How to make seedlings of petunias at home. How to grow petunias from seeds at home? Sowing petunia seeds - timing

Petunia is a favorite ornamental crop for most flower growers. The bright flowers of this wonderful plant can decorate the site like a placer of precious stones. In addition, petunia is actively used as a pot culture, with which balconies, verandas and terraces are decorated. There are several types of petunias that differ in flower shape and size. However, sowing petunias for seedlings is almost the same for each of these species.

To achieve high-quality flowering culture, great efforts should be made. And no wonder, because the cultivation of petunia seedlings is considered a true art, and if you do not master it, you are unlikely to achieve good results. We will try to deal with the peculiarities of sowing petunia, so that bitter disappointment does not overtake you as a result.

Before you sow the seeds of this crop, you must decide which particular variety and type of seed you will be working with. And if, when choosing a variety, you need to be based solely on personal preferences and characteristics of the place where the flowers will grow in the future, then the choice of the type of seed is limited to just two forms of sale.

More specifically, petunia seeds are sold:

• in granules;
• in bulk.

The advantage of granular (coated) seeds is that they are more convenient to sow. In addition, they have a higher germination rate, although the same can be said about the cost. But placer seeds will cost less, and you can determine by eye how good the seed is.

Note! After selecting and acquiring seeds, it remains to decide when it is best to start sowing. This moment is extremely important, but for some reason many beginners forget about it.

As a rule, about two months pass between sowing and the formation of the first flowers. Therefore, if you plan to enjoy the colorful neighborhood of petunias in the spring, you should take care of everything in advance. But the sprouts of this culture are susceptible to spring colds, and therefore too early transplantation into open soil can simply cause the death of seedlings.

Familiarize yourself with the generally accepted crop sowing dates.

1. If you manage to take care of the daytime illumination of plants, then you can sow in the last days of February.
2. If this is not possible, postpone it until mid-March. The reason is extremely simple: petunia seedlings “like” light with a certain wavelength, and in February this light is still clearly not enough.

Terms of maturation and planting seedlings of popular crops (including petunias)

Also, in order to obtain strong and high-quality seedlings, take the choice of containers and soil with all responsibility. Since the seeds germinate best in the greenhouse effect, opt for wide containers that are of medium depth (it is also important that they have a lid that allows sunlight to pass through). For this, transparent plastic containers for storing food are suitable, for example. To obtain friendly shoots, be sure to monitor the quality of the soil mixture used. You can use packaged potting soil (these are sold in every specialty store) or, alternatively, (we will talk about the latter in more detail a little later).

If you wish, you can prepare the soil mixture yourself. To do this, mix lowland peat, soil (both sod and leaf) and humus in equal proportions. You can also add sand (about 1⁄2 parts). Before backfilling in containers, be sure to sift such a soil mixture through a sieve.

Note! It is recommended to lay a drainage layer on the bottom of the container, which can be pebbles, expanded clay or small brick battle. After that, the air will freely flow to the root system, and such a nuisance as waterlogging of the soil will be prevented.

Preparatory activities

Immediately before sowing, prepare the selected containers (and these can be either the plastic containers mentioned above or small wooden boxes). Preparation consists in disinfection, for which you can use any antiseptic agent - for example, Formalin.

In the case of using wooden boxes, lay a layer of thick paper on the bottom. The instructions below use special seedling greenhouses that are sold in every gardening store.

Cover the soil mixture with a layer of at least 6 cm, but at the same time, at least 2-3 cm should remain to the edge of the container. Pre-drain (optional, but desirable with a small-lumpy substrate structure).

How to sow seeds

Petunia seeds are very small, their size often does not exceed 0.5 mm. For this reason, it is quite difficult to distribute the seed with a certain step. From this point of view, granular seeds are more convenient - you can take them with tweezers and spread them on the soil in even rows. If so, the conditions will be the same for all sprouts, and further diving will be noticeably simplified.

Important information! The seeds do not go deep into the ground due to their small size, but are simply laid out on top and sprinkled with a 1- or 2-mm layer of substrate.

If you plan to sow alluvial seeds, you can use one of the instructions below.

Method one. Seeds mixed with sand

Many gardeners mix the seeds with sand or soil to help spread them evenly across the surface of the soil. It looks like this.

Take a container for seedlings, fill it with soil mixture in accordance with the above requirements, and then thoroughly water it.

Then take a small plate, pour the seeds and some sand into it. Mix the contents thoroughly.

Spread the resulting mixture evenly over the surface of the moistened earth.

Moisten the crops (you can use a spray bottle), and then sprinkle with a 1- or 2-mm layer of soil.

Important information! Do not use a watering can for watering, otherwise the seeds will go too deep into the soil (and they should be located as close to the surface as possible). Sometimes the seeds after moistening do not fall asleep at all.

Method two. Use of snow

The next option is to sow on a thin layer of snow (no more than 1-1.5 mm) laid on top of the substrate in a container.

First, take a spoon and evenly distribute the snow with it over the soil mixture in which the seeds are planned to be sown.

Sprinkle the seeds on the snow. The advantage of this method is that the seeds will be clearly visible on the snow. Therefore, even if they are unevenly distributed, you can easily move them with a toothpick.

The melting snow itself will pull the seed into the soil to the required depth. So, in this case, nothing is needed to water or sprinkle.

Method three. Using a toothpick

In this case, you will be able to evenly distribute the seeds over the surface of the substrate in such a way that it is convenient to dive the seedlings in the future.

In addition, the use of this method is advisable if you want to sow a limited amount of seed in separate containers (for example, in).

Take the seeds and sprinkle them on a paper sheet so that they are clearly visible. For work, you still need a couple of toothpicks. The seeds, as noted earlier, are very small, so it is easier to pick them up with a pre-moistened tip of a toothpick. In the future, to shake them into the ground, use a second toothpick (it should already be dry).

Note! After sowing, close the containers and transfer them to a room where the temperature is about + 20-22 ° C. Make sure that the substrate is always wet, but the water should not stagnate either. Wipe the condensation that accumulates on the lid every day; do not forget about the daily ventilation of seedlings for 10 minutes.

If you do everything right, then after a week you will see the first shoots.

Aftercare

When the first shoots appear, you can congratulate yourself - the most difficult thing is left behind. Next, nature will take over, but you have to help her a little. Start with a 10-minute hardening of seedlings (that is, airing) daily, later do this several times a day. When the first true leaves appear on most of the sprouts, you can remove the lid of the container altogether.

When the seedlings grow to 4-5 cm, proceed to dive. To do this, take a narrow garden knife and dive each sprout to a depth of about 3 cm, directing the blade strictly at an angle of 45 degrees relative to the soil surface. As a result, you pinch off the tip of the main root, which will stimulate the development of a branched root system.

Transplant the dived seedlings into a "kindergarten", which can be:

• a larger common box;
• separate container (this option is more preferable).

Note! In order for the seedlings to turn out to be of high quality and strong, each seedling should be deepened somewhat during planting so that a maximum of 3.5 cm of the trunk remains above the surface. This will prevent the seedlings from pulling out.

The use of separate containers for picking will facilitate subsequent planting in open soil, and the plants themselves will not be stressed, since their roots will remain intact. Usually, disposable plastic cups are used for this, having previously made holes at the bottom and filled up the drainage layer for the outflow of moisture and free access of oxygen.

When new leaves appear after picking, continue hardening the seedlings. The best option is to ventilate the room. At the same time, containers with seedlings should not stand directly on the windowsill, otherwise there will be a risk of frostbite on the foliage. Start with the same 10 minutes every day, gradually increasing this time to half an hour.

