Petunia is popular with flower growers because it blooms profusely and for a long time.
The plant can be grown in a flower bed or a pot, and in the fall it can be moved to a windowsill or veranda. There it will continue to bloom until November.
Growing seedlings
1. Petunia, in order for it to bloom earlier, must be grown through seedlings. Which will have to be additionally illuminated with a phytolamp, otherwise it will stretch out.
2. Petunia seeds are small, so they are sown on the soil surface and covered with film. Before sowing, the seeds are soaked in a growth stimulator for a day. The containers are placed on a windowsill with a temperature of about 25°C. The soil is moistened with a spray bottle so that it is always slightly damp.
3. Plastic cassettes, small cups, peat tablets are used as containers. But you can use small containers from sour cream, yogurt, having made holes in them beforehand to drain excess moisture.
4. Sow in mid-winter, since petunias have a long development period.
5. Fill the container with a light nutrient substrate. You can prepare it at home by mixing equal parts of humus, leaf soil, turf and adding peat and humus and a little perlite to loosen the soil. But many people buy soil in the store with an acidity of 5.7. If the acidity is high, then sprinkle the soil with ash. The soil is already cleared of insects and weed seeds, it contains all the nutrients. It is useful to add a little ash and vermiculite to it.
6. When 2-3 true leaves grow, the seedlings are pricked out. And after 3 months, the seedlings are planted one by one in hanging pots, flowerpots, vases or in a flower bed.
Watering
Plants planted in pots and vases will have to be watered daily, especially if they are located under a roof. After all, moisture in small containers evaporates quickly. On hot days, water at the roots early in the morning and in the evening, preventing stagnation of moisture.
Petunias growing in flower beds are watered taking into account the amount of rain.
Excessive watering can lead to root rot. During hail or heavy rain, it is better to cover the plant with a special lid.
If you don’t have one, you can use an old umbrella.
After 3-4 days, it is useful to spray the petunia with warm water from a spray bottle. Do not water in the sun, so that the leaves do not burn.
Bloom
Petunia blooms around mid-July, then the plant is watered more abundantly. For lush flowering, the ends of the plant branches are pinched. To maintain decorativeness and long flowering, faded flowers are removed to prevent the formation of seeds.
By mid-July, petunia branches stretch out, the plant grows. This shortens the flowering period and makes the bush less decorative. Therefore, it is necessary to shorten the shoots by half with pruning shears or scissors, and by a third in a young plant.
Pruning stimulates the appearance of buds, which means more lush flowering.
Before pruning, the tools will have to be disinfected with Bordeaux mixture. The pruning areas are sprinkled with crushed coal, otherwise infection can penetrate through them.
Top dressing
1. 7-10 days before flowering, feed the bush by mixing 20 g of nitroammophoska and ammonium nitrate and one ampoule of "Zircon" in a bucket of water.
2. A month before flowering, petunia is fed by mixing 10 g of urea in a bucket of water. This activates growth and increases the number of inflorescences.
3. To speed up growth, for longer flowering and to increase the decorativeness of the leaf color, use "Fertika Lux". To do this, dissolve 1 tbsp. of fertilizer in a bucket of water and water it under the root.
When feeding petunia, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the dosage so as not to harm the plant. Feeding should be done in calm weather, in the morning or evening.
Petunias grown in pots or vases have beautiful vines hanging down, decorating a veranda or gazebo. They can be planted in different shades of flowers, creating an interesting composition.
