I bought seedlings of petunia what to do next. Sowing petunia secrets of rapid germination. Petunia rose, what to do next: video with Yulia Minyaeva

Recently, the popularity of petunia is extremely high: this flower has become an informal leader among annual flowers, it is planted in almost every area, creating entire flower beds of colorful plants. However, its seedlings are very expensive, because it is very difficult to grow. Small seeds and fragile seedlings require extra careful handling, and the capriciousness of seedlings makes you follow all the rules of growing very, very accurately, especially at home.

Is it necessary to plant a petunia through seedlings

Garden petunias are members of the nightshade family. There are a huge number of species and varieties of petunias, they differ both in the size of plants and in the size and shape of flowers, not to mention their color. Blooming at the very beginning of summer and continuing to bloom until frost arrives, petunia is of great interest in this sense: there are literally a few annuals that bloom for such a long time, and it is also unusually beautiful.

The variety of classes, groups, varieties, etc. of this flower is so vast that it is very difficult to understand them. But the agricultural technology of all petunias is almost the same. All of them reproduce by seeds, and flower growers try to grow all petunias through seedlings.

Sometimes in southern regions apply sowing seeds in the garden immediately on permanent place. Sowing in mid-spring causes the petunia to bloom in mid-summer. This approach is used for low varieties with small flowers, which are usually used as borders or "cover" plants. Large-flowered varieties are grown only through the seedling stage.

Petunias amaze with a variety of colors, which have earned them popularity among flower growers.

When to plant petunias for seedlings according to the lunar calendar in 2019

The best time for planting petunias in the garden is the beginning of summer. And since seedlings grow slowly and are ready for planting only three months after sowing the seeds, it is necessary to start seedlings with the very arrival of spring. In warm regions, where it is possible to plant flowers in a flower bed earlier, sowing begins no later than February. However, petunia seedlings require good lighting, and when winter sowing would need additional illumination. If it is difficult to provide it, it is better not to rush with sowing. True, it should not be particularly delayed, otherwise flowering will begin only from mid-summer.

Many gardeners now track planting cases by lunar calendar. The need for strict adherence to it seems debatable, especially since in different sources you can find a wide variety of days called as favorable dates for sowing or transplanting garden and garden plants. Therefore, the dates on the calendar must be approached carefully.

In 2019, the following dates are considered favorable for planting petunias:

January 10, 15 and 16;
6–8, 12, 13, 17 February.

Do not plant petunia seedlings on the following days:

5, 6, 12, 21 January;
3, 4, 20 February.

Preliminary preparation

It is difficult to grow petunias, but, fortunately, this does not require unique equipment: most simple boxes or pots. Peat tablets are also used for growing seedlings, but this is not particularly necessary: this flower, after it passes critical period growing up, not at all afraid of transplants. Therefore, initially, the seeds are sown in any containers with a soil thickness of about 6 cm, and as they grow, they dive into suitable pots or cups with a diameter of up to 8 cm. But all landing tanks must be washed and disinfected. And here right choice and seed preparation is much more important.

Seed preparation

Petunia seeds are by no means cheap, so it is necessary to approach their purchase and preparation for sowing very responsibly. Seeds remain viable for up to 4 years, so if you get good and reliable ones, you can buy them for future use. When purchasing seeds, it is always necessary in the mind to increase the need for them several times, especially with early sowing. In the case of petunias, there is always a risk that no more than half of the seeds will sprout, although germination is sometimes close to 100%. The seeds are small, therefore, in addition to the usual form, they are also sold in a granulated state. Both of them have their pros and cons.

Petunia seeds are very small, and you can work with them with good eyesight and patience.

Granulated seeds are expensive not only because they are pre-prepared, they are usually hybrid seeds of the most interesting, beautiful petunias. As a result, there are no more than a dozen seeds in a bag, and in order to plant a flower bed, you need to spend a lot. But with granules it is easy to handle, you will not lose them when sowing. They can be easily sown at once, one in each pot, or placed individually in a box at the right distance. They have better germination, but it is necessary to sow just in time: as soon as the “process has started”, you can’t keep it, and all growing conditions must be strictly observed.

In granulation, the seeds are placed in a shell, and they become more convenient to handle.

Seeds sold in bulk are much cheaper, but they are also difficult to sow individually, there will be a lot of waste. Such seeds in a bag are most often a mixture of several varieties, they are more difficult to handle. In principle, they do not require any tricky preparation, such as dressing or soaking, but they must somehow be prepared for sowing so that it can be rationally carried out. Common sowing practices small seeds are:

pre-mixing in desired proportion with clean fine sand taken dry;

accurate sowing on light sand or snow, allowing you to monitor the quality of sowing;

piece-wise unfolding of seeds with a toothpick (an option for the most patient flower growers).

When should this be done? For petunias traditionally used very early dates sowing, because flower growers want to get at the very beginning of summer elegant flower beds. in the middle lane and northern regions sowing is carried out in mid-March, but many try to do it even earlier, sometimes for a month or more, then powerful flowering can be expected by the May holidays.

Soil preparation

For growing seedlings of petunia, some kind of archaic and scarce soil is not required, although it imposes certain requirements on the soil. The soil should be light, loose, breathable, moisture-absorbing and nutritious. By acidity - slightly acidic or close to neutral (pH from 5.5 to 7.0). You can buy it at the store or make your own. For sowing seeds and diving seedlings use the same soil.

Purchased mixtures are most often reliable (if bought in a specialized store and not the cheapest), clean, free of pathogens and foreign objects. As a rule, they have a homogeneous and fractional composition, which is important for sowing small seeds. It is better that this is the ground for flower seedling. soil from well-known manufacturers There is no need to pre-cook, you can use it right away.

