Secrets of growing petunia seedlings

Recommendation points

• Choosing varieties
• Choosing seeds
• When to sow petunia seeds
• Preparation of containers and substrate
• Sowing seeds
• Seedling care

It is difficult to imagine that such bright, expressive and at the same time unpretentious flowers, like petunias, may be unfamiliar to someone. In the article we will talk about growing seedlings of these plants – we will tell you about how to choose the right variety, choose a substrate, plant seeds, how to care for seedlings.

Petunia, according to most gardeners, is considered the most “joyful” and beautiful annual. Due to its unpretentiousness, long and lush flowering, a variety of bright colors and shades, this plant is very popular. However, when cultivating petunias, there is one small but annoying problem – the difficulty in growing seedlings from seeds. Already from the first steps, troubles begin – one or two seeds emerge from the bag, and often not one at all. But nothing is impossible. In this case, a number of features should be taken into account, which we will talk about.

Choosing varieties

According to the nature of the growth of the bushes, varieties of petunias are divided into two main types – ampelous and bush. Ampel, in turn, are divided into true ampel and semi-ampel (cascade).

Bushvarieties are best suited for growing in soil in flower beds.

Ampelnygive long flowing shoots, reminiscent of living flower curtains – such plants should be planted in high suspended pots.

Cascadingvarieties can also grow long shoots, growing first upward and then hanging under their own weight. Such plants can be planted both in hanging containers and in tall flowerpots. It is from the cascading varieties that bushes are obtained that form incredibly beautiful flowering “balls”.

It is very common for the sale of bags with a mixture of varieties. But, as practice shows, they rarely meet expectations. If you want to get a certain color scheme, it is best to give preference to specific varieties..

Choosing seeds

Now you can find petunia seeds of two types – coated (coated) and clean.

Coated seeds have undeniable advantages. Firstly, they are easy to sow, as they increase significantly in size due to the shell. Secondly, the shell reliably protects seedlings from diseases and damage. The only drawback of pelleted seeds is their high price..

Regular seeds are much cheaper, but their very small size makes planting difficult. Although with the right approach, when using them, you can achieve good germination.

Petunia seeds, like any others, should be bought only from trusted sellers, paying attention to the quality of the packaging and the shelf life. We talked in detail about the basic rules for purchasing seeds in the article “How to choose and buy seeds”.

When to sow petunia seeds

The timing of sowing seeds for seedlings will depend on when you want to get flowering bushes. You can sow seeds from mid-January to the end of March. It should be borne in mind that almost all modern varieties of this flower begin to bloom after about 2 (for early varieties) or 3 (for later) months after the appearance of the first shoots. Thus, the petunia sown in mid-March will bloom by the end of May – mid-June..

It is worth planting petunia seeds in January only if it is possible to provide the seedlings with good lighting, that is, lighting will be required.

Preparation of containers and substrate

For growing petunia seedlings, it is necessary to use a loose, light-textured nutrient substrate of neutral acidity.

Experienced gardeners sow seeds in a mixture of soil and hydrogel. In this case, the hydrogel is not soaked in water, but in a solution of fertilizer for petunias. This method of preparing the substrate provides the seedlings not only with the necessary moisture, but also additional nutrition..

It is most convenient to grow seedlings in food containers with transparent lids, which will function as mini-greenhouses. They are easy to ventilate, and the transparent lid will let in a sufficient amount of light – seedlings in such a container will feel very comfortable.

Sowing seeds

Seed correctly is a very important step to success in growing petunia seedlings. The containers are filled with a substrate so that 2-3 centimeters remain to the edge of the container. After that, the soil mixture is well moistened and slightly compacted.

Seeds are sown on the surface of the soil, they cannot be sprinkled with soil on top in any case – they will not germinate.

Petunia seeds are very small, so it is quite difficult to plant them correctly. Experienced gardeners recommend using toothpicks for this. The sharp tip of a toothpick picks up a microscopic seed and is transferred to the surface of the substrate in a container.

It is almost impossible to see a small dark seed on the surface of the soil mixture. You can use a second toothpick to mark the spot where the seeds have already been placed. This simple method will help you plant evenly. Some sow petunia seeds in the snow, on the surface of which they are easily distinguishable..

After that, the crops should be well moistened with water using a spray bottle, covered with a lid or transparent plastic wrap, and placed in a warm, bright place. From time to time, the crops should be ventilated so that condensation does not accumulate, and also carefully monitor the moisture content of the substrate..

Video: planting petunia seeds

Seedling care

If everything is in order and the seeds are of good quality, seedlings will appear together in 14-16 days. If this did not happen, then it makes no sense to wait further. The seeds can, of course, germinate in a month, but the seedlings will be too weakened to get the desired result from them. If time and money permits, it is best to re-plant the seeds..

To obtain healthy, strong seedlings, it is very important to observe the temperature regime. Before the shoots appear, the containers are kept at a temperature of 23-25 ​​degrees. Then the temperature is gradually reduced to 16-18 degrees.

After the seedlings have several leaves, it will be necessary to make a pick, carefully seating each in a separate container.

The petunia has a branched root system, so the picking container should be large enough to get healthy seedlings. You can first transplant the seedlings into small cups, then (after a month) – in a larger container. And you can dive straight into a bulky container, although this is not very convenient.

Petunia picking on video

Water the seedlings with water at room temperature very carefully so as not to fall on the leaves. It should be remembered that petunia does not like drying out, but an excess of moisture is also harmful – dangerous diseases can develop.

Seedlings should be fed every three weeks with any complex fertilizers for flowers..

In order for the bush to turn out to be compact and branched, the growing shoots need to be pinched (this applies to cascading and bush varieties). You should not do this with ampel varieties, since they will still branch weakly, preferring to grow long shoots.

The grown seedlings are planted in flower beds, flowerpots or pots after a steady heat is established and there is no danger of night frosts.