Petunia in winter: how to preserve petunia until spring. How to preserve petunia at home in winter? How to preserve vegetative petunias in winter

PETUNIA IN WINTER: HOW TO PRESERVE PETUNIA UNTIL SPRING The cold weather is approaching, but the petunia on your plot or balcony continues to delight with its lush color. Soon this beauty will come to an end, but it’s a pity... Well, there’s nowhere to escape from the cycle of seasons, but you can try saving petunia bushes for the winter. Petunia, at its core, is a heat-loving perennial, therefore, by creating “southern” conditions for it, we can extend its life. So, now we will reveal the secret of how to preserve petunia in winter. Wintering petunias is an action for the elite. We hasten to warn you right away: maintaining petunia bushes in winter is not an easy matter. Although, this is the best way out if you want to preserve a particularly expensive, luxurious variety that does not produce seeds or does not retain all its properties in its daughter plants. For example, this is suitable for surfinias, supertunias and many other F1 hybrids. There are 2 options for preserving petunia for the winter: in the form of mother plants in the form of cuttings Option No. 1. Preserving mother petunia bushes in winter Adult petunia bushes can be preserved until spring if you move them to a bright and frost-free room. It should be light, fairly humid, optimal t = 10-15°C (but even less will do, the main thing is that the temperature does not fall below 0°C). Suitable conditions are found on closed verandas, insulated or southern loggias, and on the windowsills of entrances. Petunia bushes are dug up, transplanted into pots and brought indoors. You need to have time to do this before frost, that is, in September-November. Dry leaves, damaged and rotten branches are pruned from the plant. Drastic pruning is also practiced: all branches are cut to 10-15 cm. A petunia bush can overwinter on a cold windowsill. The main conditions for caring for petunia bushes in winter: minimal watering (up to 2-3 times a month); lack of fertilizers; high air humidity; temperature 10-15°C; good lighting. In such conditions, petunias survive the winter safely and bloom in mid-February! Then you can “introduce” more frequent watering and fertilizing into the diet. A petunia bush that has survived the winter is planted in open ground or in balcony containers. Or they do it differently: they propagate petunia by cuttings and grow young petunia plants. The latter option is more common among gardeners. It is believed (and not without reason!) that young petunias bloom better than second-year ones. How is petunia cutting carried out? In the spring, cuttings of 5-10 cm are cut from an overwintered petunia bush - green, not lignified. The lower leaves on the cuttings are torn off so that a bare stem 1-3 cm long remains at the base. It is important that there is at least 1 pair of internodes in this area. There should be 2-3 leaves left at the top of the cutting. If they are large, then their plates are cut crosswise in half to reduce moisture evaporation. Petunia cuttings Petunia cuttings are planted in loose soil, preferably with baking powder. You can use pure vermiculite or peat for rooting. The bare part of the stem is deepened into moist, loose soil. Petunia cuttings: planting cuttings in the ground The leaves of the cuttings can be cut in half to reduce moisture loss through the leaf blades. A vapor barrier is placed on top to maintain high humidity around the cuttings. For example, cover the planting container with a plastic cup, glass jar or glass. Every day the “greenhouse” is ventilated to prevent the appearance of mold, rot, and blackleg on the cuttings. Preserving petunia by cuttings under a “greenhouse” For ventilation, holes are made in the bottom of a plastic glass “greenhouse”. After about 10-14 days, young shoots will appear in the axils of the cuttings - this means that rooting has taken place! The greenhouse is removed, the cuttings continue to grow in the same way as petunia seedlings: watered, fertilized, sprayed. Above 5-6 leaves, young plants are pinched for tillering. Wintering petunias with cuttings After 2 weeks, new shoots appear in the leaf axils of petunia cuttings. How to cut petunia is described in the video: In March-April (depending on the region), when stable positive temperatures of 10-12°C are established, the rooted cuttings are planted for permanent residence. – in open ground or in balcony containers. Flowering of petunia cuttings Flowering of petunia cuttings grown from a second-year mother bush Option No. 2. Preserving petunia in winter by cuttings Maintaining a petunia mother plant in winter requires special conditions - high humidity and low temperatures. In a city apartment, with an unglazed (or glazed, but cold northern) balcony, it is almost impossible to recreate such a climate. In residential premises, rooted cuttings, rather than adult petunias, have a better chance of survival. They do not need special conditions and need to be cared for in the same way as indoor flowers. This method will also help those gardeners who do not want to clutter their verandas, balconies and loggias in winter with large containers with petunia queen cells. Cuttings in cups on windowsills take up very little space! For winter storage, petunia is cut from late August-September. During this time, petunia easily propagates by cuttings, since the life processes in it have not yet slowed down. 5-10 days after planting, the plants begin to develop roots. Cuttings 5-10 cm long are cut from petunias, planted in cups, and covered with a “greenhouse”. After rooting, they are placed in a cool, bright place. For example, on a windowsill, closer to the glass. To increase the humidity, you can place a jar of water near young petunias. Young petunia cuttings in winter Young petunia cuttings in winter require as much attention as ordinary indoor flowers. The main conditions for keeping rooted petunia cuttings in winter: sufficient watering - after drying the top layer of soil; spraying; lack of fertilizers; increasing air humidity (water containers next to the cuttings). In spring, cuttings that have already formed into young petunia bushes can be transferred to balcony containers or planted in a flower bed. They can also be cut again and the required amount of planting material can be grown from the new cuttings. Overwintered petunia cuttings Overwintered cuttings bloom already with the first rays of the warm sun - in February or early March. Advantages of preserving petunias in winter (by cuttings or adult plants) The main advantages of preserving petunias for the winter: early spring flowering. An adult “second-year” plant or cuttings taken from it can bloom as early as February-March. And this will happen even in northern regions, such as the Urals, Siberia, etc. ease of obtaining adult seedlings. To do this, you do not need to sow small seeds or nurse frail shoots. The planted cuttings will already bloom in 2-2.5 weeks. preservation of vegetatively propagated petunia varieties until spring.