Nowadays, you can find everything in the store: if only there was money

When preparing the soil mixture yourself, you must use the optimal proportions constituent parts. It is best to take equally humus, soddy soil, peat and add a little river sand. Peat, if there is a choice, it is necessary to take not riding (it is too sour). The sand is white or greyish, but not yellow or orange. All components must first be sieved to remove large inclusions.

Disinfection of self-prepared soil for petunias is absolutely mandatory. This can be done in many ways: from calcining in the oven to treating with fungicides. But in most cases, a good drenching with boiling water a few days before use is sufficient.

How to grow good petunia seedlings at home: planting and care tips

When sowing petunias at home, you can immediately use individual pots or cups, but to save space, at least for the first time, it is convenient to sow seeds in a common box. Only when growing a dozen plants does it make no sense to engage in a subsequent transplant: in this case, it is better to immediately sow flowers in peat tablets. Drainage should be poured at the bottom of the box (you can just coarse sand or what is left when sifting the soil), and on top - the soil itself, with a layer of 5–6 cm.

The soil must be well moistened, and then carefully, slowly, spread the seeds over it in even rows. A distance of 4-5 cm is left between rows, and sowing in rows depends on the type of seed:

coated seeds are laid out at distances of 2.5–3 cm from each other and slightly pressed into the soil;

simple seeds, if vision is good, are laid out in the same way with the help of two toothpicks, but they are not pressed into the ground (a seed is “glued” onto a wet toothpick, and with the help of the second one shake it off onto the soil). If the option is not suitable, the seeds mixed with sand seem to “salt” the intended rows.

The sown seeds are sprayed with water from a spray bottle, the box is covered with glass and placed on a lighted windowsill. Unlike many other cultures, good light petunias are needed already for spitting seeds.

Video: sowing petunia seeds for seedlings

Growing on a windowsill

It is very convenient to grow petunia seedlings in a city apartment: she does not need low temperature, as, for example, seedlings of cabbage. The air temperature in the room should be 20-23 degrees. But you need good lighting, so a window sill on the south side is best suited. Otherwise, additional illumination is required. fluorescent lamps or diode lamps: incandescent lamps heat the air too much.

The best option for highlighting seedlings is special fitolamps.

It is especially difficult for seedlings before the first true leaves appear. Petunia shoots are very tiny and capricious.

It takes 5-7 days for seedlings to appear: if they do not appear after 2 weeks, they will no longer be. When the first sprouts appear on the surface (at first not even sprouts, but the so-called loops), the box must be placed on a colder windowsill: for the first few days the temperature should be 18 ° C, which prevents the seedlings from stretching, then the temperature must be returned to the original values. But daylight hours should last at least 12 hours.

Petunia seedlings are miniature, and at first they grow very tight.

All the time until the appearance of true leaves, the seedlings should be in a greenhouse state: the glass cannot be removed from the box, but the soil must be moist, but the condensate from the glass must be periodically removed. Watering is carried out only by spraying from a spray bottle; during irrigation, airing should also be carried out, leaving seedlings without glass for 10–15 minutes. Gradually, this interval should be increased. You can remove the lid only after the appearance of a pair of true leaves.

Small plants are prone to warping, so they need to be turned towards the light source several times a day to keep them growing evenly (unless the lamp is placed over a box).

As petunias grow from watering by spraying, you can switch to drip irrigation from a medical syringe or pipette under the root, and only for solid plants it will be possible to use the usual technique: from a teapot or ladle. Stagnation of water is categorically unacceptable, as well as the drying of the surface layer of the soil. You can periodically add a pink solution of potassium permanganate to the water for irrigation.

You can also water young seedlings from a pear, but very carefully

It is necessary to dive a petunia at a seedling height of 4–5 cm. For a new place of residence, individual containers of sufficient size are needed (diameter and depth of about 8 cm). The picking is carried out approximately as in the case of tomato seedlings: with pinching the central root by a third and deepening the seedlings in pots into the soil to the cotyledon leaves. By this time, the plants are already quite viable and the pick is easily tolerated.

Watering in pots can be carried out more boldly, but in no case should it be overfilled: the risk of black leg disease persists all the time the seedlings are at home.

Petunias are one of the most prone to blackleg annuals. To reduce the risk of disease, a layer of dry, clean sand should be carefully sprinkled on the seedlings.

Feeding seedlings should begin 10-15 days after picking. At first, you should foliar top dressing: spraying twice a week on the leaves from a spray bottle with weak solutions of complex fertilizers and growth stimulants (you can simply use a solution of agave juice). Subsequently, you can switch to watering with fertilizer solutions under the root. But the concentration of solutions in comparison with the recommended instructions on the package cannot be exceeded.

Growing on a windowsill is more convenient than a greenhouse one, since petunia seedlings need constant care, even a daily absence of a working person at home can sometimes lead to an irreparable outcome. Therefore, if seedlings are prepared for personal use, and not for sale, it is better to do it in the apartment.

How to grow in a greenhouse

It is not difficult to grow a petunia in a greenhouse, but this only applies to the period of time when the plants are already strong, have 4–6 true leaves and are picked in separate pots. Therefore, you must first plant it at home anyway, unless constant supervision is not possible for the greenhouse. After picking, after 2–3 weeks, petunia seedlings become so strong that caring for it differs little from caring for, for example, tomato seedlings.

Adult seedlings are no longer needed tropical conditions, strengthened plants grow normally even at 16–18 ° C. A periodic decrease in temperature even to 10 ° C does not harm the seedlings, but in colder conditions, growth almost stops, and flowering is significantly pushed back.

Care for grown seedlings in a greenhouse is no different from care at home, but monitoring should be constant. The soil must be kept moist, fertilized periodically, and the greenhouse ventilated daily to prevent heavy condensation on windows and other surfaces: excess moisture quickly causes blackleg disease.

