Petunias are one of the most popular and unpretentious flowers for decorating flowerbeds, borders and balconies.
In order for these perennial plants to delight you with abundant flowering, you need to plant them correctly and care for them.
For planting petunias, loose, fertile soil enriched with humus or compost is best, says Anastasia Kovrizhnykh .
The soil should be well-drained. The flowerbed should be located in a sunny place, protected from the wind.
The soil is dug to the depth of a shovel, fertilizers are added, and thoroughly mixed. Ash or sand can be added to the soil to combat pests.
Petunia seedlings are planted after the threat of frost has completely passed, when warm, sunny weather sets in.
Leave a distance of 15-20 cm between the plants. The seedlings are slightly deepened, watered, and covered with soil.
The first 2 weeks, water abundantly, then as the soil dries. Petunias do not like excess moisture.
In the first month after planting, petunias need regular watering. The soil should be moist, but not wet.
Plants are watered 1-2 times a week generously, not allowing water to stagnate. In summer, watering is reduced, watering every 2-3 days with a small amount of water under the root.
It is very important to regularly loosen the soil and weed out the weeds that form between the plants. This improves air access to the roots. Loosening is carried out after each watering to a depth of 3-5 cm.
Petunias are fed every 2-3 weeks during the period of active flowering with liquid fertilizer for flowers.
You can use complex fertilizers or alternate nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Excess nitrogen causes abundant growth of greenery, but few flowers.
To prolong flowering, it is necessary to remove faded inflorescences in a timely manner.
It is recommended to carry out side shoot removal by pinching the tops of the stems. This stimulates the formation of lateral shoots and new buds.
In autumn, petunias are dug up together with a lump of earth, the stems are cut, leaving 10-15 cm. The rhizome is washed, dried and placed in boxes or pots with wet peat or sand. Store at a temperature of 2-5 degrees.
In spring, plants are carefully planted in pots or boxes without damaging the root ball.
To stimulate growth, trim to one third of the height. Place the plants in a bright, cool place for 2-3 weeks and water moderately. Then plant them in the ground.
Petunias are quite resistant to diseases and pests. Sometimes they are affected by gray mold, powdery mildew, whitefly. For prevention, spraying with fungicides and insecticides is carried out.
If you follow the rules of planting and care, petunias delight you with an abundance of colorful flowers from early summer to autumn. And if you follow the conditions of winter storage, they can be grown as perennial crops.
Earlier we wrote about how the flower in each purchased orchid pot is slowly being killed.
Expert: Anastasia Kovrizhnykh