The cold weather is approaching, and the petunia on your plot or balcony continues to delight with its lush color. Soon this beauty will come to an end, but it’s a pity... Well, there’s nowhere to escape from the cycle of seasons, but you can try saving petunia bushes for the winter. Petunia, at its core, is a heat-loving perennial, therefore, by creating “southern” conditions for it, we can extend its life. So, now we will reveal the secret of how to preserve petunia in winter.

We hasten to warn you right away: maintaining petunia bushes in winter is not an easy task. Although, this is the best way out if you want to preserve a particularly expensive, luxurious variety that does not produce seeds or does not retain all its properties in its daughter plants. For example, this is suitable for surfinias, supertunias and many other F1 hybrids.

There are 2 options for preserving petunias for the winter:

1. in the form of mother plants
2. in the form of cuttings

Option #1. Preserving mother petunia bushes in winter

Adult petunia bushes can be preserved until spring if you move them to a bright and frost-free room. It should be light, fairly humid, optimal t = 10-15°C (but even less will do, the main thing is that the temperature does not fall below 0°C). Suitable conditions are found on closed verandas, insulated or southern loggias, and on the windowsills of entrances.

Petunia bushes are dug up, transplanted into pots and brought indoors. You need to have time to do this before frost, that is, in September-November. Dry leaves, damaged and rotten branches are pruned from the plant. Dramatic pruning is also practiced: all branches are cut to 10-15 cm.

A petunia bush can overwinter on a cold windowsill

The main conditions for caring for petunia bushes in winter:

• minimal watering (up to 2-3 times a month);
• lack of fertilizers;
• high air humidity;
• temperature 10-15°C;
• good lighting.

In such conditions, petunias survive the winter safely and bloom in mid-February! Then you can “introduce” more frequent watering and fertilizing into the diet.

A petunia bush that has survived the winter is planted in open ground or in balcony containers. Or they do it differently: they propagate petunia by cuttings and grow young petunia plants. The latter option is more common among gardeners. It is believed (and not without reason!) that young petunias bloom better than second-year ones.

February flowering of second year petunia

How is petunia cutting carried out?

In the spring, cuttings of 5-10 cm are cut from an overwintered petunia bush - green, not lignified. The lower leaves on the cutting are torn off so that a bare stem 1-3 cm long remains at the base. It is important that there is at least 1 pair of internodes in this area. There should be 2-3 leaves left at the top of the cutting. If they are large, then their plates are cut crosswise in half to reduce moisture evaporation.

Petunia cuttings are planted in loose soil, preferably with baking powder. You can use pure vermiculite or peat for rooting

The bare part of the stem is deepened into moist, loose soil.

The leaves of the cuttings can be cut in half to reduce moisture loss through the leaf blades

A vapor barrier is placed on top to maintain high humidity around the cuttings. For example, cover the planting container with a plastic cup, glass jar or glass. Every day the “greenhouse” is ventilated to prevent the appearance of mold, rot, and blackleg on the cuttings.

For ventilation, holes are made in the bottom of the plastic greenhouse glass.

After about 10-14 days, young shoots will appear in the axils of the cuttings - this means that rooting has taken place! The greenhouse is removed, the cuttings continue to grow in the same way as petunia seedlings: watered, fertilized, sprayed. Above 5-6 leaves, young plants are pinched for tillering.

After 2 weeks, new shoots appear in the leaf axils of petunia cuttings

How to cut petunia is described in the video:

In March-April (depending on the region), when stable positive temperatures of 10-12°C are established, the rooted cuttings are planted for permanent residence - in open ground or in balcony containers.

Flowering of petunia cuttings grown from a second-year mother bush

Option #2. Preserving petunia in winter by cuttings

In residential premises, rooted cuttings, rather than adult petunias, have a better chance of survival. They do not need special conditions and need to be cared for in the same way as indoor flowers. This method will also help those gardeners who do not want to clutter their verandas, balconies and loggias in winter with large containers with petunia queen cells. Cuttings in cups on windowsills take up very little space!

For winter storage, petunia is cut from late August-September. During this time, petunia easily propagates by cuttings, since the life processes in it have not yet slowed down. 5-10 days after planting, the plants begin to develop roots.

Cuttings 5-10 cm long are cut from petunias, planted in cups, and covered with a “greenhouse”. After rooting, they are placed in a cool, bright place. For example, on a windowsill, closer to the glass. To increase the humidity, you can place a jar of water near young petunias.

Young petunia cuttings require as much attention in winter as ordinary indoor flowers.