Two weeks before landing in open ground seedlings must be trained to fresh air, opening the windows and doors of the greenhouse for an ever longer time, and periodically allowing the soil to dry slightly.

Greenhouse cultivation is suitable, of course, for the mass production of seedlings

Growing seedlings in a greenhouse is mainly carried out for commercial purposes: due to the extraordinary popularity of the flower and its high cost, this activity has recently turned into a very profitable business. The advantages of the greenhouse are revealed only in this case: when growing not a large number seedlings for your dacha is easier to carry out the whole process on the windowsill in a city apartment.

Seeding in the snow

When petunia seeds are sown for seedlings, there is still snow outside the window, and it is he who can help in the difficult task of sowing small seeds of this flower. It simultaneously serves as a white screen that allows you to see small black seeds, and the substance that, when melted, will draw the seeds into the soil in the way that is required for perfect germination.

Prepared soil is poured into the box, as usual, but it is rammed a little harder. To do this, it is convenient to use a small board. Pure snow is laid out on top as evenly as possible with a layer of 1–1.5 cm and also slightly compacted. And now - rather, it will quickly melt!

Small seeds are laid out or scattered over the snow, but not as carefully as over the soil. They are very visible in the snow, and with a little dexterity, with a pair of toothpicks or small tweezers, the seeds can be shifted to the right place. The snow will begin to melt and drag the seeds behind it exactly to the depth required for the successful pecking of seedlings; on dry or wet soil, this cannot be done. It does not need to be watered. Be sure to close the box with glass or film and proceed as usual.

In the snow, every grain is perfectly visible, you just have to be in time until it melts.

The use of snow makes it possible to use expensive seed material more rationally, does not require irrigation of crops, which usually leads to a shift in seeds from their original place, but still requires maximum concentration and speed when sowing.

Sowing in peat tablets

Peat tablets are a very successful invention that makes it very easy to grow seedlings of many types of vegetable or flower crops. They can be made from various peat by pressing it with the addition of microfertilizers and growth stimulants, so they rarely require additional feeding. Tablets are released packed in a light mesh that prevents the destruction of the material. Before use, the tablets are placed in a tray (or better - in a transparent lockable box) and gradually poured with water until completely swollen. At the same time, they increase in height several times. Excess water is drained. One of the ends of the tablet has a recess for sowing seeds.

Tablets are available in various sizes; for seedlings of petunias, those with a diameter of 40 mm or more are suitable.

In the presence of peat tablets, you can do without boxes and picks, sow seeds immediately into tablets. But, of course, this is possible when growing only a small amount of seedlings: they take up a lot of space and cost decent money. It is especially convenient to sow granular seeds in tablets, but there are not very many problems with the usual problems, you just need to arm yourself with toothpicks and, possibly, glasses or a magnifying glass.

One seed is placed in the recess of each soaked tablet, after which it is moistened with water from a spray bottle or eye dropper. If these were coated seeds, their shell will soak after a few minutes, and it can be smeared a little on peat. Ordinary seeds of a drop of water from a pipette are simply slightly drawn into the peat to the desired shallow depth.

Soaked tablets are an excellent individual seedling habitat.

If a large plastic food container is found as a vessel for tablets, this is the most suitable option. It is closed with a lid and transferred to a warm place (20-25 o C). You probably won't need to water at first. In general, tablets are usually poured “through the bottom”: water poured onto the bottom of the container itself is absorbed into the peat in the right quantities.

Further care is normal. When shoots appear for several days, the temperature is lowered by 3–4 degrees, then it is returned to desired values. They monitor the humidity by periodically adding water and airing the plantings. Dive is not required: the seedlings are transferred to the garden by the summer along with the tablet, however, the mesh is usually removed from it. However, if the tablets were small and the roots sprouted through the peat ahead of time, you will have to transplant the tablet, as it is, into a larger pot with soil mixture. In a pot, you may need to feed.

Thus, the use of tablets has only one drawback: extra cash spending, but in the case of growing a small number of petunias, all the conveniences more than cover it.

In order to grow these beauties from seeds, you have to try. Bright and multi-colored flowers delight the eye, blooming in flowerbeds and front gardens from mid-June until the end of summer.

Many gardeners are fascinated by this annual and seemingly unpretentious plant in care, and they want it either in their summer cottage.

And so, the seeds are bought, sown, and either there are no shoots at all, or after a while the bores fall off, and then die altogether, or grow slowly. What is the reason?

How to grow seedlings to get strong branched bushes, on which numerous buds will then appear? This is quite realistic, the main thing is to take into account some factors and fulfill the growing conditions that are important for the plant even at the stage of sowing and germination.

Why does petunia sprout poorly

Not experienced gardeners, having bought a bag of petunia seeds for the first time, they may be surprised at how small her grains are, perhaps even smaller than poppy seeds.

It would be a mistake to plant them in the ground, sprinkled well on top.

Seedlings may not wait, or very few grains will sprout, which will still be able to overcome the centimeter obstacle of the soil.

Seeds should be planted in well-drained soil plastic container with holes at the bottom to drain excess liquid. According to the reviews of experienced flower growers, petunia seeds, sold in bulk or in granules, germinate best.

The main thing is not to bury them in the ground and properly moisten them from the spray gun after sowing. But coated seeds, larger in a shell of fertilizers and nutrients, are more expensive, and sometimes germinate worse.

It is required to soak the shell very well, and then spread them on the ground with a toothpick (how to properly plant petunia seeds in granules is described in detail in).

It happens, of course, that all the sowing rules are observed, but there are still no shoots or there are very few of them. Most likely, just got the seed material Bad quality, too old. Therefore, purchase only from reputable manufacturers.

