Petunia, of course, is not the queen of flowers, but she definitely deserves the title of princess. The bright beauty opens the buds without ceasing, from spring to the coldest. The number of colors is amazing, and many flowers can envy vitality. How to grow strong seedlings and how to feed the petunia to obtain abundantly flowering bushes?
Baby petunia seeds begin to be sown at the end of winter, in February. Seedlings are very vulnerable: chlorosis and the black leg can destroy them. Therefore, the substrate for sowing is used sterile, consisting of a mixture based on peat. Soil before sowing shed fungicide or dark pink solution of potassium permanganate. The first two weeks, seedlings do not need to be fertilized - care comes down to carefully moistening the soil as it dries. Here it is important to maintain a balance: not to dry the earthen lump, but not to over-moisten.
First feeding
In the phase of 3-4 real leaves, the seedlings are transferred into large containers, it is time to fertilize the plants. How to feed petunia for the first time? In order to accelerate root formation and better engraftment engraftment, it is necessary to pour Kristallon (yellow) or other universal fertilizer under the root.
How to feed petunia again? It depends on her survival. If the sprouts are well taken, the next top dressing is carried out in a week. The leaves of the plant must be processed using a fine spray with a complex fertilizer with a predominance of nitrogen. As petunia seedlings grow, nitrogen-containing fertilizers must be replaced with potassium-dominated formulations.
Seedling Care
In order to provide the flowers with the necessary growth energy, seedlings must be fed regularly: up to 3 times a week. What you can feed petunia with is organic fertilizer (mullein infusion, diluted 1:10) and a liquid complex flower fertilizer containing all trace elements.
Top dressing always alternates with watering with plain water. It is advisable to use the following scheme:
- Simple watering.
- Organics under the root.
- Simple watering.
- Mineral fertilizers on the sheet.
Water for irrigation should be clean and settled. In sunny weather, watering and top dressing are carried out in the evening to avoid leaf burns.
How to achieve early flowering
If the bushes are already quite grown and formed, you can speed up flowering and make it lush and long with the help of special fertilizers.
What is the best way to feed petunia? Preparations such as Scotts, which have a prolonged action, pink or brown Crystal, which differ in a clearly calibrated formula and the absence of foreign impurities, and iron-containing Planton-S have proven themselves well.
For the prevention of chlorosis (yellowing of leaves), you can feed with ammonium nitrate or iron chelate. In order for the bushes to be strong and compact, calcium fertilizers such as Zircon and Epin are used.
The content of adult plants
Petunias planted in open ground need minimal maintenance. If the earth is fertile and nutritious, the plant will obtain all the necessary substances by itself. Flowers planted in planters and ampels are devoid of this advantage. Even the most nutritious soil is depleted as the plant grows and develops, and rains wash trace elements from the soil. Therefore, petunia at home needs to be fed all season.
Sustained-release granular fertilizers are on sale that can ensure a uniform supply of nutrients over time. They are very convenient for use in hanging flowerpots when caring for plants is difficult.