Growing petunias on the site - the basic rules

Petunia flowers impress with their bright colors, and the plant itself very easily adapts to various weather conditions and soil conditions. To us, this exotic flower was brought back in the eighteenth century from South America. Due to their vitality, petunias have become the favorite colors of many florists, as they start to blossom in the early summer, and the last flowers disappear only with the first frosts. But in Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina, this plant can also be found in the wild, where it can rise by ten meters.

How to grow a beautiful petunia and take care of her

Planting flowers should be done taking into account the plant's predilections for weather conditions and soil. The basic requirements are good lighting and warmth. Therefore, it is better to find an open site, which will be illuminated by the sun all day.

For a bed of flowers with petunias, any fertile soil is suitable, but in a sour soil it is necessary to add a little lime and a complex fertilizer. The best compost or compost is suitable for dressing the soil. Avoid fresh manure as fertilizer, as it can lead to the development of fungal diseases.

Petunias perfectly tolerate drought, and their root system, which passes under the upper layers of the soil, perfectly absorbs even the smallest amount of moisture. However, if the summer is very dry, a flower bed with these flowers still have to be watered. But try to pour the liquid on the roots of the plant and in no case from above.

Prolonged rains will not destroy flowers, but large drops will break through the gentle petals, and the plant will look slightly shabby. Excess of moisture will lead to the fact that petunia will simply cease to bloom.

To constantly monitor the flowering of petunia, care and regular supplementation are required. For the first time, add potash fertilizers a week after planting. In the future, it is better to repeat the procedure once in ten days.

Reproduction and transplantation

Traditionally, petunias are propagated by seeds, but for the varieties with double flowers use the method of propagation.

Reproduction by seeds

1. The first seeds can be sown already in March, but if there is an opportunity to provide additional lighting to plants, then the first planting is done even in February.
2. The soil for germination of seeds must be loose and light. In addition, try to maximally moisten the soil, and after applying the seeds cover it with glass.
3. The glass is removed when the first leaves appear at the shoots. If you notice signs of disease, sprinkle plants with sand and reduce watering.
4. Planting seedlings in the open ground is carried out after the termination of frost. Petunia is well established in a new place, but it must be transplanted neatly, so as not to damage the tender stems.
5. Cuttings of terry varieties of petunias are kept under good light and temperature at about twelve degrees. Saplings need to be watered and intensively ventilated. When the cuttings are allowed roots, they are transplanted into separate pots for further planting into the open ground.

Diseases and pests

It is believed that petunia is sufficiently resistant to disease, but improper care can still lead to illness.

• radical decay can develop if petunia grows on heavy soil and is too intensively watered. If you notice that the lower part of the stem of the plant has darkened, immediately dig it out and discard it with a part of the earth, and treat the remaining flowers with fungicides.
• powdery mildew appears as a white scurf on leaves and flowers with a too sharp drop in temperature and humidity. The diseased parts of the plant are removed, and all the rest are treated with sulfur.
• pests of aphids, whitefly and spider mites can also sometimes settle on plants and begin to harm them. In this case, all plants must be treated with special insecticides.