Why sprouts die after germination without throwing off the shell

After sowing the seeds, the container should be covered with a film and put in a warm place. Seedlings appear at high humidity. Therefore, once a day, you should open the film and make sure that the soil does not dry out, at the slightest drying it should be moistened.

Sometimes at the seedling stage, you can see how the seed sprouted, sprouted, but could not completely throw off the shell. As a result, the seedlings die, not even having time to grow.

There may be two reasons for this. Either these are seeds with a defect, that is, the plant is initially unviable, and there is no point in saving it. The second possible reason for weak sprouts is insufficient air humidity. Then you should create conditions for them with less dry air.

Do not remove the film from the container, only ventilate for short periods of time. You can try to moisten the seed coat of the seedling with a pipette or syringe and gently help it to release with a needle.

Why seedlings thin at the base and fall

Here the seedlings have safely appeared, are growing, and suddenly the flower growers notice that the seedlings are starting to fall. If you look closely, you can see that the stem at the very base has become thin, darkened and seems to rot. The sprout simply cannot hold its weight, so it lay down.

If such a picture is observed, then the petunias are sick with a "black leg". A fungus has activated in the soil, it is he who is the culprit of the lesion. But just like that, the fungus will not show activity. Apparently they were made for him. favorable conditions- high humidity.

Keep in mind that sprouts wet air love, some flower growers are too zealous, forgetting even to ventilate the plants. And this must be done, otherwise the seedlings get sick and disappear.

How to deal with the "black leg"? Steps to be taken to save:

Without regret, get rid of the affected sprouts, if the sprouts fell, it will still not be possible to save them.
Change completely if possible.
If transplanting and airing did not help, and the "black leg" continues to destroy the plant, then the soil must be disinfected. To do this, it is enough to treat the earth with a solution of potassium permanganate or a 40% formalin solution. These products will destroy the fungal microorganisms, and the seedlings will continue to grow and develop.

Why seedlings are stretched

Petunias look especially beautiful in flower beds when the plant forms branched bushes. However, sometimes already at the stage of sprouts, you can notice that the plants actively began to stretch in height, which is completely undesirable.

This indicates that the plants do not have enough light or they are hot.

And at this time natural light in our latitudes it is not enough, since the daylight hours are short. And often the air in the apartments is quite hot and dry due to the operation of the batteries. central heating. Therefore, the seedlings begin to stretch. How to help the plant:

pinch the petunia, this will activate the growth of lateral shoots and the bushes will become more magnificent;
deepen the stems;
use additional lighting with fluorescent lamps, phytolamps, try to reduce the ambient temperature.

Note: 2.5-3 months pass from the moment of sowing to flowering, so it is necessary to plant seedlings already in February-March.

Why did the petunia turn yellow

Yellowing of the upper leaves - a sign of the manifestation of chlorosis

Any change in the color of the foliage of plants indicates a lack of some elements. So, the blue-violet color of the leaves indicates a deficiency of phosphorus.

The lack of magnesium is noticeable on the lower shoots, they become variegated, then brown, the leaf withers and falls off. If the leaves are formed small and yellow, the plant lacks nitrogen.

It may be a consequence of chlorosis, a lack of iron in the plant. The leaves are light yellow, almost white, and the lesion starts from the top.

Chlorosis can be combated by treating the plant with iron chelate along the leaf or under the root. But there is another simple way - watering chlorosis plants with a solution citric acid. The concentration will be required at the rate of 1 g, which is literally a few crystals of citric acid per liter of water. After a couple of weeks of such watering, the leaves will noticeably turn green.

Why did it stop growing

It happens that the sprouts developed well, and then suddenly stopped growing, despite correct mode watering and temperatures. Most likely, the root system of plants simply became cramped, which is why it grows poorly.

It is necessary to plant the bushes in a larger container. A week or two should be held. fit complex fertilizers containing phosphorus, necessary for the development of the root system, and boron for growth.

Growing from seeds is an occupation that requires certain knowledge and skills. But if you follow simple recommendations, getting high-quality seedlings is quite realistic.

Growing seedlings of petunias at home

Landing dates
Soil preparation
Sowing
picking
Care: watering, pinching
Diseases and their prevention
Varieties or hybrids
Video about growing petunias

Landing dates

It is usually recommended to sow petunias very early. In February, and better in January directly. This method is not bad for experienced gardeners or those who grow seedlings for sale, so that in April they are already blooming on the counter. But with a petunia, you will already dance while you grow it, watering, picking. Why complicate your life and illuminate more seedlings. And when sowing early, you need to keep the young seedlings under the lamp for three days, without turning it off! And then it is necessary to illuminate.

I'm not up to such feats, so I sow petunia always in the middle of March, 10 days later, I'll start planting. Let it bloom in June, not April - this is very good, because then it will bloom constantly until the cold weather! It usually takes about three months, just in June it will be possible to land on the street. And then in the Urals we can have frosts in the beginning and middle of June, but the petunia does not like frosts - it will die. And the overgrown seedlings will stretch, wither on the window - only tears.

Beauties!

Soil preparation for seedlings

Petunias love slightly acidic soil. So purchased soil they will like it. It is basically all based on peat. If you yourself make the land for seedlings, then take 2 parts of humus and peat, you can add 1 part of garden soil. The main thing is that the earth should be light, pass water and air well. And you can acidify it by watering "lemon water". She seems to have told everything about the land, let's move on to sowing.

Sowing petunia seeds

Let's start with capacity. It is better to take a transparent container with a lid or cake packaging. Be sure to put on more holes so that the water does not stagnate. The easiest way to kill petunia seedlings is to fill them with water.. She will die from the black leg.

When the holes are made, we fill the soil, press it a little and moisten it. Petunia seeds are very small. To evenly distribute them, you can sow with a toothpick! We moisten the tip in water, take one seed (it sticks) and lay it on the ground. You can make grooves in the ground and sow seeds along them. The distance is about 0.5 cm between the seeds.

