One of the most charming annual flowers for balconies and open ground is the petunia. Undemanding to conditions, it blooms profusely all summer and autumn, until frost. Do not frighten his windows with access to the north, shady balconies, as well as front gardens, sheltered from the sun. Therefore, petunias are willingly taken to decorate any gardens and playgrounds. But seedlings in the spring are very expensive, so growing petunias from seeds becomes especially relevant.
Varieties
This flower has many varieties. You can choose from different varieties to make a colorful flower bed.
- There are ampelous varieties that fall like a waterfall from hanging planters and baskets.
- Compact, profusely flowering shrubs with large inflorescences are widely used.
There is a rule that must be observed. Growing petunias from seedscarried out early. By the time the seedlings are planted in a flower garden or on a balcony, the plant is already a lush bush. It is desirable that he has time to collect buds.
Choose seeds
There are many hybrid varieties on the market today. By collecting seeds from them, you will not be able to grow new flowers. Therefore, it is necessary to stock up on material in advance. Better to start in winter. Buying quality seeds is the key to getting beautiful plants. Therefore, do not pay attention to the ads of the first online store that comes across. Read reviews and try to choose a reliable supplier.
Growing petunias from seed is a challenge. The seeds are very small, like dust. It is practically impossible to distribute them evenly in the ground. Some gardeners prefer to buy seeds on a tape or in pellets. But they are even more expensive and often linger on the shelves. Therefore, germination can also leave much to be desired. In addition, if there is a risk that the shell will not dissolve well and interfere with seedlings. There is no single answer here, everyone makes a choice for himself.
When to start planting
Growing petunias from seeds involves planting bushes ready for flowering in the ground with the onset of spring. You need to focus on the characteristics of this plant. A he althy bush should release buds 10-12 weeks after sowing. Just be guided by the moment when you want to see flowering seedlings.
Growing petunias from seeds at homecomplicated by the fact that the seedlings do not have enough light. Sowing is carried out even in winter, when there is little sun even in the brightest apartments. Petunia is unpretentious, but right now the lack of light leads to the fact that the seedlings are stretched. Therefore, landing in the middle of winter can only be done if you have special fitolamps. With a lack of light, plants will be thin and weak, they will not be able to fight diseases.
If there is no special equipment and you rely only on natural light, then you will have to postpone sowing until the beginning, if not until the middle of spring. Of course, in this case, you can enjoy flowering not earlier than mid-summer. But on the other hand, daylight hours increase enough to help the seedlings gain strength. It is important not to delay the timing too much, otherwise flowering will begin by autumn, and all summer the flower bed will be devoid of bright colors.
Lunar calendar
Since growing petunias from seeds at home seems to be a difficult and troublesome business, many flower growers try to find landmarks, clues from nature in order to predict good growth and development of seedlings. Often, the lunar calendar is chosen as such an assistant. It lists favorable days for planting, as well as those that should be avoided. Every year the dates change, but today the sowing lunar calendar can be downloaded for free on the Web.
Soil preparation
In most cases, the need for early sowing is scary. From mid-January, you will have to "baby" withtender sprouts. With improper lighting and too high a temperature, they inevitably begin to stretch and die. And when shoots appear, then every newcomer comes to a real horror. They are thin and weak. But today we are covering the basic secrets of growing petunias from seeds, which will avoid difficulties.
Final preparations
Before you start sowing directly, you need to:
- choose the right soil;
- prepare suitable containers;
- choose the location of the nursery.
The easiest option would be to pick up wooden or plastic boxes, about 10 cm deep. They must be disinfected with any antiseptic. It can be "Biotex", "Antizhuk", "Biosept". This is an important point, as young seedlings are prone to fungal and bacterial diseases.
A mandatory condition is the presence of a drainage layer. Expanded clay is best suited for this purpose. And sifted soil is poured on top. The nutrient mix may vary from grower to grower, but there are a few universal options:
- if you are into flower growing for the first time, then you can buy the mixture just in the store;
- a mixture of fertile soil and hydrogel, which is soaked in a special solution;
- mixture of humus, peat, turf and sand.
Sowing time
Let's get back to the question of when to plant. Growing petunias from seeds can be more than just a way to decorate yourbalcony or garden, but also a good side job. In the spring, strong bushes leave at a good price. At spring fairs, ampelous and bush petunias are popular.
Such beautiful bushes can be quite easily grown at home. If you want to get excellent seedlings by the beginning of June, then sowing should be carried out in January - February. But many flower growers are embarrassed that other terms may be indicated on seed packages. Moreover, they often differ from each other. What is the secret? The fact is that different varieties and groups of petunias have their own growing season.
- Ampel plants form a solid waterfall of flowers. But in order for them to gain a large vegetative mass, they need to be planted in early January. Otherwise, long, luxurious shoots simply will not have time to grow and release buds.
- Dwarf bush petunia can be planted a little later, in early March. Therefore, most often it is she who is chosen by novice flower growers. With the beginning of March, the sun is already peeking into the room, and therefore the seedlings are growing very actively.
