Looking at photos of European cities and seeing abundantly flowering plants on balconies and window boxes, you catch the idea to embody such beauty in yourself. Petunia is ideal for this purpose . Its flowers , depending on the variety, can be of any color: simple and double, small and large, plain and colorful, with smooth edges and fringed. The choice today is simply huge.
Petunia is a perennial plant belonging to
the nightshade family. In our country, given the climate, it is grown as an annual. In indoor floriculture it is not customary to use it.
Growing petunias on the balcony drastically reduces the choice, since not all varieties can bloom profusely for a long time. While the plant is young, it looks attractive, but by July the shoots are exposed, and new ones will no longer form.
In order not to feel disappointment and not rush about in search of a suitable variety, you need to purchase cascading petunia seeds, for example, the Typhoon series. These seeds grow unusually powerful plants with many solid long branching stems, not hanging down, but overgrowing with side shoots. Such a petunia blooms on the balcony until the frost.
Seeds are preferably sown in February or early March. Lay them on disinfected moistened soil and do not sprinkle on top. Cover the container with a bag or glass, put on a bright windowsill. Ventilate and moisten periodically from the spray gun. When the first sprout appears, remove the bag (glass). When three true leaflets are formed, plants need to be planted in separate containers.
Immediately in the balcony drawer should not be planted, as it will be difficult to regulate watering, and when waterlogging the seedlings can get hit by a black leg and die. Given that there are few seeds in a pack (usually no more than 5 pcs.), It’s not worth the risk.
2 weeks after the picking, the first top dressing with complex flower fertilizer is necessary. As soon as the roots conquer the earthen lump (so that it is visible, it is convenient to use transparent glasses), the plants need to be transplanted to a permanent place.
Petunia on the balcony should be lit as much as possible by the sun. Watering must be alternated with top dressing. In a five-liter capacity, do not plant more than 2 plants. To prevent plants from losing their attractive appearance, faded flowers must be periodically removed. If the seeds ripen, then the same plants will not grow out of them, because the cascade series are hybrids.
Petunia on the balcony under the influence of wind can break. In this case, two options are possible. First: to root the broken off shoot (if it is long, then it is worth cutting into parts) in water, and then plant it. Second: do not touch it, because the Typhoon series differs from others in its ability to recover.
If the petunia on the balcony is so good that you do not want to lose it, then you can save the mother liquor until the next season. Before freezing, you need to trim the shoots, leaving about 10 cm, and then keep the plant in a cool, bright place. For some time, the petunia can still bloom, and then it seems to freeze. Watering during this period should be scarce, no top dressing is required. To prevent powdery mildew, the plant can be watered with a solution of phytosporin. In the spring, with an increase in daylight hours, feeding should be resumed, increasing the proportion of nitrogen fertilizers. Growing shoots can be cut and rooted if more plants are needed.
Petunia on the balcony, the same as in the European photos, is the pride of the grower and the delight for the eyes of passers-by.