Young shoots of petunias

Well, they've broken it down. Now just press the seeds to the ground and DO NOT cover with earth. Petunias sprout in the light. Yes, and they are so small that they can’t just get out of the ground. Now we close our container with a lid or cover the container with a film or glass and put it in a warm place. No need to put on a battery! - they will boil or dry up without having time to ascend. Just anywhere warm.

Usually, the seeds germinate very quickly and amicably. Their seeds generally sprout 100% usually, but there is already no one knows what variety will turn out. They interpolate strongly with each other. But more on this later.

After a week, or even earlier, the petunia seeds germinate. You don’t need to immediately remove the lid or film, we gradually accustom it to dry air, for a couple of hours first. In a couple of days you can open completely. When a couple of leaves appear, we pick.

Beauty on the window!

You can sow petunia seeds in peat tablets, directly 1 seed each. And then transplanting is easy, right with a pill.

picking

This is such an incomprehensible word, but in fact we just plant our small petunias in large containers one at a time. It is convenient to dive them into cassettes, it is possible with 4 by 4 cm cells or into yogurt cups. It is advisable to then transplant into a larger dish so that the roots grow. Petunias are not afraid of transplants and tolerate them very well.

Of course, when you first see these roots thinner than a hair, your hands tremble, and you don’t know which side to approach them from. The main thing is not to be afraid. Petunias - "give" grow easily. Prepare in advance everything that you will transplant them into. Pour containers, cassettes, soil into them, moisten, make a dimple. Now moisten the ground with seedlings. Take a toothpick again, carefully pry one flower at a time and transfer it to the finished hole. Then press down on the ground. You can deepen it a little, it will even be good.

Picking implies that the tip of the root must be plucked from the plant during transplantation for better development root system. To be honest, I don’t pinch anything, it itself comes off during transplantation, while you take it out with a toothpick!

After such a pick, in two weeks the petunias will grow well and can be transplanted into larger pots or cups.

Care: watering and shaping petunias

Petunias are very fond of water and sun. But while they are small, you need to water them very carefully, under the spine. Straight out of a teaspoon. And you can’t fill it in, in the “swamp” they will wither and rot.

Plants need to be pinched. If you leave it to grow as it is, then you will have two or three long branches sticking out, and there are few flowers. And if the tips are cut, then the side branches will begin to grow and it will turn out lush, beautiful bush.

Cut off the top of the bush

In flowering plants, wilted flowers should be cut off., then faster and more new ones will appear.

Many people like to plant petunias in flowerpots, pots and decorate a balcony or plot. Do not try to plant a lot of plants there, they will oppress each other. It is enough to plant 1-2 bushes on a 5-liter pot. And if surfinia, cascading, ampelous, then they need 7-10 liters per plant.

Petunias have a lot of roots growing, and there is simply not enough land in the pot. You need to constantly feed and water.

By the way, about fertilizers. I insist on herbs in the summer and water everything that is possible. Just push a bucket of grass, pour water and leave for two weeks. Then I add a liter to a watering can or a bucket of water when watering. And seedlings grow normally even without fertilizers, the first two months slowly, really. But then they begin to increase right in front of our eyes.

Seedlings need to be hardened off before planting outside.. If there is a balcony or veranda, then in April take it out there for a day. And when at night it will be more than + 5◦С, then you can leave it for the night. When cold, of course, you need to bring home. Petunias do not like frost and sub-zero temperature are dying.

This is the kind of beauty people grow!

Petunia diseases

spider mite- Petunias usually get sick from house flowers. The leaves turn yellow and a thin cobweb appears on them. It is necessary to fight and treat with fitoverm or actofit according to the instructions twice with a break of 3-4 days. And do not forget all the flowers that are around are also sprayed from the tick.
Violation temperature regime- heat- a purple tan appears on the leaves, and then they turn yellow. You can spray with any fertilizer containing ammonium, or dilute ammonia (1 ml per 5 liters of water) and spray directly on the leaves. And of course, move the plants to a normal cool temperature.
Chlorosis or iron deficiency Petunias are very sensitive to iron deficiency. And they do not absorb it well from alkaline soil. And our water also contributes to the alkalization of the soil. Therefore, for prevention, I water the plants with water with lemon juice. For two liters of water 2 gr. citric acid - dissolve and water.

Varieties and hybrids

This, of course, is a personal choice of everyone, what is better to plant. Varietal flowers are not as gorgeous as hybrids, but you can collect your seeds from them. Even if they are pollinated, they can turn out even more interesting than the parent ones.

But hybrids (F¹ and F²) need to be bought every time, they have almost no seeds, and what will ripen will lose all its beauty in the next generations.

This year I am planting large-flowered varieties: Alba, Burgundy, Dark Purple and Blue Bird. And ampelous petunia Rapunzel. Then I will write what happened.

Video about growing petunias

I think that now you know how to grow petunia seedlings from seeds. If you have questions or your experience - write in the comments.

Here are other articles

Petunia is distinguished by its bright and large flowers. During the period of active budding, a small bush is completely strewn with large inflorescences. They constantly replace one another, filling the place of the wilted. But in order to have such beauty in the country, you need to properly approach the sowing and growing seedlings. After growing up young seedling it is recommended to pick petunia seedlings. Why it is needed and how to produce it correctly, you should find out before starting the main work.

What is seedling picking and why is it needed

If based on scientific papers, then a dive or a dive process is an event to remove the extreme parts of the root system of a shrub. This is necessary to stimulate the increased growth of the root system in young animals.

But another concept has taken root among the people - transplantation young plant from a common container after landing in a new place of residence in a more spacious flowerpot. When transplanting young seedlings, they migrate either into a separate container or into wide flowerpots, where the distance between individual bushes will be at least 5 cm.

