How to pinch a petunia to make it lush. How to pinch a petunia correctly - for abundant flowering Petunia care after pinching

The buildings 16.06.2019
The buildings

? Is it possible to grow petunias in an apartment?

If your windows are on the south side, then be sure to grow petunia seedlings for yourself in order to enjoy the beauty of this annual all summer and autumn.

If the windows are on the north side, then the flowering of the petunia will not be so plentiful. Basically, the petunia will produce green tops, not flower buds.

? Petunia on the balcony. Can it be grown?

If you have a sunny balcony, then growing a petunia on the balcony will be a pleasure. Daily flower beauty can please not only you, but also your neighbors, as the petunia planter can be placed both inside the balcony and outside the balcony.

?How long does it take to grow petunia seedlings?

In order to get seedlings of petunia from the moment of sowing to the formation of a bush with 2-3 flowers, 2.5 months are needed. For terry petunia - 3 months.

?When is the best time to sow petunias?

If you plan to grow petunia for yourself, then it is better to sow it at the end of February - in early March.

? How to grow a petunia?

At the first stage of germination, it is necessary to create high level soil moisture within 22-24°C. When sowing, do not cover the seeds with soil!

At the stage of emergence of the root and cotyledons, it is necessary to reduce the level of soil moisture to 20°C. Use a maximum illumination of 25,000 Lux

At the true leaf stage, it is necessary to allow the soil to dry out between waterings, the temperature of the soil drops to 18-21°C. Use lighting with a maximum of 50,000 Lux. Fertilizers are applied at this stage.

At the fourth stage of growing petunias, the first transplant (dive) is carried out. Use medium humidity. The soil temperature is lowered to 16-18°C. Illumination maximum 55,000 Lux

Use growth regulators and fertilizers.

The second transplantation is carried out in pots: for trailing - 17-20 cm, for other petunias - 10.5-13 cm. .

? What fertilizer should be used at different stages of growing petunia seedlings?

When the root and cotyledons appear and before the first pick, it is necessary to use calcium nitrate, which is responsible for the skeleton of the plant. At this point, phosphorus is excluded, since phosphorus and ammonium nitrogen contribute to the elongation and lodging of seedlings.

After the first pick (transplantation, transshipment), i.e. damage to the root, it is necessary to give phosphorus so that the roots develop well. You can Monophosphate, or you can Aquarin "Super" N - 18%, P2O5 - 18%, K2O - 18%, MgO - 2%, S - 1.5% + a complex of trace elements in chelate form.

Before planting, to accelerate flowering, you can give foliar top dressing with 1% boron.

After landing, we again give phosphorus.

During flowering, an increased dose of potassium is needed (15:5:30).

? What conditions favor the growth of the root system in petunias?

For better root growth in petunias, it is necessary to observe the agricultural technology regime.

In petunias, root growth in coolness outstrips those whose seedlings are grown in warmer conditions. However, if it is not possible to grow a petunia in a "cool-warm" mode, the problem can be solved using large quantity light when growing seedlings. At good lighting and warmer - petunia seedlings will also turn out good.

Also, when watering, you need to let the seedlings dry out between waterings. Petunias are best watered in a pan.

It is necessary to fertilize petunias with a fertilizer containing in large numbers phosphorus, which is responsible for the active development of the root system. If you water the petunia with fertilizers from infancy. containing a large amount of potassium - a frail plant with a weak root system will grow.

To build up the root, Radipharm is used - a plant complex of extracts enriched with vitamins and microelements. Radifarm stimulates the development of lateral and additional roots, helps the plant survive transplant injuries, as well as high temperature, excess moisture. When picking petunias, it is good to shed the plants 2-3 times at weekly intervals.

Also, if there is no radiopharmaceutical, zircon can be used.

?Why do petunia leaves curl?

One of common causes twisting and yellowing of the leaves of a petunia is the presence of pests. The first pest is the spider mite. If you look at the leaves in the light and the leaves will be as if pricked with a needle, these are exactly the tricks of the spider mite. Urgently treat all plants with Taurus.

For prevention from spider mites, it is necessary to treat petunia seedlings with fitoverm or actofit.

Also, the twisting of the leaves of a petunia can occur due to the fact that the temperature is very high, the air is dry and there is no light. The higher the temperature, the more light, if, on the contrary, at a low degree there is a lot of light, then the plant lays many points of growth and a more compact plant is obtained, but if it is warm, above 20 ° C and there is little light and even dry air, the plant tries to avoid moisture loss by twisting the sheet.

? How to ensure that the petunia is squat, plump and bushy?

In order for the petunia not to stretch, it is necessary to observe the agricultural technique of growing petunias: withstand day and night temperatures. Low temperatures at night (up to 5 degrees Celsius) and high temperatures (16-18°C) during the day contribute to the fact that the petunia will be plump and bushy without a lot of pinching.

