Autumn frosts are not a reason to part with flowers. You can save your favorite petunias in winter even in an apartment, and spend the money saved in the spring to increase the collection.
Winter is approaching inexorably. But I really want to extend the life of my favorite flowers. In the case of petunia, this is quite possible.
You can try to keep an adult plant or grow a young one and leave it to winter. If the petunia will spend the winter in an apartment, it is more advisable to work with young plants. They more easily adapt to unfavorable winter conditions: lack of light, and, accordingly, nutrition. But in the presence of a heated greenhouse, winter garden, you can try to preserve an adult plant.
How to keep a mature plant
For the wintering of an adult plant, the following conditions must be created. A bright, heated room with an air temperature of 10-15 degrees Celsius. Under such conditions, petunia slows down metabolic processes, does not stretch, and retains strength.
If the room is not very light and hot, the petunia will begin to actively vegetate. The lack of light has a strong impact on the health of the plant. Branches are stretched, immunity falls. Plants are often affected by fungal diseases.
Many growers successfully keep their favorite varieties in a heated greenhouse. Flowers are brought into a protected area before the first frost. Before transferring the petunia to the winter, cut off the old, stiff shoots. The buds and ovaries of seeds will be removed from the rest.
Be sure to treat the flowers with fungicides to prevent the occurrence of fungal diseases.
How to keep a young plant
To keep the variety you like, you can germinate cuttings from any variety of petunias. When stored in winter, they will take up much less space than adult plants grown in a large pot. When grown in a narrow container, the plants grow very tiny, as the root system has nowhere to grow. In the spring, cuttings are removed from them and grown as usual. Flowers grow to the usual size for the variety.
Simple varieties are best rooted, worse calibrachoa and terry petunias. Cuttings are chosen necessarily green, stiff shoots are not suitable for germination. Pour soil into a container up to 100 ml in size, moisten. Place petunia in it and cover it with transparent material. It is convenient to use plastic cups for this.
Modern mini-plates are the most comfortable option. A small collection can be placed in a greenhouse with 18 cells. It takes up less than half of the window sill.
You can mix up to 6 - 7 cuttings in one container. Usually, 2 - 3 of them will take root, if more have sprouted, plant in other containers.
Plants are watered as needed, no more than once a week. For prophylaxis, they are sprayed with fungicides once a month.
In mid-January, additional lighting is turned on. Daylight hours for petunias are extended to 12 hours. Young shoots grow up to the beginning of February. In February, cuttings are cut according to the above scheme. But they must be supplemented to make growth more active.
Further care does not differ from the usual growing of seedlings. Petunias sprouting from cuttings bloom 2-4 weeks earlier than those grown from seeds.
Try this method, and you will keep your favorite varieties of petunias not only for the next season, but much longer.