Sowing seeds
When you open the pack, you might be a little taken aback by how small they are. In fact, the technology of growing petunias from seeds involves mandatory picking, so there is nothing wrong with the fact that at the first stage they will grow somewhat crowded.
- Before planting, it is recommended to spill the soil with boiling water or ignite it in the oven. This is especially important if you prepared the mixture yourself. This will destroy the pests that may live in it. Additionally, it is desirable to shed the soil pinkpotassium permanganate solution.
- When the soil cools down, you can get down to business. With this procedure, the cultivation of petunias from seeds begins. The step-by-step guide allows beginners to avoid basic mistakes. Do not try to scatter the seeds in a pinch, they are too small. To do this, use thin tweezers or a toothpick.
- Seeds should be carefully spread on the surface, without sprinkling anything.
- Be sure to cover the container with glass or film. It should not be removed before germination. This will save you from the need for regular watering, which harms only the emerging seedlings. To prevent condensation on the glass from accumulating in excess, the glass must be constantly turned over.
- After the first shoots appear, start airing the shoots. First, the box is opened for 10 minutes a day, gradually the time increases. This is an important point, as it ensures the hardening of seedlings.
Growing petunia seedlings from seeds is quite an interesting activity. Seedlings appear quickly. Already on the 3-4th day, you can expect the first shoots to appear above the ground if the seeds were fresh. If they are stale on the counter of the store, then the waiting period will stretch for 10 days. But if on the 14th day you do not see any signs of life in the pot, then you can safely change the soil and sow something else in it. Even if some seeds sprout, they will turn into stunted and weak bushes.
Seedling care
Sometimes beginners ask the question, how to understand that it is not a weed that has sprouted? A photo will help determine this. Growing petunias from seeds is the hardest thing to do.the first month after germination, when the seedlings are still very weak. They need careful care so that they turn into strong bushes. There are three pillars on which success is based.
- Light mode. The placement of containers with future seedlings should be very bright. Otherwise, you will not get seedlings. Moreover, in the first days of growth, it is desirable that the greenhouse be illuminated 24 hours a day. After that, 12 hours will be enough to form a strong petunia. Growing seedlings from seeds at home requires adjusting the lighting regime. If it is not enough, then additional lamps are installed, and with an excess amount of sunlight, tender seedlings must be shaded.
- Temperature regime. While the seeds germinate, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of at least +22 ° C, up to +25 ° C is permissible. Hybrid petunias are especially demanding on heat. If the temperature is lower, then the seedlings will not sprout, but most likely will die. As soon as the sprouts appear, it is necessary to reduce the temperature to +18 ° C during the day and to +14 ° C at night. Move the seedling box away from the battery.
- Water. This is the last point that is important to study in advance. Excess moisture leads to rotting or fungal infection. And with a lack of moisture, weak seedlings quickly dry out and die. In the first week of life, you need to spray the earth once a day with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Water for irrigation must be soft, settled, without chlorine. You can take melted water. At the same time, watering is recommended in the lower way, that is, through the pan. The second option is a syringe,directly under the root of each plant. When the first true leaves appear, you can remove the protective glass.
Feeding
In order for plants to grow well and quickly, it is necessary to provide them with enough nutrients. Very weak seedlings can be sprayed a couple of times over the entire period with a growth stimulator. It can be "Epin", "Bud", "Ovary". After the sprouts have appeared, you need to wait a week and feed the sprouts with mineral fertilizers. You need to repeat this procedure with an interval of 10 days.
Picking
The most painstaking, but very important point. When there are real 2-3 leaves, it's time for a pick. That is, each plant must be moved to a separate pot, where it will develop. With a dessert spoon, you need to pick up the sprout and transfer it to its new home. And if you sowed the seeds in peat cups, then you can omit this moment. Seedlings are placed in new pots directly in the parent cups. Be sure to take the seedlings to fresh air every day for hardening. Gradually, the time should be increased, starting from 15 minutes.
At the stage of appearance of 3-4 true pairs of leaves, pinching will be required. That is, with your fingers you need to break off the top of the central shoot. Repeat this process after a couple of weeks. Then the bush will be lush.
Transplantationinto the ground
By this time, the plants should be hardened enough to be outdoors for days. Growing a petunia balcony mixture from seeds allows you to get a bright decoration for hanging structures and planters for very modest money. Landing is usually carried out in late May - early July.
If this is not a flowerpot that can be filled with a nutrient mixture similar to the one in which the seedlings grew, then you need to choose a place with fertile loamy soil. Disembarkation must be done in the evening. The next day, the bushes should be shaded from the sun. Such a measure will be required in the first few days. It is important to mulch the land between plants. Peat or humus is ideal for this.
Instead of a conclusion
Using the following guidelines, you can grow enough seedlings to decorate your balcony or gazebo. Petunia looks great in the garden, in the flower beds. She will paint a shady corner where other flowers grow reluctantly. Once you get to know this plant better, you will plant it every year. The plant blooms very brightly, and caring for it is not difficult at all.