? Why does a petunia grow in one stick with a bud at the end?

At a high temperature (about 18 ° C) and without differences between day and night, all seedlings of terry petunia grow in 1 stick.

Petunias need to be pinched for bushiness. Without pinching, lack of light and keeping petunia seedlings in a warm place, an elongated and non-bushy plant will grow.

? When should you pinch a petunia?

You need to pinch the petunia after 2 pairs of true leaves. This promotes the growth of axillary shoots.

?How to feed a petunia?

It is better not to feed the petunia with anything before picking, but to start fertilizing the picked seedlings 2 weeks after the pick.

Petunia loves when root and foliar top dressing alternate. If you have a lot of seedlings, then it is more convenient to use the leaf feeding method. The plant absorbs nutrients better when foliar feeding is used. It is better to spray in the evening or early in the morning.

?What to feed petunias?

10-14 days after picking, you can spray the petunia seedlings with radipharm (root formation stimulator).

Then you can use complex fertilizers - Kemiru Lux, Solvent, Aquarin or Plantafol (nitrogen 10.30.10, potassium 10.54.10, phosphorus 5.15.45) in turn with a frequency of about 7-10 days.

?What conditions are needed for petunias to bloom?

Petunias need long days and strong light to bloom.

? What contributes to the formation of side shoots?

For the formation of lateral shoots, pinching and a lower night temperature (13-15 ° C) are needed.

?How to achieve long lashes in an ampelous petunia?

Petunia is a "gluttonous" plant. Therefore, the larger the amount of land for a petunia, the longer the lashes will be at the ampelous and luxurious bush at the bush. From this we conclude that what less land and the petunia will have nutrition - the less attractive the plant will be and vice versa.

? Why does the petunia not bloom (or is the petunia empty flower)?

If the sun is not enough, then the petunia can gain a lot of decent greenery and not bloom.

Also, in a small container, petunia roots have nowhere to roam, there is less nutrition and flowering will be rare or not at all. Petunia is a voracious plant, loves top dressing. During the flowering period, fertilizers should have little nitrogen, and be more phosphorus and potassium.

Please note that the first petunia flowers are almost always half empty, later the plant will gain strength and delight with chic flowers.

If you were fond of pinching, then this one also delays flowering.

? How to speed up the flowering of petunias?

To accelerate flowering, when a bush has formed, they give top dressing with a predominance of potassium. Once give top dressing on the sheet, before flowering at the rate of 1 gr. boric acid for 1 liter of water.

H What affects the brightness of the color of petunia flowers?

The reason for the change in the brightness of the color of petunia flowers can be: lack of light, pests, damage to the roots during transplantation, lack of some nutrients, soil acidity.

To enhance the color of petunia flowers, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are used. If you overdo it with nitrogen fertilizers, fading of color is possible.

? Why do petunia leaves turn blue-purple?

With a lack of phosphorus, the leaves of a petunia can turn purple. If the measles is good, then this is not the reason.

With a difference in day and night temperatures in winter, petunia leaves can also turn purple.

? What to do if petunia leaves chlorosis (turn yellow)?

Usually, the problem of chlorosis in petunias is dealt with with the help of iron chelate, which is applied to the plant either under the leaf or under the root. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. It all depends on the manufacturer of the chelate and the expiration date.

A very convenient and less expensive way is to water the chlorosis seedlings of petunia with citric acid at the rate of (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water) or (1 g per 1 liter). After two weeks, pale, yellow seedlings turn green again. However, keep in mind that yellowing of the leaves is not always an indicator of iron deficiency or indigestion. This may be a lack of manganese, nitrogen and other trace elements.

From a lack of nitrogen, small and yellow leaves. From a lack of iron, light yellow or white leaves are formed, the apical shoot is affected.

From the lack of magnesium, which manifests itself on the lower leaves, the leaves become variegated in color, turn brown and fall off.

Usually, a concentration is used to prevent chlorosis. citric acid at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water. If you have few plants, then it turns out 1 g per 1 liter. 1 g is about a few crystals of citric acid.

?How to make your own iron chelate?

In 3 liters of cold boiled water dissolve 12 g of citric acid. 7.5 g of ferrous sulfate are introduced into this solution. The result is a complex ferrous iron salt of light orange color. This solution is suitable for spraying a diseased plant and for top dressing at the root. The remains of the unused solution can be poured under the garden flowers.

?What are the most common diseases in petunias?

Petunia seedlings are susceptible to black leg damage.

The most common petunia problem is leaf chlorosis, which occurs from frequent watering and non-compliance with petunia cultivation.