Thus, the picking procedure is necessary so that the seedling has enough space to build up the root system and develop the ground part.

Primarily, it is required for rhizomes- transplanting to a new separate place allows the shrub to be fully saturated from the ground nutrients. The latter condition provides good development for leaf blades and the formation of a large number of flower buds in the future.

In horticulture, rarely any of the flowers is carried out root pinching, but for some plant species this is necessary condition for good growth. Others are not recommended to carry out such an impact.

In most cases, petunias do not need to pinch the root system. It is more beneficial for them if the seedling is transferred to a new place of residence without touching the roots at all and without shaking off most of the earth from the roots. The less injured root system petunias, the faster the sprout will take root and will not hurt.

Is it possible to grow petunias without picking

Petunia can be grown without picking, and even in some cases it is necessary. For these purposes, it is recommended to take disposable cups, fill them with soil specially prepared for the germination of petunias and place 1-2 seeds in the soil.

After germination, the plant does not have to be pulled out of the ground, injuring the root system. If it is necessary to transplant into a new flowerpot, then a transshipment procedure is performed in which not a single root suffers.

You can also grow petunia seedlings without picking in peat tablets and cassettes. And the procedure for transplanting into open ground or a flowerpot is exactly the same as when planting in cups.

Video: how to grow petunias without picking

When to pick petunia seedlings

If petunias are grown at home, then for the seedling I want to create all the conditions for good and fruitful growth. Petunia has a well-developed root system, it grows into large area, completely braiding the entire soil. Therefore, before planting in open ground, it is necessary to transplant several times.

The first pick of a petunia is made when the first 3-4 true leaves appear. This is necessary so that neighboring seedlings do not interfere with the full development of newly minted ones. The procedure is carried out approximately on the 14-16th day after the appearance of the first young shoots.

Attention! The main factor for picking a petunia is the thickening of the planting material.

For example, if the level of thickening was not controlled when sowing petunias for seedlings, then picking seedlings is mandatory. Almost always, when planting, it turns out that shoots appear in a dense forest, so in order for them to grow, they simply need to be replanted.

How to prepare petunia seedlings for picking

In order for the seedlings to painlessly transfer the transshipment from their homes to new lands, it is recommended to prepare it in advance. Therefore, before picking seedlings, you must follow the recommendations:

It is taken into account how many full-fledged leaf plates a plant has. If less than 3 are present, you should refrain from moving to another place of residence for the time being. Performing the procedure too early does not always have a positive effect on the seedling, although experienced gardeners say that the smaller the seedling, the more favorable the transplant will be.
Starting the transplantation procedure, you must first wet the soil in which the sprouts are located. The event is carried out 20-35 minutes before the planting material is removed from the ground.
Before placing a seedling in fresh soil in a new place, it is recommended lower the root system into a weak solution of potassium permanganate. For this procedure, the product is diluted in a volume of 1 g. for 1 liter of water. This event will allow the root system to avoid the attachment of pathogenic bacteria and various microorganisms.
After the dive process do not immediately apply mineral and organic fertilizers. Time should be allowed for the root system to release new young roots and adapt to new living conditions. Feeding can be done only after 10-12 days.

Thus, petunia picking is carried out after the complete disinfection of its rhizomes. And also do not rush to apply fertilizers, they can adversely affect the development of planting material.

Methods for picking petunia seedlings

For transplanting young petunias into separate flowerpots, several picking methods are used. To choose the most best method transporting seedlings to another pot, flower growers should try each of them on their own and choose the most suitable one for themselves.

There are the following picking methods:

Traditional- carried out when planting non-granular planting material. In this case, shoots appear as a solid wall. When transplanting, it is necessary to place seedlings either one by one in separate cups, or, if there are a lot of young growth (more than 30 pcs.), In one big box with soil. The distance is chosen at least 3 cm between the bushes.
Method of topping up the earth- if the seedlings were originally planted in cassettes or cups, then as the stem is pulled out, you just need to add fresh fertile soil. The earth should be poured to the cotyledon leaf plates. Watering in this case is carried out using a syringe.
Deepening cuttings- if the landing was carried out with a distance between the shoots, then dive into individual containers not worth it. In order to root the plant more, you should prepare a wooden stick. With its help, a small trench is made on one side. A petunia stalk is carefully laid out in the resulting groove, if necessary, pinned to the ground. From above it is covered with earth.

Thus, in different occasions can be applied different ways better rooting. It is recommended to choose a certain method so that the seedling is most comfortable during transplantation, and it is less attacked by pathogenic bacteria.

Direct picking of petunia seedlings: step by step instructions

Before starting the pick, you should prepare the entire necessary material. The first step is to buy disposable cups or peat pots, for help at hand put wooden spatula or straight knife.

Step by step guide Petunia seedling picks are as follows:

The prepared soil mixture is poured into a glass (or some other container).
Inside you need to make a small depression (2-3 cm) with a finger or a knife.
A small amount of water is introduced into the hole to soften the soil.
Using a knife or other device, you should carefully pull out the seedling, prying it 1.5-2 cm from the base, without shaking off the ground.
The sprout is transferred to a new place, the substrate is poured on top and lightly compacted around the entire perimeter.

Attention! It is very important that all the voids inside the earth are filled. If a hollow place remains, then water can stagnate in it, provoking rotting of the roots or the addition of fungal diseases.

Video: picking petunias in glasses

Petunia seedling care after picking

After the event, freshly dived petunias are not immediately recommended to be watered, because during the preparation of the recess, a sufficient amount of nutrient moisture was introduced.

