Petunia: growing and care from seeds, how to sow at home

There will be no problems during the cultivation and care of petunias, as the cultivated plant is unpretentious. Among the wide variety, you can choose different varieties that differ in the shape of the bush, the structure and color of the petals. In order for a lush bush to grow, which will delight with numerous flowering, you need to choose the right soil and choose the right time for planting. Seedlings or seeds are planted in an open flower bed.

Rules for growing seedlings of petunias from seeds

The flowers that litter the lush petunia bush are bright and give off a lovely scent. The plant is sure to decorate any site. Flowers are characterized by a number of advantages:

• tolerate cold well;
• unpretentious;
• easy to grow seedlings by yourself;
• varieties for every taste, differing in color and shape;
• pleasant fragrance;
• flowering continues all summer.

To grow he althy and strong flower seedlings, you need to follow some rules.

How to choose soil and capacity for planting

For planting choose containers with transparent lids. They are placed in plastic or peat pots. Purchased containers are distinguished by the presence inside the container with a lid and heated.

Petunia should be planted in loose soil with good aeration and medium acidity. In an acidic environment, the roots absorb nutrients and moisture better. In the store you can buy universal soil, which is mixed with coarse sand.

If it is supposed to make the soil mixture on your own, then mix garden soil with fine sand and humus. The finished soil is sifted and spilled with boiling water.

The prepared soil is poured into the container and slightly compacted so that the seed does not fall deep into. A small depression is made in the center, into which the seeds will be placed.

Where to plant petunias

Reproduction of the flower is mainly carried out by seeds. Planting material should be taken with a margin. Under any adverse factors, seed germination is reduced, in some varieties even by half:

• Petunia is a heat-loving and light-loving flower. Therefore, for landing, they choose a site where sunlight falls without obstacles.
• The plant feels good on any fertile soil, but most of all it loves loamy and sandy loam composition.
• If the soil is too acidic, liming is carried out.
• Do not overdo it with organic fertilizers, as they provoke fungal diseases.
• Petunia prefers moist soil but can tolerate short-term drought.

It is advisable to use a separate container for planting seeds so that the root branches are not damaged during transplantation.

How to sow seeds properly

Seeds should be sown three months before transplanting to an open area. If planting is planned in May, then the sowing of seeds should be done in the first half of February.

Petunia seeds are very small, so they are sown at home in two ways. You can simply spread the seeds in the surface layer of the prepared earth, or they are laid out on the surface and sprinkled with a small amount of river sand.

You need to sow in rows, leaving a gap between seeds of about 10 mm. The interval between rows is 4.6 cm. Immediately after planting, watering is carried out with a spray bottle. The container is covered with glass or film, creating a greenhouse effect.

The first shoots should hatch on the 6th day. After that, the film is removed, and the container is moved to the warmest and brightest window sill. Be sure to provide additional illumination so that the seedlings do not stretch out and get stronger.

Mixture of seeds and sand

The soil for sowing seeds should be light, loose, with a sufficient content of nutrients. The top layer is recommended to sift. The day before the proposed sowing, the land is watered.

Petunia seeds are mixed with sand and spread on moist soil. Then water and cover the container with glass. After 12 days, the first sprouts should appear.

Using snow

To plant petunia seeds, some growers use the snow method:

• A layer of snow equal to 13 mm is laid on the prepared and compacted soil.
• Seeds are laid out on a snow layer.
• As soon as the snow melts, the seeds will settle on the surface of the soil. After that, the container is covered with a film and cleaned in a warm and bright place.

Molten snow nourishes the soil, strengthens the immunity of planting material and promotes better germination.

With a toothpick

Thanks to the toothpicks, it will be possible to spread the planting material evenly, which will further ensure an easy picking process:

• Petunia seeds are poured onto a flat surface.
• Two toothpicks are taken for work.
• One side of the toothpick is dipped in water and the seed is picked up, the dry tip of the other toothpick is shaken off into the soil.

Growing with peat tablets

It is convenient to sow flower seeds in peat tablets. The sequence of actions is as follows:

• pre-peat containers are soaked in water with the addition of growth stimulants;
• seeds are laid out with a toothpick and watered (no more than two seeds are placed in each tablet);
• the container is closed with a lid.

Growing seedlings in cassettes

An economical and easy way is to plant petunia seedlings in cassettes. Containers with individual cells can be used several times. Seedlings grown in cassettes do not need to be replanted.

For sowing seeds, cassettes are chosen, the cells of which are wide and deep. The cells are covered with prepared soil mixture, but peat tablets can be placed if desired.

Seedling picking

The first time they dive when the first two pairs of true leaves unfold on each bush.

You need to plant bushes in a larger container, leaving an interval of about 5.7 cm between seedlings, and 6 cm between rows. Holes must be made at the bottom of the new container.

When the transplanted seedlings become crowded again, they are re-picked into separate containers. Each bush should be deepened into the ground to the cotyledon leaves.

Pinching petunia seedlings

To form a neat bush, you need to pinch the shoots. The procedure begins when 3-4 pairs of leaves unfold on the seedling. The central shoot is pinched 4 mm.

Strongly growing bushes and hybrids pinch the top along with the growth point above the 4th or 5th leaf. After two weeks, the procedure is repeated.