The main conditions for keeping rooted petunia cuttings in winter:

• sufficient watering - after drying the top layer of soil;
• spraying;
• lack of fertilizers;
• increasing air humidity (water containers next to the cuttings).

In spring, cuttings that have already formed into young petunia bushes can be transferred to balcony containers or planted in a flower bed. They can also be cut again and the required amount of planting material can be grown from the new cuttings.

Overwintered cuttings bloom already with the first rays of the warm sun - in February or early March

Benefits of preserving petunias in winter (cuttings or mature plants)

The main advantages of preserving petunias for the winter:

• early spring flowering. An adult “second-year” plant or cuttings taken from it can bloom as early as February-March. And this will happen even in northern regions, such as the Urals, Siberia, etc.
• ease of obtaining adult seedlings. To do this, you do not need to sow small seeds or nurse frail shoots. The planted cuttings will already bloom in 2-2.5 weeks.
• preservation of vegetatively propagated petunia varieties until spring.

Petunia cuttings for the winter- how to preserve your favorite variety of petunia until spring and what is the best way? Preserving an old bush in winter is not an easy task, but collecting seeds and sowing next year is not possible, because the largest, double flowers are hybrids.

Why is cuttings better?

Petunias are divided into: hanging and bush.

Ampelous petunias grow strongly and become a real decoration of the house and site. Bush petunia bushes are not as lush.

There are two ways to store petunias in winter - in the form of a mother plant and cuttings.

In order not to buy again in winter the seeds of the petunia hybrids you like, which are not at all cheap, and to grow seedlings anew, it is preferable to carry out cuttings of the petunia varieties you like and save the rooted cuttings until spring in the apartment.

In spring, the cuttings grow very quickly and become beautiful bushes.

Another one reason for cutting petunia for the winter– spontaneous mutations occur very often, especially in double hybrids. A bush of a certain hybrid is growing, suddenly one vine on it produces completely different flowers, they can change shape, size and even color. This is how Surfinia appeared, it reproduces only by cuttings, there are no seeds in bags.

Packages with seeds on which it is written that this is Surfinia are rather the seeds of ordinary ampelous petunias, at best.

Petunia cuttings for the winter

In order to prepare cuttings of the varieties of petunias you like, you can cut off the tops of the vines, with about 4-6 leaves, and cut off the number of cuttings you need. You can cut off the whole whip and cut the number of cuttings you need at home.

Cuttings can be rooted in disposable, plastic, 100-gram cups. Use transparent cups so that you can see when the cuttings have roots.

You don’t need a lot of soil for rooting; you can pour a little more than half into cups. Priming should be very loose and breathable. You can add coconut fiber, perlite, vermiculite to the soil - the soil will be loose and able to retain moisture.

Water the soil in the cups generously and prepare the cuttings for rooting. On cuttings, remove all unopened buds, flowers, seed pods, old, diseased, yellowed leaves.

Next, we plant the cuttings in cups with soil, simply sticking the lower end into the soil. After planting, compact the soil around the cutting. To avoid overflowing, do not forget to make drainage holes in the bottom of the cups.

Place the cups with cuttings in transparent plastic bags without holes and tie them tightly. In this way it will be supported required humidity so that plants without roots do not die.

Place the cuttings under the lamp, they will take 1-2 weeks to take root, it all depends on the variety.

When to take petunia cuttings for storage

For northern regions, cuttings are best carried out from the end of August; southern regions begin cuttings a month later - in September.

Rooting cuttings in a bright, sunny window will not work - these are not seedlings. Remember that cuttings do not have a root system - use racks with lamps(fluorescent or LED).

The optimal temperature for rooting petunia cuttings is +15-20 degrees, no less.

About 1.5 weeks after you have rooted the cuttings, you can already look into the bags or look through the transparent walls to see if your plants have roots.

All cuttings with roots can be removed from the bags. We give 5 days to adapt to dry air and then the cuttings can be fed. In soil without roots, they fed mainly from their leaves.

It makes sense to feed the cuttings only in the first month so that they develop a good root system.

We transplant all rooted cuttings into 0.5 liter plastic cups, they will grow in them until mid-January. Use soil that is water- and moisture-permeable so that the root system does not rot in winter.

It is better to place petunia cuttings in a cooler place, especially if you cannot provide the plants with sufficient lighting.

Watering in winter is very moderate.

At the beginning of January transplant the cuttings into 2-liter pots and petunias will grow the root system and then the leaf mass within a month.

Already in mid February You can start cutting your favorite plant for the new summer season.

In the spring, cuttings are taken in the same way as in the fall, although cuttings take root much better in the spring.

Thus, from one preserved and rooted plant you can get a huge number of seedlings, and not re-sorting, but exactly the varieties that you liked.

There is no point in cutting bush petunias– the seeds are cheap, there are a lot of seeds in bags, and bush petunia seedlings are very easy to buy in the spring.

Ampelous petunias They are usually sold in packages of 5 seeds, you need to choose carefully - the seeds quickly lose their viability.

If you decide to grow ampelous petunia with seeds, then propagating them in the spring using cuttings will be very simple. By sowing seeds for seedlings early - around the beginning of January, petunias will grow in 1.5 -2 months and you can cut off the tips of their branches and carry out cuttings.

The cuttings will quickly take root, and you will get from 5 plants the quantity you need.

