The best ways to extend the flowering of petunias in pots: advice from experienced flower growers

If the rose is considered the queen of the garden, then petunia can deservedly be called the queen of city flower beds. Almost in extreme conditions of sun, dust and often drought, it manages not only to grow, but also to bloom magnificently, colorfully. And even in the garden, with careful care, she pleases from spring and almost until frost.

Nevertheless, even such an unpretentious plant will benefit from attention and care. And if you bring it into the house during the autumn cold snap, it will continue to bloom until the new year. What to do in this case and how to prolong the flowering of petunias in pots, read on.

When and how long petunia blooms

Petunias have very small, microscopic seeds. Sowing it directly into open ground is irrational and difficult in terms of further care. Therefore, this flower is grown through seedlings. Seeds sown in March, and already in early May, the seedlings are transplanted into flower beds. Moreover, most of the seedlings are already with flowers. Petunia blooms profusely and luxuriantly, despite the heat, wind, and lack of moisture. Flowering continues until frost and stops only because the plants simply die from frost.

How to properly care for petunia during flowering

Even such a hardy plant needs care. The actions are simple, and if you follow them, there will be many colors. Let's see what petunias need for healthy and lush flowering.

Spacious pot

The petunia has a powerful root system with many small roots, so when planting in a flower bed, it cannot be thickened. When thickening, the bushes will oppress each other, and this will certainly affect flowering - there will be fewer flowers and they will grow small. For balcony plants, you need to choose such containers in which the roots will not be cramped. As a rule, this is at least 3 liters, and preferably 5 liters per sprout. No more than three shoots are planted in large balcony boxes with a volume of 10 liters.

Reference. Large cascading and ampelous petunia varieties require even more space. These plants are planted one at a time in a 10 liter container.

Some gardeners are of the opinion that this is not necessary, and a container with a volume of 1-2 liters will be enough for a petunia. If you don't have enough space, but you want to decorate the balcony, try to do this. But in this case, provide the flowers with abundant and frequent feeding. However, even so, be prepared for less lush bloom.

High quality soil

Like all crops of the Solanaceae family, petunia greatly depletes the soil, taking many nutrients from it. Therefore, the land needs rich and fat for it. In a fertile soil, roots develop quickly and well, the plant forms strong and gives many large and beautiful flowers. In addition, the ground should be loose and breathable, not compacted from frequent watering, it is good to let excess water through and at the same time remain moist.

The soil for petunia is made up of garden soil, peat and humus in a ratio of 3: 2: 1. A little wood ash is added, which serves as a potash fertilizer and improves the quality and brightness of the flowering.

Proper watering

Despite its drought resistance, petunia still needs regular and abundant watering, especially in the heat. With a lack of moisture, the shoots wither and weaken, the flowers crumble, and new ones are not tied.Therefore, petunia should be watered every day as the earth dries up. Usually it is 1-2 times a day. Balcony flowers and flowers standing under a canopy do not receive natural precipitation, unlike those planted in a flower bed, therefore, their condition must be monitored especially carefully and watered abundantly. To do this, use clean, settled water at room temperature.

Waterlogging and stagnant water are even more harmful to petunias than drought. The roots quickly rot, the plants begin to ache and may die. Therefore, when planting, it is important to ensure that there are large drainage holes in the containers, and pour a layer of pebbles, expanded clay, broken brick or other drainage.

Attention! Petunia is watered only at the root. Unlike most flower crops, sprinkling does not benefit the flowers or the greenery.

Ideal conditions

Petunia loves the sun. This is the first and indispensable condition for obtaining beautiful flowers. In shading, the plants will be more modest and will not grow to their full might. The culture is very hardy, so it feels great even in the sun. Do not be afraid to put it on the most illuminated place of the balcony or plant it on a flower bed, from morning to evening falling into direct sunlight - this is only for her benefit.

In relation to neighbors, petunia is unpretentious, it grows well next to many crops. The combination with geraniums, marigolds, snapdragons, ageratum, verbena, coleus, lobelia, levkoy, calendula, cineraria and many other flowers is excellent.... However, it is worth considering the large size of the petunia root system and not planting it next to crops whose roots are more powerful, since they will suppress each other. Also, you can not plant petunias next to relatives from the Solanaceae family (for example, peppers, eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes) - related crops affect the same diseases and pests.

Another prerequisite is regular care. It is important not to be lazy and inspect the plantings every day in order to water, feed and form bushes on time. Read about how to do this in the next section.

How to prolong the flowering of petunias in pots

Every florist wants not only to cultivate a beautiful garden, but to increase the decorative effect and prolong the flowering of his favorite crops. In order for petunia to bloom as long and beautifully as possible, there are various measures.

Removing dry flowers

It is not at all difficult to do this, although not interesting, but very important. When the peduncle fades, a seed capsule begins to form in its place. This process takes a lot of energy from the plant, as in this way it prepares for reproduction. If you want the petunia to bloom for a long time and abundantly, you should not allow the formation and maturation of seeds. Every day you need to inspect the bushes and remove wilted flowers. Then the plants will tie more and more new buds.

