Petunia - care and cultivation. Planting petunias into peat pills. Secrets of growing petunia

Petunia belong to the perennial plants of the Solanaceae family, but in the open ground of the CIS countries they are grown mainly as annual flowers, since they do not tolerate the harsh winter - it is not possible to keep them at this time in a country with a cold climate.

Homeland of these beautiful plants is South America, which is the reason for their thermophilic. In Europe, they were in the early XIX century.

Description of petunia as an ornamental plant

Petunias grow in the form of small low bushes. Their height is from 15 to 30 cm. These plants have green or dark green oval leaves. Their length is from 5 to 12 cm. Flowers of petunias vary in color: white, blue, red, purple and pink. Petunia flowers are quite large (5-13 cm in diameter) and expressive, which allows these plants to be very popular among gardeners. For many people, the favorite garden flower is petunia. Care and Growth This plant does not require too much effort, which allows gardeners to admire the beauty of flowers in their own plot, without spending too much time and energy on caring for plants. Also these flowers can grow in pots. Many people buy beautiful indoor flowers for their loved ones, and petunias with their large bright flowers will certainly leave no one indifferent, so it is possible to grow petunias for sale. For this purpose it is better to equip a special greenhouse.

Varieties of petunia

Depending on the size of the flower, petunias are divided into two main groups: large-flowered and multiflorous.

Large - flowered varieties of petunias, as the name implies, have large flowers - up to 13 cm in diameter. Such plants are called Petunia hybrid grandiflora. If you are able to grow petunias in a greenhouse, then for large-flowered petunia it will be an ideal option, as they are afraid of heavy rain and sharp wind.

The second group - Petunia hybrid multiflora, that is, multi-flowered petunia. Such varieties have smaller flowers (5-6 cm in diameter), but they, unlike large-flowered flowers, can bloom several times a year. If you want to plant a petunia in a place that is unprotected from wind and rain, then it is the multi-flowering Petunia. Care and cultivation of such varieties require less time, since they are less capricious, resistant to unfavorable weather conditions and not so much prone to diseases as large-flowered.

Cascade and ampel Petunia

In a separate group, we can distinguish varieties of cascade and ampelian petunias. Their main characteristic difference is a flexible stem. Such varieties of plants are grown in special pots or in suspended pots. These varieties of petunia grow in such a way that their stems begin to hang down beautifully. A pot or plant pot with such a plant can be placed in a loggia, then it will become a wonderful decoration of the interior.

If the plant has very long stems and small flowers - this petunia is ampel. Care for such petunia is needed the same as for the cascade. The differences between these two plant varieties are only in the thickness of the stem and the size of the flowers.

Cascade petunia. Cultivation and care

The most common way to grow petunia is to germinate her seeds.

Seeds of any sorts of this plant can be bought in specialized stores for gardeners or truckers or in the market, or you can collect them yourself if you already grow these flowers. Each year after flowering, the fruit appears on the plant, boxes, each containing about a hundred small seeds. However, Petunia seeds do not cost so much to collect them manually.

For growing petunia special soil will be needed. In specialized stores sold ground, designed specifically for petunias. You can also prepare the soil for this flower yourself. To do this, you will need sand, humus, turf and turf. Take them in equal proportion.

When a suitable soil for the flower is already prepared, you can begin seeding the seeds of petunias. The best time for sowing is February and March.

To begin with, let's lay a thin layer of expanded clay on the bottom of the tank for planting. Further we fall asleep a soil, we pour out over the seeds and cover them with a small layer of soil - only 1-3 mm. The capacity should be covered with a film or glass, so that the seeds are not cold. Contain a container with planted seeds in a room with room temperature (+ 20-25 degrees Celsius). The first half a month after sowing seeds you need to daily perform the procedure of their watering from the spray, then water it is necessary already less often. The addition of potassium permanganate into the water is encouraged - it promotes more rapid germination of seeds. Also, for faster growth, soil with seeds can be fertilized with mineral fertilizers.

When the plant has the first leaflets, it is already possible to transplant it. To get a lush bush cascade petunia you need to plant a few sprouts in one pot or pots.

As you can see, if you know some of the secrets of growing petunias, to grow such beautiful flowers, it will not be very difficult. And they will long please the eye with their beauty.

Growing of petunias in tablets

In tablets, the growth of petunias is faster than in conventional soils. The tablet provides the plant with the nutrients it needs. And if a petunia was planted in peat tablets, they would not need to be fertilized even for the first time after transplanting into an open ground or in a pot. Another advantage is that the germ is planted in the soil or pot along with the tablet, which later disintegrates in the ground itself. Therefore, it is impossible to damage the fragile root system during transplantation.

But planting petunias in peat pills requires the presence of special granulated seeds, which are more expensive than conventional ones. Planting petunias in tablets is very simple. This will not require any special skills and great experience in gardening.

Technology of growing petunia With the help of peat tablets the following. The first thing you need to soak the pill in warm water, it will take no more than 4 minutes. When the tablet increases by about 3 times, you need to put it on the pallet. Then lightly moisten the granulated seeds and sow them neatly onto the tablet. After the appearance of about three leaves, the plant needs to thin out. Sprouting sprouts need regular, but you should try to do it carefully, so as not to damage them.

When two or three leaflets have already fully formed on the young plant, it is necessary to plant it together with the tablet in a small container with soil. So you increase the living space of the plant, it will not be cramped, so it can fully develop.

That's all the secrets of growing petunias in tablets.

Growing petunias in the garden

In order to grow this plant in the open ground, it is necessary to sow the seeds of petunia in the same way as for growing cascade petunia in a pot. Only in this case, instead of transplanting several sprouts into a single vase, they must be planted in the ground.

