What is petunia pruning in mid-summer for and how to carry it out correctly

Petunia is one of the most popular flowering plants. Lush bushes with white, pink, red, purple, spotted flowers are found in city flower beds, personal plots, on the balconies of townspeople. To prolong flowering and rejuvenate the bushes, flower growers prune petunias in mid-summer.

Why prune petunia

Petunia - an unpretentious plant that delights with its lush flowering. To maintain the beauty of flowers in the middle of summer, perform a "haircut". If petunia is left unattended, the plant will begin to stretch, and the flowers will become small and dull.

Petunia pruning is performed at the stage of growing seedlings. To do this, pinch the main branches, which stimulates the formation of lateral stems. The tips of the stems are removed with fingers or scissors, after which the shoots become thicker, and the leaves acquire a rich color. In two weeks, the first buds will appear on the bush, dormant buds are activated and will quickly grow.

Petunia haircut is included in the list of mandatory procedures to give the bushes a neat shape. This method helps to create unusual shapes and change the direction of stem growth. You can give the shape of a ball or descend branches in a beautiful cascade.

Important! The formation of petunias is performed only if the stem was promptly pinned during the growing season.

Pruning the plant correctly will help if the stems are pulled out due to lack of light and improper care. Bush varieties pluck without regret, leaving only 15 cm in length, ampelous cut if desired. After pruning, the plant begins to grow with renewed vigor.

Pruning or pinching is performed exclusively on mature bushes. This stimulates flowering and allows the propagation of petunias by cuttings. 3-4 weeks after the first procedure, the lateral stems are additionally shortened to add volume. Subsequent manipulations are performed as needed, taking into account the condition of the plant.

Terms of the procedure

Pruning is not difficult even for novice growers. The procedure is carried out depending on the stage of plant development. At the beginning of summer, the bushes are actively growing and gaining strength, they look healthy and attractive. At the end of the season, without proper care, the plant can dry out and bloom completely.

The first pinching is performed in early June, after which the petunia gains a green mass, and buds appear on the stems. The second pruning is carried out in July-August in order to form bushes and stimulate flowering.

Summer anti-aging pruning

In summer, flower growers prune petunias in order to rejuvenate the bush, give it a beautiful appearance and stimulate flowering.

For abundant flowering

How to update a plant? In July, the flowering of petunias decreases, and the bushes thin out. To stimulate the appearance of new flowers, pruning is carried out. In the work, they use a garden pruner, scissors or cut off the stems by hand. If you ignore this procedure, the plant will begin to spend all its energy on ripening the seeds. For this, the central stem and lateral processes are shortened.

Reference. It is not recommended to pinch only the tips of the stems, as new branches will grow thin and weak.

The stems are pinched in places where there are almost no flowers left. Four leaves are left on the cut stem. Dry buds are removed by hand or with nail scissors.Experienced growers advise pinch petunia once a month until the end of September.

To form a bush

In August, pruning is performed to restore the plant and lush flowering. The procedure is the same as in July.

As a result of intense flowering, petunia quickly loses strength. For their renewal, the bushes are regularly sprayed and fed once a week.

After flowering, the plant is pruned if the bushes are grown for decorative purposes. If the grower needs seeds, no pruning is done. When regular pinching does not give the expected results and the leaves turn yellow, it is recommended to trim the bushes by one third. The plant is removed from the pot along with an earthen clod and the root system is divided in half. A sharpened knife will do for this.

After dividing the rhizomes, the petunia is transplanted into larger pots, filling them with fresh soil mixture. The containers are transferred to a dark place for a week and watered regularly. For three weeks, the soil is fertilized with nitrogen, then they switch to complex feeding. After such pruning, petunia will resume flowering at the end of August and will delight with new buds until September.

It is interesting:

Description of varieties and features of growing terry petunia

How to grow petunia from seeds at home: sowing seedlings, care, transplanting into open ground

Why is aphid on petunia dangerous and how to effectively deal with it

How to prune

How to prune properly for lush bloom? The procedure is carried out in compliance with a number of rules. To do this, use garden shears or pruners. Tools are pre-disinfected with a strong solution of potassium permanganate or medical alcohol.

Pruning rules

To make the bushes easier to endure pruning and quickly restore vitality, the procedure is performed taking into account the nuances:

• bushes must be strong and healthy, contain at least five large leaves on each stem;
• a container for collecting cuttings is placed in the working area;
• on each stem, remove the top 3-4 cm long;
• the procedure is carried out in the morning or evening when the sun is not so bright.

How to prune a petunia so that it blooms in a lush cascade

In order for petunia to bloom in a lush cascade, it needs to be rejuvenated, adhering to general recommendations. For ampelous varieties, falling thin stems are characteristic, which are cut to half the length. It is important to take into account the fact that if you cut in July, then the plant will no longer have time to grow long lashes.... Therefore, ampelous varieties are pruned as soon as they lose their attractiveness.

The stems of the cascading varieties grow upward. When pruning such petunias, they leave shoots 15 cm long.If only the tops are removed, the petunia will begin to grow in width. This will create interesting flower shapes.

Important! Pruning is done before feeding so that the plant receives additional nutrition and activates lush flowering.

Further care

In order for petunia to continue to delight with lush flowering, experienced flower growers recommend following a number of rules:

1. For intensive growth, the bushes are fertilized with minerals and growth stimulants.
2. In a drought, the plant is watered daily, and in the evening it is sprayed with water from a spray bottle.
3. Withered flowers are removed along with the stem.

Feeding rules:

1. After planting petunias in a permanent place, 5 tsp is introduced into the ground. potassium monophosphate per 10 liters of water. Once a week the plant is fertilized with "Zircon" (1 ampoule per 10 liters of water). To improve flowering, use the drug "Kemira Lux" with micro- and macroelements
2. In mid-July, "Kemira Lux" is added to the soil, mixed with potassium monophosphate and potassium nitrate every five days. For abundant flowering, the bushes are fed with urea (10 g per 10 l of water). Nitrogen stimulates the growth of green mass and ensures lush flowering.
3. In August, the plant is fed "Fertika" and potassium monophosphate every 7 days.

At the end of summer, top dressing is reduced to a minimum.By this time, the bushes will gain strength and will delight with long flowering until the end of the season.

Conclusion

Pruning stems with dry leaves and withered flowers is required regularly, starting in June. Florists pay special attention to pruning petunias in the summer. The first procedure is performed in June, the subsequent ones - in July-August. They use garden shears, secateurs, sharp knives.

The pinching of the stems is done by hand; dry flowers are removed with nail scissors. Any pruning is stress for the plant, therefore, to replenish vitality, the bushes are fed with nitrogen and complex additives. Growth stimulants promote lush flowering and green mass growth. With proper care, petunia will delight in lush color until the end of September.