Content
- Floral gem for the imaginative garden design - the petunia
- Plant petunia properly
- care Tips
- Which location is suitable?
- The right planting distance
- Which soil does the plant need?
- When is flowering time?
- Cut petunia properly
- Pour petunia
- Fertilize petunia properly
- Diseases
- overwinter
- Multiply petunia
- Petunia in the pot
- Is petunia poisonous?
- Beautiful varieties
The petunia delights with a strong, long-lasting bloom
Floral gem for the imaginative garden design - the petunia
With lush flower towers in the bed and cascades of colorful funnel blossoms on the balcony, the petunia takes over other summer flowers. Do you have any questions about cultivating the enchanting Petunia? Then read field-proven answers to frequently asked questions that shed light on all relevant aspects.
Plant petunia properly
From mid-May, plant the frost-sensitive petunia in the bed in a sunny, sheltered location. The potted young plants may first soak in a pot of soft water. Meanwhile, in humus-loose and nutrient-rich soil at a distance of 20-25 cm small pits from. In the middle you put a puffed petunia. Before you fill the planting hole with soil, mix it with foliage compost and horn shavings for a vital start. At the end, pour in rain or decalcified tap water and spread out a mulch layer.
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care Tips
There is no turning and turning - a splendidly blooming petunia requires daily your horticultural attention. This is especially true during flowering. With this maintenance program you fulfill all requirements:
Her floral gems in the pot and balcony box are far too good to be thrown at the compost in the fall. Instead, cut the shoots back down to 15 cm. Carry the planters in a bright room with temperatures between 5-10 degrees Celsius. Here, petunias come through the cold season healthy, when they are occasionally poured with lime-free water.
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Which location is suitable?
Give your petunia a full sun and warm location, show the summer flowers in top form. Primarily, the location should be protected from heavy winds and pattering rain. The South American flower beauty has nothing to oppose the rigors of Central European weather and clearly loses its abundance of flowers at low-light and exposed locations. If you combine a sun-drenched, nutrient-rich, well-drained, fresh soil with neutral to slightly acidic pH, your favorite flower will be completely happy.
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The right planting distance
Plant the tightly erect flower towers in the bed at a distance of 20-25 cm. The small-sized Nana species and varieties are satisfied with a distance of 15-20 cm. So that the mighty hanging petunias in the balcony box can develop the longed for flowering cascades, a planting distance of 15-20 cm has proven itself.
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Which soil does the plant need?
In every good garden soil the petunia finds the desired conditions. Ideally, the soil is nutrient-rich, humus-free, fresh-moist and with good water extraction. A neutral to slightly acidic pH value is welcome, because limescale is a rare source of exotic flowers. For cultivation in pots and balcony boxes, we recommend a commercial petunia soil, which is exactly tailored to the specific needs of the exotic nightshade family.
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When is flowering time?
At the right location and with loving care, the petunia blooms without ceasing from May to November. Consistent felling of withered flowers makes an important contribution to maintaining the lavish flowering flora over this long period of time. Although able breeders have already achieved some self-cleaning varieties, the majority of summer flowers require this indispensable care measure.
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Cut petunia properly
If possible, do not hack your petunia with scissors during growth and flowering. The exotic flower beauties would rather unfold undisturbed. Wilted flowers are much easier to clean out with your fingers anyway and do not cause any wounds on the plant. If the hibernation is on the plan, cut the long tendrils and shoots back to 20 cm just before adding them.
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Pour petunia
The beautiful sunbathers need plenty of water. Once the surface of substrate or beet has dried, pour directly onto the root disc from the canula. Use only soft rainwater or decalcified tap water. During warm summer days, daily watering in the early morning and again in the evenings may be required, especially in the balcony box.
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Fertilize petunia properly
An opulent abundance of flowers is not least based on a balanced nutrient balance. Fertilize petunias weekly from May to the end of flowering time with a phosphorus-enhanced liquid fertilizer, as this nutrient stimulates flower growth explicitly. Furthermore, the specialized trade offers special petunia fertilizer, the composition of which takes into account the increased demand for iron, which of course has its price. As long as you consistently use soft irrigation water, additional amounts of iron are a waste in any case. Conversely, if the calcium content in the soil accumulates because you are using hard tap water, the vital iron will no longer enter the plant pathways. In this case, you can not get around the gift of additional fertilizer. Where there is access to acid leaf compost, fertilize garden petunia every 8-14 days with this organic fertilizer. It is important to note that any fertilizer is applied to soil previously soaked in clear water.
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Diseases
Petunia is one of the preferred victims of fungal infections due to its dense flower and foliage. This is especially true during hot, humid summer days, when the foliage can not dry. First and foremost, real and downy mildew are on hand to coat the plants with a floury-white coating on the undersides and tops of the leaves. At the first sign, cut out all infected parts of the plant and dispose of them in the household waste. Then add 125 milliliters of fresh milk (no H-milk) to 1 liter of lime-free water. Spray this mixture on the affected plants until no symptoms appear.
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overwinter
By nature, petunias have the life force for several years of cultivation. Since the South American nightshade plants tolerate no frost, this project succeeds only with the help of an adequate winter quarters. How to do it right:
Do not water during hibernation and do not give fertilizer. From April onwards, your floral winter guests will gradually get used to more light and higher temperatures. Balcony petunias can now be repotted in fresh substrate. The wintered beet petunia will be planted from mid-May.
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Multiply petunia
In the middle of the season you can easily get more petunia with cuttings. To do this, cut off flowering head cuttings just below a leaf nodule or bud and remove the lower leaves. In small pots with lean growing substrate the shoots root in a short time and can be planted out. To breed a variety of young Petunia, sowing has proven itself. After this short instruction you proceed correctly:
At the end of February / beginning of March sow the fine seeds and press the light germs only on the moist substrate. At 20-23 degrees Celsius, the seeds germinate within 2-3 weeks on the partially shaded windowsill. Keep the sowing constantly moist with lime-free water at room temperature.
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Petunia in the pot
It is primarily the taut upright petunias that transform the sunny balcony and the light-filled terrace into a summery flower fairy tale in a pot. As a substrate, we recommend a special petunia soil, which contains all the important ingredients for a long flowering period. First put a piece of pottery over the water drain before filling the substrate. To nurse Petunia in the pot with expertise:
At the end of the season, a withered petunia is not necessarily to be seen; nevertheless, the plant has the potential of perennial cultivation. Do not throw away your most beautiful specimens. Instead, cut the shoots down to 15 cm and overwinter the flower in a bright location at 5-10 degrees Celsius. Only water so much that the root ball does not dry out. From October to March do not give fertilizer. In the spring you pot the flowers and gradually get used to sunlight and higher temperatures.
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Is petunia poisonous?
The botanical classification of the nightshade family makes us sit up and take notice. In fact, the petunia is also one of the poisonous plants, but at a low level. A deliberate and unintentional consumption of leaves, flowers and seeds causes unpleasant scratching in the throat to nausea and vomiting. This is true for both children and pets, so in case of doubt, petunias should be out of their reach.
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