For cultivation in the garden is more suitable multi-flowered petunia. Planting dates are the end of May and the beginning of June. However, it is best to plant the plant in the soil in May. You can also sow seeds directly into the open ground. This is recommended in the first half of March. But it is better, of course, to germinate the seeds of the house in a small container - so you can increase the percentage of germination.

A flower bed with petunias will definitely become an ornament of your site, however the cultivation of petunias in the garden has its own nuances.

First, you need to be able to choose the right place for this plant. Since this flower came to Europe from countries with a subtropical climate, it does not tolerate bad weather conditions. When choosing a place for the location of petunias, you need to pay attention to ensure that it is well protected from the wind.

Diseases and pests

Another unpleasant factor in growing petunias are the diseases that these flowers are exposed to if they grow in the garden. Most often in petunias, there are diseases caused by fungi. In this case, you need to treat the plant with special antifungal agents.

The most common disease affecting petunia is late blight. As a result of this disease, the stems of the bush become drill-colored, then they rot, causing both leaves to die and Flowers. Petunia, crop and care for which you have done so carefully, can completely wither. The best prevention of this disease is the thinning of plants during the growing of seedlings.

Also, aphids can attack aphids, especially in early summer. Inhabits aphids on the reverse side of the leaflets. It feeds on the juice of the leaves, from which the leaves curl and wither. If you do not get rid of these insects in time, they can hit all or most of the leaves of the bush, then the petunia, which once was beautiful and luxurious, will turn into a miserable sight or completely wither. Therefore, it is better to pre-treat the plant with insecticides in order to prevent such an unpleasant phenomenon. If you have already discovered on the leaves of aphids, do not hesitate to destroy it, as it reproduces very quickly. It is quite possible to get rid of it with the help of nicotine sulfate, dissolved in water with soap. To prepare a solution for 1 g of this substance, take a liter of soapy water.

In addition, petunia can lose its beauty because of the so-called brown spots. This is a very common disease that can affect many plants. Fight it right away, as soon as you notice the first signs, otherwise it can quickly spread to the rest of the flowerbeds. Signs of this disease, as is clear from its name, are large spots, similar in color to rust. They appear on the upper surface of the leaf, lead to its fading. Treatment is done with drugs containing copper.

Another factor that will cause the petun to die is a tiny butterfly called a whitefly. She lays her larvae on the underside of the leaves, and then they quickly devour the leaves. These larvae can be destroyed by drugs that contain permethrin.

Also, when growing these beautiful plants, there may be a problem such as a black leg. Part of the stem, located near the root, becomes soft, turns black and begins to rot. This quickly leads to the drying of the plant, since the rotten base is unable to conduct substances from the roots to the leaves and flowers. This problem appears in most cases due to high humidity and soil with high acidity. The causative agent of this disease is extremely difficult to eliminate, so the affected plant is no longer cured. It must be excavated from the ground, and even the nearby land should be removed. All other plants that were planted near the diseased bush should be thoroughly treated with fungicides. In the future, in order to avoid the occurrence of this problem, excessive moistening of the soil should not be allowed again.

To your view for a long time pleased with the luxurious petunia, care and cultivation It was not in vain, you need to closely monitor the condition of its leaflets and stems, then you can eliminate any diseases in time and prevent them from spreading to all other flowers.

The most beautiful varieties of petunia

When you already know what kind of flower is petunia, the care and cultivation of which has its own nuances, you can safely go to the nearest store for seeds. Now it remains only to choose which varieties are most like.

The most beautiful and magnificent can be considered terry petuny. The most popular varieties of terry petunias are "Duo Mixd" and "Delight", they refer to multi-flowered. Flowers petunias varieties "Duo Mixd" have a double color, that is, in addition to the main color in the flower there are still white spots. The main color can be pink, burgundy, purple, red and others.

Petunias with double corrugated flowers are also very exquisite. Most varieties with such colors also refer to multi-flowered. For example, "Harmony", "Bouquet", "Pirouette" and others.

In addition, there are varieties of petunias, petals which are decorated with a white border. They also look very impressive and impressive. Among such petunias, the variety "Serenade" stands out with special beauty.

Cascade varieties of petunia

The most common varieties of ampel Petunia, which are grown in suspension pots or pots, are the Classic Hot Red, Cascadis White, Classic Hot Pink. As is clear from the names of these varieties of petunia, their flowers have a red, white and pink color, respectively.

Also popular among cascading petunias are the "Superbells" and "Milion Belz" series. They have smaller flowers than the varieties listed above. In the assortment of this series of varieties there is a great variety of colors.

Conclusion. How to choose the right seeds?

When you already know how to care for petunia, and even decided what kind of variety you want to grow in your garden or on the balcony, it remains only to find out how to choose the right seeds so that they necessarily rise and grow beautiful healthy plants that Will please you a long time.

As the seeds are usually sold packed, then to look at them and determine their quality is visually impossible. Then it remains to rely only on what is written on the package, but you need to read carefully.

Firstly, the label should contain comprehensive information on the seeds that it contains: from the name of the variety and the time of flowering of the plant to information about the manufacturer. In no event can you buy seeds on the packaging of which the manufacturer is not specified, since they are likely to be substandard.

In addition, we still need to pay attention to the date of manufacture. Seeds, as well as food, should not be overdue, otherwise they simply will not rise or the percentage of germination will be extremely low. If the seeds are packed in paper packaging, the period of their sale is 12 months. If the packaging for seeds is made of foil or polyethylene, the shelf life of them increases for another year and in this case is 24 months. That's all you need to know for the right seed selection. These rules are applicable not only in the case of petunia, but also for the seeds of other plants.