Petunia is very popular not only because of its attractive appearance, but also because of its great species diversity, unpretentiousness and ability to form beautiful flower arrangements with other plants. It also looks beautiful on the lawn.
Among the existing varieties, ampelous species have a particularly attractive appearance, which are often used to decorate gazebos, terraces and balconies. As the main breeding methoduse seed sowing... Therefore, if you want to grow a beautiful plant, you should start by growing seedlings. But everything is not so simple here. Experienced flower growers know about some important nuances that help them achieve success in this event with less effort.
Content
Choosing seeds
When you decide for yourself what kind of petunia you are going to grow, you can go to the store for seeds. However, when choosing seeds, certain points must also be taken into account, which can subsequently affect the quality of adult plants.
Features:
The seeds are very small and look like poppy seeds. Arriving at the store, there you can be offered two types of them. Regular ones are sold in packaged form. But along with them, you can purchase pelleted ones, which placed in a soluble shell.
Simple ones are extremely difficult to deal with due to their small size, so during sowing it will be difficult for you to distribute them evenly on the soil surface. Therefore, after the emergence of seedlings, you cannot avoid such an unpleasant procedure as thinning. If you want to rid yourself of this, then it is better to immediately purchase pelleted ones. However, it must be taken into account that at the stage of disembarkation they it will take a lot of moisture, since without it the shell will not be able to dissolve, and the seeds will not germinate.
when choosing seeds, you must consider the expiration date. It is recommended to choose the material that can be used within the next 2-3 years. And here it does not matter which types you acquire - simple or dragee.- it is advisable to immediately decide which variety you will buy before going to the store. Then you will be sure that exactly the plant will grow from the seeds, which is indicated in the picture. If you buy the mixture instead, you will surely get something completely different from what you expect;
- If you want to be satisfied with your choice, it is best to purchase seeds from reputable producers in a reliable store. Therefore, at first it does not hurt to discuss this issue with friends who have already had to buy petunia;
- It is recommended to go to the store at the end of autumn, because at this time planting material of a new crop is delivered to them. Therefore, you will have the opportunity to choose from a wider assortment, buy at lower prices and be sure that what you buy will be fresh.
Landing in the ground
It's time to find out when is the best time to plant a flower for seedlings. To do this, you need to consider what goals you want to achieve and in what conditions you will grow it.
Usually petunia begins to bloom in two to three months from the moment of emergence.Therefore, given this moment, and you need to calculate the landing dates. But keep in mind that if you want to sow seeds earlier than the traditional dates, then you will have to carry out additional lighting of the seedlings. If you are able to meet this condition, then you can plan sowing in February. If your problem is providing additional lighting for young seedlings, then it is best to wait until March. Having decided to grow ampelous species, keep in mind that they grow extremely slowly, so it is necessary to plant it in the first place. And it is better if you germinate the future flower first.
Training
Having chosen the approximate time frame, you can start practicing preparation of soil and pots for seedlings.
You can grow seedlings in containers of any material, the main thing is that they are deep enough - at least 10 cm.Make sure that drainage holes are provided in them, since stagnation of water will be very destructive for seedlings. In order to save money, you can use disposable plastic food containers with lids for these purposes. You can create drainage holes in them using an awl. Thanks to the cover, which can be replaced with a regular film, you can maintain the greenhouse effect inside. It is a good idea to sow in special seedling trays with small cells.
Keep in mind that seedlings will grow best in soil. with neutral or slightly acidic reaction... To grow it, you can use a ready-made store-bought mixture or prepare the planting soil yourself. To do this, you need the following components:
- leaf (or sod) land;
- sand;
- humus;
- peat;
- coconut substrate.
To normalize the acidity level of the soil, you can add a small amount to it wood ash or lime... A soil mixture with a loose, permeable and not very nutritious structure will be considered optimal. It will provide optimal conditions for the development of the seedling root system.
When the soil mixture is ready, it must be sifted through a sieve and then disinfected. To do this, spill the soil with boiling water, or you can let it stand for a few minutes in the microwave. After that, they take containers and lay drainage on the bottom, for which you can use crushed red brick or expanded clay. Potting soil is poured onto it. Be sure to tamp the soil and water thoroughly. The amount of soil in the cups should be enough so that at least 2 cm remains from the surface to the top of the container. It is within this space that seeds will germinate under a closed lid.
