Petunia is very common among garden flower lovers. One is very attractive and delicate, decorates any area. It can often be found in private gardens and flower beds, as well as in urban public flower beds. Sowing seeds and then growing petunias is not always easy, since these plants are very demanding on conditions and need careful care.
Today's material is devoted to the cultivation of petunias in peat tablets and the measures that must be followed in this case.
Content
Why peat tablets?
Many people know that planting these flowers is not so easy. Planting seeds requires concentration, and the plant, especially in the early stages, is very in dire need of moisture and light... In this case, the conditions for growing petunias should be ideal.
Petunias are small-seeded plants. You can plant them through seedlings. However, growing this seed is not so easy. Here you need to carefully study everything in advance and only then get down to business.
Sowing petunia seeds can be carried out in different ways:
- "On the snow";
- "Into the snail";
- sowing semen on toilet paper or paper towels in a bottle;
- planting a plant in peat tablets.
Benefits
The latter method differs not only in its prevalence, but also in its convenience. It has many advantages over other, "artisanal" methods of growing petunia seeds.
Most gardeners are inclined towards this method of planting and growing petunias. Peat tablets contain a range of nutrientswhich give petunias a lush bloom.
But this is not the only advantage of growing these flowers in peat tablets. It is also worth noting the following:
- convenience;
- profitability;
- increased seed germination;
- getting healthy seedlings;
- the root system develops better due to the water-breathable properties of peat capsules;
- there is no dangerous stagnation of water.
Sowing time of flowers
Sowing times are slightly different for different varieties of petunias, but the growing conditions are almost the same. For example, sowing ampel petunia is carried out in January, and by the flowering period she grows lashes... Terry petunia is sown already in February, so we give it time to open the buds, and bushy even later - closer to the beginning of March.
Most petunia varieties are planted by the end of February - early March. By the time of landing you need to have:
- seeds of the selected variety;
- peat tablets with a diameter of 3.5 - 4.5 cm. This size is best suited so that, before transplanting, the roots of petunia seedlings have room for subsequent growth.
Young sprouts do not need feedingas this can burn the delicate roots. Moreover, peat tablets contain nutritional components. The main thing is to provide the following petunia seedlings in the optimal amount:
- moisture;
- light;
- air.
When balanced, the flower will grow and develop normally.
What do peat tablets look like?
Peat tablets are small containers of different sizes with a small capacity. They are made of a thin and elastic material and are cylindrical in shape.
Inside, they are filled with pressed dry peat, which includes trace elements for plant growth. Thanks to them, a comfortable growing of petunias and their growth is ensured.
The tablets are of different sizes... The approximate dimensions are as follows:
- the diameter is from 24 to 89 mm;
- thickness from 8 to 30 mm.
For planting petunias, not only peat, but also coconut tablets are used, which differ from each other in composition.
Both of these tablets provide excellent survival rate of petunia seedlings, form a powerful root system of the plant, increase the percentage of germination of seeds and provide them with adequate nutrition. Also, the seedlings are not damaged during transplantation.
When choosing tablets, remember that for growing petunias, you cannot purchase those that do not have a limiting shell.
Planting seeds in tablets
Flowers with small seeds, petunias in particular, grow slowly. In this case, the growing process lasts about three months. Sowing is carried out in the last days of February or the first days of March.
The tablets must be prepared for this moment. The landing algorithm is as follows:
immerse peat tablets in water for one and a half to two hours;- place the swollen cylinders on a plastic pallet;
- we plant pelleted (granulated) petunia seeds in peat forms;
- we lay them out in small depressions in the middle of the peat container, their calculation is one seed per tablet;
- the seed does not need to be buried, it is enough to press down a little;
- Cover the pallet with a light, transparent plastic container or plastic wrap.
Also, when sowing, you need take into account the following recommendations:
- the coating should not adhere too tightly to the tablets. Respiration of plants should be ensured by providing an air gap;
- the whole structure should be a mini-greenhouse and be placed in a warm place;
- the air temperature in it should be at least 25 degrees, because if it is less, then the petunia will not rise;
- humidity should be at least 70 percent.
How to care for petunia shoots
If you follow all the necessary requirements for growing petunias in tablets, then the first shoots you you will see within a week after landing... Young shoots are extremely vulnerable, so the first time they need to be given maximum attention. The lighting should be adequate, keep a moderate level of humidity and temperature, as indicated above.
Do not let the tablets dry out or become waterlogged. Watering is carried out with warm, settled water, and there is no need to feed the plant at all. It is not recommended to allow condensation to form on the covering material. But if it appears, it must be removed immediately with a regular ventilation procedure. You need to open the seedlings on the fifth day of growing petunias.
If you violate the conditions for proper watering and supplying the plant with air, the tablets may become moldy... The spread of fungal diseases can be stopped by spraying with phytosporin, but it is better not to bring the situation to that.
Provided that petunias are planted in tablets at the end of winter, the seedlings that appear in early March need to be additionally illuminated with a fluorescent lamp. Petunias need to be provided with lighting throughout the day for 12 hours. The greenhouse is opened when the plant gets stronger and several real leaves appear on it.
How to transplant petunia
The transplant begins from the moment when at least 6 leaves appear. This is done together with the barrel of the pill. In this case, the soil can be used for the usual seedlings.
Petunia needs to be replanted when you see that the formed root system begins to break through the film. You don't need to dive the plant, the seedlings should be planted together with the pills in nutrient pots.
The transplant containers are pre-filled with earth and the seedlings are placed on top. The tablet and plant should fit into the pot a couple of centimeters below the top edge. Then the petunia is watered, and the void is filled with an earth mixture, while sprinkling a little peat form. The future development of the flower also depends on how correct the planting will be.
The flower gets used to new conditions for about 10 days, its sprouts are still quite weak, so everything must be observed lighting rules:
- pots should be in well-lit places;
- light should be diffused;
- do not expose plants to direct sunlight;
- darken them to avoid burns.
And in order to prevent the stretching of the flowers, it is advisable to supplement them with fluorescent lamps. Moreover, this can be done not only in the evening, but also during the day, if the weather is too cloudy.
When pulling seedlings into the pot, add more soil. Top dressing should be applied as at least 10 days after transplant... First, foliar fertilizers containing nitrogen are used. Then fertilizer is applied to the root of the plant. After two weeks, tempering can be carried out: take out the pots in warm weather to the glazed balcony. In open ground, seedlings are planted at the beginning of May.
It is best to plant petunias when flowering; it is advisable to do this when it is not hot outside and there is no light. It is possible to extend the flowering period of a plant if too long shoots and those buds that are about to fade are removed in time.
Growing seedlings of petunias Is a very complicated matter that requires a lot of time and the corresponding skills and abilities.
