watering

The first month, petunia shoots are most vulnerable. I water it a little with warm, settled water and only in a pan so that the liquid does not touch the sprouts.

Top dressing

Top dressing for petunias before planting in the ground is not needed if the soil was originally fertile. I take sifted compost (harvest it in the fall) and mix it with a little soil.

Picking

At the beginning of April, I put them in plastic cups with a volume of 250 ml and transfer them to the greenhouse. In it, depending on the weather, I sometimes turn on the heater. I think, in more northern regions, these dates may shift a little.

Varieties of ampelous small-flowered petunias can be dived in a month, the rest of the groups - after one and a half.

By this time, you can take out the seedlings on a glazed balcony, first for several hours, and then overnight, if the temperature near the glass does not drop below 7-10 ° C.

Landing in open ground

Petunia is not afraid of frost. Before planting, it is necessary to add humus for a more lush flowering.

Petunia, when planted in May with good seedlings, immediately begins to bloom, does not lose its decorative effect all summer, is not afraid of autumn frosts, that is, from May to October, you are guaranteed a lush flowering.

N. Sharavina, p. Chistoozerka, Altai Territory

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Dive seedlings

How to grow petunia seedlings from seeds? The growing process is not yet completed on pecking leaves.When the first young leaves appeared, the temperature regime can be reduced to 18-20 degrees. This is achieved by bringing the container with the sprout closer to the glass of the window. This operation teaches the plant to do with Spartan conditions instead of hothouse conditions, which, of course, strengthens it and mobilizes it to fight for its survival. The greenhouse must be ventilated, each time increasing the time spent without a warm shelter. You should start with a few minutes (2-3), gradually adding several minutes every day.

When the first sprout appears, the petunia already has a couple of cotyledon leaves. All useful substances are concentrated in them, so the attitude towards them should be the most careful. When 2-3 pairs of leaves come out, except for the cotyledons, you need to pick. Diving involves planting sprouts in individual containers and shortening the central root, due to which the root system expands more widely and becomes very powerful and viable. Usually, when transplanting into other containers, diving of the roots is not done, postponing this procedure to a later time, when the seedlings will be planted in open ground.

How to choose seeds to grow petunia seedlings

Before focusing on the question of when to plant petunias for seedlings, you should stock up on the cherished bags of seeds. The variety of varieties and hybrids is impressive

The pictures on the bags are amazing with their bright and often two-tone color. To avoid haphazard purchasing, it is worth studying the distinctive features of the species. And choose suitable seeds for sowing petunias for seedlings among the many:

Shrub varieties that grow compact, equally suitable for easy growing in pots and in flower beds.
Plants with double, fringed, corrugated - large, up to 16 cm flowers. Or with smaller ones from 4 to 10 cm, but with numerous, simultaneously opening buds.
Unpretentious petunia varieties of modern selection, floribunda and multiflora groups, resistant to adverse conditions. And impressive at the same time, originality, beauty and duration of flowering.
Requiring pinching and the formation of ampelous or cascading species. With shoot lengths from 50 to 120 mm - for balconies and hanging flower containers.

On a note! Experienced flower growers already know by the New Year what varieties of petunias they will plant and how many plants they need. This means that you should think about purchasing seeds in the fall.

Moreover, rarely does anyone make a choice at once.

Landing rules

You can sow petunias for seedlings in different ways. It is easier to sow pelleted seeds. For this, the substrate is placed in a container, compacted well, watered, and then compacted again.

Seed granules are spread on the soil surface at a distance of about 3-4 cm from each other. The spacing between the rows is approximately 5 cm. The sown seeds are then covered with a small layer of peat and slightly moistened using a spray bottle.

Regular seeds are sown in this way.

Sowing on the snow. A compacted layer of snow, approximately 0.5 cm thick, is placed in a container on top of the soil. Seeds are then sown on it. On white snow, dark petunia seeds are clearly visible and can be dispersed more or less evenly over the ground. A sharpened stick or toothpick can be used to distribute the seeds. When the snow melts, the substrate is moistened, while the seeds and snow penetrate the soil to the required depth. There is no need to add soil to the container.

Disembarkation using sand. Seeds are added to the sand, everything is thoroughly mixed. This mixture is evenly placed in containers with soil.
Landing on toilet roll paper. Plain paper is used, it is not recommended to use three-layer paper. The seeds on the paper are also clearly visible and can be dispersed. In addition, the paper will not allow the seeds to sink to the depth.When wet, it will quickly dissolve and allow the roots to grow actively.

Another method of sowing petunias is done this way.

Take a piece of dense polyethylene of any length with a width corresponding to the width of the toilet paper roll.
It is covered with 2-3 layers of paper, which is then moistened with a spray bottle.
Step back from the top of the edge about 0.5 cm and place the seeds along the length of the tape at a distance of about 3 cm.
The paper tape is carefully wrapped, forming a roll, and loosely fastened so that it does not turn around. You can use an elastic band or thin string.
The resulting roll is placed in any container so that the edge with the petunia is on top.
The container is placed in a warm room and further maintains the moisture content of the paper. When the seedlings grow up and they need to dive, the roll is opened, and the seedlings are planted in containers with soil.

For planting, it is possible to use peat tablets. To do this, they are placed in containers and poured with boiling water. After the tablets have cooled and swollen, seeds are sown on them. This method is especially effective for planting pelleted seeds. 1-2 seed dragees are placed on each tablet.

Planting petunias in boiling water is the newest method. Once the seeds are spread on the surface of the substrate, they are poured with boiling water from a syringe (or pear). You need to plant petunia in this way in plastic containers.

Containers with petunias planted in any of the described ways are covered with foil (or glass) and placed in a cool and darkened room for about 7 days, after which they are transferred to a warm place.

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.

Description of petunia flower

Starting the description of the petunia flower, we note that the plants are highly branching bushes up to 20–45 cm high or climbing plants with long stems (up to 75 cm). The leaves of this plant are small, rounded, petiolate, of the next arrangement. Funnel-shaped flowers with a diameter of 6–12 cm on pedicels extend from the axils of the leaves. They are varied in color: white, pink, lilac, violet, yellow, red, etc. There are even two-colored and variegated petunias, with a border on the petals.

It is difficult to imagine that this unpretentious plant is unfamiliar to someone. Due to its unpretentiousness, it is especially loved by gardeners.

Modern varieties of petunias (heterotic hybrids) have a varied bush shape (compact, branched and ampelous), a variety of colors puts petunia in the first rows of the best annuals. Gardeners are especially fond of ampelous petunias with abundant flowering, which are the best decoration.

Unfortunately, almost the entire range of modern petunias is foreign hybrids; seeds cannot be collected from them.

Watch the cultivation of petunias in the video, which illustrates agricultural technology and the results obtained as a result of the work: