When can you plant petunia outside? Petunia and spring frosts: How great is the danger of plant death? Personal experience. Video - How to properly plant petunia seeds for seedlings

The beautiful petunia has long become one of the most popular and beloved flowers, used to decorate flower beds in the garden, balconies and loggias, city parks and flower beds. It is distinguished by a variety of species, lush flowering, different colors, brightness of petals, large flowers and pleasant aroma. Growing and caring for an adult plant is not difficult. But in order to get seedlings, you should know the rules for growing them from seeds.

Growing petunia seedlings - preparatory work

So that by the beginning of June get good seedlings and admire the blooms all summer until late autumn beautiful flowers, you need to know the timing of sowing seeds. To do this, you need to understand the species, since each group of plants has its own planting period.

Varieties of petunias

All petunias differ in varieties, hybrids, subspecies. But first of all, they are divided into three main groups.

Bushes are low, medium or tall bushes and have several types:

Another group includes hanging ones, having the following types:

1. Classic hanging plants They are a bush forming a dense “wall” with strong and long shoots.
2. Miniature petunias are bushes with long shoots and different colors buds with a diameter of 3 cm. This species is particularly sensitive.
3. The semi-ampeloid type of the plant is lush flowering bush spherical shape.

Cascade has two main types:

1. The classic form is a plant with long stems pointing down and buds of various colors with a diameter of 6–8 cm.
2. The giant cascade petunia is a bush with long, erect shoots that grow up to 150 cm in length. Numerous beautiful flowers have a diameter of 5 cm.

When to plant?

The timing of sowing depends on which plant group was chosen, and when the flower will be planted in open ground. The main types of seedlings are planted in March.

To get big vegetative mass of ampelous type, its seeds are sown in January. The plant must have time to grow long shoots on which numerous buds will form. Small-flowered varieties are sown last because they are the first to bloom. Seeds of dwarf petunias are sown in February-March.

Poor quality seeds may simply not sprout, so you need to choose them responsibly. Following the recommendations experienced gardeners, you can choose quality seeds:

1. Cheap seeds are most likely fake. Qualitative planting material should cost no less than 20 rubles per package.
2. High-quality ones are packaged in 5–10 pieces per bag. You should not purchase bags of planting material containing 100 or more granules.
3. It is not recommended to purchase future flowers in the supermarket. The granules must be good quality, so it’s best to buy them in specialized stores.
4. One hundred percent similarity and excellent quality possess seeds packed in a flask.

For getting good result It is worth paying attention to each point described above.

Preparing the container and soil

Growing seedlings requires a certain capacity. It doesn't need large boxes. It is best to use special cassettes various heights, plastic cups or peat tablets. The height of the selected seedling container must be at least 10 cm. Seeds of ampelous petunias can be sown immediately in special hanging pots.

It is best to prepare the soil for sowing seedlings in the fall.. The quality of seedlings depends on the composition and quality of the soil. A sufficiently loose and moisture-absorbing soil is required, which can be of the following composition:

• garden soil;
• sand;
• peat;
• humus.

Everything mixes in equal parts And distributed among seedling pots. A special soil mixture can be purchased at a flower shop. It is advisable to feed it with fertilizer with potassium and ash (0.5 liters per 5 kg of soil), and add perlite to it. Before filling the seedling container with soil, the bottom must be lined with fine drainage.

How to plant a flower for seedlings?

Here are some rules:

Until the first seedlings sprout, care should consist of daily airing of the soil and spraying it with a spray bottle. Seedling containers are placed in a warm place. The first shoots should appear within 5 days. Since the plantings are likely to be dense, they need to be thinned out, leaving the strongest specimens from the seedlings.

Features of caring for seedlings

When the sprouts sprout and the first real leaf will appear, you need to remove the glass from the container and move it to a well-lit place with an air temperature of 16 degrees.