The main advantage of storing and cutting petunias for the winter is obtaining early flowering.

Video - Propagation of petunia by cuttings. How to preserve petunia in winter.

Petunia(Petunia) is one of the most common flowers decorating flowerpots, flower beds and hanging baskets. This plant was first found in Uruguay in the vicinity of Montevideo in 1793. A little later, several dozen more species of petunia were discovered in South America. This flower became a godsend for breeders, and in 1834 the first hybrid petunia bloomed. Today, there are several dozen species and many varieties and hybrids of petunia, so it is easy to get confused in the complex taxonomy of this plant.

Petunia is a perennial. However, in culture it is more often grown as an annual plant. Every year, seeds are sown in the spring, and in the fall, the flowering petunia is sent to a humus heap or thrown into the trash. Many amateur flower growers believe that in the middle zone this is the simplest solution. In the southern regions, petunia self-sows.

At the beginning of autumn, I look with regret at the petunias that continue to bloom, which are soon destined to end up in the humus heap. They are poorly adapted to autumn colds and frosts, so their lifespan is predetermined. Beautiful plants do not have time to reach their full potential over the summer. Even in autumn they still have a lot of vitality. Petunias can become a mother plant from which strong stem cuttings can be taken. Or a flowering houseplant that competes with exotic flowers.

Moving petunia into the house

In nature, petunia is a perennial plant, which can be used in its cultivation and propagation. To do this, in the fall, before cold snaps and frosts have yet begun (petunias caught under them often die), we select several specimens, free them from long shoots and cut off all damaged leaves. The remaining bush should be compact and low. No more than 15 cm in height. Better below. Before bringing petunia indoors, you need to carefully inspect its leaves (especially their undersides) to ensure that whiteflies and the eggs they lay do not get into the house. The end of summer and the beginning of autumn is a time of massive presence of this pest on crops and weeds, but we often do not pay attention to the inconspicuous small whitefly. Until it ends up on our indoor flowers.

If a whitefly or its eggs are found on the leaves of a petunia, then you need to take immediate action before bringing the pot with the plant into the house. The best place for it is a cool, bright window sill, veranda, glazed loggia (balcony), bright basement, etc. We are not talking about specially equipped places and greenhouses in which queen cells are grown with additional lighting and the required humidity.

It seems that at first Petunia is thinking about how she will behave in the future. Sometimes it unexpectedly awakens, gives new shoots and even blooms. Or it stops growing, hibernating until the end of winter. It is important to create conditions for petunias so that young shoots do not weaken the plant. No growth stimulants or fertilizers are used during this period. The exceptions are Zircon and Epin (only if necessary).

In March (sometimes from the end of February), the container with petunia should be moved to the brightest place. It should be cool (not lower than +6°C). We set up watering and fertilizing. This regime allows the mother plant to grow enough so that full stem cuttings can be cut in April.

In winter, the condition of petunia sometimes worsens sharply. There are several reasons: either it is powdery mildew and its consequences, whitefly, etc. Often a plant loses its strength in an insufficiently light and warm room. Many problems are associated with waterlogging of the soil. If the leaves dry out and fall off, and the stems turn black or dry out, then this is a clear sign: the petunia is feeling very bad. Normally, only partial yellowing of the leaves.

Cuttings as a simple option for propagating petunia

Petunia takes cuttings well. Many times in the summer I stuck a broken flowering shoot into the soil, and it continued to live. This property is used by professionals and flower lovers, collecting “tribute” from queen cells in order to then propagate the variety they like. Cuttings are cut with and without a heel. The minimum cutting size is 2 - 3 pairs of leaves.

There are no special tricks when rooting cuttings. They are planted to a depth of about 1.5 - 2 cm in a container filled with loose fertile soil, covered with a jar and kept in the light. In order for the cuttings to lose less moisture, it is enough to leave just a couple of leaves. The lower pair of leaves should be completely removed, the upper leaves should be shortened by ½.

Care comes down to watering and ventilation. Do not allow condensation to form. A convenient mini-greenhouse is made from the top of a transparent plastic bottle, in the lid of which holes are made with a hot nail or drill. Tall transparent plastic glasses with holes at the bottom can also be used as caps. But spraying cuttings with water should be treated with caution. This procedure often results in excessive dampness, rot and mold. Some amateur gardeners root petunia cuttings in jars of water.

The temperature at which rooting occurs is about 22 - 23°C. It's good if there is bottom heating. For example, a battery located close to the windowsill. The first leaves of young shoots appear very quickly. Without additional lighting or sunlight, they grow weak. Rooted cuttings are pinched, which causes further tillering. Over the winter, the cuttings, which began to be rooted in August - September, turn into a beautiful flowering bush. It is cared for as a light-loving houseplant.

You can try another way of keeping petunias in winter. I learned it completely by accident. It turned out that by August my petunia had grown into such huge bushes that they covered the other flowers and took up too much space in the flower garden. I shortened them, and “stuck” a bouquet of tops into a flower pot with garden soil. She placed the pot near the house and from time to time watered the “bouquet” from a watering can. Petunia quickly rose, began to grow and continued to bloom. In September I placed the pot on the glassed-in loggia. In winter, I sprayed petunia several times with a highly diluted solution of cheap (!) washing powder. It can be replaced with soda ash. I didn't want to use chemicals. This preventive measure made it possible to avoid powdery mildew, the coating of which often appears in the autumn-winter period and destroys petunias. I cut off most of the buds so as not to weaken the plant. Individual flowers were left “for beauty.” It would be possible to leave all the flowers and buds, but for this it would be necessary to organize stronger lighting.

