Features of growing plants at home in winter: how to save petunia until next summer?

Petunia is a perennial plant that grows in the tropics of South America.
There are more than twenty-five species of petunias. Some are very different from each other. Plant hybrids are grown in the garden or in pots on the balcony.

The flowers are unpretentious, easily take root in the soil at home and grow quickly even in winter in the apartment. Large bright petunia flowers attract gardeners who adorn the garden or terrace with their lush flowering throughout the season. And the most important thing is to plant and grow this flower is not difficult.

Features of growth in the cold

Petunia blooms from early spring to mid-autumn. In winter, it does not bloom even in the apartment. But the petunia can be kept at home in the winter until the summer of next year, growing it in an apartment on the windowsill, so that in spring the flower again delights with its beauty.

Petunia is a thermophilic plant. To grow it in an apartment, you need:

• good lighting;
• suitable air temperature;
• plentiful watering.

Flower content

Petunia should be prepared for wintering. To this end, with the onset of autumn is necessary:

1. Select the strongest and most healthy bushes.
2. Carefully dig them out of the flowerbed and throw them into a pot filled with a mixture of soil and compost. This will give a good nourishment to the flower.

If frost is not expected, then the first couple of days after transplantation, let the flowers stand on the street. This will reduce plant stress. After that, they must be transferred to the house.

The air temperature should be +10 - +15. Flowers can be stored on the glazed balcony. Even if the temperature gets lower, it will not affect the plants. Only the thermometer mark should not be lower than +2. Watering petunias in winter is necessary a couple of times a month.

All dry and spoiled leaves of the flower should be cut off. This is done with sharp scissors so as not to touch healthy foliage and stems.

How to protect the plant?

There are two ways to store petunias in winter:

• In the form of uterine plants.
• In the form of cuttings.

Cherenkov method

1. Before the cold weather, transplant the flower into a pot and bring it into the house.
2. Cut rotten or dry leaves.
3. You can trim all the stems, leaving 10-15 cm.

Storage Rules:

• no fertilizer;
• bright lighting;
• wet air;
• suitable temperature;
• watering no more than 2-3 times a month.

Such conditions are favorable for petunias in winter. They tolerate winter well and already in February begin to bloom. When the plant blooms, you can start to water it more often and gradually introduce fertilizer.

How does this happen?

1. With the onset of March, cuttings are cut from the flower. They should be green, up to 10 cm long.
2. It is better to cut off the leaves growing from below, so that the stem is bare. It is very necessary that a pair of internodes remain on it. On top of the handle you need to leave a couple of leaves.

   Cuttings are planted in loose soil, it is possible with baking powder. Peat and vermiculite are suitable for their rooting.

3. The stem falls into the loose, damp earth.
4. A “greenhouse” is installed above it to maintain high humidity around the cuttings. In this case, you can use a plastic cup or glass jar.
5. So that the stalk is not covered with mold, it needs to be aired every day.

Young sprouts sprout for two weeks. Rooting was successful.

1. The vapor barrier is removed.
2. Cuttings continue to grow. They must be watered, fertilized and sprayed.
3. Pinching can be done above the upper leaves so that the plant shrubs.
4. In the spring, when the air temperature becomes stable (+100 and above), fortified cuttings are planted in gardens or in flowerpots on the balcony.
Important: Holes for ventilation are made in the bottom of the greenhouse glass.

Option to protect the mother liquor

To preserve the mother liquor of petunias in the winter, you need high humidity and coolness. In an apartment, even with a glazed veranda, it is difficult to create a suitable climate.

Rooted cuttings are more likely to survive in an apartment than an adult flower. They do not need special care and special conditions. In addition, cuttings planted in cups do not take up much space.

In early September, adult petunia must be cut. At this time, the flower propagates freely by cuttings, because it still has vital processes in it. A week and a half after planting, the plants take root.

1. Cuttings are cut from a flower 10 cm in size, planted in a plastic vessel and covered with a "greenhouse" on top.
2. Then the container is transferred to a cool, but bright place - for example, a window sill.
3. To increase humidity, a can of water is placed near the plants.

Remember that caring for young sprouts in the winter is no different from simply caring for houseplants.

Care Rules

• Abundant watering.
• High moisture content in the soil.
• Exclusion of all fertilizers.
• Frequent water irrigation.

For more information on the intricacies of petunia care, click here.

What to do in the spring?

By the beginning of the spring season, cuttings are formed into small bushes that need to be transplanted into the ground on the street or in a pot. It is allowed to cut plants again and grow the required number of flowers.

The main advantages of storage

• Bushes begin to bloom early. An adult flower or a stalk grown from it will bloom from mid to late February. This is possible even in the coldest regions in the north.
• Getting adult seedlings is very simple. To do this, you do not need to sow seeds and grow sprouts. Planted cuttings after two weeks will bloom.

Interesting information

1. Petunia refers to nightshade. This means potatoes and tomatoes are related to the flower.
2. The name of the flower in the translation from the Brazilian language "petun" means "tobacco". For a long time, the plant was considered a close relative of tobacco and plants were assigned to the same genus.
3. In 1921, an asteroid was named after a flower.
4. The color of the flower is possible almost any. From plain to spots, dots and strokes. Petals also come in various shapes: smooth, corrugated, and with fringe.
5. Terry petunias have no seeds. They cannot tie seeds, as the ovary turns into petals.
6. The birthplace of petunias is Uruguay.

To save petunia in the winter is not at all difficult if you adhere to certain rules. Performing them, you can get not only beautiful flowers, but also high-quality planting material.

Watch the video: Next Time Grow Petunia Double !!! (May 2024).