Seedling illumination

The first 10 days after germination, you need to highlight around the clock. Additional lighting should be turned on around 7 am and late at night, around 10 pm. Illumination is carried out with special lamps. They are installed above the seedlings at a height of 22 cm. The air temperature at this time should be within +19 degrees.

Water and fertilize seedlings

Water should be moderate. The next day after watering, the soil between the rows is loosened. If excessive waterlogging of the soil is allowed, there is a high risk of fungal infections and rot.

Young petunia seedlings need to be watered by drip. For this purpose, use a syringe, pallet or spray gun. When watering, avoid getting water on the green part of the plant.

As soon as the first true leaves appear on the bushes, make the first top dressing. Solutions based on Kemira, Kristalon or Teraflex are suitable. Of the mineral fertilizers, "Nitroammophoska" is popular.

15 days after picking, the seedlings are sprayed with solutions based on Mortar, Kemira, Aquarin.

Sowing seeds in open ground

Seeds should be sown in rows, keeping an interval of 12 mm. Sprinkle on top with a small layer of loose soil, and preferably with river sand.

Preparation

Before you sow the seeds, they need to be prepared. Petunia seeds are sold in two types:

1. Granular seeds are the easiest to sow. The protective shell, which protects against infections and pests, dissolves quickly when exposed to moisture.
2. Seeds without a shell need an additional disinfection procedure and soaking in growth stimulants.

A few words about sowing dates

Only some varieties of petunias tolerate cold, so it is better to plant flower seeds in open areas in the 20th of May. Flowering begins in July and continues until early October.

How to care for a flower

Caring for an ornamental crop is standard and involves timely watering, fertilizing, loosening the soil and forming a bush. In each season, care differs in certain features.

Spring

Spring petunia care involves preparing the plant for propagation by cuttings. Feeding is carried out once every 15 days.

Summer

Watering in the summer months is carried out as the topsoil dries. On dry days, water once a day, in the evening. Water is poured to the very root.

After watering, it is desirable to loosen the soil. The procedure helps to cope with weeds and prevents the formation of a crust. As a result, air and nutrients penetrate to the roots without obstacles.

Autumn

In the first days of September, the petunia, together with the root, is dug out of the ground and planted in separate flower pots. The diameter of the container must be at least 16 cm. Withered parts of the plant are removed. It is also recommended to cut all shoots by 13 cm.

Pots with transplanted plants are placed in a cool place. In the remaining autumn days, the flower takes root and tolerates winter well.

In winter

Care in winter days is to maintain the optimum temperature in the room. It should be at the level of +11 degrees. If the room is warmer, then provide additional highlighting.

Watering is carried out as the soil dries. Leaves should not be allowed to drop. For the entire winter period, it is enough to carry out two top dressings with a content of potassium and phosphorus. It will not be superfluous to carry out treatment from pests.

Features of petunia wintering

There are two ways to save petunias in winter. In both cases, the appropriate conditions should be maintained.

Preservation of mother bushes

The plant, dug out together with an earthen clod, is transplanted into separate pots. Flowers should be stored at an air temperature not lower than +5 degrees and not higher than +11 degrees.

The petunia bush is pruned, leaving a shoot length of 13 cm. Do not water too often. Twice a month is enough. Already in mid-February, the petunia comes out of dormancy and begins to prepare for flowering. You can land on a flower bed when the threat of frost is over.

Storage of petunia cuttings

The method of storage in the form of cuttings is suitable for those summer residents who cannot provide the plant with the appropriate air temperature and indoor humidity in winter. In this case, the petunia is dug up already in September and divided into separate cuttings 8 cm long. The separated cuttings are planted in cups, which are cleaned in a cool room.

Pruning and feeding petunias

Pruning is carried out at the end of August. In order for the plant to have enough strength to form seeds, dried flowers and branches are removed, and strongly overgrown shoots are cut.

Top dressing is carried out at the stage of emergence of the first shoots, then after another two weeks, top dressing is repeated. The third time to feed the flowers should be during the formation of buds. Until the end of August, potash fertilizers are applied at intervals of 10 days.

Irrigation Rules

Petunia is drought-resistant, but in dry weather it is necessary to provide the plant with enough moisture. Warm, settled water should be poured under the root, avoiding moisture on the green part of the plant.

Propagation of petunias by cuttings

Petunia hybrids are propagated only by cuttings. To propagate a flower with cuttings, you need to know some rules:

• in the last days of March or the first days of April, the tops of young shoots are cut off so that 4 or 5 internodes remain;
• cut branches must be 5.7cm long;
• remove the bottom row of leaves and deepen 2.5 cm into a container with soil;
• cuttings are disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate;
• after 13 days, the seedlings will take root and they can be planted in different containers.

How to grow a beautiful bush petunia

To grow an attractive petunia bush, a number of recommendations should be followed:

• choose the right variety and seeds;
• plant prepared seeds in the right soil in time;
• choose a suitable landing method;
• seedlings should be pinched in time;
• make the required amount of fertilizer.

Attentive and caring care plays an important role in the development of the plant. Flowers need to be watered in time, loosened and treated from insect pests and diseases.

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