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Any garden will be decorated with petunias, abundantly blossoming in various colors all summer and autumn. In addition, petunia unpretentious, care is not demanding.
Therefore, many are interested in how to grow a petunia from the seeds - features of planting, caring for seedlings and an adult flower.
. Methods of growing petunia from
seeds. In order to get seedlings of petunias, it is necessary to sow seeds in February or early March. To do this, you can use a rasskatnye capacity, or apply the technology of growing petunias by means of peat tablets.
- Mostly for this purpose they use a rassack box. The seeds of the flower are light-like, that is, they need light for germination. Therefore, sowing is done superficially, it is impossible to sprinkle them with earth, and for better contact with the soil it is sufficient to simply press.
- Seeds germinate at a sufficiently high temperature, about +25 ° C and 98% air humidity.
Provide such conditions can be, if you put the boxes in a warm lighted place, covered with a light non-woven fabric. You can use glass or transparent film for this purpose, however, non-woven fabric provides the seeds with a more favorable growth environment, since moisture is better preserved, and seedlings can breathe air.
Nonwoven fabric removed when the seedlings grow a little. - Sowing seeds in peat tablets is much more efficient. Practice has shown that growing plants in peat tablets does not require a subsequent dive, and grown seedlings can be planted directly into the ground.
The advantages of tablets are the natural properties of peat, its water and air permeability, and they also contain enough nutrients necessary for the development and growth of seedlings.
It is very convenient to use these pills for growing petunias from seeds. They are placed in a container - a plastic container with a lid, and filled with water.
Within 10 minutes the tablets will swell, while increasing in height, but maintaining the diameter. After waiting another 5 minutes, drain the excess water and, using tweezers or a toothpick, put one seed into the depression in the upper part of the tablet. Then the container is closed with a lid and placed on the windowsill.
Further growth and care for petunia is to maintain the temperature and humidity necessary for seed germination and growth.
To prevent condensation from dripping onto sprouts, periodically ventilate the container and remove excess moisture from its walls and lids.
Not everyone has the conditions to grow petunia seedlings in an apartment. It is quite possible the breeding of petunias in the greenhouse, however, ready seedlings for planting in the ground will be a little later than the home.
The main thing is to prepare the greenhouse in such a way as to provide the plant with the desired temperature and humidity conditions.
Peculiarities of growing petunias
Growing petunias in room conditions is a troublesome, but very exciting business.
The main thing is to ensure the light mode and to observe the required temperature.
Shoots appear approximately two weeks after sowing seeds. This is a signal that it is necessary to reduce the temperature of the seedlings: during the day it should not exceed 20 ° C, and at night it should not exceed 16 ° C.
To prevent sprouts appearing to stretch out and grow well, they are done by shining using a variety of fitolamps.
The additional lighting should be started as soon as the sprouts appear. It is advisable that the landing is covered approximately 16 hours a day. It helps the seedlings to grow strong and healthy, and further accelerates the formation of flower buds.
Dive and care of petunia seedlings
Dive seedlings when the first full leaflets appear.
In the agricultural technology of growing petunia - this is perhaps the most crucial moment. The sprouts are very delicate and fragile, for their seating will require maximum patience and care in order not to injure them.
For transplantation use cups of transparent material, filled with sterilized primer. They are transplanted sprouts, dug together with a lump of soil near the root.
Seedlings at the germination stage are rather capricious.
About a month after the emergence of sprouts, their development proceeds very slowly, because at this stage they build up the root system. More active growth begins at the age of seedlings and a half months.
When the soil in the transparent cup is strongly intertwined with roots, sprouts are transplanted into pots of larger capacity( up to 2 liters) and left there before planting in a permanent place.
The cultivation of petunia ampelous from grains, as well as the cultivation of cascade flowers, is carried out using the same technology as for other varieties.
Ampelnaya petunia is the best option for hanging pots.
Cascade varieties belong to the ampelous group. They have flexible, but thicker and shorter stems than ideal ampelous forms.
Cultivation of petunias terry, petunias of surfini has its own characteristics. The fact is that they do not give seeds, therefore they are propagated by cutting the shoots.
For this purpose, an escaping plant with two internodes is cut off from a flowering bush. Remove flowers and buds. The tip of the cutting is “powdered” with a root and planted in a cup, which is placed in the shade. After 3 weeks, the roots appear. Plants winter in the house, at a temperature of 16 ° C.
How and with what water to water the seedlings of petunias
It is very important to learn how to water the seedlings of petunias. This should be done moderately and on time, following some rules:
- Watering is absolutely impossible. A fine atomizer is best suited for moistening the substrate. Over-wetting of the soil is dangerous with the appearance of a “black leg” - diseases in which sprouts rot from below and die. Drying is also detrimental to tiny shoots.
- The most reliable way to maintain the desired soil moisture is to water the seedlings from the bottom of the pan, not from the top.
- For irrigation, use soft water that does not contain chlorine. Therefore, be sure to defend the tap water at least a day, and just before irrigation, add a little lemon juice.
- Water and substrate must have the same temperature.
Important! In sunny weather, seedlings should be watered in the evening, since it is at night that their growth is the most intensive and the water consumption is greater, while in the daytime the water evaporates.
Fulfilling these little secrets of breeding petunias, we get full-fledged seedlings
What soil is needed for petunias?
For the sowing of seeds, it is allowed to use various soil mixtures based on peat, with the exception of alkaline and strongly acidic.
Self-preparation of soil mixture requires certain skills, and the components must be found somewhere, so the best option is to purchase a substrate in a flower shop.
It contains in an optimal ratio all the necessary substances for plant nutrition and their growth.
To protect a plant from diseases, the acquired mixture must be shed with a fungicide before planting.
Fertilizers for petunias.
. A plant cannot grow fully without the use of fertilizers during the whole development process. Petunia is incredibly responsive to fertilization, and has a high need for them. Only by getting the necessary supplements in abundance will it bloom abundantly until the cold.
Try to use only specialized fertilizers, otherwise it is very difficult to observe the concentration. Complex fertilizers with a high content of potassium are also excellent for dressings.
At home, it is easiest to apply liquid fertilizers that are diluted with water before irrigation. Their selection is wide enough.
Start feeding should be a couple of weeks after transshipment. Throughout the season, you need to continue to fertilize at intervals of two weeks.
In addition to fertilizing, petunia care involves occasional loosening of the soil in order to ensure oxygen supply to the roots and watering.
When caring for adult petunias, many do not know that in order to form lush bushes it is necessary to pinch, that is, remove, the tops of regrown shoots. This should be done in the phase of active growth, when 4-5 leaves are formed.
Petunias bloom profusely and continuously. They are planted in flower beds, in vases and containers, used for decoration of flower beds. Having spent a little effort and time on growing seedlings, you will be able to plant the entire season with the beauty of this amazing flower.
Article when planting petunia on seedlings!
