Petunia is a flowering plant that is appreciated by gardeners for its decorative qualities and a wide range of colors. The flower is unpretentious in care and combines with other plants in the garden.
About the history of appearance
At the end of the 18th century, the first flower was first found and fixed, which was later called petunia. The then-famous scientist Lamarck originally named the plant Nicotiana axillaris, later it was renamed Petunia axillaris. The word "petun" in Brazilian means "tobacco", these plants are relatives.
Peach flowers
What does a petunia look like?
Petunia, or petunia - a member of the nightshade family, has the appearance of a herbaceous or semi-shrub plant. Among them, there are both annual and perennial species.
White flowers
Outwardly, petunia resembles a small shrub that branches and grows rapidly. The stem height is 20-35 cm, some varieties can grow up to 60-70 cm. The leaves of saturated green color reach a size of 5-10 cm in length.
Common varieties
There are about 22 species of petunias and more than 70 hybrid varieties. In their form, petunias are:
- Ampelic. A distinctive feature of plants is a long weaving stalk. Ampelic varieties are planted in hanging pots;
- Low or dwarf. Plant height does not exceed 25 cm;
- Bush. They are distinguished by the large size of the flower, in diameter it reaches 11-14 cm.
Petunia care at home
A flower, which becomes a real decoration of the garden or balcony in the apartment, is a petunia, care and growing at home require accuracy and step-by-step operations.
Temperature
During formation and growth, the flower should be indoors at a temperature of 20-22 ° C. During the flowering period of petunias, the air temperature should not exceed 25-27 ° C.
Lighting
Petunia is a light-loving flower; without good lighting, there will not be abundant flowering. For cultivation, plots with good lighting and the presence of shade from other plants, trees, canopies are suitable.
Watering
Those who decide to decorate their garden with flowering plants need to know how to properly water the petunias at home. Features of watering:
- Watering should be moderate, without excess and lack of moisture;
- It is preferable to moisten the flower not with watering from above, but with water in the pan of the pot;
- For watering, you need to use soft water without chlorine impurities. Tap water should settle for several days;
- Water and earth in the pot should be at the same temperature, you can not water it with cold or heated water;
- On sunny days, the flower is watered in the evening to avoid evaporation of water.
Note! It is forbidden to water a petunia with a watering can. The flow of water is not controlled, and the soil is too moist.
Spraying
In dry and hot weather, the flower must be sprayed daily with standing water from a spray bottle. The plant is irrigated in the evening when there is no direct sunlight. In winter, spraying is carried out as dust accumulates on the leaves.
Atomizer
Humidity
There are no special requirements for air humidity. The flower comes from the tropics, tolerates warm weather. The moisture level should be monitored at the initial stages of growth, when the seedlings are just starting to emerge.
Priming
Petunia is well established in various peat-based land formulations, with the exception of acidic and alkaline soils. Earth should be loose, nutritious and light.
To grow in containers, mix sand, peat and loam in a ratio of 1: 1: 2. It is better to choose lowland black peat, it is nutritious and has less acidity.
For self-preparation of the substrate, you need to have the skills and accurately observe the proportions. In order not to be mistaken, you can use any ready-made mixture for petunias from the store.
Note! The soil must be checked for acidity, for this, litmus paper is used. You can buy it in a flower shop, the acidity index (Ph) should not exceed the value of 5.5-6.
Top dressing
During growth, the flower needs fertilizer. It is better to give preference to ready-made mixtures for top dressing, making it yourself more difficult. You can use complex fertilizers with a high concentration of potassium.
Petunias begin to be fed 14 days after transplanting into a pot. During the flowering season, fertilizers are applied every 2 weeks.
During rest
In the cold season, the petunia begins a dormant period. With the onset of cold weather, the potted plant is transferred to a lighted room, the air temperature should be in the range of 9-15 ° C. The flower can be stored on a glazed balcony, loggia, window sills in unheated porches. During the rest period it is necessary to provide:
- Watering every 2-3 weeks;
- Diffuse lighting;
- Sufficient air humidity;
- Lack of top dressing.
When and how it blooms
Different types and varieties of petunias bloom in different ways, differ in the shape and size of the flowers.
Flowering petunia
Types of flowers
All varieties of plants are divided into multi-flowered and large-flowered, each type has its own characteristics:
- Multiflowered plants consist of a large number of buds on 1 bush, which grow densely. The diameter of the flower does not exceed 4-5 cm;
- Large-flowered varieties are more vulnerable and do not tolerate rain and strong winds. They grow better in hanging pots and baskets under a canopy. Flowers grow to 8-14 cm.
Flower shapes
Petunia flowers are single round, have a funnel shape. The edges of the petals can be smooth or fringed. The corolla of the flower has the form of fused petals, often symmetrical or star-shaped. A separate type of petunia is terry, such flowers consist of a large number of petals and look like roses.
Terry flowers
Flowering period
The flowering season of petunias begins in the summer and lasts until the beginning of autumn. In warm regions where there is enough sunlight, flowering can continue until late autumn.
Changes in flowering care
In the flowering season, petunia does not require special conditions. It is enough to take care of it, as before: moisten the soil in time, irrigate the leaves with spray water and feed it every 14 days.