Caring for seedlings requires care. Young plants must be watered regularly, directing the stream of water strictly to the root. If drops get on the leaves, they need to be shaken off. It is recommended to loosen the soil from time to time so that a crust does not form on it. Petunia should not be over-watered, otherwise the plant may develop blackleg disease.

When on young plant the third true leaf will appear, you can start picking the seedlings. Pick and grow seedlings it needs to be in separate containers where it will be convenient for it to develop. Standing already in separate containers or peat pots There is no need to pick the plants.

Using a small spatula each the sprout is carefully dug out of the ground and placed in a separate container with soil. It is recommended to deepen the plant to the first true leaves. Such planting will contribute to the growth of additional roots, due to which the bushes will develop better and bloom more luxuriantly. The plant planted on top is watered.

Behind the young bushes requires special supervision and careful care. They should not be over-watered or over-dried; they must be fed and pinched. The seedlings are fertilized for the first time 2.5 weeks after planting with special liquid fertilizers for flowering plants. In order for the bushes to branch, the grown plants are pinched.

Planting seedlings in open ground

In mid-May, petunia can be planted in open ground. Before The seedlings must be hardened off within two weeks. Since the plant loves good lighting, sunny areas protected from the wind are chosen for it.

The soil should be non-clayey and loose. P before planting it is added Potassium sulfate, ash, humus. If the bushes are planted in pots, then the soil mixture must be carefully selected. It should consist of the following ingredients:

• leaf soil;
• sand;
• peat;
• turf.

Adding perlite to it will help make the soil loose.

Before planting in a flowerbed, it is recommended to spray the plant with an epin solution. This procedure will allow him to undergo the transplant less painfully and strengthen his immunity to various diseases.

The soil around the seedlings planted in the ground should be mulched with humus. A week after planting, the plants are fed with mullein infusion (1:10). It is necessary to water petunia at the root with such frequency as to prevent stagnation of water and drying out of the soil. You need to feed the bushes twice a month with Kemira-Lux or nitrophoska.

Growing requires not only compliance with all the rules, but also has its own certain tricks:

1. To prevent seedlings from stretching, they need good lighting. This can be achieved using additional lighting fluorescent lamps V winter time years when there is not enough sunlight.
2. The sprouts are very small at the beginning of growth, so they can dry out quickly. Seedlings should be monitored daily and watered on time.
3. A crust should not be allowed to form on the soil, otherwise young plants may suffocate.
4. If the seedlings are stretched out, they can be additionally sprinkled with soil mixture.
5. Petunias growing in pots, cache-pots or other containers should be fed more often than those planted in open ground.
6. To repeat the wave of flowering, faded bushes need to be pruned.
7. Flowers should not be left in the pouring rain. This may prevent lush flowering.

Knowing all the rules and strictly following the recommendations of experienced gardeners, obtaining high-quality seedlings will not be difficult. Having planted petunia just once on your plot or balcony, you will fall in love with this flower forever and will grow it every year, admiring the flowering until frost.

Petunia is a very common flower. It’s not for nothing that petunia is called the queen of flower beds. This wonderful plant distinguished by its versatility. It is grown in flower beds, in city gardens and in private courtyards, on the balconies of city apartments and dachas. During cultivation, petunia is quite unpretentious; all that is required from gardeners is minimal effort care

Thanks to breeders, there are a huge number of varieties, hybrids, species and varieties of petunia. Petunia is grown by planting seedlings (When to plant petunia for seedlings?).

In this article we will talk about planting petunia in open ground on permanent place.

When to plant petunia in open ground?

Planting petunia in open ground
There are two ways to obtain petunia seedlings. Having grown it yourself on the balcony and bought it in the store. Some novice gardeners often ask the question - When to plant petunia in open ground? Let's figure it out.

Petunia is a heat-loving and light-loving plant. Therefore, it should be planted in open ground when when the threat of frost has completely passed and stable warm and sunny weather has established. IN middle lane In Russia, such weather usually occurs in the second half of May.

