Amazing sophistication, special decorativeness and extraordinary flowering time are a kind of visiting card of petunias adored by flower growers.
This herbaceous perennial plant, whose homeland is considered to be South America, has not lost popularity since the 18th century, more and more new species are introduced into the culture. One of the most popular petunia groups today is the Ramblin petunia, which is a series of cascading varieties of American selection with large flowers. This culture, the characteristics of cultivation and care will be discussed in this publication.
Meet Petunia Cascading Ramblin
This is a series of varieties of ampelous and semi-ampelous, long-blooming petunias, which recently appeared on the Russian market. All of them are very decorative, and in the vertical compositions decorating walls and balconies, they come to the fore, making the plant ensemble complete and original. Petunias are excellent in flower pots, floor or hanging vases: taking effect, they form blooming openwork balls. Grown in a flowerbed, these flowers form a colorful, natural rug.
Petunia Ramblin is undemanding, but she needs some care - regular feeding, removal of dry inflorescences to maintain the decorativeness of the culture and stimulate the formation of new buds. Pinching the shoots of petunia is not necessary, some varieties are pruned, adjusting the shape or rejuvenating the overgrown bush.
The ability to form domed balls is valued in a culture like Ramblin petunia. Reviews of lovers of flowering gardens emphasize its originality: these delicate plants produce upright shoots growing up to 30-35 cm and forming a luxurious crown on top, as well as lateral, with a very impressive length (up to 1 m), which descend in a magnificent cascade or grow in a lush bush . In this series, there are up to a dozen varieties that differ in the color of inflorescences, from snow-white and peach shades to lavender and purple.
Growing petunia from seeds at home
The thermophilic nature of the plant and the very impressive length of time required to complete the growing season dictate the use of the seedling method of cultivation. The gardener will have to make a lot of efforts in order to get a spectacular cascade of flowers. Ramblin petunia seeds are sown in late February or early March. They are extremely small, therefore, as shallow containers usually use shallow plates.
For these plants, light universal soil with a neutral reaction is suitable. Growing petunia from seeds at home begins with the acquisition of quality seed. It is better to buy it from trusted manufacturers with the appropriate reputation. Seeds are sown in a well-moistened substrate, not dusting on top, but only covering the container with glass. In a fairly warm room (+20 ... + 22 ° C), seedlings germinate in a week. If you pre-treat the seeds with a biostimulator (Zircon, Epin, aloe juice, etc.), the sprouts can please their appearance already on the 3-5th day after planting.
Seedling Care
Tiny seedlings require good lighting and moderate moisture from a finely divided spray gun. Initially, seedlings grow slowly, so the protective film or glass is not removed. In this case, it is necessary to ventilate the sprouts daily. With the advent of 4 true leaves, seedlings dive, placing in separate containers with a depth of 8-10 cm, since the root system of young plants develops rapidly, completely occupying the space of the container.
Seedlings are fed a complex mineral fertilizer (for example, "Agricola" for seedlings) every 2 weeks. Moderately watered, avoiding stagnation of water, and control the light regime. Young plants are planted in open soil or pots, focusing on the conditions of the climatic zone. As soon as the threat of freezing frost passes, you can place a petunia on a site or an open loggia.
Top dressing
Like any flowering culture, Petunia Ramblin spends a lot of energy, and she needs to receive high-quality nutrition at every stage of her life. After the plants are planted in a flower bed, they are fed with the same frequency (2-3 times a week) with complex mineral compounds, for example, Kemira. It is better to choose fertilizers with a high content of potassium, which stimulates the formation of buds. Petunia is fed until mid-August, dissolving fertilizer in water for irrigation.
Ramblin Petunia Care
If the plant is planted in a cache-pot or container, the development of the root system of the culture should be considered. But it is quite powerful, and for high-quality flowering of one bush it requires 7-10 liters of fertile soil. Petunia Ramblin is characterized by a rapid build-up of shoots and accelerated budding, it blooms 15-18 days earlier than the other large-flowered varieties, delighting the gardener with a firework of colors before the onset of cold weather.
An important factor affecting the decorativeness of a culture is timely watering. Moisture-loving petunias need daily watering, and in hot, dry weather, you need to moisten the soil twice a day, maintaining the soil in a moderately wet state.
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Florists, who are familiar with this culture firsthand, argue that Ramblin petunias do not require pinching at all, since the formation of lateral shoots is strong enough and there is no need to specifically provoke branching. Good care, regular watering and high-quality nutrition will help to grow a beautiful powerful plant with spectacular large flowers. Cascading petunia, planted from a mixture of several varieties, is especially good: colorful multi-color will create a unique flavor and festive mood.