How to keep petunias until next spring at home

Petunias are one of the most popular flowers among gardeners. They are bred for gardens, grown on balconies, and they are also popular as potted crops. Tropical countries are considered the homelands of petunias, so how to keep petunias until spring in a temperate climate is a question that worries many flower growers.

Features of growth in wintertime

Petunias are not as common as perennials. In summer cottages they are often grown as one-year-old flowers. In the spring, the seeds are sown, and at the onset of autumn, the faded flower is uprooted and thrown away or they try to save it for the winter.

The disadvantage of growing petunias in the country is the difficulty of preserving flowers for the winter. They do not like the cold, they need constant lighting and warm water for irrigation. There are many varieties of petunias on the floricultural market. Many species and varieties are propagated using seeds.

Some species reproduce exclusively vegetatively. Benefits of Vegetative Propagation of Petunias:

getting young plants throughout the year;
opportunity to keep variety as indoor perennial.

How to cut a petunia for the winter

The purpose of pruning petunias in the fall is to preserve the variety by spring. Faded bushes are pruned in September, early October:

the length of the stems for wintering in the open field should be no more than 15 centimeters for bush forms;
ampel forms leave 50 percent of the stem.

To preserve petunias in the winter, after planting in a pot, the stems are cut by 90 percent. In this case, the cut cuttings are used for further breeding of the variety.

What are the benefits of winter storage

Winter storage of petunias differs from annual spring sowing of seedlings or seeds in several ways:

perennial plants wintering indoors are capable of earlier flowering;
house-type perennials are suitable for quick propagation of seedlings (cuttings are used for it, which take root with almost one hundred percent result);
winter storage is good because it allows you to save varieties that reproduce vegetatively.

Ways to save colors

To keep the petunia until spring, use several methods. You can remove an adult plant in heat or use the cutting method.

With transplantation

For transplantation, mother plants are used, that is, an adult petunia bush, which is left until spring, followed by cuttings. To do this, the bush is transplanted into a pot-type container in late September or early October. At the same time, they take into account that plantings should have time to take root before the onset of cold weather.

An important condition for transplanting a mother liquor into a pot is the selection of a container. The pot is chosen taking into account the size of an adult plant and the volume of its root system.

Information! Petunias are characterized by the growth of lateral root appendages, so small containers are not suitable for transplanting.

After transplanting, dry or damaged parts are removed from the mother liquor, leaving only 10 centimeters from the entire stem. After that, the mother liquor must be moved to where it is dry and cool.

With cuttings

Gardeners call cuttings, which do not depend on the time of year, the advantage of petunias. Experts recommend carrying out a planned cutting procedure in the fall, at which time the flower is completely ready for reproduction:

Cuttings are carried out following the sequence of actions:

Cut off the upper branches, on which four or six leaves are located.
The flower is cut from the top.
Then cut off the bottom sheets.
A stem cut is released into a root former or root growth stimulator (for the same purpose, a solution of manganese or crushed activated carbon is used - a similar procedure disinfects the plant and promotes its rapid development).
Then the cutting is placed in the soil mixture, for which different soils are used.
Plants are watered, lightly tamped down the ground.
Cover with a transparent lid or film.

Creating a greenhouse effect with additional shelter helps shoots to take root faster due to constant moisture.

Places where you can store a flower

The mother plant and planting cuttings are recommended to be stored under different conditions. An adult plant does not need additional actions, cuttings need to provide the effect of greenhouse conditions for the first time before rooting.

In the apartment

The mother liquor must be brought home in early autumn, the pot will be perfectly preserved until next year in a cool room. At home, use a pantry with artificial lighting. The temperature for storing the mother liquor should not exceed +22 degrees. Cuttings are stored at a temperature of +10 to +20 degrees. To accelerate or sprout, it is necessary to provide petunias with additional light.

In the cellar

The room is being prepared for storage in the basement in such a way as to provide certain conditions:

maintaining the temperature regime at least +10 degrees;
humidity level - not less than 65 percent;
additional artificial lighting.

During the frost season, it is better to move the petunia from the cellar to the heat, because lowering the temperature can ruin an adult plant.

Petunia care in winter

The rules for caring for petunias do not differ from the rules for caring for other indoor flowers. Control over watering and top dressing is the key to plant growth and development. Flowers are watered with settled water at room temperature. For watering, choose one of several options:

Watering under the root. It is necessary so as not to damage the delicate buds.
Drip irrigation. Such watering is usually used for seedlings or small petunias: containers with flowers are placed on a wide, low tray filled with water. To obtain the necessary moisture, the pot must be equipped with drainage holes.
Wick watering. This method is often used for indoor flowering species. When planting, a twine or rope made of synthetic material is placed inside the soil, then the plant is provided with a free position, and the wick is given access to water at room temperature.

Throughout the entire wintering after root watering, it is recommended to loosen the soil to prevent the formation of a crust.

Petunias are not suitable for such a procedure as a hygienic shower. It can damage the velvety structure of the leaves, and is also contraindicated in buds. It is carried out if it is necessary for the treatment of the plant, its processing and disinfection.

Information! When weeds appear, they are immediately removed so that they do not take away the nutrients from the soil from the petunia.

For the proper development of petunias in winter, several top dressings are necessary:

single fertilization with nitrogen-containing fertilizers;
one-time potassium supplement.

The appearance of aphids, spider mites or infestations with diseases such as blackleg or gray rot require special care. To do this, it is recommended to treat plants with special preparations, avoiding the treatment of buds.

Advice! If damaged drying leaves appear, remove them in a timely manner.

Preparing petunias for planting in spring in open ground

Planting seedlings of petunias in open ground depends on the climatic conditions of the region. Gardeners recommend choosing a period of time when the top layer of the earth is warm enough, and there are no sub-zero temperatures at night.

The soil for seedlings is prepared using garden soil with the addition of vermiculite. Before planting, it is loosened for additional oxygenation. Planting material is prepared as follows:

the container with seedlings is spilled abundantly;
carefully pull out the plants together with a clod of earth and a whole root system, trying not to damage;
the cutting is placed 15 centimeters deep into the prepared hole;
the flower is placed vertically, sprinkled with earth and rammed;
spill with warm water to reduce stress on the plant.

Leave a distance of up to 15 centimeters between plantings. This is necessary so that the root systems of the sprouts do not interfere with each other's development.

The land around the flower is recommended to be covered with peat or grass that has been recently mowed. This helps to avoid infections, as well as premature drying, keeps the soil moist.