When each seedling has 3-4 true leaves, you can start feeding. It is important that the first few dressings are not applied under the root - you can spray the seedlings with fertilizers intended specifically for this purpose. It is also desirable to use growth promoters that strengthen the leaves and stems to ensure strong plants by the time they are planted in open soil. The transplant itself should be done around the end of May.

"Agricola" - a fertilizer suitable for petunias

For beginners, large seeds of flowers such as dahlias and purslane are great. Geranium, zinnia, petunia, calendula, begonia, aster, lobelia, snapdragon, primrose, salvia, verbena and other plants are also very popular among gardeners. Read more.

An alternative option is to use peat tablets

In the absence of the ability or desire to grow petunia seedlings in standard ways, we recommend using peat tablets for sowing granular seeds. So you will reduce the loss of seedlings, as well as save yourself and seedlings from the unpleasant dive procedure.

The sowing process itself is not difficult. Peat tablets of medium size (about 3-4 cm in diameter) are suitable for you. You will also need a special tray for pills or a plastic food container. The algorithm of necessary actions is given below.

Table. Step-by-step instructions for sowing seedlings of petunias.

Note! After 10 days, you can start hardening. Take the containers to the veranda or greenhouse (a lot depends on the weather here). Remember about obligatory protection from drafts, wind and direct rays of the sun.

As a result, we note that floriculture requires considerable patience and love for plants, and this is especially true when it comes to petunias. But if you know all the rules for sowing petunia for seedlings, then you can certainly tame it and achieve an excellent result!

Video - Features of growing petunia seedlings using peat tablets

The beauty and number of colors of the various varieties of petunias cannot be described. There are no indifferent to this plant. If you do not like upright flowers, there are ampelous varieties for you, if you want something more elegant - dwarf ones, you need tall multi-colored plants for a ridge or mixborder - there are such among the petunia family. Everything about petunias is great. But the variety of varieties can do a disservice to the grower. I would like to have the whole range on the site. But this is impossible! Perhaps if you grow petunia seedlings yourself.

In the matter of growing seedlings, this flower is not the easiest. In addition, there is no alternative - in a seedless way, by sowing directly on a flower bed, it is also impossible to grow a plant, the beautiful petunia has very small seeds and a capricious character. She needs special soils, special conditions. The main and first of them is the observance of the terms of sowing seeds for seedlings.

1. When to sow petunia seeds for seedlings?
2. In what containers to grow seedlings of petunias?
3. What kind of soil is suitable for sowing seeds.
4. What are the optimal conditions for germination?
5. How to care for seedlings so that they turn into full-fledged healthy seedlings?
6. When and how to plant petunia seedlings in the ground?

The percentage of death of petunia seedlings is higher than that of all other flower plants grown in seedlings. In order not to be upset later and not to shed tears for failed flowers, it is better to get answers to the main questions immediately before sowing (and even before buying seeds).

Sowing dates

The time of sowing seeds depends on when you plan to receive ready-made seedlings for planting. If the seedlings will be planted in open ground in a flower bed, this should be done no earlier than the beginning of June (the petunia is thermophilic and does not tolerate low temperatures, especially in a flowering state).

If you plan to grow petunias as a balcony plant in boxes, you can plant ready-made seedlings in them as early as early May. It is always hotter on the balcony than on the open ground.

Ampel varieties of petunias for hanging planters or stationary vases can also be planted in permanent containers in May.

Advice!

If you purchased seeds of different varieties and species, plant ampelous petunias first on seedlings - they need a little more time (about two weeks) to build up the cascade volume. And small-flowered dwarf varieties need to be sown, on the contrary, two weeks later.

Based on this information, it is possible to calculate the timing of sowing seeds for seedlings.

Video - time and technology of sowing petunia seeds for seedlings

Petunia seeds germinate quickly, but the further growth of seedlings after germination is slow. While solid seedlings with ready-to-bloom buds emerge from tiny seeds, at least 2.5 - 3 months will pass (depending on the variety). Therefore, for planting in open flower beds, petunia seeds for seedlings should be sown in March. For planting seedlings in balcony boxes or hanging planters, sowing can be done in February.