Home pruning
Trimming is carried out in several stages:
- In June, pinch the plant before flowering - cut off the ends, this procedure allows you to save the splendor of the bush. You need to trim the ends above the 5th internode;
- In July, dried leaves and buds are removed so that seeds do not ripen in them;
- In August, petunia partially loses strength, at this time repeated pinching is carried out so that the plant resumes growth;
- After flowering, dried buds must be removed. If seed collection is planned, pruning is carried out only after collecting seed boxes.
Pruning
How to propagate petunias at home
Amateur gardeners are interested in how to grow petunia from seeds at home or using cuttings. Each method has its own characteristics.
Seed germination
Growing petunias from seeds is not an easy procedure. At home, the seeds need to be planted in the 2nd half of March, when daylight hours increase. Seeds for cultivation are planted in the 2nd half of January, in this case, by April, seedlings will get stronger.
Seed box
How to prepare the seeds:
- Seed boxes are collected when they have darkened and cracked, but have not yet opened;
- Seeds must dry, for this they are laid out in 1 layer on paper;
- Within 90-100 days, the seeds ripen, they need to be stored at room temperature in a paper bag.
Note! The seeds of the first flowers have the best germination. During flowering, you can tie up the first few buds with a thread, so that later you can collect seeds from them.
How to plant seeds:
- It is necessary to choose a container for planting up to 10 cm high. Before planting it must be disinfected;
- A drainage layer of expanded clay is poured into the container, 3/4 of the top is filled with soil. For seedlings, you can use a mixture of coarse sand, turf land, black peat and humus in a ratio of 1: 2: 2: 2. The soil must be sprayed with water;
- Sow petunia seeds with a toothpick. You can also mix them with sand and sprinkle on the surface. From above it is not necessary to fill with earth;
- The container is covered with glass or tightened with a film. Every day you need to remove condensate and ventilate the soil for 10-15 minutes.
Note! If the land mixture was prepared by hand, it must be decontaminated before planting. 3 days before use, it is watered with potassium permanganate. The solution should be bright pink.
Rooting cuttings
Propagation of petunias by cuttings at home allows you to save lush flowering in the new season. How to cut petunia:
- In early spring, you need to trim young shoots with a height of 7-11 cm, remove all leaves from them, except for 2 from above;
- Loose soil is poured into the prepared container by 2/3. Cuttings need to be buried in the ground to a depth of 4 cm, at a distance of 5-6 cm from each other;
- The soil around the cuttings is compacted with hands, irrigated with water;
- The container is covered with film or glass.
The root system develops at a temperature of 22-24 ° C, every day the soil needs to be moistened. Cuttings should be in a bright room 9-10 hours a day. If there is not enough sunlight, use fluorescent lamps.
Important! Petunia needs to be propagated on time. An hour after cutting, the cuttings begin to deteriorate, they need to be planted immediately.
Transplanting petunias, picking
One of the frequently asked questions is "can petunia be grown as a houseplant?" The flower feels best outdoors, it can grow in the garden or on the balcony. The plant is grown at home for further planting in a permanent place. Before this, a pick is carried out - a preliminary transplant into a temporary pot.
Petunias dive when foliage forms on the sprouts. How to do it right:
- Prepare the primer for petunias, pour it in 1/2 transparent plastic glasses;
- Sprouts are dug together with a lump of earth, so as not to damage the roots, and placed in a glass;
- Glasses must be filled with soil to the top.
About 30 days, the root system will form in the sprouts, they will grow slowly. After 40-50 days, active growth begins, in a transparent glass weave of roots will be visible. At this point, the petunia should be transplanted into a pot of 2-3 liters.
Possible problems in growing petunias
Having figured out how to grow petunia from seeds or cuttings, you need to be prepared for possible problems.
Spoiled plant
A spoiled plant is easy to recognize, its stems are weakened, the leaves become dull or turn yellow. Fungal diseases or pests are always clearly visible.
Disease
Non-compliance with irrigation rules and dense planting provoke the formation of a "black leg" in seedlings of petunia. How to fix the problem:
- Remove the diseased plant along with the roots and soil around;
- The remaining plants must be treated with fungicide;
- Set the watering regime, prevent moisture stagnation.
Plants can be susceptible to fungal diseases, the most common disease is powdery mildew. The reason for its appearance is temperature changes and increased soil moisture. Damaged areas of petunia must be removed, the rest is treated with sulfur compounds.
Pests
Petunias are exposed to such pests:
- Spider mite - a small spider that winds up among the foliage and wraps it in cobwebs. Spraying with sulfur compounds, water and tobacco solution will help get rid of it;
- Whiteflies are small white butterflies. To get rid of them, you need to treat the leaves with a soap or tobacco solution, insecticides;
- Aphids are dot-sized pests. The lower part of the leaf is affected, after which the leaves curl. You can get rid of aphids with a soap-soda solution or chemicals.
Other problems
Other problems include yellowed leaves and weak stems, due to which the plant falls. These problems are associated with improper transplantation and care. The plant may have been planted in unsuitable soil, or it lacks nutrition and light.
Among the variety of garden flowers, petunia is more popular, growing from seeds at home and further care require serious attention. The plant needs to be watered, pruned and protected from pests in time to get a beautiful flowering.