In May, I shortened some of the elongated shoots of the “bouquet”, receiving a lot of fresh cuttings. The overgrown petunia (the former “bouquet”) was divided into several parts and transplanted into a flower garden. Petunia grows quickly and does not like crowded conditions, so it is better to plant its rooted cuttings “for growth.”

Conclusion

In winter, petunia can be preserved as a mother plant for further rooting of its cuttings. Grown from rooted cuttings (cuttings are carried out in August - September), petunia becomes an elegant, beautifully flowering indoor plant, which can later be transplanted into a flower garden, flowerpot or hanging basket and its shoots can be cut from it. I consider powdery mildew to be the main problem associated with the health of petunias in winter. But this is already a consequence of some mistakes in agricultural technology.

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The cold weather is approaching, and the petunia on your plot or balcony continues to delight with its lush color. Soon this beauty will come to an end, but it’s a pity... Well, there’s nowhere to escape from the cycle of seasons, but you can try saving petunia bushes for the winter. Petunia, at its core, is a heat-loving perennial, therefore, by creating “southern” conditions for it, we can extend its life. So, now we will reveal the secret of how to preserve petunia in winter.

Wintering petunias - an action for the elite

We hasten to warn you right away: maintaining petunia bushes in winter is not an easy task. Although, this is the best way out if you want to preserve a particularly expensive, luxurious variety that does not produce seeds or does not retain all its properties in its daughter plants. For example, this is suitable for surfinias, supertunias and many other F1 hybrids.

There are 2 options for preserving petunias for the winter:

1. in the form of mother plants
2. in the form of cuttings

Option #1. Preserving mother petunia bushes in winter

Adult petunia bushes can be preserved until spring if you move them to a bright and frost-free room. It should be light, fairly humid, optimal t = 10-15°C (but even less will do, the main thing is that the temperature does not fall below 0°C). Suitable conditions are found on closed verandas, insulated or southern loggias, and on the windowsills of entrances.

Petunia bushes are dug up, transplanted into pots and brought indoors. You need to have time to do this before frost, that is, in September-November. Dry leaves, damaged and rotten branches are pruned from the plant. Dramatic pruning is also practiced: all branches are cut to 10-15 cm.

A petunia bush can overwinter on a cold windowsill

The main conditions for caring for petunia bushes in winter:

• minimal watering (up to 2-3 times a month);
• lack of fertilizers;
• high air humidity;
• temperature 10-15°C;
• good lighting.

In such conditions, petunias survive the winter safely and bloom in mid-February! Then you can “introduce” more frequent watering and fertilizing into the diet.

A petunia bush that has survived the winter is planted in open ground or in balcony containers. Or they do it differently: they propagate petunia by cuttings and grow young petunia plants. The latter option is more common among gardeners. It is believed (and not without reason!) that young petunias bloom better than second-year ones.

February flowering of second year petunia

How is petunia cutting carried out?

In the spring, cuttings of 5-10 cm are cut from an overwintered petunia bush - green, not lignified. The lower leaves on the cutting are torn off so that a bare stem 1-3 cm long remains at the base. It is important that there is at least 1 pair of internodes in this area. There should be 2-3 leaves left at the top of the cutting. If they are large, then their plates are cut crosswise in half to reduce moisture evaporation.

Petunia cuttings are planted in loose soil, preferably with baking powder. You can use pure vermiculite or peat for rooting

The bare part of the stem is deepened into moist, loose soil.

The leaves of the cuttings can be cut in half to reduce moisture loss through the leaf blades

A vapor barrier is placed on top to maintain high humidity around the cuttings. For example, cover the planting container with a plastic cup, glass jar or glass. Every day the “greenhouse” is ventilated to prevent the appearance of mold, rot, and blackleg on the cuttings.

For ventilation, holes are made in the bottom of the plastic greenhouse glass.

After about 10-14 days, young shoots will appear in the axils of the cuttings - this means that rooting has taken place! The greenhouse is removed, the cuttings continue to grow in the same way as petunia seedlings: watered, fertilized, sprayed. Above 5-6 leaves, young plants are pinched for tillering.

After 2 weeks, new shoots appear in the leaf axils of petunia cuttings

How to cut petunia is described in the video:

In March-April (depending on the region), when stable positive temperatures of 10-12°C are established, the rooted cuttings are planted for permanent residence - in open ground or in balcony containers.

Flowering of petunia cuttings grown from a second-year mother bush. Option No. 2. Preserving petunia in winter by cuttings

In residential premises, rooted cuttings, rather than adult petunias, have a better chance of survival. They do not need special conditions and need to be cared for in the same way as indoor flowers. This method will also help those gardeners who do not want to clutter their verandas, balconies and loggias in winter with large containers with petunia queen cells. Cuttings in cups on windowsills take up very little space!

For winter storage, petunia is cut from late August-September. During this time, petunia easily propagates by cuttings, since the life processes in it have not yet slowed down. 5-10 days after planting, the plants begin to develop roots.

