Petunia

• Admin
• August 28, 2024

There is hardly a person who does not know the petunia. We can definitely say that it is the queen in our garden paradise, because its beauty is unearthly and incomparable to any other flower. Let's trace its origin in more detail:

Petunia is an annual or perennial plant from the potato family. The homeland of this flower is Brazil, where the name "petun" comes from. Of course, when something is beautiful, everyone wants to own it even more than 2 centuries ago the petunia was brought and cultivated in Europe as well. Petun means tobacco, because of the similarity in the leaves of the two plants. If you have never seen a petunia, you can recognize it by the large and saturated flowers in the shape of a funnel. The stem of the petunia is bushy and highly branched with leaves resembling tobacco leaves (green and mossy). The height varies according to the different species, but it is most often around 10-60 cm.

I will not open the topic of the types of petunias, because there are so many of them that I would not have enough time to describe them all. There are short varieties and ones that are taller. You can also choose between cascading or not. A matter of taste and preference.

Does this plant like shade? The answer is not quite. We have already said that the petunia originates from South America, where it is sunny and very warm, so it can easily cope with the heat and the sun. Of course, the climate in Europe is not quite to the taste of this flower, so annual petunias are most often found here. If you still place the petunia in the shade, it will not die, but it will not show its full potential either. A mandatory rule is that the petunia should not be placed in a place where there is a lot of wind. However, she is neat and wants her "hair" to always be shiny. However, she is extremely capricious about the soil. The soil should be extremely well drained otherwise it will not survive long.

What care should we take for petunias? Of course, the petunia loves water more than other flowers, and presumably during the hottest months of the year. Then you need to water your flower at least twice a day. During the rest of the year, it is enough to water every day or two. However, if you notice that the leaves are yellow, water every 3 days, being careful not to wet the flowers, since they do not like water and any contact with it would be harmful for them. If you want to feed adult petunias, there are enough liquid fertilizers enriched with iron and potassium in stores. You can also feed younger plants, but this should be done before the flower buds have burst, as you can prevent their development. In general, this is the work you need to do if you decide to buy a petunia already grown. However, if you decide to grow it yourself from seed, then read the article to the end.

Planting petunia. Planting should usually take place in January or February, as it will take at least 3 months until it is time to sow in pots or in the garden. First of all, it is extremely important to choose quality seed, so don't jump at the first packet you come across which has painted petunias. Good varieties are usually not sold in grocery stores and certainly cost more than 1 euro. Buy seeds from safe and reliable sources, such as agro-pharmacies or other specialized flower shops. After you have taken your favorite petunia variety, it is time to prepare the soil. You can buy one from a special store or take a finger from the garden if it has good indicators. Then comes the turn of the "cribs" for the little babies. You can find shallow plastic cartridges with many slots in them. Before you start filling with soil, however, you must ensure good drainage of each nest by placing small pebbles at the bottom. Then you pour pre-moistened soil almost to the top of the nest, but almost, because it's time to put the seeds in their nests. Use tweezers or a cotton bud and carefully place one seed in each compartment on top of the already filled nests with the moist soil. When you are done with this task sprinkle gently with dry soil until the seeds are covered.

Seedling care. After you have planted the future beauties, it is good to cover the plate with nylon to keep the moisture as much as possible until the seeds germinate. The first few days it is highly recommended to provide more time light and warmth to the small petunias, as this will help their proper development. The temperature surrounding them should be 23-24 degrees and after germination it is good to strengthen them by lowering the daytime temperatures by 5 degrees and at night leaving them at a temperature of no more than 15 degrees. With any major deviation from these degrees, you risk ruining your entire seedling and your efforts going to waste. Be careful with the watering so that the small flowers do not rot. In the beginning, spray water once a day using a spray, and after the seeds have germinated, you can increase the watering to 2 times a day. And so until they proudly take their place in pots on the windows or in your beautiful meadow.

Diseases. The leaves and mossy structure of the petunia provide a favorable environment for the development of all kinds of midges. Aphids and whiteflies are only a small part of all the pests that you must get rid of immediately and quickly if you notice them on the surface of the flower. I know it's hard to take your eyes off the colored flowers, but look carefully at the green part of the plant at least once a week. In specialized pharmacies, there are enough preparations that successfully fight against all kinds of diseases and infections. Sometimes you even have to pluck and destroy the infected flowers to save the rest. Don't wait until it's too late, take care of your beautiful petunias, and in return they will delight you and give you their beauty throughout their life.

Seed collection. If you come across a very beautiful petunia that you want to have next year, it is best to collect the seeds from it. Keep in mind that not every petunia produces seed, but if it does, it is hidden in the dried flowers. Tear them off and shake them out on newspaper or paper. Choose a sunny and dry day.We will not talk about the colors because they cannot even be described. You may come across pink, purple, white, red, patterned or even black.