In the future, it is necessary to carry out the following rules for caring for the plant:

lighting- the petunia loves the sun's rays very much, so it should be installed on south sides. On cloudy spring days, you should additionally turn on the backlight with phytolamps, otherwise, with a lack of light, the shrubs will begin to stretch and turn pale;
temperature- from the moment the first sprouts appear, the air temperature in the room should be at the level of +25 0 С. After transshipment into a separate container, it is recommended to gradually reduce the degrees to +18 0 С;
watering- as necessary, should be such as not to flood the soil, but to keep the soil in optimal humidity required for normal growth and development;
top dressing- performed several times per season. For petunias, use houseplant fertilizers.

What to do if, after picking a petunia, the development of seedlings slowed down

If there are no visible reasons, it is worth digging up the plant and checking root condition. If they rot, which means that somewhere there is a hollow territory. Unviable rhizomes should be eliminated, placed in a root stimulator and planted in a new flowerpot with fresh soil.

If growth has stopped and the plant is gradually withering, maybe a shrub not enough light. In this case, it should be rearranged to another place with great content daylight and sunlight.

Thus, in order to dive young petunia seedlings, one should adhere to the rules of transplantation, and also carry out specific plant care in the future. The main thing is to monitor the condition of the seedlings and try to find the reason for the lack of growth until it completely rots or dries out.

Video: growing petunias from seeds - picking seedlings

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I asked myself this question for two summers in a row. I managed to grow petunias only in the third year. I honestly read the whole topic about petunias, but nothing worked for me. I'll tell you about common mistakes beginner petunia breeder.

How to choose seeds for a beginner?

The most important thing is to buy a package of fresh packaging. In the third year, the seeds may not sprout at all. Expired, and these are most often on sale - even more so.
It is also important to choose a product from a trusted manufacturer. On the forum, Biotekhnika is most praised, for me it gave 90% germination. A little less, 80% was the germination rate of "Aelita" and "Prestige", 55-75% I had "Gavrish" and "Euro-seeds".
It is necessary to tell in more detail about which varieties and species are best to buy for growing for the first time.

Varietal or hybrid seeds?

Buying exclusively varietal or only hybrid (F1) seeds is a master's business. Equally well sprout and grow both of them. Varietal ones are cheaper, a lot of seeds are poured into a pack, which, in general, is very profitable. Hybrid ones are many times more expensive, they are packaged in only 5-10 seeds, enclosed in granules. But hybrid ones are easier to sow, and they give the most unusual and varied colors.

Rice. 1. Modest varietal petunias "A profusely flowering mixture of colors" and "Multi-flowered white icing» series «Leader» from «Aelita», photo in the beginning of July.

Rice. 2. Hybrid petunias come in all colors of the rainbow. Photo taken in early August.

Which petunias are easier to grow - compact bushes or spreading ampels?

It is equally easy to grow both. But for the first experiment, I would rather choose those that recover better after heavy rains, do not suffer from winds and do not require plucking flowers after flowering. This is a series giants Typhoon and Tornado, as well as ampel Velvets.
Sometimes on packs with other varieties they also write about the unpretentiousness of plants, but I would not say that about other varieties. The most important thing is that for all the rest, except for the above species, it is necessary to remove faded inflorescences, and this is labor-intensive. In order not to be disappointed in petunias and fall in love with them at first sight, or rather, from the first season, I advise you to choose powerful Tornadoes, Typhoons or Velvets.

What are petunias according to the length of the branches?

Bush petunias are classified as low (25-40 cm). They will look good in small pots of 2-3 liters, both in the country house and on the southern or eastern windowsill. Bush varieties or not - usually indicated on the pack.

Rice. 3. "Pepermint F1 terry" in mid-July.

Rice. 4. "Dolce trio F1" at the end of June.

Sprawling types of petunias, for example, ampelous ones, look more spectacular, especially if you have something to attach hanging planters to on the site. On the packaging, they are indicated by the word Pendula.
Of the voluminous long-braided varieties, there are also cascading ones (lashes are more durable than those of ampels), including ramblines and opera.

Rice. 5. Ampel "Velvet F1" in mid-July. Velvets are best grown in a volume of about 10 liters.

Rice. 7. "Ramblin Peach Glo F1" in early August. For ramblins, you need to find a volume of at least 8-10 liters.

Rice. 8. Ramblins of two types look good in one box (15 l).

Rice. 9. Operas bloom more magnificently than ramblins. In the photo, "Supreme White F1" in early July in a 10-liter tank.

Separately, I would single out ampelous avalanches - the bushes are even more upright than those of the cascading ones.

Rice. 10. "Avalanche Yellow Star F1" and "Ramblin Nu Blue F1", early September, for an avalanche you need 15 liters. per 2-3 plants.

But the most luxurious look surfinias, tornadoes, typhoons and explorers. True, for them it is necessary to have containers of at least 15 - 20 liters, except for surfinia - 5-8 liters are enough for them. Of the voluminous ones, there are also Shock Waves, Fresh Waves and Easy Waves, fortunes and tumbelins, but I have not grown such ones yet, this year there will be a debut.

Rice. 11. "Typhoon F1 Silver": two pieces in a barrel of about 30-40 liters, late July.

Rice. 12. Surfinia "Parple Velvet F1", grown from seeds, in the same barrel in July (also 2 pieces).

What are petunias in terms of size and number of flowers?

To get acquainted with petunias, I would advise you to choose any of Grandiflora or Multiflora, but not terry, although they look more attractive on packs. Multifloras have smaller flowers, but there are many of them, and grandifloras give little flowering, but the inflorescences are large, expressive and no less beautiful than terry ones.

Rice. 13. A trio of lobelias and spray petunias: multiflora "Merlin Red Picoti F1" and grandiflora "Prisma mix F1", "Falcon F1" and "Sophistika Shining Sapphire F1". End of June.