Cuttings 5-10 cm long are cut from petunias, planted in cups, and covered with a “greenhouse”. After rooting, they are placed in a cool, bright place. For example, on a windowsill, closer to the glass. To increase the humidity, you can place a jar of water near young petunias.

Young petunia cuttings require as much attention in winter as ordinary indoor flowers.

The main conditions for keeping rooted petunia cuttings in winter:

• sufficient watering - after drying the top layer of soil;
• spraying;
• lack of fertilizers;
• increasing air humidity (water containers next to the cuttings).

In spring, cuttings that have already formed into young petunia bushes can be transferred to balcony containers or planted in a flower bed. They can also be cut again and the required amount of planting material can be grown from the new cuttings.

Overwintered cuttings bloom already with the first rays of the warm sun - in February or early March. Advantages of preserving petunias in winter (cuttings or adult plants)

The main advantages of preserving petunias for the winter:

• early spring flowering. An adult “second-year” plant or cuttings taken from it can bloom as early as February-March. And this will happen even in northern regions, such as the Urals, Siberia, etc.
• ease of obtaining adult seedlings. To do this, you do not need to sow small seeds or nurse frail shoots. The planted cuttings will already bloom in 2-2.5 weeks.
• preservation of vegetatively propagated petunia varieties until spring.

Don’t know how to decorate your balcony, loggia, garden, or just simply the window sill of your apartment? Then this article is for you. We will tell you about the beautiful petunia, which is perfect for decoration.

Petunia is a herbaceous perennial subshrub plant of tropical origin. Attracts attention with its large and bright flowers. Combines harmoniously with other garden plants. Therefore, it is often used to decorate a garden or terrace. Quite often, flower growers choose it to decorate balconies, loggias and even apartment window sills.

It is believed that adult petunia is very whimsical, but young sprouts are still picky. But, despite this, if you approach the process of growing and caring for petunia correctly, everything will work out and you will admire its beautiful flowers for a long time, so in this article we will look at how to grow a plant without mistakes from “A” to “Z” .

How to cultivate correctly?

The best technology for growing petunias is:

1. Large capacity.
2. Regular feeding.
3. Sufficient watering.
4. Removing faded flowers.

This the plant loves loamy soil, but also takes root well in ordinary garden soil, and some varieties even in simple soil. But it is best to grow this beauty in fertile soil, which consists of peat, turf, river sand, and leaf soil. Another excellent option for growing is adding nitrophoska to the earthen substrate.

In garden soil, the greenery of the plant becomes juicier and its growth accelerates, because... they really like a slightly acidic environment.

Growing petunias requires special light conditions. She prefers well-lit areas for growing, however, in the scorching sun, flowering may fade. Small shading is also needed.

Lighting is one of the main conditions for growing petunias. Therefore, well-lit, shaded areas are ideal.

The soil in which petunia grows should be moist, but not flooded. Excess moisture will stop its growth. It is also important to ventilate the soil in which the plant grows. Growing these flowers is not difficult if you simply follow the conditions of lighting, watering and soil composition.

Is it possible to grow the plant at home?

Is it possible to grow this plant indoors? Yes, but it's more difficult than just in the ground.

Note! The most important thing is that the soil in the growing container should be light and moisture-absorbing.

Therefore, great attention must be paid to the soil. To do this, it will be enough to mix simple garden soil with purchased peat-based soil. You can also plant in purchased soil, but first add hydrogel to it. The hydrogel must be prepared in advance. It should also be taken into account that such a substrate retains moisture for quite a long time and you need to be extremely careful with watering the plant. Water only when it dries out, especially for newly planted plants.

Growing petunias in a pot or container also means choosing the right container for growing. Bush and terry petunias need 3 liters of soil per plant. This means you can plant 3 plants in a ten-liter container. Large containers retain moisture longer, so it is better to plant several plants in one large container. But ampelous, cascading petunias and sufinias need 5 liters per plant.

The container must have holes to allow excess moisture to drain out. If you choose the wrong container, then you can achieve beauty, but not for long. Petunias will first thrive and then survive in these conditions. And they will not delight you with long and lush vines and abundant flowering.

It is important to remove faded flowers from the plant. Secrets of growing petunias:

1. Selecting a location– this should be a well-lit place with slight shadows.
2. The soil- both ordinary garden soil and specially prepared using purchased peat-based soil, with the addition of hydrogel, turf, and coarse sand.
3. Watering and fertilizing– water every day, especially if you see that the top lump is dry. It is best to water in the morning and evening. Petunia does not like stagnant moisture, so take care of good drainage. Feed regularly with mineral fertilizers. The main thing is that it contains potassium and phosphorus - they are responsible for the development of flower buds.

Reproduction methods

You can propagate in two ways: growing seedlings from seeds and cuttings.

Seeds

This is the most common way to grow a plant, including at home. Buy seeds in a shell - they are easier to plant and are much larger. To begin with, we prepare the soil and maintain the desired temperature of 22-25°C. We plant it in a container that must have drainage. Before planting, disinfect the drainage with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Carry out the same procedure with the soil; use special preparations to disinfect it.

Sow seeds in slightly moist, but not soggy soil. Before this, it is better to mix the seeds with river sand. Next, cover the container with the seeds with glass or film. We grow seedlings at a temperature of 22°C. To prevent the soil from becoming soggy, constantly remove condensation from the glass or change the film.