Seeding rules

Sowing petunia seeds has a lot of features and differences from other flower crops. The first of these are microscopic seeds. In some varieties, they are 0.2 mm in diameter, but there are varieties with “large” seeds - up to 0.5 mm in diameter. It is clear that it is not easy to work with such seed material.

Advice!

To facilitate the process of sowing petunia seeds, you can purchase specially coated seeds in a shell at the store. They are good because the shell consists of nutrients that help the seeds germinate, and increases their size, making them more visible and easy to work with.

Petunias require special containers and soil. Also, for seedlings, it is necessary to organize immediately after germination. And finally, plants need increased feeding.

Soil and pots

Petunias require light, very loose and fine-grained medium-nutrient soil. How to make it. Mix the following ingredients in equal parts:

• sod land;
• humus;
• sand.

Then add double the amount of peat to the mixture. Sand should be river, washed, dried. To the mixture, add a half-liter jar of sifted wood ash, a handful of perlite and a spoonful of potash fertilizer (for example, potassium sulfate or Kemira Lux). All components are mixed dry and as crushed as possible. Since petunias have small seeds, even a small pebble can interfere with the emergence and germination of seedlings.

It is convenient to grow petunia in plastic cassettes. But before the first pick, seeds can be sown in small shallow boxes, always with drainage holes and a layer of agloporite at the bottom.

Before sowing for a day, the soil in a large container is spilled with a saturated solution of potassium permanganate or heated in a microwave (oven), filled with water. This is necessary to protect the seedlings from the fatal black leg to which the petunia is susceptible. The water is then drained, the pre-planting soil should be moderately moist.

The boxes are filled with soil, not reaching the edge of 2 cm.

Petunia seedlings are very susceptible to death from the "black leg"

Seed subtleties

There are several ways to conveniently sow petunia seeds. Two of them are used most often:

1. mixing seeds with snow;
2. mixing seeds with sand.

The first - more preferable - the snow will go into the ground, taking the seeds with it, but not deep, but just to the right depth. In addition, when it melts, it will provide the seeds with the moisture necessary for the start of growth.

If there is no snow at hand, fine sand will do. Why do seeds need to be mixed with something? It is very inconvenient to sow them in their pure form, and there is a risk of thickening the crops too much, making them uneven. In the future, such seedlings will not be possible to dive.

Advice!

You can sow petunia in peat tablets. They have optimal hydration, do not grow moldy, do not cake. Of these, you do not need to take out seedlings when picking. 4-5 seeds can be sown in one tablet.

Crops cannot be watered. Even spraying from a spray bottle is impossible. The soil must be pre-moistened. The seeds are not sprinkled with anything. The boxes are covered with foil or glass lids.

For the emergence of seedlings, petunia seeds need a temperature of + 25 ° C. Exactly as much, night and day, no more, no less, until tiny shoots appear. In the process of germination, it is not necessary to additionally illuminate the boxes.

Seedling Care

Sprouted seeds immediately move to the light and into a room with a temperature of + 18 ... 20 ° C. Their regular spraying begins. Every other time you need to spray with a weak solution of potassium permanganate to protect the seedlings from the black leg. Before the appearance of the first true leaf, the film / glass is removed only for spraying and airing the seedlings.

Lighting, especially in February, is required. Plus 2-3 hours to daylight in the morning or evening hours. By the way, read about how to make backlighting on our portal -.

The first feeding is in a month. Then - every two weeks until planting in a flower garden or on a balcony with fertilizers for seedlings of decorative flowering plants or special dressings for petunias.

It is better to water the seedlings through the pan - this way you can minimize the risk of its decay.