Petunia can be saved in winter. Many people think that petunia is an annual, and it is often written on seed packets that petunia is annual plant. However, it is possible to extend the life of our beauties until next year. To do this, at the end of August, cuttings are cut from beautiful pets and rooted. These cuttings, which will have time to get stronger and grow root system and will winter. Petunia should winter in cool conditions. It is advisable to leave it on a cool balcony with a positive temperature. If this is not possible, you can bring the petunia into the room and put it on the coldest window sill. In the room due to dry air in winter, petunias may be affected spider mite, therefore, periodically (a couple of times a month) it is necessary to treat the mother liquor with fitoverm or actofit.

In the spring, cut cuttings from the petunia mother liquor and root. These cuttings will be new plants. Rooting cuttings will take about 2 weeks, unlike sowing petunias with seeds, which will take more than 2 months.

?When are petunias cut?

You can cut petunias at any time of the year, if you have the opportunity to highlight them with phytolamps.

After rooting the cutting, if it has taken root well after 2 weeks, you can safely cut half of this cutting into a new one. Thus, you will force the plant to start up new shoots from the leaf axils and get another seedling.

? What is a petunia pinch?

In order for the petunia to bush and not grow in one lash, pinch it. Pinch the tip of the crown with a fingernail. Keep in mind that it is not a leaf, but the tip of the top. Pinching postpones flowering for 2-3 weeks, but later there will be a beautiful bush.

? What to do if the petunia seedlings have outgrown (stretched out)?

If the petunia seedlings are stretched out, there are two ways out of this situation.

The first - you can pinch.

The second - you can transfer the seedlings into large cups. For example, if the petunia was in 200 gr. a glass, transfer it to 500 gr. glass and sprinkle with earth. Petunia, like all nightshades, tolerates transshipments normally.

? How to achieve a large hat of flowers in an ampelous petunia?

The more soil and feeding, the larger the head of flowers will grow in a petunia.

? When will the bush petunia planted at the end of February bloom?

Bush petunia sown at the end of February with additional light of 14-16 hours and a temperature above 25 degrees will bloom by the end of April.

? Why turn yellow lower leaves at the petunias?

The lower leaves of a petunia usually turn yellow from overflow, lack of nitrogen, or a small amount of earth.

? Petunia afflicted with whitefly. What drugs to take with whitefly?

From the whitefly, you can use Aktara, which is sprayed with a petunia and spilled. Aktara is good because it almost does not smell. Please note that the development cycle of the whitefly is about 21 days, the larvae themselves cover themselves with a wax coating, therefore they are well protected from external influences (unlike ordinary aphids).

?Why did petunia seedlings stop growing?

Stopping growth may be due to a lack of boron, which results in the death of the apical points of growth. To solve the problem, you can spray the petunia with a solution of boric acid (7 grams per 10 liters of water). The result should appear in 10 days.

? What to do so that when picking the plants take root better?

After picking petunias into other containers, there may be damage to the root system. Therefore, after a week, it is better to give the plants monophosphate or fertilizers with a high content of phosphorus in order to better take root.

? Why pick off faded flowers from petunias?

Those flowers that have faded in petunias are cut off not only for aesthetic purposes, but also to stimulate flowering.

?How often to water a petunia growing on a balcony?

Petunia loves to drink. Therefore, petunias on the balcony need regular watering once or twice a day. The top soil clod must not dry out completely. On hot days, water the flower abundantly. Petunia easily tolerates if watering is too plentiful. The only thing that can negatively affect is the stagnation of water. Regular watering of petunias will provide you with luxurious flowering and lush bushes.

For watering petunias great importance has the acidity of water. Petunia loves more acidic water. As you know, most of us have hard water. Therefore, there are two options: either acidify the water for irrigation, or simply plant the plant in an acidic soil mixture.

? How often to fertilize mature plant petunias?

In order for the petunia to please beautiful flowers An adult petunia plant needs to be fertilized at least every 10 days.

? How to cut a petunia?

Petunias can be cut different ways. The success of rooting a petunia cutting is an earthen mixture. It must be airy.

You can prepare the following mixture: 2 parts moss + 1 part vermicult + 1 part terra earth, some sand.

We moisten the earthen mixture and insert the cuttings into the cups. The cuttings are deepened by 1.5 cm. Cut off the lower leaves.
Cover with cellophane. After 10-12 days, depending on the variety, the first roots will appear.

Volumetric multi-colored bushes of terry, ampelous, two-color and plain petunias won hearts experienced gardeners and newcomers. From mid-spring to the first frosts, flowers, amazing in their diversity and decorativeness, adorn not only summer cottages but also balconies multi-storey buildings, verandas of cottages, city flower beds, cafe and restaurant areas. Flowers are unpretentious, do not require professional maintenance and special conditions, but gratefully respond to the care of flower growers. The flower needs good care, providing, in addition to traditional procedures, the formation of a bush by pinching or pinching it. Petunia, which is not pinched, but allowed to grow freely, can form an elongated bush that will tumble to one side. If you form the crown of the plant correctly, you can get a lush flower with many flowering shoots.

Why pinch a petunia?