On a note. Don't forget about good lighting. As soon as small bushes appear and the roots become stronger, you can plant it in open ground or continue growing it in a greenhouse.

Watch a video about growing petunia. Sowing seeds for seedlings:

By cuttings

It allows the plant to grow much faster. It assumes the presence of an already mature plant. To do this, cut off the side shoots of the petunia. Then The cuttings are disinfected and planted in small cups with light soil. We put it in a shaded place. Do not forget about moistening the soil and fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. This way the plant is prepared for winter. In spring we plant them in open ground.

Watch a video about propagating petunia by cuttings:

Planting kit

• Priming.
• Container for planting.
• Disinfectants.
• Seedlings for planting.
• Drainage.
• Mineral fertilizers.

Cultivation

At home

In greenhouses

• Sowing seeds– we purchase seeds in a special store. We purchase or prepare the substrate ourselves. It consists of peat, sand, and earth. Wipe everything well and pour in a solution of potassium permanganate. The wet mixture sits in boxes for several days. Before filling, boxes are sterilized with peroxide or potassium permanganate; peat is spilled with fungicides before sowing. The seeds are sown in peat, the peat layer in the box is 2-3 cm and consists of small particles, well sifted and even.

  Important! The seeds are not covered with soil so that light falls on them. We also provide additional lighting.

  We germinate at a temperature of 22-25oC. The required air humidity is 95-98%; to maintain it, we cover the crops with glass or polyethylene. The substrate should not dry out, so we often water it with a sprayer. The water should be settled slightly warmer than the substrate. After germination, reduce the temperature to 18-20°C.

• Picking– move the plants into cups. Stay in them until the roots take up all the space. At first the cups are side by side, but as the seedlings grow they are spaced apart.
• Watering and fertilizing– when seedlings are planted, you need to ensure that the top layer of the substrate dries out before the next watering. Therefore, water the cups once a day or less. It is better to water in the morning and evening. We combine fertilizing with watering.

Rules of care

Caring for petunia will not require much effort from you. It is enough to simply control the watering and feeding of the plant. You need to water at the root of the plant so as not to damage the delicate flowers. The day after watering, you need to loosen the soil so that a crust does not form. Remove weeds. Feed a week after planting in the ground. We combine watering and fertilizing. We feed with fertilizers with potassium.

Problems, diseases and pests

Sometimes you may encounter a problem such as yellowing or drying of petunias. If you do not follow the rules of care, the plant may get sick:

• late blight;
• chlorosis;
• black leg;
• gray rot.

They need to be dealt with with special drugs. But it’s easier to prevent their appearance with proper care. If these rules are not followed, then in addition to these diseases, petunia can be affected by viral diseases. There is no cure for them - your plant will die. Among the dangerous pests are spider mites, aphids, slugs and thrips.

Follow simple rules for caring for petunias, then you won’t have to worry about the health and beauty of your plant. It will always delight you with beautiful blooms.

Petunia in winter - indoors, is it possible to achieve flowering?

Everyone knows that petunia is an annual plant. But few people know that you can grow it at home in winter. To do this, you need to transplant the petunia before frost appears. It is necessary to cut off all spoiled leaves and remove tall shoots. It is better if the bush is up to 15 cm. At home, petunia behaves cautiously, it may produce new shoots, or it may remain silent for some time. You can use zircon and epin for complementary feeding. In February - March, place the pot in the brightest place. At the same time, we begin active watering and feeding. Conclusion - petunia can be grown in winter only so that it produces beautiful blooms in summer, then you can transplant it into a beautiful flowerpot or garden.

Yes it is possible.

Petunia- a beautiful and unpretentious plant, essentially undemanding, easy to care for, therefore it is loved by many gardeners, it can grow in any area, i.e. in flower beds; along sidewalk paths in many cities, as well as on apartment balconies and even indoors, with proper care, abundant flowering is still guaranteed.

Most often, petunia is propagated by seeds, as well as by cuttings; the choice is not great; you can use two methods for propagation.

Yes, petunia can also be grown indoors; east and west windows are suitable for this.

After all, petunia is a light-loving and heat-loving plant, it is on bright lighting - the abundant flowering of petunia in indoor conditions depends, or otherwise elongated shoots - will not be able to produce flowers, flowering will be rare, and high air temperature is also important.

And of course, by the way, watering, the most important thing is that the soil does not dry out or become waterlogged; in hot weather, it is recommended to water abundantly, in the evening.

Good luck with your growing and beautiful flowering.

Petunia is a beautifully flowering perennial that prefers warmth, but in the Russian climate this plant is not able to survive the winter. You can save the flower until next year by cuttings. This simple and effective method of growing young crops is especially good for hybrid terry petunias, which cannot be grown from seeds collected independently without losing the parental varietal characteristics.

Benefits of preserving petunias over winter

This plant has beautiful and long-lasting flowering. The first buds bloom on the branches at the end of spring and decorate the garden or balcony until mid-autumn. Since the flower blooms already in the first season after planting, it is most often grown as an annual. When cultivating rare or hybrid varieties, this method is not entirely convenient, since next year you need to buy seeds again to grow capricious seedlings. You can simplify the task if you save petunia for the winter in the form of cuttings.

