Petunia
Petunia is one of the most common and favorite plants for landscaping balconies and terraces. Petunia belongs to the family Solanaceae, is a perennial herb comes from America. Petunia blooms in the year of sowing, so it is usually grown as we have an annual.
Very popular among gardeners because of this flower enjoys an extended period of flowering, a wide variety of forms, ease of cultivation and a large variety of colors. Bright cascades of flowers of all shades of the rainbow adorn balconies from early summer until the frost. Petunia is perfect for flower beds in the open, it can often be seen on beds, most of its varieties resistant to adverse weather conditions.
There are many different hybrid petunias - there erect and ampelnye forms with simple and double flowers with long shoots and miniature bushes. Flowers come in one color, with dark or light at the center, with radial stripes and painted in a different color edges.
Basic forms of petunias
Many-flowered Petunia (Petunia multiflora) - low , compact (30 cm) bushes with lots of small flowers. Very resistant to different weather conditions, funnel-shaped flowers of various colors do not deteriorate from rain and cold weather they also are not afraid. Propagated by seeds, blooms through 70-90 days after sowing. Can be propagated and vegetatively - cuttings.
Grandiflora Petunia (Petunia grandiflora) looks great on balconies and loggias. Its flowers are 9-12 cm in diameter are simple dressing or a variety of colors. Height bushes from 25 to 50 centimeters. Blooms through 85-95 days after sowing. In double flowers seeds are not fastened.
Miniature petunia (Petunia milliflora) does not grow higher than 25 cm, a large number of tiny bright flowers on thin wiry stems. Resistant to hot and dry weather and little rain damaged.
Ampelnye mini petunias (calibrachoa). More capricious petunias grow and reproduce heavier sensitive to watering, it is recommended to monitor the moisture content at least in the initial stages of growth. The flowers are small, grow well in hanging pots and balcony boxes under a canopy for protection from the rain.
Petunia grandiflora fringed (Petunia grandiflora fimbriata) differs with corrugated flowers, fringed edges.
Petunia hang-downing, the trademark "Surfiniya" (Surfinia) - has a long (up to 2 meters), flowing stems. Very powerful plant with many flowers of medium size.
Propagated mainly vegetatively, but there are varieties of seed multiplication. Resistant to bad weather, the stems do not break from the wind. Surfiniyu usually planted in hanging baskets and pots, but can be planted in the patio, on the slope of the alpine slides, where she quickly cover the soil with a continuous carpet of bright colors.
Petunia flowers in delicate and easily damaged during heavy summer rains, so before the rain hanging baskets with petunias desirable to defer the shelter. If it is impossible to move the containers and flowers lost appeal particularly sad is not necessary. Remove torn raindrops flowers, a day or two and petunia blossom buds will delight you again.
Plant care
Location. Petunia photophilous plant, but also in the penumbra perfect blooms.
Pruning. Pinching enhances shoots branching bushes petunias and gives them splendor. You must also delete the faded flowers to ripen seeds. Maturation process depletes the plant seeds, and seeds themselves, in most cases do not pass to the next generation properties of the parent plant.
Humidity and watering. Petunia is drought resistant, but with abundant watering delight abundant blooms (remember that container for flowers should have holes to drain the water to the plants do not rotted).
Soil. Soil for Petunias should be nutritious, this plant is growing rapidly and blooms. The mixture can be made from humus, peat, turf or ground sheet with the addition of sand. It is important that the mixture is crumbly and at the same time well- kept moisture.
Fertilizing. Feed the petunia at least once a week fertilizer for flowering plants.
Propagation. Propagation is by seeds and vegetatively petunia - cuttings.
Seed propagation. Propagation seed has its own characteristics. First of all it is necessary to buy good seeds. Best are those in which it is written on the pack of F1. Seeds should not be self-assemble. Of them is likely to turn out fine, pale simple petunias not possess the properties of mother plants. If you buy seeds on the market, it is more practical to buy a few small traders packaging. Often sell substandard seeds under the guise of variety.
Petunia seeds in very small, it is important that they lay on the ground evenly. The soil should be loose, light and nutritious. Can such a composition: peat + humus + turf ground (2:2:1) supplemented with wood ash. The upper layer is well leveled. Seeds are often mixed with dry sand and plated onto well moistened soil. Sprinkle on top of the ground is not recommended.
Sprayed crops (better instead of plain water to sprinkle crops or potassium permanganate solution previkura) and covered with glass or film and maintained at a temperature of 22-24 °С.
For each class of petunia has its development period (55-95 days) , after which it can bloom. To get flowering plants need to sow in May February or even at the end of January. At this time, the duration of daylight is not enough to pull them shoots do not need to highlight.
Petunia seedlings are very small, therefore, require a lot of attention, watering should be replaced by spraying . If you see blackleg disease, reduce watering. Seedlings should be fed at least once a week. After the appearance of 2-4 leaves of these seedlings swoops in plastic cups. If you can not swordplay Landfill growth point petunias. New soil should be nutritious for good development and tillering. You can use commercially available torfovye mixture.
Propagation by cuttings. Petunia perennial. Petunia as pelargonium, after the flowering period can be cut and move from the balcony of the room. In the spring it will bloom again, will bloom early, but not so beautiful and plentiful as last year. Expect strong growth and a beautiful flowering plant from the old is not necessary.
Much more practical in August cut cuttings petunias, implant them, and then, in the early spring of the new winter plants cut cuttings. Here they even give you a strong and early blossoming plants for spring planting in the boxes on your balcony. What is very important, they will inherit the properties of the parent plants. Substrate for planting cuttings better treat to prevent Previkurom zagnoeniya cuttings. You can use ukoreniteli.
Cuttings with 3-5 leaves need to cut with sharp scissors liquor (if they have buds - certainly prischipnut) and immediately planted in mini teplichku. If not her, then in the box, the top covered with glass or plastic, not to lose moisture. This summer, enough early spring make sure that the roots from the bottom was not cold, that there is enough light. What is important - you can not keep the cuttings in direct sunlight. Two weeks later, the young plants can be planted. To a good scrub - prischipnut over 4 leaf.