Terry varieties are more capricious, although they look impressive. They need to be protected from the rain, and if the summer is too rainy, the pots will definitely have to be taken under a canopy. These petunias will not "tolerate" dampness, like the two previous species, and will only submit experienced flower growers which I am still far away from.

Rice. 14. Makhrushki "Pikoti Pirouette F1", "Valentina F1" and the most beautiful of all white petunias "Sonata F1". July.

floribundas- this is a variety between grandiflora and multiflora, but I have never seen them for sale.

My mistakes when sowing seeds

In the first year, my seeds did not sprout at all, and in the second, out of six dozen seeds, only 4 sprouts grew, which gave weak flowering. Here's what I was doing wrong:

In the first year, I pressed the seeds into the ground so that they almost went underground. And you just need to spread the seeds superficially.
Sowed in the "tight" dense earth. And the earth should be loose, breathable. It is better to sow in general in tablets, you can 2-3 seeds in one.

Rice. 15. In tablets with toothpick flags - hybrid petunias, with a flag in a glass - high-quality. In the rest of the tablets -.

Did not destroy the shell of the granule. It must be gently touched with a toothpick, and it will fall apart if the tablet is moistened enough.
I put the crops in loosely closed containers, where there was a draft. Sometimes the tablets dried up, and this should not be allowed, tender shoots quickly die.

Rice. 16. Even special greenhouses must be wrapped with a film so that there are no gaps, and ideal wet conditions are maintained inside.

I didn’t ventilate every day, and the shoots began to rot.

Rice. 17. In order not to suffer with winding and unwinding the film with each airing, I came up with this one.

Rice. 18. Or you can put the tablets in an Ikea container and cover with glass.

Even before the appearance of sprouts, it is necessary to illuminate the petunias! I somehow thought of putting petunias in the country on the northwestern windowsill without a single sunbeam. Of course, they didn’t bloom well there, although the bush was very lush and green. If you sow ampels in early to mid-February, you need to highlight at least from 7 am to 10 pm. Bush should be sown in March and illuminated in the same mode at least until May.

Rice. 19. I light up with a regular lamp daylight. Under the light they usually germinate in 5-7 days. Without light, they may not ascend at all.

Mistakes when growing seedlings of petunias

As soon as the shoots have appeared, we put them in a cooler place so that it is about 20 degrees. Airing should be more frequent. But do not repeat my mistake, do not remove petunias from the "greenhouse" until the first true leaves appear! After 2-3 days, you can reduce the daytime temperature to 15-18 degrees, and make the night temperature even less. Petunias need those temperature drops!
Be sure to add vermiculite to the soil or ready-made purchased soil and mix well.

Rice. 20. This is how the pickled seedlings of ampels in the soil with vermiculite look like at the end of February.

Rice. 21. And so - in the 20th of March. Large ones are ampels, smaller ones are bush ones.

From the beginning of April, as soon as it becomes about 10-15 degrees on a closed loggia or balcony, it is necessary to take out the seedlings for hardening. It is necessary to accustom to the bright sun gradually.

Be sure to sign! I also note bush petunia or not. Because there is no way to grow lush bushes without pinching. They will be like a single flowering stick. As soon as the second pair of leaves has grown at the bush, we pinch or cut off the very tip of the trunk with nail scissors. And we repeat this procedure once or twice a month, until mid-May.

Rice. 23. On the left - ampels that we do not pinch. On the right - pinched at one time bush. They will bloom later, but a bush will form.

The first buds take away the strength of the plant, it is better to pluck them.

Be sure to feed the petunias. If you cannot remember the recommendations of professionals, which microelement to use in which period of growth - phosphorus, boron or other elements of the periodic table, then at least use Fertika once a week. I alternate it with another mineral fertilizer, for example, with Biomaster - Seedlings. I start feeding 10-14 days after picking, combining it with preliminary weak watering. That is, it is impossible to pour fertilizer on very dry soil - neither in the seedling stage, nor in an adult plant.
Don't get carried away with acidifying the soil. I managed to avoid this mistake, despite the fact that many advise watering with acidified water or planting in special soil with an acidic environment, for example, as for begonias. Therefore, my petunias have never had such a common disease as chlorosis. It is easy to recognize chlorosis - the leaves begin to turn white, and dry out along the edge with a thin border. Then they start to fall off. The top is twisted. To get rid of chlorosis, you can spray the leaves with chelated iron, for example, Ferovit or Antichlorosis.
Don't flood seedlings! Petunias, like tomatoes, love the alternation of drought (but not critical) and complete soaking of the soil. Every day we will water petunias only when they grow in the country or on sunny balcony. If the petunia began to lie down from the black leg, treat it with Fitosporin.
Do any foliar feeding in cloudy weather, do not put the plants immediately under the lamp, let the spray soak into the leaves. I once almost burned all the seedlings with vitamin B6, all the foliage went stained from burns.

Mistakes in garden care

It would seem that they grew seedlings, brought them on time, transplanted them to the required volume after 100% cancellation of the threat return frosts- and wait ... But still they don’t give petunias lush flowering. I had this because I neglected the following rules:

I forgot to feed on time. Petunias are very "gluttonous"! The most important thing is regularity! Weekly "Fertika" or "Akverin" for flowers, but at least "Ideal". Nothing without this. Petunias do not like organics, only mineral fertilizers. Therefore, the soil for flowerpots should be mixed with ready-made humus or sand for better breathability, but not with immature compost.
I put the pots in partial shade or in the shade. Petunias will only bloom in full sun!
No need to tie branches. I don’t know why, but my petunias then simply stopped growing.

Rice. 26. Even if it seems that the petunias are about to break, do not pick them up with a garter. The wind will whip and break.

Insufficient height of the flowerpot. Petunia builds up a large mass of roots pointing down. In a container with a height of less than 20 cm, the petunia will develop until the end of June, and then it will wither.

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