Petunia has a huge number of colors and is quite unpretentious. However, before you go to the store and purchase seeds, you need to know when and how to sow petunias for seedlings, as well as how to properly care for the flower.
How to prepare the soil for petunia seedlings
Like any other flower, petunia has certain requirements for the composition of the soil. The first step in growing petunias from seeds is preparing the soil.
The flower prefers loose and nutritious soil. To prepare the land for growing petunias, you need to take equal parts of humus, peat and turf soil. The latter is best spilled with boiling water with potassium permanganate or baked in the oven. This must be done in order to destroy pests.
If preference is given to purchased soil, it should be slightly enriched. To do this, add 5 liters of finished soil:
1) a can of 0.5 liters of ash;
2) 250 grams of perlite;
3) 1 tablespoon of potassium-rich fertilizer.
Thanks to the ash, the soil will not sour. Perlite, on the other hand, will prevent caking and keep the soil loose.
Containers for growing seedlings of petunias from seeds
For planting petunias, you need to choose a suitable container. These can be plastic cups for yogurt or sour cream, special containers bought at the store. Now you can even find miniature greenhouses there, which will create the necessary microclimate for seedlings.
You can sow petunias for seedlings in peat tablets. As soon as the seedlings grow up, together with the pill, they are transplanted into larger pots, adding a nutritious substrate.
Holes must be made at the bottom of the pan. Then expanded clay or pieces of foam are laid in a layer of 1-2 centimeters. This is necessary so that the liquid does not stagnate. We fill in the earth, not reaching the edge of the dish about 1 centimeter.
How to sow petunias for seedlings correctly
In no case should petunia seeds be buried deep in the ground. Otherwise, they simply won't sprout. Otherwise, planting petunias for seedlings is simple - modern seeds practically do not require any preparation, such as soaking.
The seeds are scattered on the ground (the usual planting pattern is 15 by 15 cm) and sprayed with water. You cannot water - a strong stream of water will simply deepen the seed inside and it will not germinate. As soon as shoots appear (after 10-12 days), watering can be done with a watering can, or a nursery.
To accelerate the emergence of seedlings, you can cover the container with foil. If the seedlings are in a place where there may be drafts, it is imperative to cover the petunia. The germination temperature should be about 20-25 degrees, 17-18 is enough for seedlings.
Petunia seedlings also love light - if there is not enough natural light, backlight is used. You can use special phyto-lamps or ordinary fluorescent bulbs.
How to care for petunia seedlings
In the first 2, 5 weeks, the flower will actively develop the root system. And only then the development of stems and leaves will begin. As soon as 4 leaves appear at the seedlings, it is necessary to dive and transplant the seedlings into prepared pots.
Fertilize petunia at least once every 2 weeks. Moreover, it is not necessary to do this by chemical means. For example, a banana peel infusion is great for flower growth. It's easy to make - the peel of 1 banana is crushed and filled with 3 liters of boiling water. We cover the container with a lid and let it brew in a dark place.
Another option is to add a drop of succinic acid to the water for irrigation, which can be purchased at the pharmacy. This drug is included in many fertilizers.
The enemy of the plant is dry earth. Petunia loves watering, don't forget about it.
When can you plant petunias for seedlings
The main question that interests almost all novice florists is when to sow petunia.
It is necessary to sow petunias for seedlings no earlier than mid-March. A sufficient amount of light and warmth is important for the flower. It is best to plant ampel petunias early - after all, it takes more time for a flower to grow a sufficient amount of greenery. As for the small-flowered species, they bloom much earlier than others, so you can postpone their planting until the end of March - early April.
It is obvious that planting petunias for seedlings and growing them from seeds is not very difficult. If you follow the rules, then in June the plant will present with bright flowers that will delight you for a long time.