In the phase of three sheets, a pick should be carried out. Only from wet soil to wet soil. Seedlings are very tender, care must be taken. The growth point cannot be buried, it remains on the surface.

disembarkation

Transferring seedlings to a flower bed or balcony is best done overcast, in the early morning or late afternoon. In the sun, procedures for planting petunias are contraindicated. Before removing the seedlings from the containers, they must be well watered. Even adult petunia seedlings have very fragile roots.

The distance at which the petunia is planted in the flower garden is 25 cm for upright large-flowered varieties and 15 cm for small-flowered varieties. In balcony boxes and pots, plants can be planted at a distance of 12-15 cm.

After planting, the seedlings are watered, the soil is mulched with peat. The first top dressing after transplantation is two weeks later.

Throughout the growing season, the plant needs abundant watering without stagnant water. Dried flowers should be removed and long shoots should be pinched so that the plant bushes.

Video - time for planting petunias for seedlings

Petunia is a beautiful and bright annual flower. One of the most popular flower bed plants in recent years. There are varieties of petunias with creeping and hanging shoots. They are grown in flower beds, in pots, boxes on the windowsill, hanging baskets.

Loved by many gardeners - gardeners for its long flowering (from June to October) and bright colors. There is a color of petunias from white to purple. New varieties every year delight with their delights. Now you can grow terry petunias that look like roses with white stripes and a white border.

Growing petunia from seeds at home through seedlings is quite simple, but not everyone succeeds. But if you know all the subtleties and follow them, then it will be enough for you to plant 1 bag of seeds and the whole will be fragrant. Petunia flower seeds are small, so many novice gardeners do not understand what to do with them.

How to grow petunia from seeds at home for seedlings

Pour soil for flowers into any not very deep container. There are different manufacturers of soil mixtures, you can choose any. You can make your own potting mix for seedlings. To do this, take 2 parts of well-rotted humus, soddy or leafy soil, high-moor, well-decomposed peat and 1 part of sand. If the soil is acidic, add lime to it. All you need to mix well and sift through a sieve. First through the big one, then through the smaller one.

Fill the lower part of the seedling box with a large screening, you can pour a layer of fine or crushed expanded clay on the bottom, and the upper third with a small one. Fill a suitable container with moist soil, scatter seeds over its surface and spray with water from a spray bottle.

So, having poured the earth, press it on top with your palm, lightly tamping it, pour it with water so that the soil becomes wet. Press the surface again with the palm of your hand and sprinkle flower seeds on top.

If you are planting a seed in a granule, then stick a match next to each seed so you know where the sprout is expected. Petunias sprout for a very long time - two weeks. Do NOT sprinkle on top. But be sure to cover with glass, plastic wrap or cut a transparent clerical corner into two halves and cover with it. It is necessary to achieve the effect of a greenhouse. When planting seeds in granules, you can plant flowers in peat tablets or. This makes it easier and more efficient to grow from seed.

Put planting in a warm sunny place. Make sure that the soil is always moist, wipe off the condensation on the glass, otherwise the sprouts that appear may rot. As soon as the first green shoots appear, the glass must be removed.

This is how easy it is to grow petunias from seeds. Not all seeds germinate, but a lot. Therefore, you will distribute seedlings of petunias to all your friends.

When to sow petunias for seedlings?

The timing of planting depends primarily on your desire, when you want the flowers to bloom. This is a plant with a long period of vegetative development from planting to flowering. If you want early flowering, then sow the petunia for seedlings in mid-late February. The latest landing date is mid-April. If you are late with plantings, then save the seeds for next year or put up with the fact that flowering will be later.

The Most Important Thing for Growing Petunias from Seeds

• The presence of non-woven material - to maintain the necessary moisture, the soil should not dry out.
• Sufficient lighting.
• Watering should be moderate. Excessive watering leads to rotting of the roots of the plant.
• The temperature regime is better to keep it from 24 to 26 degrees. When petunia shoots appear, the temperature should be reduced to 18-20 degrees. Then there are no special difficulties in growing petunias from seeds.

