How to properly pinch petunia for lush flowering. Petunia growing and care pinching

Petunia is an ornamental plant of the nightshade family. It is distinguished by a variety of flower colors, ease of care, and decorativeness. Petunia is native to South America. This is an annual plant with large and bright bell-shaped flowers. It is grown as a decoration for balconies, verandas, and windows.

Petunia leaves are entire and have short petioles. Depending on the variety, they come in different shapes and sizes. The leaves are arranged alternately. The stems are branched and green.

On a note. The color of petunia flowers is very diverse, from white to black. The most popular among gardeners: pink, red, blue, purple shades. Sometimes the flowers have bright, variegated patterns. And the edges of the petals can be either regular or fringed.

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Topping

Pinching petunias means removing the top shoots. It is produced for the purpose of forming a bush so that the petunia blooms beautifully.

When should you do this?

The most appropriate time for the first pinching is after transplanting the seedlings to their permanent place of residence. This can be open ground, a flowerpot or a container (you can learn about the intricacies of growing petunia in open ground).

It is important to meet several conditions here:

1. After transplanting, you need to wait about two weeks for the plant to take root and become a little stronger. The length of the shoots should be approximately 8 cm. If the shoots are too small, it is better to give them the opportunity to grow.
2. You need to make sure that the plant has “gone to the stem”, that is, a period of rapid growth has begun. If this does not happen, then you need to wait some more time.
3. Be sure to give petunia root fertilizers and spray them as needed.
4. Repeated pinching can be done after about a month. It is repeated pinching that promotes gorgeous and abundant flowering.

If the plant is not pinched it will continue to grow. That is, there will be abundant growth of green mass. Moreover, the growth will go in one branch. The shoots will become long and ugly, resembling whips. In this case, flowering will be sparse. Therefore, pinching can be called a mandatory procedure.

Important! Only healthy plants can be pinched! If the flower looks unhealthy, is not strong enough or has not grown, then it is better to refrain from the procedure.

Many people wonder how to do pinching correctly, and especially over which leaf. For the procedure to be successful, several rules must be followed:

After pinching, growth may slow down slightly. And flowering will move back a little in time.

Growing and care after pinching:

1. Regular and correct. This is one of the most important conditions. It provides both abundant flowering and the growth of green mass. This requires fertilizers containing nitrogen. You can use formulations containing equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, or with a predominance of nitrogen. It is nitrogen that promotes the growth of green mass.
2. To ensure abundant flowering you need to fertilize the flower with compounds containing potassium and phosphorus. The best option is “Bona Forte” and “Garden of Miracles”. The main thing is to remember the correct ratio of trace elements (NPK). Most often, liquid formulations are used for feeding. Less often - dry. But there is another type of fertilizer - long-lasting. They are usually available in granules.

   Such fertilizers are applied to the soil before planting. And then, when watered, they gradually dissolve and release beneficial substances to the soil. It is enough to add them to the ground once, and they will feed the plant all season. But there is one serious drawback - the grower cannot control the saturation of plants with fertilizers. Therefore, the use of long-lasting compositions can lead to disastrous consequences.

3. In addition to root feeding, the flower requires foliar feeding. This procedure is carried out by spraying the flower with fertilizer dissolved in water. This is done using a spray bottle. So necessary substances (vitamins, microelements, amino acids) enter the plant’s body through the stem and leaves.
4. Correct and spraying. Petunia loves abundant, but not excessive watering. It is advisable to water it in the morning and evening. In this case, the water can be slightly acidified. If the weather is hot, the plant needs regular spraying.
5. Temperature conditions. This will promote the formation of side shoots, as well as prevent growth into one branch. In order for the plant to have a beautiful appearance, in addition to pinching, it requires high temperatures during the day and low temperatures at night. The optimal option is 15-18 degrees during the day and 5-10 at night.

Thanks to the efforts of breeders, petunias are becoming increasingly popular. They bloom in all sorts of colors for a long time, delighting others.

Fans of decorative floriculture use petunias to decorate flower beds, balconies, and gazebos. Growing them is not particularly difficult. But still, it has its secrets and tricks. Much comes with experience, but there are rules that both professionals and amateurs must follow. In order to fully enjoy the beauty of the plant, you need to know how to pinch petunia correctly.

The essence of the method

Do not be afraid when it is necessary to carry out certain manipulations with plants. There's nothing complicated about it. So, how to pinch petunia? Using scissors or your fingers, remove the top of the stem. This leads to thickening of the remaining shoot. Many plants require this procedure, including some varieties of petunias.

Amateur gardeners often refer to pinching as pinching. Essentially, these are similar procedures. Only pinching is carried out with seedlings, and grown plants require pinching. What are the benefits of the procedure for petunia? Isn't this dangerous for the flower?

What is the benefit

In order to answer the question: “Is it necessary to pinch petunia?”, it is enough to explain what this method provides. As a result, the buds on the shortened shoots swell and the leaves acquire a more saturated tone. Over time, new stems with flowers will appear on the plant. Then the petunia will take on a lush and delightful appearance. If the procedure is not carried out, the plant will stretch upward and produce few flowers.

First pinching (pinching)

First, let's look at information about pinching. It is carried out with young seedlings that grow in separate pots.

It is important to carry out the first pinching before the end of the growing season. It is performed according to certain rules. So, the best time is considered to be the period when the seedling has developed five to six leaves. If you miss this moment, the seedlings will stretch out and the bush will not take on a spherical shape.