Pinching (or tweezing) - breaking / pinching off the top of a plant shoot with your nails. After that, the remaining part of the stem becomes stiff and begins to thicken, the leaves become more saturated in color, and the buds in the axils increase in size. In horticulture, this process is done to get new strong shoots and a more beautiful appearance. However, this method works if the tweezing was done before the growing season ended.

It is not difficult to get a strong and eye-pleasing living decoration from a small sprout, the main thing is to know how to pinch a petunia correctly and strictly follow the rules.

Do all varieties of petunias need to be pinched?

Long-bred old amateur varieties or plants grown from seeds collected from their flowers must be pinched. As a rule, such a petunia in its natural form is far from compact and pompous.

Breeders place strict requirements on the modern hybrid petunia not only for the beauty and splendor of flowering, but also for the simplification of plant care.

Petunia of modern varieties or hybrids does not require pinching or requires minimal intervention in the formation of the crown.

However, even on modern varieties pinching operation is indispensable. Often, when petunia seedlings are grown at home with a lack of light and in cramped conditions, at a temperature that is too high for it, the plants stretch.

In this case, you can shed the seedlings with the Athlete preparation or another similar agent (which is used in industrial greenhouses) or do pinching. Many gardeners do not support the use of excessive "chemistry" even on flowers and prefer to pinch the petunia.

The rapid formation of lateral shoots is facilitated by a decrease in night temperature.

What you need to pinch a petunia

To carry out this manipulation, you will need the following:

  • convenient scissors or secateurs;
  • strengthened seedlings with 4 - 5 large leaves at the top;
  • container for collecting removed cuttings.

How and when to pinch a petunia

Pinching petunias should be done twice - at the seedling stage and after planting in open ground. If the second tweezing can be neglected due to lack of time, then pinching at the seedling stage is carried out in without fail. It is carried out when a young seedling has 5-6 leaves, a little less, but not more than this amount. The algorithm is quite simple. With a miniature pruner, scissors or just your fingers, you need to pinch the stem of a young plant over the 5-6th leaf. In order for the seedling to recover faster after this procedure, you can water or spray it with a growth stimulator such as "Epin" or "Zircon".

A month later, when new side shoots begin to grow, you need to tweeze again. Now it is carried out not only on the central stem, but also on the side shoots, which, after this procedure, will sprout the third order. After repeated tweezing, foliar and root top dressing is carried out with complete mineral fertilizer and a growth stimulator. Ampelous varieties are preferably tweezed every 3-4 weeks.

What to do after pinching a petunia

With regular shortening of shoots and increased growth of petunias, constant feeding with a growth stimulator and complete mineral fertilizer is required. Otherwise, many thin stems will develop. It is possible to achieve a return on the plant only with constant watering and proper care.

We remember that it is necessary to cut off wilted flowers in time (do not pull them out, but pinch off from a branch with a pedicel). Forming testes, they take strength from the plant.

Associated propagation of petunias by cuttings after pinching

The tops of the petunia shoots plucked or neatly cut with nail scissors are used as cuttings for further propagation of the plant.

The roots that have appeared on green cuttings placed in water serve as a signal that they can already be planted in the ground, having cleared the lower part of the stem from leaves, leaving a couple of leaves at the top. Young plants can be planted quite densely, often watering and spraying them, feeding them, and also using a growth stimulator as necessary.

Petunia grown from seeds at home, as well as seedlings of inexpensive varieties purchased in retail chains, must be subjected to regular pinching of shoots protruding from a common bush. Elite varieties grown in special nurseries can develop well without pinching, but they are more capricious, sensitive to sudden changes in humidity and temperature, and suffer from the effects of rain and wind.

  • Do not use the operation for seedlings in boxes and young immature sprouts, do not mix different varieties and rid the soil of weeds and pests in time. Remember, petunias, like other decorative species, need constant attention and care;
  • After pinching, the removed shoots (3-4 leaves) can be put in a jar of water and, after the appearance of small roots, use them to grow new petunia bushes;
  • Throughout the season, it is necessary to remove wilted flowers in time, this will contribute to the formation of new buds on the plants.

Pinching is a simple and at the same time important manipulation that allows you to improve the quality of flowering and form a certain shape of the plant. To correct the shape of the plant, you need to pinch the petunia regularly, skipping a month between this procedure. If you follow these rules for caring for a petunia, you can grow beautiful bushes of this flowering plant that will be no worse than the photos shown in this article. If petunias are allowed to grow on their own, then it will simply stretch out, and the flowers will be small. Petunia lovers are constantly finding new ways to decorate with unusual varieties, and it just looks amazing.

The unpretentious petunia, familiar from childhood, has long been transformed into a luxurious beauty. Thanks to the hard work of breeders, it appeared great amount varieties and hybrids of various colors and shades. The plant won the hearts of even inexperienced flower growers, distinguished by unpretentiousness and continuous chic flowering. One of the main procedures in its cultivation is the removal of apical buds. This operation allows you to get a lush bush, strewn with multiple flowers.

