Is it possible to grow a petunia in a pot as a houseplant

Petunia is a perennial herb that has become popular for its beautiful, delicate and large inflorescences. During flowering, there are so many of them that the bush is practically invisible behind them. Adult petunia is unpretentious in care, but its seedlings require increased attention.

Petunia is grown not only in the garden, but also as a houseplant. With proper care, it blooms even in an apartment or on a balcony. How to grow petunia in an apartment from ready-made seedlings or seeds and how to care for it - read on.

Features of growing petunias at home

Is it possible grow petunia at home? Yes, of course, but in order for the plant to bloom, it is important to provide it with optimal conditions.

It is believed that it is more difficult to cultivate petunia at home than in the garden.... This is due to the fact that the plant is demanding for light. In winter and autumn, he will need artificial lighting.

Also the flower does not tolerate stagnant moisture... He starts to get sick and soon dies. It is in the pot that this problem occurs most often.

In this case, the plant needs high humidity.... Dry air is the cause of leaf damage by spider mites and powdery mildew.

In an apartment, petunia blooms no worse than in open ground, but it is not capable of producing beautiful inflorescences all year round. The flower is in "sleeping" mode from mid-November to mid-January or early February. Petunias bloom in comfortable conditions from February to October.

How indoor plants are better to grow bush varieties of petunias... Ampel (with hanging shoots) varieties are more suitable for balconies, hanging planters and vertical slides.

It is interesting! Despite the fact that petunia is a perennial plant, it is grown outdoors as an annual.

Planting petunias at home

Planting petunias is possible in 2 ways - cuttings or seeds... The first option is easier to execute and allows you to wait for flowering faster. In the second case, it will take more time to grow seedlings, but the flower will turn out to be more hardy.

Note! Seeds collected from flowers growing in the garden may differ in color from mother plants.

Selection of soil and capacity

When growing petunias in an apartment, special attention is paid to preparing the soil. The soil should be slightly acidic, loose and nutritious.

For planting, take a universal soil or a special soil mixture for flowers. It is recommended to add a hydrogel to it, which will prevent the rapid evaporation of moisture. Prepare the soil and yourself... To do this, take:

• garden land - 2 parts;
• peat - 2 parts;
• humus - 1 part.

Add 1 tbsp to a bucket of the resulting soil mixture. ash, 1 tbsp. l. superphosphate and 2 tsp. potassium sulfate... All ingredients are mixed. The soil is disinfected by calcining in the oven, pouring with a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate or a product prepared from 1 tbsp. l. copper sulfate and 5 liters of water.

Drainage is needed to plant petunia correctly... They use special glass balls, broken ceramics, crushed bricks, expanded clay, fine gravel, shell rock. Drainage is disinfected in the same way as soil.

The choice of containers depends on the method of planting... The cuttings are rooted immediately in individual cups. Seeds are usually sown in a common container.

It is convenient to use disposable cups for cuttings. or small pots with a volume of 250-400 ml. Seedlings grown from seeds are dived into the same containers.

Seeds are sown in a common container... both special seedling boxes and scrap materials (cake packaging, instant noodles, cut bottles, etc.) are suitable for this.

For one bush of an adult bush petunia, a container with a volume of 3 liters is needed... It is believed that it is better to plant several plants in one container - this way it is easier to create optimal soil moisture and microclimate. A 10 liter container can hold 3 flowers.

Important! The pots must have drainage holes.

Containers are disinfected, soaking for half an hour in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate or pouring boiling water over it.

Convenient to grow petunia in peat tablets... Each seed is sown in an individual tablet. Thanks to this, you will not have to plant seedlings. They are transferred to a permanent place directly in a peat bag.

Peat tablets do not need to be disinfected. They are folded into a deep container with the hole down and poured with boiling water, adding water as it is absorbed. When the tablets turn into "bags", they are taken out of the water, turned upside down and used as directed.

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Growing from seeds

Petunia seeds are bought in a specialized store. They are often found in regular supermarkets as well. If the planting material was processed at the factory and has a shell (this is indicated on the package), it is immediately ready for planting.

If the seeds are collected independently or the manufacturer did not prepare them, this will have to be done at home:

1. Calibration... The seeds are sorted out, cleaned of debris, damaged specimens are thrown away. It is recommended to soak them in salted water for 30-60 minutes. The floating seeds will not sprout.
2. Disinfection... The planting material is soaked in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes.
3. Growth stimulation... The seeds are soaked for 12 hours in a growth stimulator ("Epin", "Solution").

Planting petunia seeds is easy... The main thing is to act according to the instructions:

1. A 1 cm thick drainage layer is poured at the bottom of the box. The rest of the volume is filled with soil. The soil is watered with settled water at room temperature.
2. The seeds are scattered over the surface. They are not covered with earth, but slightly pressed into the ground.
3. The top is again moistened with a spray bottle. The container is covered with foil and placed on the windowsill.

It is best to cover seed boxes with non-woven fabric... In this case, they will not have to be ventilated.

On average, 2 months pass from sowing to the appearance of the first shoots. The optimum temperature during this period is + 25 ... + 26 ° C. After seed germination, the temperature is reduced to + 20 ° C during the day and + 16 ° C at night.

Before sprouting, the soil is moistened with a spray bottle as it dries... The film is opened daily for 10-15 minutes.

When the petunia germinates, the duration of the airing is increased, bringing it to a day. Then the film is removed. Water the plants only at the root.

