Petunia seedlings are very tender and fragile. It requires compliance with various agricultural regulations. One of them is a pinch of petunias. Many fans of this amazing plant can easily cope with pinching. They put a lot of effort and patience in order to grow a petunia and make it a decoration of a balcony, flower garden, home. Why is petunia so popular?
Firstly, because the variety of colors and sizes of flowers, as well as their shape, distinguish this plant from all the others. One who began to grow one type of petunia, after a while gets acquainted with its new and amazing varieties, giving them his heart.
Secondly, an abundantly flowering plant feels great both in limbo and in pots, flower beds, discounts and in boxes filled with earthen substrate. And one more plus in her favor: she is not capricious in leaving.
Petunia belongs to the nightshade family and is represented in the culture by forty species. This herbaceous plant or shrub can, depending on the variety, reach a height of ten centimeters to one meter. Its homeland is the South American tropics, and in Europe it is actively used to decorate parks and gardens, dating back to the eighteenth century.
In our climatic conditions, it is most rational to grow decorative annual varieties known as hybrid or garden petunia. Much has been written about how to properly grow seedlings of petunias . Of course, it’s easier to buy it in a store than to get the coveted sprouting at home alone. But the process of growing from seeds requires so much attention, love and warmth that it is worth it to devote time to it, and then be proud of your small victory, admiring the wonderful flowers.
Pinching petunias is one of the most important agrotechnical methods aimed at the correct formation of a bush by increasing the number of side shoots. If you neglect this operation, the plant may turn out to be elongated and have a miserable appearance.
A pinch of petunia is done for the first time as soon as its tip grows eight centimeters long. Having planted the seedlings in a permanent place, you need to feed and water the plant in a timely manner. When the side shoots grow by ten centimeters, repeated pinching of the petunia is recommended. Although it is not necessary if, for example, the flower grows in limbo, and you want its shoots to be as long as possible.
During the growing season, a subsequent pinching of the petunia is done in those cases when it is necessary to form a uniformly developing bush. In such cases, only the shoots that are very elongated compared to other shoots need to be trimmed. However, the distance between plants also plays an important role in the formation of the bush. Thickly planted seedlings will not be able to give good lateral processes, even if pinching the petunia was carried out in a timely and correct manner. Choose the distance between plants according to the variety of petunia, following the recommendations on the package with seeds.