Brazil and Uruguay are considered to be the birthplace of this beauty, from where in the 18th century it was brought by the French botanist Jean Lamarck, who was looking for rare plants.

The plant is a perennial, however, it is mainly grown as an annual, and, with the onset of the first frost, it is simply thrown away. In late autumn, the petunia can be transferred to a container with nutrient soil, brought into the room and provided with additional lighting. Then this flower will delight all year round.


The flower is a shrub 15 to 90 cm high with creeping stems forming axillary shoots of the second and subsequent order. Perennial leaves, differing in a variety of shapes and sizes, without teeth and notches, strongly pubescent. flowers correct form: simple, semi-double, terry. They are distinguished by a delicate aroma and a variety of colors. The fruit of the plant is represented by a box with 300-800 pieces of small seeds.

The beauty blooms in late June - early July, delighting with its beauty until the onset of significant frosts. Quietly withstands a short drop in temperature to -3 degrees. Propagated by sowing seeds or cuttings. Seedlings begin to grow in the third decade of January, using additional lighting.

Important!

When planting in a permanent place, the plant must be provided with well-lit areas, sufficient watering, and ventilation.

How and why to pinch a petunia

Having worked hard to create modern cultivars and hybrids, breeders have ensured that the gardener has to make a minimum of effort and intervention in the formation of the petunia crown. However, even when growing modern hybrids, it is simply impossible to do without pinching.

The pinching method is used in order to:

  • stimulate the growth and development of lateral branches;
  • provide abundant flowering;
  • give splendor and compactness to the bush.

Apical buds are removed at the time of active seedling growth no later than 30-55 days after the appearance of the first shoots. The procedure is carried out by any cutting tool or just fingers. The shoot is cut off above the fourth or fifth true leaf. At the site of a break in the plant, a new growth point is created, from which secondary stems will grow. After the operation, the seedlings slow down their development for some time. However, after a few days, it fully recovers and begins to grow more actively.

After the tweezing process, the lower part of the petunia becomes very strong. Due to this, the plant is more hardy and resists any natural disasters.

Do all varieties of petunias need to be pinched?


The mandatory removal of the apical buds is necessary for:

  • old varieties that are not decorative;
  • plants cultivated from self-collected seeds.

Most of the hybrids bred by the original breeders do not require pinching, being compact and lush bloom. Hybrids do not need tweezing at all:

  • Limbo F1;
  • Mambo F1;
  • Alladin F1;
  • Schok Wave F1;
  • Ultra F1;
  • Frost F1;
  • Picobella F1;
  • Hulahoop F1;
  • Dreams F1;
  • Merlin F1;
  • Mirade F1.

Time to pinch a petunia


In order for the beauty to please with chic and long flowering, you need to remove the apical buds three times per season:

  1. When the fourth or fifth true leaf is formed on the plant 30-40 days after the appearance of the first shoots.
  2. 10-15 days after transplanting seedlings to a permanent place in the ground.
  3. During the active growth of flowers in a permanent place, no later than thirty days after transplantation.

Triple tweezing allows the plant to turn into a bright, chic bush in a season.

Petunia care after pinching

After removing the tops, you need to provide the plant with the necessary top dressing. A few days after the first pinching, young seedlings need to be fed with any growth stimulator according to the instructions:

  • Endophyte;
  • Regoplant;
  • Appin;
  • Succinic acid;
  • Alpha Nano.

Further top dressing should be carried out every 10-15 days with complex mineral fertilizers with a high percentage of nitrogen. A pinched plant also needs systematic watering and loosening of the soil. By not providing petunias with proper care after tweezing, you can get the development of thin, painful shoots in return.

Cutting petunias after pinching

Removed apical shoots are complete planting material. With the help of the remaining cuttings, you can successfully replenish the collection of petunias. This is especially true for those hybrids whose seeds are of considerable value. To get a young bush you need:

  1. Leave 1-2 leaves on the cut shoot.
  2. Place the cutting in a container with water, adding 2 tablets of crushed activated carbon.
  3. When whitish roots appear on the shoot, plant the plant in a container with nutrient soil.
  4. After the complete engraftment of the petunia, tweezing it, the necessary feeding and planting it in a permanent place.

How to pinch different types of petunias

Differing in the shape of the bush and the length of the stems, the plant has some features in the formation of its lush crown.

ampelous petunia

Plants that have inherited the natural formation of a lush, profusely flowering bush. Many ampelous hybrids do not need tweezing. However, to fully guarantee the creation of a well-branched bush, it is necessary to carry out a one-time removal of apical shoots at the age of seedlings of 35-45 days.


cascading petunia

A type of petunia that needs at least triple tweezing throughout the growing season. By removing the apical shoots on the plant, you can achieve chic flowering and the shape of a brightly flowering ball.


bush petunia

Plants of this type pinch out when few lateral branches are formed. Such petunias need to be stimulated by cutting off the central stem and treating with any growth stimulant.