Agricultural technology.

The agricultural technology for planting petunias in the ground is quite simple. The first step is to fertilize the area or flowerbed. The soil must be fertile and saturated with all necessary elements for growth.

The soil needs to be dug up, peat and humus added. This way you will ensure petunia organic substances for the entire growing period. Petunia loves soil with neutral acidity. Therefore, if your soil is acidic, you need to add lime to it. When choosing a site, priority should be given to sandy or loamy soils.

The planting scheme for petunia depends on its variety. If the variety is with big flowers, then plant the plants at a distance of at least 25 centimeters from each other. If the variety blooms with small flowers, then you can plant them at a distance of 15-20 centimeters from each other.

The transplant process itself is very simple. First, dig small holes at the required distance, carefully remove the plant from the cup, place it in the hole and bury it. Be extremely careful not to damage the roots.

Growing petunia in the ground.

Photo: Petunia
Let's move on to growing petunia in open ground and care measures. Basic care comes down to timely watering and fertilizing. Plants need to be watered at least once a week with warm water; the soil should not be allowed to dry out too much. You should also not overwater flowers. Long periods of stagnation of moisture can lead to the development of many unpleasant diseases.

Varieties with large buds are more demanding of growing conditions than those with small buds.

Petunia should be fed approximately once every 2-3 weeks. It is best to use special complex fertilizers for flowers. You can buy them in the store without any problems.

In order for the flowering to be as luxuriant as possible and the plants themselves to look more aesthetically pleasing, it is necessary to prune and pluck the plants. Always remove flowers that have already faded. Also remove dying branches on each stem.

Video - Planting petunia in open ground.

Video of planting petunias in open ground and creating a flower bed:

Petunia is the most common plant found in personal plots, and on balconies. Abundant flowering begins in early May and delights with its beauty until the first serious frost.

Petunia flowers, planting and caring for them are considered an easy task, since the plants are not whimsical. But to successfully grow it you need to know certain rules:

• the plant loves sunlight;
• prefers sandy or loamy soils;
• does not tolerate prolonged stagnation of liquid;
• requires constant feeding (once every 12–15 days).

Planting petunia seeds for seedlings

Planting petunia seeds for early flowering should begin in mid-February. A prerequisite for growing seedlings is the presence required quantity Sveta. If this component is not enough in the room where you plan to grow, then it is advisable to use.

The plant begins to bloom 65–92 days after sowing the seeds. It depends on the type of petunia. How larger flowers plant, the longer it takes for it to bloom.

Before planting petunia seeds you should prepare:

• containers for planting with drainage holes;
• expanded clay;
• sprayer with water;
• covering material (it is advisable to use non-woven material, for example, spunbond, which allows the plant to breathe);
• selected seeds.

At the first stage, we prepare containers for seedlings:

• At the bottom of the cup, with drainage holes prepared in advance, pour a layer of expanded clay approximately 1 cm high;
• lay out and lightly compact the soil mixture. It is necessary to leave a distance of 3 - 3.5 cm to the edge of the container.
• we moisten the soil.

Let's start planting petunias. Since the seeds of the plant are quite small, when planting you can use a mixture of seeds and sand. This will allow the seeds to be placed more evenly in the pot. You can use coated petunia seeds, but their cost is much higher than regular ones. Sprinkling petunia seeds with soil is not recommended. It is best to lightly press them until they are in full contact with the soil.

After planting petunias, the boxes should be covered with covering material. Instead of fabric, you can use glass or polyethylene. In this case, the plants will have to be forced to ventilate.

At favorable conditions(temperature environment 24ºС and humidity 98%) seeds germinate on 7 – 9 days.

There is a simpler, but more expensive method of obtaining plant seedlings - planting petunia in peat tablets. For this:

• purchased are flooded warm water and wait for it to swell and cool;
• use tweezers to place petunia seeds in the central hole;
• Water moderately.