When using regular seeds for growing seedlings of petunias recommended them first mix with dry sandas this will make it easier to place them on the surface. But you can do it differently: in this matter, an ordinary toothpick can help you. To do this, you need to moisten its end a little and touch the seeds, after which, using another toothpick, the hooked seeds are dropped to the right place.
You can also sow a flower for seedlings with the help of snow. First, a little snow is laid out on the surface of the soil, and already on it - seeds. You will easily see them as they will be clearly visible against a white background. The snow will melt pretty soon, and then the future plant with melted water will be on the ground.
With dragee seeds, proceed as follows: you need to take tweezers and move them to the selected place. For this adhere to a 3 x 3 cm planting pattern... If you decide to use a cassette for growing seedlings, then only one seed needs to be placed in one cell. So you save yourself from unnecessary picking and keep the seedling roots intact.
After finishing sowing, be sure to spray the beds with water. It is undesirable to carry out manipulations to deepen the seeds into the ground.Although, according to some gardeners, it is useful to sprinkle them with a small layer of sand or light soil.
After that, the container must be covered with glass, film or a lid and moved to a bright, warm place, where it is necessary to maintain the temperature within 20-25 degrees. At the same time, additional illumination can be carried out.
When growing seedlings, care must be taken to condensation has not accumulated inside... You need to water the seedlings from a spray bottle when the need arises. At first, watering can be carried out with a very weak solution of manganese.
Correct care
Usually, seeds begin to sprout within five days from the date of sowing. If this happened, then you can congratulate you, because you have successfully completed the most difficult stage. Indeed, as many gardeners know, the main difficulties in growing petunia seedlings are associated with low germination. And while the sprouts sprout, airing is not required.
At this stage, you can limit yourself removal of accumulated condensate... Ventilation can then begin to ensure fresh air is supplied to the container. A hint that it is time to completely remove the lid will be the release of the seedlings from the seed coat.
- at the first signs of germination, the container should be placed in a very bright place, where it will be protected from direct sunlight. The temperature should be maintained at a level not higher than +18 degrees. In such conditions, it will be possible to avoid stretching the seedlings and make them stronger;
- watering of seedlings is carried out, focusing on the condition of the soil. It is necessary not to be mistaken not only with the frequency of watering, but also with the amount of water in order to prevent both drying out and waterlogging of the soil. An imbalance in any direction can lead to the death of seedlings;
- also at this time, you can begin to carry out additional illumination of seedlings. For this, phytolamps are used, although if they are not available, they can be replaced with energy-saving and fluorescent lamps. They must be used with caution, placing them at a safe distance, otherwise the plants can get burned from bright light. The lighting should be abundant enough. Therefore, you need to turn on the lamps early in the morning and leave them until the evening. In cloudy periods, additional lighting can be carried out throughout the day. For young seedlings, additional lighting is recommended for at least 16 hours a day. If the plants lack light, they will begin to stretch and be weak.
In the first weeks, young seedlingsgrow extremely slowly... Indeed, at this time they spend most of their energy on the formation of the root mass. Therefore, you will have to wait and continue to care for them in the same way.
Petunia picking and further care
Usually, after 1-1.5 months from the moment of sowing the seeds, the first two true leaves are formed in the seedlings. Their appearance makes it clear that the time has come for a dive.
This will require more nutritious potting soil, which needs to be filled in small cups, having previously made drainage holes in them. For picking seedlings that were grown in a common container, you can also use special cassettes.
Before the weather is favorable on the street for a transfer to a permanent place, you may have to make more than one dive. Therefore, you need to very carefully observe the plants so as not to miss the moment when the root system takes up all the space of the earth in the cup. This will be a hint for you that you need to pick plants in more spacious containers.
Peat cups are an excellent alternative to conventional picking containers, since in spring the seedlings can be transplanted right along with them to a permanent place. This way you can keep their roots intact.
Conclusion
The flower is appreciated by many growers, primarily because of its attractive appearance, therefore many regularly find a place for it on the site. Although myself growing process is not so easy, as it might seem at first glance. After all, before the petunia begins to bloom, you will have to grow seedlings, and this is a rather difficult stage. Given that the seeds have a low germination rate, it is very important to choose the right variety and properly prepare for sowing.
It is no less careful to care for young seedlings, since the grower is required at this stage to get strong seedlings, and this is a guarantee that after transplanting into open ground the plants will quickly take root and begin to bloom.