How to solve the difficulties when growing from seeds.

I repeat that the main problem is that the seeds of the petunia are very, very small and not everyone germinates. For convenience, you can use seeds in granules. They are more convenient to plant, but there are only 10 seeds in a bag. This is very little to create a flower garden in the country, and besides, it turns out to be very expensive. Elite petunia seeds are sold in granules - terry. They are very showy, almost like roses. Their flowering time is shorter than that of ordinary petunias.

How to plant a petunia in peat tablets to get 100% seed germination

Good day everyone!

Today I will tell you how to grow petunia seedlings from seeds at home. These flowers are very popular and bloom beautifully from June to cold weather. Of course, you can buy a couple of bushes for pots, but you can’t buy a big flower bed. And it is better to grow seedlings yourself. Petunia is unpretentious and there should not be any special problems with its cultivation. There are simply their own characteristics that need to be taken into account when sowing and caring in order to get beautiful lush bushes. What are the features

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 to grow seedlings, just in June it will be possible to plant them outside. 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.

Soil preparation for seedlings

Petunias love slightly acidic soil. Therefore, they will like the purchased soil. 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.

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.

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 of the 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 you will get a lush, beautiful 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 die at sub-zero temperatures.

Petunia diseases

1. 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.
2. Violation of the 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.
3. 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

Elegant petunia is quite deservedly a favorite of summer residents and flower growers. After all, she needs little care and is distinguished by abundant flowering. The plant festively stands out in flower beds thanks to bright flowers. Petunia bushes exquisitely decorate garden plots, lawns in city squares. In apartments, the plant decorates balconies. Growing petunias at home or outdoors does not require much time.

Types of petunias

Several types of plants are considered popular:

The most important thing when growing flowers is to find high-quality seed. Therefore, it is better to purchase it from trusted manufacturers.

Landing and care

The best option to avoid the risk when sowing seeds in open ground is to grow seedlings of flowers.

Seed selection

The most suitable time for sowing is the beginning or middle of February. On average, flower seeds are planted 14-15 weeks before planting in open ground. A more specific date for sowing flower seeds depends on the climatic features of the region. Petunia bushes do not tolerate frost well, so it is better to plant them after the threat of spring frosts has passed.

Important! Flower seeds in stores are sold in their natural form (small grains) or in granular form (seeds are enclosed in shells of nutrients).

When purchasing planting material for flowers in granular form, it must be borne in mind that these are artificially bred petunia seeds. However, it is worth recognizing that petunia bushes grow quite resistant to diseases and are characterized by dynamic growth and high survival rate.

How to plant a petunia

It is necessary to prepare a soil consisting of garden soil, sand, decomposed peat (in a ratio of 1: 1: 2). To eliminate the presence of worms and loosen the soil mixture, it is sifted through a sieve. If such a preparatory process seems long, it is worth purchasing a special composition in the store (universal primer Stender). To increase the fertility of the purchased soil, it is advisable to add fertilizers (for 5 liters of soil, put 1 tablespoon of potassium sulfate, 0.5 liters of wood ash, 250 g of perlite).

Advice! Garden land is pre-treated - neutralized from the possible presence of pests. It is steamed in the oven, and then fertilized with biohumus or supercompost.

Boxes for seedlings of petunia bushes must have drainage holes. The container is filled with soil, not filling up to the edge of about 6-20 mm. This is necessary to ensure that the flowers are protected from drafts. The best option is a box with a lid that has several holes for ventilation.

Landing stages

Attention! Flower shoots, even with good care, will not develop rapidly, since the petunia first of all begins to build up the root mass.

As soon as the first two leaves appear on the sprouts, the seedlings can be planted in separate containers. If the planting of flowers has become very thick, you need to thin it out. To do this, carefully pull out individual petunia sprouts with tweezers. If the leaves begin to touch the polyethylene, then the covering material is completely removed.

