Petunia hybrid - a popular flower

Petunia has become the most popular flower in the design of streets of cities, resorts, as well as personal garden sites. This boom has come not accidentally, because the flower has an infinite number of beautiful decorative colors and shapes, it is unpretentious and hardy when grown, blossoms for a long time.

History

200 years ago, petunia, brought from South America, appeared in Europe. These simple, funnel-shaped and varied colors, the flowers were taken by gardeners, but not completely satisfied them. After 100 years, hybrid petunia was introduced, which determined the further popularity of the plant.

Description

Petunias grow with low bushes (20-70 cm), upright or creeping. Bright coloring of flowers is extremely diverse, has many shades. It can be monophonic or variegated. Petunia hybrid got more perfect flowers - they became large, terry, exquisite in color. Blossoming plant bushes at the same time, covering with a colored cap, and do not wither all summer. At the same time, they are easy to care for: they love sunny places, they tolerate insufficient watering, they grow on infertile soils.

Cultivation

This plant is perennial, but usually it is cultivated as an annual. Growing petunia seedlings, as the period of vegetation before flowering takes 70-75 days, and by the beginning of summer it should already adorn balconies, streets, parks, garden plots. Small-flowered varieties are propagated by seeds. In March, the tiny seeds are mixed with sand and evenly dispersed on the site selected for seedling. After the shoots, picking is carried out, leaving a spacing of 5 cm between seedlings. In early June, the seedlings are placed in the ground in a permanent place, providing an area for each of 20x30 cm. Terry varieties are propagated by cuttings (when grown from seeds, 40% of the quality is lost). Sites for growing flowers should be in the sun, with sandy or loamy soil. Watering is desirable moderate, mainly only at the beginning of growth. Top dressing is also carried out cautiously: with excess nitrogenous fertilizers, abundant growth of leaves begins, but blooms worsen.

Terry, ampel

Petunia, having a Brazilian origin, has taken root in the whole world. The name derived from the word "petun", which in translation means "tobacco". There are 25 species of this plant, differing in the height of the bush, the size and shape of the flowers, the presence or absence of aroma. All this variety, derived from a simple flower, and there is a hybrid petunia. This kind and fell in love with flower growers and landscape designers. Especially decorative petunia, flowers (photo above) which is 2 times larger than usual - up to 8-11 cm in diameter, often terry. Bright coloring of them includes almost the entire color spectrum. But petunia is a hybrid of this variety - it is more thermophilic, it is more difficult to grow and care for. It is most often used as a pot culture. Very beautiful petunia cascade, having long shoots, abundantly covered with bright flowers, besides it is resistant to rain and winds. This kind is ideal for decoration of balconies, loggias, verandas and arbors, looks great in pots along the streets.