Terry petunia

Terry hybrids need to remove the top shoots very rarely. Created by breeders, compact luxurious flowers that initially form a chic crown during the growing season. The pinching procedure is carried out in cases of pulling young seedlings due to a lack of daylight.


Is it possible to pinch a petunia when it blooms


If the flowers have already begun to bloom profusely, the removal of the apical shoots can also be successfully carried out. The main thing is to cut no more than four shoots from the bush. After the procedure, in a day, treat the flowers with any growth stimulator.

What to do with cut shoots

Pinched off shoots of plants can be rooted by replenishing the flower garden with new bushes. For this you should:

  • process the cut stems with "Kornevin" or dip the lower part of the cuttings in wood ash;
  • cut off all the leaves on the shoots, leaving 1-2 pieces in the upper part;
  • place the cuttings in a container with distilled water with the addition of activated carbon;
  • plant the tops in open ground, mulching, covering with a plastic transparent container.

To form a bush that will delight with its beauty and continuous flowering remember the following tips:

  1. For good extension vegetative mass, fertilizing with complex fertilizer is necessary every 7-10 days throughout the season.
  2. Be sure to regularly water and loosen the soil.
  3. Remove faded buds and formed seed pods.
  4. Preventive treatment from pests with pesticides, from damage by diseases with copper-containing preparations.
  5. Carry out the tweezing procedure with a sterile instrument.

Important!

For the fastest formation of lateral branches on the plant, you should lower the air temperature at night by 4-6 degrees.

Conclusion

When carrying out a competent removal of apical shoots, following the recommendations for caring for petunias, you can admire the exquisite beauty of plants and continuous flowering until frost.


Strong healthy seedlings immediately quickly adapts to a new place of growth during transplantation. The frail and weak need additional nutrition and time for the sockets to become "adult" and pick up buds.


Sufficient area nutrition for "accommodation". One plant needs about 4.5 ... 5 liters of nutritious loosened soil. When growing petunias in pots and pots (boxes), this factor must be taken into account. Small rosettes densely planted in containers will not give full flowering, but will fight each other for survival and stretch out.


dense the soil does not allow roots to develop, therefore, for good flowering loosening materials (peat, vermiculite, etc.) are introduced into heavy soils.


- Regular feeding - important condition abundant flowering. Petunias are plants with a good appetite. In their diet should be both mineral and organic top dressing that alternate between waterings. Petunias are fed every 7-10 days. When growing flowers in closed containers, strong fertilizer concentrates should not be given, such top dressing will lead to poisoning and salinization of the soil.


If petunias are a little behind in growth, then they can be supported with humate solutions. But it is necessary to apply such humic dressings only a couple of times per season, and then at the beginning of growth.


Micronutrients also matter. A mixture of soluble fertilizers with trace elements for flowering plants (their range is large on sale), applied on the leaves with a fine spray, will always benefit. Especially after prolonged rains, breakage of branches from the wind, pruning. When chlorosis appears on the leaves of petunias, they are sprayed with an iron chelate solution.


Qualitative watering. Petunias require regular watering in the absence of precipitation. Although they put up with small flaws of the owners. "Swamping" of plants, which leads to rotting of the roots, is unacceptable.


Planted in planters and pots and grown in very sunny places, petunias always need careful watering. Water them after each drying of the topsoil. With frequent watering, the soil is washed out and the roots are exposed. They should always be mulched, sprinkled with fresh soil.


- Lighting a necessary flowering factor. But in places where the sun is half a day and the shade is half a day - the best place for pouring bright colors in flowers. Being in the sun, the flowers fade and their color will not be so saturated.


- Cleaning and pruning of faded buds gives impetus to further flowering. All types of petunias need regular sanitary inspections.

Petunia - incredible beautiful plant, which usually blooms very profusely. However, some gardeners have more than once encountered such a problem as the "unwillingness" of this representative of the flora to bloom. There can be several reasons for the lack of flowers in a petunia.

Flowering problems are observed mainly in potted representatives, that is, those grown at home or on a balcony. If you look closely at those plants that grow in open ground, then almost all of them bloom profusely and beautifully. Flowers in pots have color only if the containers in which they are planted are wide and deep.


It is worth remembering that petunias feel good only in a large amount of land, so if you want to see abundant flowering plants on your balcony, then plant one cutting in a container of at least five liters.


If the petunias are already planted in small pots, and the number of buds themselves is very small, then there is a way out. First of all, wait until the plant blooms. Next, when the number of flowers is more than the buds, cut their stems by a third, remove the flower from the pot and cut the roots in half. Take a pot twice the size of the previous one and plant the petunia in fresh soil. Put the pot in a shaded place for a week, after feeding the plant (you can use, for example, "Monophosphate" or "Aquarin" for feeding), and after a while, move it to the sun.


