Petunias are one of the most beautiful and vibrant summer flowers. They decorate flower beds, balconies, loggias, window sills. Flower growers are crazy about petunias, because they surprise with a variety of hybrids, colors and shapes. These relatively unpretentious plants delight the eye with flowering from spring to late autumn, it is easy to care for them. But in terms of growing seedlings, many inexperienced flower growers have some difficulties.
Petunias planting
From the moment the seeds are planted, flower care begins. Already in mid-February, you can begin to prepare boxes and substrate. Seeds are sown in early March. If the seedlings are planned to be grown at home, and not in well-equipped greenhouses, then you should not save seed, as many seedlings may not germinate due to lack of light. The substrate is recommended to choose light and nutritious, the seeds should be mixed with sand before sowing and evenly poured onto the ground.
Boxes with petunia needcover with glass or film. At high humidity and air temperature of about 21 ° C, plants germinate in a week. It is important to know the basic rules of how to care for petunias (seedlings). So, the florist is obliged to monitor daily the maintenance of an acceptable temperature, a high level of humidity, and the presence of a light source. If everything is done correctly, then in mid-April, seedlings can be transferred to a greenhouse or planted in open ground.
Petunia Pick
This procedure with seedlings is carried out after the appearance of the first three or four leaves. Picking allows you to form a strong root system and strengthen the stem. Some novice flower growers do not know how to care for petunia (seedlings), so they lose sight of the pick. As a result, the plants are weak and painful. First you need to prepare the substrate and small pots or ordinary 100 g plastic cups. The container should be filled with soil, make a small depression in the center and water it. The plant is picked out with a knife and transplanted to a new place. In no case should kinks or bends of the roots be allowed, if they are too long, then it is better to shorten them immediately. Dive can be repeated in a month by planting seedlings in a large container.
Petunias transplant
Almost all plants should be transplanted in cloudy weather or in the evening. Planting seedlings of petunias is carried out only after the substrate is well moistened. This is done in order not to injure the roots. Seedlings are transferred withsmall spatula along with a clod of earth. After planting the seedlings, the soil must be watered again well, it is recommended to sprinkle it with humus or peat on top.
Should I pinch flowers?
About how to care for petunias (seedlings), experienced flower growers can talk for hours. On the question of whether it is worth pinching, opinions differ. To understand whether this should be done, you should understand what kind of procedure it is and why it is needed. Pinching and removing excess growing shoots is necessary to improve flowering and form a more beautiful and luxurious bush. After transplanting into open ground, the plants acclimatize and begin to grow rapidly upwards, the ampelous petunia behaves in the same way in a cache-pot. After pinching, seedlings slow down in growth, side shoots begin to bush and larger and more beautiful buds appear.
Planting petunias in open ground
Depending on personal preferences, petunia seedlings are planted in flowerpots, flowerpots or open ground. Photos of bright, double flowers drive flower growers crazy, but to get such beauty, you need to work hard. Petunias are usually planted in flower beds in May, but before that, the seedlings are hardened with low temperatures (about 10 ° C) so that the flowers are not afraid of night frosts. Plants with a strong root system quickly take root and grow. To make petunias beautiful and bloom until autumn, you can pour ash, peat or humus into the ground as a fertilizer.
Useful flower care tips
Many beginner flower growers fail to grow flowers the first time because they don't know how to care for a petunia. Seedlings need to be de alt with daily, to prevent the soil from drying out, to water carefully and moderately. With a lack of moisture, the plants die, and when waterlogged, they get sick with a “black leg”. Small seedlings can be washed out with water, so they should be watered under the root.
In order not to grow a greenhouse plant that is afraid of drafts and the slightest drop in temperature, starting from the second week, it is recommended to open the window for 10 minutes to ventilate. In this case, the flow of cold air should not go directly to the flowers. Do not forget about top dressing: a few days after the first pick, you can begin to apply complex mineral fertilizers and growth stimulants, alternating them. A little later, you can add root dressing.
In the early stages, petunia seedlings especially need care. The price for one plant ranges from 15-100 rubles. (depending on the cultivar), it's not that expensive, given the fact that growing he althy and beautiful flowers can be very problematic. Seedlings need round-the-clock bright lighting, if it is not possible to illuminate with a fluorescent lamp in gloomy weather and leave subdued light at night, then petunias can not be de alt with at all. Even if seedlings appear, they will be weak and soon die. It is impossible to allow the appearance of a crust on the ground; if the seedlings are excessively stretched, it should be poured into a boxsubstrate. Following these recommendations will allow you to get a he althy, flowering petunia.