Plants are planted in pots or in the ground along with tablets. Damage to the root system is completely eliminated. For beginner gardeners, this growing method flower seedlings most preferred.

Landing ampelous petunia produced by the same methods as bush.

Growing petunia seedlings

When the seeds germinate and the first leaves appear, the covering material from the box must be removed. Gently water the plants and reduce ambient temperature up to 18ºС.

At the first stage, petunia develops very slowly. Initially strengthened root system plants and only after that the stems and leaves grow stronger. This stage lasts about 4 – 5 weeks.

During this period you need to monitor:

• soil moisture. It should not be dry or waterlogged.
• timely application of fertilizers. For petunia, complex fertilizers or preparations with increased content potassium
• sufficient lighting. IN daytime the lamp must work full power, and at night it is advisable to dim the light, but not turn it off completely.

For the development of strong and abundantly flowering plants, after the appearance of several leaves, the top of the flower must be pinched. Stronger plants are transplanted into separate, more spacious containers and continue to care for the seedlings according to all the above rules.

A month before planting petunias in the ground, the plants are hardened off for 10 days. In the first half of the period, the daytime temperature near the seedlings should be 18ºС - 20ºС, and the night temperature 16ºС. In the next five days, these indicators are reduced by 2ºС - 3ºС. After carrying out this procedure, the stronger flowers will tolerate picking in open ground the least painfully.

Video: how to plant petunia seedlings

Planting petunias in the ground

Let's move on to the question of how to properly plant petunia in a permanent place:

• It is best to plant the plant in cloudy weather or after sunset;
• It is advisable to pick the seedling together with a lump of earth from the pot;
• the hole for the seedling must be at least 10 cm deep and wide;
• The distance between plantings depends on the type of flower. For large-flowered petunias, it is necessary to maintain a distance of 23 cm - 25 cm. For small-flowered petunias, 18 cm - 20 cm is sufficient. Ampelous petunia bushes are planted at a distance of 28 cm - 30 cm;
• after transplantation, the flowers are watered;
• For better rooting of petunia, the ground around the transplanted plant can be covered with humus or peat. Such a shelter will retain moisture for a longer period and protect the flower from possible frosts.

Petunia care

Caring for petunia involves watering the plants, timely and constant feeding, and removing faded flowers.

The plant should be watered only in dry weather. It is advisable to carry out this procedure after sunset. When watering, the water should not stagnate. It is enough to simply moisten the soil around the root system of the flower.

The first feeding is carried out 9 - 11 days after transplanting the plant to a permanent place. It is best to start feeding plants with nitrogen-containing fertilizers. You can use nitroammophoska.

For abundant flowering, during the period of bud formation, it is preferable to use fertilizers containing a large number of phosphorus and potassium, for example superphosphate and potassium salt.

Petunia can be fed wood ash. This fertilizer contains all the components necessary for the plant. Moreover, you can use either purchased fertilizer or one you make yourself, after a fire or from the stove.

An important component for proper plant feeding is iron. Without enough iron, petunias can develop chlorosis. The first signs of the disease appear on the leaves: they begin to turn yellow and fall off. “Ferovit” will come to the rescue, which is used to spray the plants 3–5 times with an interval between spraying of 2–3 days.

Wilted flowers should be removed from the plant. This leads to the formation of new buds and a long flowering period. Petunia flowers, planted and cared for properly, will be even more pleasing if you form a beautiful plant crown in time. To do this, young shoots tending to grow tall are pinched. The procedure is considered correct if pinching is carried out after 4 - 5 leaves. After the operation, the plant produces abundant multidirectional shoots, which are necessary for the formation of a beautiful “cap”.

Proper planting and care of petunias lead to long and rich flowering. Planting petunia seeds on video will help novice gardeners become more familiar with the procedure.

- read here!

Video: sowing and picking petunias