Quite a lot on the growth and formation of new buds is affected by care. In order for the plant to bloom for a long time and abundantly, it is necessary to regularly perform the following hygiene procedures:


If the flower is stretched and has few side stems, then you need to pinch off the top of the longest shoots;


It is necessary to remove fading flowers daily, and together with peduncles (if this is not done, the plant will devote all its strength to setting seed pods);


Be sure to remove withered leaves, especially at the bottom;


Water in time and feed in time. Petunias love abundant watering and do not tolerate a lack of moisture.


In general, these flowers are very fond of heat and light, optimum temperature for their cultivation - 25 degrees, however, they tolerate 30 degree heat well. If the petunia does not bloom, then review exactly these conditions, if necessary, insulate the balcony and install artificial lighting.

Those who have grown petunia seedlings on their own at least once, and did not buy them in specialized stores, know that growing strong and healthy plants is not so easy. Very often, seedlings die or turn pale and stretch out, in general, become unsuitable for planting in open ground. To prevent the latter, you need to know the causes of what is happening.

Every gardener has met with the problem of pulling seedlings at least once, because, as mentioned above, it is quite demanding. However, if you follow all the rules for its cultivation, such incidents can be avoided. So, the main reasons for stretching plants:


  • lack of light;

  • excessive heat.

Therefore, the elimination of these factors will help not only prevent the seedlings from stretching, but also have a beneficial effect on the growth of side shoots, especially with the simultaneous pinching of the tops of the petunia.


It is undesirable to plant a petunia in February, since at this time the daylight hours are short, and the heating in the apartments is turned on in full. That is, the lack of light, heat and dryness of the air do their job, the petunia is drawn out, and in most cases it loses the brightness of its leaves. If you still want to plant a petunia in February, then purchase special lamps for growing seedlings, install containers with seedlings away from the batteries and use an air humidifier in the apartment.


If you are already faced with the problem of pulling seedlings, then do not give up. Just pinch the top of each plant, deepen the stems into the ground to the cotyledon and set the proper care (described above). Only after following the above rules, your little petunias will bounce back and grow into a strong and healthy seedlings.

Petunia is a finicky flower only at the seedling stage, while an adult plant does not require any special care, even the lack of timely watering culture endures quite steadfastly.

Why do many flower growers choose petunia as the main "inhabitant" of flower beds? Well, of course, because of the beauty of the culture, its abundant flowering. To date, three main varieties of petunia have been bred with a great variety of subspecies, thanks to which everyone who decides to make a flower bed or rabatka on their site, decorate a garden or terrace hanging planters with flowers, can easily pick up petunias of the desired family, ideally suited for the intended purpose. All types of petunias: both ampelous, and bush, and cascading bloom profusely under the same conditions. For this, each plant needs a sufficient amount of nutrients, timely watering, long daylight hours, warmth and an abundance of direct sunlight.

With a lack or absence of several of the above factors, the plants stop or do not start budding, or bloom, but with single flowers. From this follows the conclusion that only maintaining all the demands of culture at the proper level allows it to bloom chic all summer.

  • In order for the petunia to be beautiful and lush in color, do not forget about top dressing. During the budding period, it is ideal to feed the plant with potash fertilizer, for example, spray it with Planfotol, and it is better to apply calcium-containing top dressing under the root - Epin or Zircon.
  • Timely watering is also important - petunia is a rather moisture-loving crop, in warm, dry weather it needs daily watering in small portions, in cool weather - three times a week.
  • Weather conditions are a factor that cannot be adjusted in any way, and without heat and sun it is impossible to make a petunia bloom. Of course, you can create a greenhouse and install fluorescent lamps in it, but if there are several flower beds, extensive discounts, it is quite expensive to do this, and not everyone has time to mess around with such work. If all of the above factors are met, and the petunia does not bloom precisely because of weather conditions, then here you can only advise to cover the flowers with a film at night, and remove it in the morning. In most cases, this helps to slightly improve the condition of the plants - increases the appearance of flower stalks.

In order to please the eye with lush and beautiful bushes with abundant flowering, you need to know exactly how to pinch a petunia correctly. If petunias are allowed to grow on their own, then it will simply stretch out, and the flowers will be small. Proper pinching (pinching) of the main point of growth will certainly stimulate the growth of the lateral stems and after 12 days, the edge after two weeks, the ovaries of flowers will appear on them, which is what we are striving for.

How to pinch a petunia in the later stages of development in order to give a certain shape? In the purchased seedlings, the first tweezing has already been done. Repeated - performed depending on the variety. Therefore, we will focus on how to properly pinch a petunia unpretentious varieties and breeding (here - the best varieties these beautiful flowers) hybrids.

