Breeders have bred many varieties of petunias, a considerable number of them are perennial. This plant is characterized by a love of warmth and light. The bushes are compact and densely branched. The flower is large, broadly funneled, tubular, with a limb, can be of different colors. Petunia blooms profusely and for a long time, it is indispensable for flower beds, balconies, mixborders.
Methods of breeding petunias
There are two main ways to breed petunias: propagation by cuttings and growing from seeds. Plants grown from cuttings grow into full-fledged flowering bushes faster than those grown from seeds.
Terry and large-flowered hybrids, as well as ampelous petunia, have become increasingly popular. It is almost impossible to collect seeds from these varieties, but even if it succeeds, it is unlikely that it will be possible to grow anything. Do you want to completely save your favorite petunias? Propagation by cuttings is the most suitable way.
It has a number of advantages:
- 100% preservation of variety and color;
- minimum costs as opposed to purchasing seeds or seedlings;
- simple and effortless process;
- a plant propagated by this method blooms much faster and has a more developed root system.
How to properly make vegetative cuttings of petunia
Petunias are fairly easy to root. From the mother plant, it is necessary to cut off a process with two internodes. Best for cuttings are shoots from 8 to 9 centimeters, which have 3-4 pairs of leaves. Make the bottom cut oblique, just below the knot, and the top cut straight, one and a half centimeters above the knot. After stopping the growth of shoots, you can cut off the apical cuttings, this contributes to their rooting in the future. On the sprout, you need to cut off all the flowers and buds.
At the next stage, it is necessary to powder the tip of the cutting with "Kornevin". Plant the shoot in a container and put in a dark place. Petunias are best accepted in poured or coarse-grained sand; a mixture of humus and soddy land is also well suited. Do not deepen seedlings more than one and a half centimeters into the ground. The plant will sprout new roots within two to three weeks of planting.
Seedling care in the cold season
When it gets cold, the seedlings must be brought into a warm room. For wintering, the plant needs a sufficient amount of light and compliance with the temperature regime from 14 to 16 degrees. Starting from mid-November, it is better to install additional artificial lighting for seedlings. The lamp should work for about 14 hours a day. Watering is recommended moderate.
Pretty photophilous plantsare petunias. Propagation by cuttings in January will require increasing the artificial lighting time to 16 hours. With an insufficient amount of light, the plant makes maximum efforts to develop the deciduous component, while the root does not grow. Accordingly, cuttings obtained from such a petunia will be difficult to adapt and accept. It is also necessary to gradually introduce fertilizers, alternate potash and nitrogen-containing top dressing. This will significantly boost growth.
When the resulting plants grow enough, they can also be used as mother plants and get new cuttings from them. It is necessary to carry out the procedure in the same way, only young seedlings must immediately be placed under artificial lighting. It is necessary to take into account the time of year and the lack of sunlight. The distance from the seedlings to the lamp should be no more than 15-20 centimeters, the duration of the backlight should be up to 16 hours a day.
How to create a greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse effect can be achieved with a glass jar, it needs to cover the plant for two weeks. But be sure to carry out ventilation several times, since mold can start under such a cap. Plants will thrive if sprayed daily with a spray bottle. This will ensure both the necessary air circulation and nutrition.
With vegetative cuttings in the autumn-winter period, the plant will please with its flowering in the middle of spring.
The most appropriate time and conditions forvegetative cuttings
Theoretically, there is no time limit for plant breeding, it can be done throughout the year. It is necessary to start breeding petunias with cuttings in the spring in early March. Planting a plant during this period will allow you to admire the flowering of petunias in May. It must be remembered that the period from the beginning of cuttings to flowering is 2 months.
Be sure to feed the petunia uterine bush with fertilizers. Propagation by cuttings under such conditions will be even faster, and the number of sprouts obtained will be much larger. Choose large dishes for cuttings, then the sprouted bushes will be more magnificent, and in the case of the ampelous petunia, longer lashes. At the bottom of the container, it is best to make a hole and line it with drainage.
At the time of rooting, the petunia does not need additional feeding.
Propagation by cuttings in water
One of the breeding methods is to propagate petunias by cuttings in water. It is necessary to prepare the apical cuttings, their length should be from 10 to 12 centimeters. Remove the bottom leaves so they don't rot in the water. You can leave 3-4 leaves at the very top. After that, they must be immediately immersed in water, since the longer they remain without food, the less likely they are to root. The first roots will appear in a week, after which the plant can be safely planted in the ground.
Propagation of petunias by cuttings: basic rules
- The container in which the plant will be placed must be opaque.
- When water evaporates, add new water, but do not change completely.
- To create a greenhouse effect, cover the dishes with a plastic bag.
- Terry hybrids are better rooted in soil than in water.
Helpful tips from professional gardeners
- Most gardeners are still of the opinion that it is most rational to propagate petunias by cuttings in the spring. In such conditions, it is easier to maintain the temperature, and artificial lighting can be omitted, which means that, in general, seedlings will require less time for care. Also, by the summer, new bushes will delight with their diverse flowering.
- Don't be afraid to damage the young seedlings by cuttings, after that it will only grow and develop better and faster, especially if you fertilize it correctly.
- If the mother bush grows in open ground, then the deadline for transplanting it into an artificial container is mid-August. If you postpone this procedure until September, then there is a high probability that the petunia will not take root.
- One of the most capricious varieties is ampelous petunia. Propagation by cuttings is much easier if the mother bushes are initially planted in separate pots, and not in open ground, and brought indoors with the onset of the first cold weather.
- The cuttings cut in late July - early August are easier to endure wintering in apartment conditions.
- It is not the apical shoots that take root better, but the lateral ones.
- To make it easier for plants to survive in the winter, they need to be pruned in the fall. Thus, you will reduce the area of \u200b\u200bthe deciduous component, and the plant will expend its strength to maintain the root system.
- The lower the temperature in the room where petunias hibernate, the less light they need.
- In winter, seedlings can be lethargic and pale, there is no need to be afraid of this and additionally fertilize the plant, in spring everything will normalize by itself.
- You can not use the same mixture for vegetative cuttings twice in a row.
- The substrate must be decontaminated, for example, with a fungicide.
A great way to grow this plant on your site is to propagate petunias from cuttings. The photos above will allow you to appreciate the beauty of this flower.
