Making a garden plot beautiful is easy enough. To do this, you only need to plant flowers. Most people choose petunias for these purposes. Planting this plant has some features that will be discussed in this article.
Surprisingly, this flower grows not only in open ground. It develops well even in pots placed on balconies. Florists are attracted by a variety of varieties, as well as magnificent flowers. They delight the eye with a variety of colors: pink, lilac, white, blue, purple, red and others. In order for such magnificence to become a real decoration of a site, a balcony or just a window, it is important to know how and when to sow petunia.
Let's get acquainted with the features of growing this type of flower. Be sure to talk about how to sow seeds, dive and plant seedlings. We will study the advice of experienced gardeners about the right choice of soil and the intricacies of care. And, of course, we’ll tell you about the landing dates. Thanks to this information, even a beginner in floriculture will be able to decorate his plot with petunias.
Description
Many people want to know how to grow a petunia on their site or balcony, because this flower is really very attractive. It can grow in a compact bush or form short lashes. The height of the first can be up to 30-40 centimeters. Scourges range from 70 to 100 centimeters. Petunia leaves are small, whole, alternate. They differ in a characteristic oval shape. The color of the leaves is green. Their hue gamut can vary from light tones to dark. As mentioned above, flowers come in different colors. There are both monophonic and two-tone. In the latter veins can be clearly expressed, which add expressiveness and showiness. Petunia flowers in diameter can be from 3 to 20 cm.
As for cultivation, petunia is not considered a moody plant. Does not require special care. Many people prefer to buy them as a gift for the holidays, as they can grow even in a room. Thanks to the easy care, you can grow petunia for sale. To do this, you need to equip a greenhouse in which you need to create optimal conditions.
Where to plant
Planting petunias is possible in various conditions. Due to its unpretentiousness, it is often used by landscape designers. Decorate with these flowers not only private garden plots, but also city streets, parks, squares, squares. In the summer season, this plant can be found in beauty salons, shopping centers, restaurants. It not only attracts the attention of visitors, but also creates a positive mood with a fragrant fragrance.
Bright flowers of petunias can be used as a dividing strip on lawns. If there is a need to decorate a house or a gazebo, it is recommended to plant plants in hanging planters.
Grade selection
Those who decide to plant flowers need to know not only how to grow petunia, but also which varieties to choose. The fact is that this plant can have bushes of different heights. Also, its feature is hanging branches. Such petunias are called ampelous. These nuances are taken into account when choosing the place where the petunia will grow.
If a flower is used as a decoration for buildings, it is best to select cascading and ampelous views. They are great for planting in flowerpots and hanging planters, and along the garden paths it is better to plant undersized bush varieties.
Also, beginner gardeners need to know that this plant is conditionally divided into two groups. The first includes large-flowered varieties of petunias. They are afraid of strong wind and rain, so it is recommended to grow large-flowered varieties in a greenhouse or closed balconies.
In the second group, multiflowered varieties are combined. They bloom several times a year. Many small flowers are formed on the bush, the diameter of which rarely exceeds 6 cm. These varieties grow well in different climatic conditions. They are not at all afraid of windy and rainy weather. Unlike the first group, they are more resistant to diseases.
Landing time
When to sow petunia so that it delights with its flowers for a long time? Experienced flower growers advise to plant stronger seedlings in open ground not earlier than mid-June. By this time, as a rule, there are no more night frosts. An exception is the northern regions, since there it is still quite cold in the first month of summer and there is a chance of precipitation due to hail and snow. Those who live in these latitudes are advised not to rush to plant petunia in open ground. First you need to make sure that the cold has completely receded.
Most often, sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out in the 10-15th of February. In this case, for transplantation into open ground, it will be ready by the first of June. However, you can sow seeds in January. After about 14 weeks, the seedlings are planted in pots and grown in a greenhouse or on a glazed balcony.
Most gardeners use the lunar calendar. On it favorable days of planting of a petunia are calculated. Let's look at which ones were highlighted in 2018:
- January - 1, 19, 20, 26, 27, 28, 29.
- February - 1, 2, 3, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26.
- March - 1, 3, 4, 20, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30.
- April - 1, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 29.
There are also adverse days. As a rule, they fall on the period of the new moon and full moon. Let's look at what days it is forbidden to work with plants:
- January - 2, 16, 17, 18, 31.
- February - 15, 16, 17.
- March - 2, 16, 17, 18, 31.
- April - 15, 16, 17, 30.
Soil selection
The main condition for planting petunias is the right choice of soil. For this plant, any land, even from the garden, at least purchased, is suitable. However, before boarding it must be steamed. This will get rid of pests and pathogens.
To sow petunia seeds, sand and peat must be added to the soil. It will be good to introduce fertilizers and microelements that will strengthen weak seedlings, which will enable them to grow rapidly and fully develop. However, it is important to ensure that the level of salinity and acidity is low.