The importance of tweezing for any plant

Pinching is cutting off either with scissors or breaking off the top of the stem with your fingers. After it is carried out, the remainder of the shoot thickens, the buds in the axils become larger, and the color of the leaves is more saturated. The process is carried out so that young strong stems with flowers grow and the plant acquires a delightful appearance.

It should be noted that the method only works if the pinching was done before the end of the growing season.

The first pinch - on petunia seedlings

We perform pinching in the following way:

  • We form a seedling as soon as it began to gain strength and grow.
  • The best time to pinch is when the petunias have developed a few (5 - 6) leaves. If this is not done on time, the seedlings will stretch out, the bush will not have a spherical appearance, the stems will not branch.
  • When planting a flower in the ground, tweezing is performed after it has rooted and adapted (usually at the end of May). In order for it to take root well, it needs to organize suitable conditions for development: we plant seedlings not densely, then they will develop better, fertilize (feed) them under the root, regularly moisten and sprinkle the leaves with water.
  • When seedlings are kept in a greenhouse (we grow them together with others), we make tweezing only after diving. Plants quickly (in a few days) adapt. And then they can be cut.
  • The formation is carried out with secateurs or fingers. Above the last (5 - 6) leaf of the petunia, we remove the apical bud. This will create a new point for the stems to grow and branch.

The last emphasis after all the actions is done on the cut powder of the flowers or wood ash or activated carbon powder. In order for the seedling to recover faster, it would be nice to spray it or spill it with plant development stimulants: Zircon or Epin.

After the event, seedlings slow down growth, but gain strength. The appearance of the petunia becomes spherical when the lateral stems grow.

Escape length for separation

The separated part of the shoot should be 4 centimeters, but still it is better to be longer. If you cut off the thinnest place on the stem (tip of the shoot) of the flower, then other shoots, developing in this place, will break off in bad weather and wind.

We do not forget to fertilize the soil weekly, and regularly moisten the shoots of the plant, preferably every second (third) day.

Repeated pinching of petunias after landing in open ground

Pinching must be repeated 2-3 times, and not only on the central, but also on the lateral stems of flowers. We perform this action when they grow up to 13 - 15 cm. To improve the shape and rich flowering of petunias, it is advisable to shorten the shoots 28 - 30 days after the first procedure. At the same time, there should be at least 5 leaves on the main process.

Ampel varieties do not need re-pruning. But in many varieties, one of the branches continues to quickly stretch, taking food and strength from the rest. In some cases, an ovary also appears on it. Then it must be urgently pinched with scissors (secateurs). To do this, count 3-5 leaves from below and cut off the rest. The growing point of the petunia will change. It will not grow up, but will start side shoots.

I draw your attention to the fact that after tweezing, flowering is postponed for 12 - 14 days. But in the end, not 1 flower will bloom, but several, and the buds will be larger.

Before the next pinching, you need to wait until the bush grows. After that, we shorten the elongated stems, as a result - the flowers will be more dense. At the same time, I recommend making a cut closer to the base of the branch, and not pinching only the crown.

In order for the vegetation to please with abundant flowering, this operation must be performed without fail.

adult flowering plant cut with purpose better development bush and increase the time of its magnificence.

What to do after pinching

With regular shortening of shoots and increased growth of petunias, constant feeding with a growth stimulator and complete mineral fertilizer is required. Otherwise, many thin stems will develop. It is possible to achieve a return on the plant only with constant watering and proper care.

We remember that it is necessary to cut off wilted flowers in time (do not pull them out, but pinch off from a branch with a pedicel). Forming testes, they take strength from the plant.

In the lion's share of cases, petunias are tweezed 2-3 times: in the seedling phase, after planting in the ground and during the growing season. But if the third tweezing can be neglected, then in the phase of seedlings and planting in open soil, they are mandatory.

Remember that pruning is stressful for our flowers. For this reason, after it, the bushes freeze a little in development, but the development of lateral stems, which form large buds, intensifies.

  • Try not to injure the sprout too much. We use clean tools for tweezing.
  • We form a bush at a petunia in a timely manner. Delaying the process is bad for development.
  • We do pinching monthly.
  • So that the plant does not burn and does not die, we prune in the evening or in the morning, when the sun's rays are not very active.
  • We do not throw out the plucked stems, but use them as cuttings (unless they have a stable stem and 5-6 leaves). For rooting, cutting off the lower leaves, place them in a jar of water. As soon as the roots grow, we plant the stems in fertile soil. So we will have additional seedlings with you.

It is important to remember if you are cuttings hybrid varieties petunias, then the grown specimen will retain appearance and signs of the original. When propagated by seeds, this cannot be achieved.

Petunias are blooming beauties with an obstinate but sympathetic character. If you constantly take care of them, properly care for them, then they will delight you with gratitude all summer.

Pinching petunias for the splendor of the bush-video

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