Seedlings dive after the appearance of 2 true leaves in individual pots... The day before transplanting, the soil is moistened. Plants are removed from the box with a fork, taking care not to damage the roots. Then they are seated in containers filled with drainage and soil. The root collar is not buried.

It is interesting! Some petunia hybrids do not need picking.

In a standing pot 2-3 l deep petunia planted when its roots fill the entire space of a glass or pot.

Rooting and planting cuttings

A faster way to grow petunias at home is by cuttings... Cuttings are sold in markets and nurseries. By cutting off the side shoots from a petunia growing in the garden, they get their own planting material.

Cuttings are cut from the bush so that at least 2 buds remain on them... The mother plant must be healthy, free from blemishes and other signs of disease.

Not recommended before grafting water it for 2-3 days. So the seedlings will take root faster.

Before planting, the cuttings are soaked for 30 minutes... in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate, and then for 5-6 hours in a growth stimulator ("Kornevin"). A 1 cm high drainage layer is poured onto the bottom of disposable cups, and the rest of the volume is filled with soil. The soil is watered with warm, settled water.

At the bottom of the cutting, leaves are cut off so that they do not rot. The stalk is stuck into the ground so that it stands unsupported. Cover the container with a bag or plastic cup.

The seedlings are aired daily, opening the greenhouse for 20-30 minutes... Water them at the root, as the soil dries.

2 weeks after planting, the duration of airing is increased, after which the greenhouse is removed. After a month, the plant is transplanted into an individual container.

Council. Plain water is suitable for rooting the cutting. A liquid at room temperature is poured into a glass and a stalk is placed. Some gardeners add a root stimulant to the water. The water is changed periodically so that it does not stagnate and does not contribute to putrefactive processes. The fact that the cutting has taken root is evidenced by the appearance of shoots in the leaf axils.

Flower care

When grown at home all year round it is important to provide petunias with optimal conditions:

1. Lighting... In the warm season, it is not required to light up the petunia. It is enough to put it on the balcony or south / south-east windowsill. In early spring and in the second half of autumn, seedlings require 16 hours of daylight hours. To make up for the lack of light, phytolamps are used, which are located at a distance of 20 cm from the plantings.
2. Temperature... For an adult petunia, the optimal indicator is + 20 ° C. However, if it is hotter in summer, this will not negatively affect the condition of the plant.
3. Watering... Petunia is watered as the soil dries up with warm, settled water at the root. It is important that the liquid does not get on the leaves. The plant does not like stagnant water. With too much watering, it begins to hurt. The soil is moistened in the morning or evening when the sun is inactive.
4. Top dressing... Once every 2 weeks in summer, spring and autumn, fertilizing is applied containing potassium and phosphorus ("Potassium monophosphate"). Also use a solution of chicken manure, ash, etc.
5. Loosening... After each watering, the soil is loosened. This prevents moisture stagnation and contributes to the destruction of the earth crust.
6. Formation... To stimulate the formation of lateral shoots, the central stem is pinched at the level of 4-6 leaves. If the plant continues to stretch, the pinching is repeated. During flowering, wilted inflorescences are removed.

You need to take care of petunia regularly. If the rules of care are violated, the flower begins to hurt... It is also attacked by various pests, for example, spider mites.

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Wintering petunia in an apartment in a pot

Will petunia grow in a pot at home in winter? Yes, and not only specially grown flowers are kept in the room. This is the easiest way to save the plant for the next year. After wintering in an apartment, it is planted back into open ground or used to obtain cuttings.

Petunia tolerates transplants well... If, with the onset of cold snaps, it is brought into the apartment, it will continue to bloom almost until the end of October.

Rules and process for transplanting petunias from open ground into a pot

To do this, take both ordinary garden soil and the soil mixture that was used for seedlings.To transplant petunia into a pot from open ground, it is dug up along with a lump of earth and transferred to a pot. The free space is covered with soil without deepening the root collar. The plant is watered and brought into the house.

Necessary conditions for the growth of petunias on the windowsill in winter

In the cold season, the plant is dormant., so it's easy to take care of it:

1. Optimum temperature - + 10 ... + 16 ° C. Some gardeners take petunias into the summer kitchen or put them on the coldest windowsill. The plant will not die even at + 2 ° C.
2. High humidity... It is especially important to keep an eye on moisture if the plant is near a radiator.
3. Watering... The frequency of watering in winter is reduced. The soil is moistened 1-2 times a week. The water should be at room temperature. It is important that it does not fall on leaves.
4. Lack of feeding... In winter, petunia does not need feeding.

In winter, the daylight hours of the plant are at least 12 hours... For this, an LED lamp is placed at a distance of 20 cm from the flowers.

To ensure optimal humidity, a humidifier is installed in the room. air. If this is not possible, containers with water are placed near the flower pot, and a damp rag is hung on the battery.

Important! After the petunia has faded, the inflorescences are cut off.

Conclusion

Petunia is equally well suited for growing in the garden, on the balcony and on the windowsill. It is distinguished by abundant and long flowering. This perennial plant in warmth and under optimal conditions will delight with beautiful flowers for up to 9 months.

In an apartment, caring for a petunia is a little more difficult than in an open field. In such conditions, you will have to monitor the temperature, humidity and lighting. In a pot, there is a greater risk of water stagnation, which is considered the main cause of the development of fungal diseases.