If there is a need for seeds, they can be grown in the fall on the last peduncles. At the same time, you should know that it will not be possible to get them from hybrid varieties in any case.

Top dressing

Fertilization is one of the most essential activities, since petunia, like all nightshade crops, needs a lot of nutrients. Even if you immediately make a rich, nutritious soil, you still cannot do without top dressing in the future. For plants grown in pots, boxes and flowerpots, this is especially important, since the volume of soil there is limited and depleted faster than in flower beds.

Fertilizers are applied several times per season:

• the first time - two weeks after disembarking the seedlings;
• the second time - with the mass tying of peduncles;
• further - every 10 days.

Petunia is fed with ready-made complex fertilizers for flowering plants. The main elements in them are potassium and phosphorus, providing a lush and bright flowering. A small proportion of nitrogen is also needed to keep the bushes strong and healthy. However, it is important to maintain a balance here, otherwise the plants overfed with nitrogen only grow dense greenery, and bloom little.

Petunias also need iron. Its deficiency is fraught with chlorosis, a disease in which the formation of chlorophyll in the leaves is disrupted. The greens begin to turn yellow and fall off, the tops of the shoots dry up, the roots gradually die off. To prevent this, petunia is fed 3-4 times per season with iron-containing preparations - "Ferovit" or iron chelate.

Attention! A reliable way to enhance the flowering of petunias is to spray the bushes with potassium monophosphate.

Useful for petunias and spraying with biostimulants, such as Epin Extra. Such funds support the vitality of the plant and help it withstand adverse natural factors. One foliar treatment per month is enough to keep the plant in good shape.

Any fertilizers are diluted according to the instructions and applied after watering so as not to burn the roots. It is better to do this in the evening - the liquid that gets on the greens will leave burns under the influence of sunlight.

Formation

This procedure not only gives the bushes an aesthetic appearance, but also prolongs and improves flowering. For this they use cutting and pinching techniques. The first pruning is done at the seedling stage. At the stage of several leaves above 4-5 leaves, the tops of all plants are cut off with sharp disinfected scissors. This will prevent the shoots from pulling out and will ensure the formation of a lush bush and abundant flowering in the future.

Pinching the top point serves as a signal for the plant to grow lateral shoots, on which much more buds are formed than without pinching. At the same time, the flowers themselves grow larger and brighter and bloom longer.

Petunia varieties are divided into bush, cascade and ampelous... In accordance with this, they are formed in different ways.

It is believed that three pinching is enough for a bush petunia. In practice, this is done as needed. This way you can form bushes of the desired shape and size. A hybrid petunia is easier to form than a varietal one, since hybrids are initially predisposed to a spherical bush.

Important! Despite the fact that pinching and shaping stimulates and improves the formation of new buds, the procedure delays flowering by 1-2 weeks.

Ampel and cascade varieties are climbing plants with long shoots. Usually they are planted in hanging pots, from which flowering lashes hang down and look very decorative. They are not formed into lush bushes. But shoots that are too elongated look sloppy and bloom worse, so they are pinched from time to time.

Is it possible to resume flowering if the petunia has faded

Petunia is an annual plant, so by the end of summer it naturally begins to fade. However, it is possible to extend its flowering period. For this, the so-called haircut is used. Shoots are cut by a third, leaving about 4-5 cm, watered and applied with complex fertilizers for flowering plants. After 1-2 weeks, new greens will grow, buds will begin to tie again, and the bushes will "look younger."

It is interesting! Experienced flower growers who like to experiment, with the onset of cold weather, dig up petunia from the flower bed and transfer it to the house. Despite the fact that the life cycle of the plant is limited to one season, thus it can be slightly increased.

Tips from experienced florists

Attention and conscientious care are the main things that a petunia needs, like any flower. But there are also some nuances that help grow beautiful flowering plants. Experienced flower growers willingly share them:

1. Petunia seedlings need acidic soil. For sowing and further cultivation, you can take a special soil for cacti or simply acidify the existing soil mixture. You can add some wood ash.
2. When picking seedlings, it is better not to pinch the root, so as not to harm the small seedlings. The root system of petunia grows well without this technique.
3. Pulling shoots- a sure sign that plants do not have enough light. Abundant lighting is necessary for petunias at all stages of development, therefore, with early sowing of seeds (in February), the lack of sun is compensated by illumination with fluorescent or LED lamps. This is especially true when the seedlings are placed on the north or east windows.
4. Growing healthy and strong plants will not work without hardening, especially in the northern regions. The sprouts are taken out in a cool room with a temperature of about + 10 ° C, first for 15 minutes, then every day they add 5 minutes. Hardening strengthens the plant's immunity and prepares it for temperature extremes.
5. Do not plant petunia densely even at the seedling stage. Even if you pinch the seedlings correctly and in a timely manner, they will have little room to grow into lush bushes.

Conclusion

Petunia is good not only for its abundant flowering, but also because the lack of attention can be compensated for at any stage of its cultivation. If the plant has withered, it is enough to resume regular watering, and it will quickly recover. Weak flowering is stimulated by dressing and pinching. If the life cycle of the bush is coming to an end, it can be extended by rejuvenating with a haircut and replacing the flower bed with home conditions.