Compared to annual sowing of seeds, the following advantages of this method are distinguished:

• cuttings take root very quickly and begin to grow;
• already at the end of February the first buds appear and flowering begins;
• saves time and effort on sowing seeds and growing capricious seedlings;
• It is possible to receive free young plants of rare varieties that do not produce seeds and reproduce exclusively vegetatively.

Rules for cutting cuttings

If necessary, this procedure can be carried out not only for the winter, but all year round. In this way, ampelous varieties and calibrachoa are usually stored. Terry varieties of the plant are taken from cuttings in the winter months and spring.

Mother crops must be transplanted into a pot in the fall and stored under favorable conditions. The optimal temperature for petunias in winter is +16 degrees. Illumination should be moderate, and the room should have high humidity. There is no need to increase the temperature, since then for a comfortable existence the plants need more light. It is advisable to water rarely and not abundantly.

It is very difficult to organize suitable conditions in a city apartment. Therefore, the only way to preserve petunia in winter is by cuttings. They do not need special care; it is no different from maintaining ordinary indoor flowers.

In the winter months, cuttings are taken only from healthy, well-growing plants, when young leaves form on the stems.

For winter storage, petunia is cut from the end of August or early September. At this time, propagation by cuttings occurs easily, since all life processes in the plant still proceed at the usual speed.

Harvesting cuttings

Planting material is taken from healthy, non-lignified stems of sufficient length. They are cut from the mother plant diagonally, leaving a stump 5 to 7 cm long. Then all the buds and blossoming flowers are torn from the cut branch. The resulting workpiece is cut into fragments 5-10 cm long. The cut is made straight from the top, 1-1.5 cm away from the leaf node. The workpiece is cut diagonally from the bottom. The result should be cuttings with one or two internodes and 2-4 pairs of leaves.

Cuttings for planting

The lower oblique cut is powdered with a powdered root formation stimulator or placed in a liquid solution with similar properties for several hours. Prepared cuttings can be rooted in fertile soil or water.

Rooting in the ground

To plant planting material directly into the soil, small containers with soil are first prepared. It is recommended to add perlite, vermiculite or coconut fiber to it to make it more loose. Several holes are made in the bottom of the container before filling it with soil.

Small-sized shoots can be rooted in peat tablets. They contain all the necessary nutrients for rapid growth, proper development and early flowering of young plants. Before planting, leaves on cuttings should be cut in half to reduce moisture evaporation.

Rooting in the ground

The cuttings are planted, deepening the lower cut by 1-2 cm. Then the soil is watered with warm water. The containers are covered with a plastic bag to simulate greenhouse conditions. Until the planting material takes root, they are kept in a well-lit place. Every day the shelter is removed for a few minutes for ventilation and watering. After 10-15 days, roots appear.

Creating greenhouse conditions

The successful regrowth of roots is indicated by the appearance of small leaves in the axils of the cuttings. Then the bag is removed and the plants are grown in the same way as seedlings: they regularly moisten the soil, spray them and periodically apply fertilizing. When 5-6 young leaves appear, pinch the top to stimulate lateral branching.

Rooted petunia cuttings

Rooting in water

Material for petunia cuttings is prepared in a similar way. The length of the cut pieces should be from 10 to 12 cm. 5 or more leaves are left on each of them. To reduce the evaporation area, the sheet plates can be shortened by half.

Plastic cups with boiled and cooled water are prepared in advance, and immediately after cutting the prepared material is placed in them. For faster development, cups are placed in a dark place or opaque containers are used for containers. To create greenhouse conditions for the cuttings, they are covered on top with a cut plastic bottle or a plastic bag. The water in the cups will gradually evaporate, so add it from time to time.

After 10-15 days, the first roots will appear on the lower sections. After this, the cuttings are kept in water for about seven more days, and then it is recommended to plant them in fertile soil.

Caring for rooted shoots

Caring for cuttings at home is easy. It consists of performing several mandatory activities:

• The soil in the pot is regularly moistened. Watering is carried out with settled, non-cold water when the top layer of soil begins to dry out.
• To increase humidity, young plants are regularly sprayed. If this is not possible, place water in a bowl between the containers with petunias.
• To increase daylight hours, backlighting is used. Until the end of January, the duration of daylight hours is increased to 12 hours. Then gradually add time and bring it to 16 hours.
• To stimulate the growth of green mass in February, young animals are fed with nitrogen fertilizers.
• As the shoots grow, pinching is carried out. This stimulates stronger branching and the formation of a lush bush. The frequency of this procedure is twice a month or every week.

By spring, young, strong plants will form from the planted cuttings. They should be transplanted by transferring them into larger pots, hanging flowerpots, or planted in open ground with the onset of spring. Petunias obtained in this way begin to bloom in March or April.

Features of cuttings depending on the variety

When growing terry varieties of petunias from seedlings, the plants are characterized by slow growth and short shoot length. Therefore, cuttings for the winter are performed later, allowing the branches to grow to a sufficient length. Planting material for terry petunia is rooted exclusively in the soil.

Ampelous varieties are propagated from cuttings throughout the growing season. You can begin this procedure already 2 months after the seedlings emerge. If the branches grow quickly, then cuttings can be carried out twice a month. This way you can get many new plants and rejuvenate the mother plant. This enhances the growth of lateral shoots and encourages petunia to actively flower.