It is also very important not only the quality of the soil, but also its moisture content. If there is not enough water, then the young sprouts will dry out. An abundance of moisture will rot the root system, which will also destroy the plant. It is necessary to water in such a way that the water does not stagnate. For this, a special drainage hole is made in each tank through which excess fluid will exit.
Capacity selection
Planting petunias for seedlings is carried out both in special natural (peat) pots or tablets, and in simple plastic containers. The latter are filled with soil so that it remains about 2 centimeters to the top edge. The depth of the capacity in which seedlings will be grown should not be less than 10 cm.
If the sowing of seeds is carried out in plastic containers, then lateral holes are necessarily made. They will fulfill the role of ventilation.
Seeds
Planting petunias for seedlings, as a rule, does not cause difficulties. The only caveat in this process is that the seeds of this plant are very small. Working with such material is not very convenient. To facilitate the fate of beginning gardeners, manufacturers began to produce seeds in the form of small granules, using nutrients that accelerate the emergence of seedlings as a shell. Unlike seeds in their natural form, granular is more convenient to pick up. Using the latter, landing in one row is much easier to carry out.
If you didn’t buy seeds, but collected them yourself, you can mix them with sand or earth to facilitate sowing.
Planting petunias for seedlings
Petunia seeds are sown on seedlings in two ways. Let's look at what they are.
- The first way. Moisten the prepared soil well. Fill it with a container and slightly seal. Seeds are laid on top of the ground. They do not need to be deepened. There is another way to place small seeds in the ground. It is recommended to pour them on a sheet of white paper. Then arm yourself with a glass of water and a simple toothpick. Its tip is moistened with liquid and brought to the seed. They stick to a toothpick, so it will be easy to carry into the ground.
- The second way. In this case, snow is used. Capacity is filled with moist soil. They condense it. Snow is laid on top of the ground. Its layer should not exceed 4 mm. Petunia seeds are placed on it. Additional watering is not required. Moisture will be provided by snow.
Sowing of seeds is carried out in such a way that between them there is a distance of 5 mm. It is impossible to deepen them into the ground, since seedlings simply can not break through. To fix the seeds, a flat board is used, with which you can slightly press down the soil.
Petunia in peat tablets: the ins and outs of planting
The above methods of sowing seeds are used for plastic containers. However, some flower growers prefer natural containers, such as peat tablets. They are made from a special compressed substrate. As a rule, for planting plants in them, additional fertilizing is not required, but watering must be carried out regularly.
Petunia in peat tablets is quite simple to grow. These containers are sold in any specialized stores. To sow the seeds, just make a small depression. Put a grain there and moisten slightly. After this, the containers are installed in the pallet. It should be large enough, since after wetting, peat tablets increase in size by about 5 times.
Lighting
Like any other plant, petunia also needs adequate lighting. Care must begin at the stage of seed germination. Tanks are installed on the windowsill. If you choose a darkened place, the seedlings will quickly stretch, while remaining very weak. If there is a lack of lighting, it is recommended to install a lamp that will compensate for the lack of natural light.
Sprouting acceleration
In order for the seeds to germinate faster, it is necessary to cover the containers with a transparent plastic film. This will create an optimal temperature inside, as well as maintain the required humidity. With the film, the first seedlings appear a week after sowing the seeds.
There is another way to accelerate germination. For this, a special tool "Previkur" is used. The concentration of the solution is 0.1%. It allows you to quickly see the first shoots of petunias. However, this tool must be used very carefully. The fact is that when watering the soil there is a high probability of washing off the seeds. In order to avoid this, it is recommended to use a spray gun.
Seed Care after Planting
Does petunia need special care? It will not be necessary to carry out any complex actions. The main thing is that after emergence, provide the plant with sufficient moisture. This will allow young shoots to strengthen. The film that was used to create the greenhouse effect is removed only after the first leaves appear. You need to teach seedlings to a different climate gradually, starting from 10 minutes. After each subsequent day, increase the time. In the room where the seedlings will be located, the temperature should be at least +20 ° C. Soil is constantly loosened with a simple toothpick.
Pick
After the appearance of two full leaves, you can begin to pick a petunia. For this plant, this action consists in transplanting each shoot into separate containers. Pinching the root system of the petunia is not required. Transplant the sprouts should begin after 3-4 leaves appear on them.
In grown plants, you can pinch the top of the stem a little, so that the bush begins to produce lateral shoots. After a dive, petunia is recommended to be placed in a cool place. If all the conditions are correctly observed, then after 30 days the plant can be transplanted into the open ground.
Some more tips
Shoots of petunias are not planted if the seeds were originally sown at a great distance from each other. If you still need to dive sprouts, they try to transfer them to a new place with a lump of earth so that the root system is not injured.
Shoots that live in separate containers from the first day, you just need to add soil as you grow. Handling them into more spacious pots is not required.