Seedling picking

For planting and caring for petunias, it is better to use separate containers or plastic cups. For drainage, the bottom of the cups is perforated. Immediately after transplanting flowers, the soil is watered and, if necessary, topped up with soil.

The box with flowers should be placed in a place where direct sunlight does not fall. This can lead to stretching of petunia seedlings. To prevent this, the temperature in the room is lowered by a couple of degrees.

After transplanting flowers, the first top dressing is carried out after a week and a half. As nutrient mixtures, solutions of Kemira Plus, Aquarin, Plantofol can be used. Foliar top dressing of petunias is also welcome - pollination of planting with a solution of "Crystal". With further cultivation of flower seedlings, top dressing is applied more often - about twice a week. The best option is to alternate root and foliar application of fertilizers.

How to grow a beautiful bush petunia

Seedlings of flowers must be pinched in time. To do this, the top of the shoot (with a growth point) is broken off from the seedlings above the 4-5th leaf. Then the plants begin to throw out new shoots from the sinuses near the leaves. After two weeks, you can repeat the pinching of flowers. To form rounded petunia bushes, you need to make a few pinches.

Two weeks before planting seedlings in open ground, hardening of seedlings begins. To do this, containers with flowers are taken out into the open air. For the first time, for about 20 minutes, and then every day the time the petunia stays outside is increased. By the time of transplanting into open ground, the flowers should be outside all day.

Planting petunias in the garden

Landing is carried out from mid-May to mid-June, which is determined by the climatic features of the area.

Growing features

Petunia bushes are unpretentious and can grow in almost any conditions. However, for abundant and long flowering, it is recommended to plant seedlings of flowers on well-lit loamy soils.

Before planting a petunia, a place for a flower bed is prepared. To do this, the soil is dug up, cleared of weeds and fertilized. In order for flowers to take root faster, it is advisable to adhere to the following rules:

Watering and feeding

Flowers are watered under the root as the earth dries. The next day it is necessary to loosen the soil. Weeding is carried out constantly.

Advice! For watering and caring for the plant, it is better to allocate time in the evening or on cloudy days. You need to use distilled water.

Fertilize the soil on a weekly basis. How to care for a petunia and feed? It is necessary to alternate the introduction of organic and inorganic additives, and this can be done in different ways:

• dry fertilizers are poured into the soil;
• in liquid form, additives are introduced into the soil when watering petunia bushes. It is considered the best way to feed plants;
• with foliar top dressing of flowers, bushes are sprayed.

When caring for a petunia during flowering, it must be borne in mind that the plant needs enhanced nutrition. Therefore, fertilizers are applied at least twice a week.

Chicken manure has many trace elements that ensure good growth and flowering of petunia bushes. It is necessary to introduce a weak solution into the soil so as not to burn the root system of flowers.

When growing and caring for adult petunia bushes, granular fertilizers can be used. Suitable options: ammophoska, ammonium nitrate, calcium nitrate (10 g of fertilizer is diluted in 10 liters of water).

Growing petunias on the balcony

On the balcony we also grow petunia without errors and therefore fulfill the following requirements:

In order for the plant to bloom profusely, dried flowers must be removed. Such actions will stimulate the formation of new ovaries on the bushes.

You can not miss the appearance of pests. If dangerous symptoms are detected, petunia bushes are sprayed with special preparations. It is necessary to process the stems both from above and from below, lifting the shoots of flowers.

How to care for a petunia

If in the middle of the season the bushes began to bloom less, the stems are too long, they carry out rejuvenating pruning. To do this, the stems of bush petunias are cut at a height of 13-16 cm, and the ampelous forms of flowers can be safely shortened by half. The plant will quickly release fresh shoots and restore abundant flowering.

If you pay a little attention to the petunia bushes, then it will decorate the garden or balcony with lush flowers until the very cold weather. In winter, flowerpots can be brought into rooms and then the whole cold season can be admired by elegant plants.