During pinching, the central growth bud is cut out using nail scissors. The operation requires certain skills and knowledge, so amateurs prefer not to perform it. If the grower's fingers are thin enough, you can do without scissors. The plant does not have coarse fibers, so the shoots tear off quite easily.

Here's how easy it is to pinch petunias at the seedling stage. After this, the cut of the plant should be sprinkled with crushed activated carbon or wood ash. You can also treat the flower with a growth stimulator. The seedlings will slow down their growth, but there is no need to worry. The plant receives a new growth point, from which several shoots will appear at once. It will gain strength and delight you with its chic appearance.

Repeated procedure

Once the plant is planted in the ground, it can be pinched again. You need to wait until it accepts and begins to grow. This usually takes several weeks. How to pinch petunia in the garden?

To form a compact bush, you need to leave four to five internodes on the central stem. The upper part of the shoot is removed with scissors. This will stop the growth of the petunia. To help it return to growth faster, you can feed it with complex mineral fertilizers. Spraying with copper or molybdenum fertilizer will also have a beneficial effect on the development of petunia. It will also protect flowers from fungal diseases. However, the procedure does not end there.

After one or two weeks, the plant will get stronger and it will be necessary to shorten its side shoots. To make the information more clear, it is worth watching the proposed video, which will replace the step-by-step photos on how to pinch petunia.

Experts advise choosing the thickened part of the shoot for shortening. Due to the fact that several branches will appear on it at once, it must be strong enough to support them. If the shoot is too thin, it will bend or break under the weight of the new stems. In this case, you need practice, which will certainly appear over time.

Flowering after pinching

After the procedure, you will have to mentally push back the moment of flowering by two weeks. However, instead of one flower, many buds will appear. And their size will be larger.

It is not enough to know how to pinch petunia. In order for the shrub to remain dense and blooming, it is necessary to promptly remove wilted flowers. To do this, they are pinched off along with the peduncle. If seeds form, they will take away some of the plant's strength. Then the flowering will not be so abundant.

Pinching and propagation

Now it becomes clear how to pinch petunia for abundant flowering. However, it is worth mentioning another benefit of this procedure. Thus, cut stems are used as excellent planting material. It is enough to root the shoots. Over time, they will delight practical garden owners with their blooms. How to do this?

To do this, you need to deepen them into a container with a mineral component called vermiculite. It contains many growth elements including potassium and magnesium. The substance is organic because it is taken from the earth’s crust, so you don’t have to worry about its environmental friendliness. Vermiculite must be pre-moistened. The cuttings should be cleared of leaves, saving only the top couple. The stem must be deepened into the mineral substance up to these leaves. Then it is covered with a translucent cap, for example a cut plastic bottle. The moisture will not evaporate abruptly. The cuttings take root quite quickly - in seven to ten days.

In this way, at the same time as pinching, you can propagate your favorite petunias. New plants will bloom several weeks later than the mother plants. You can keep them for yourself or give them to another petunia lover.

Alternative to pinching

When it became clear how to properly pinch petunia for abundant flowering, it is difficult to imagine using this method for commercial purposes. It is unlikely that a gardener will spend a lot of time manually processing several hundred seedlings. For this purpose, preparations have long been developed that prevent the stretching of young plants. They also stimulate the development of lateral stems.

Interestingly, hybrid and elite varieties of petunia usually do not require pinching. Even as seedlings, they are treated with special substances that promote abundant growth and flowering. But if there is not enough light for the flower, or the air temperature is below normal, it can grow. In this case, you cannot do without pruning.

Pinching, especially for amateur varieties, is as important a procedure for plant development as planting seeds and picking. Frivolity in this matter is unacceptable. If everything is done correctly and in a timely manner, you can enjoy abundantly blooming petunias. They definitely won't be worse than those we see on magazine pages.

Not only the beauty of flowers and the duration of flowering attracts petunia flower growers. It easily adapts to different care conditions and requires simple agricultural technology. It is enough to follow the watering regime and periodically feed it to get a lush flowering bush in your area. You can grow it from cuttings you collected yourself or from purchased seedlings. But it is much easier to purchase plant seeds.

Ampelous petunia: description of the plant

Petunia is readily used for growing in the garden, in flower beds, and decorating balconies and verandas. It has the most varied colors of flowers, which can bloom no larger than a coin or reach 9–10 cm in diameter. All this diversity is divided into two main groups: erect and ampelous petunias. The length of the shoots of erect plants reaches 70 cm, but after being pulled up they gradually fall to the ground. Such varieties are often taken for planting in flower beds.

The latter are characterized by long hanging shoots, which are used as living decoration. In some varieties, the length of the loops reaches one and a half meters. Petunia is grown in flower pots, baskets, and boxes. Sometimes it is used as a ground cover in the garden, on alpine hills, and used in flower cascades.

Some experts identify another group of petunias - semi-ampel. It grows as a lush bush with shoots no more than 40 cm and is used mainly as a houseplant.

Did you know?Petunia belongs to the genus of subshrubs and herbaceous perennials of the Solanaceae family. Its natural habitat is the tropics of Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Argentina, and Brazil. Actually, the name of the plant has Brazilian roots: “petun” means “tobacco”. In total, there are at least 25 species of this plant, not counting various hybrids.

The plant has flowers of a wide variety of colors. They can be plain, two or three tones. At the same time, the cores, veins, borders around the edges, and even just spots can be painted a different color. Bell-shaped flowers can be double or semi-double, corrugated, carved, fringed or smooth.

Hybrid varieties have developed in two directions: multi-flowered and large-flowered. Each such ampelous petunia has specific rules for planting and care. So, multi-flowered ones are considered unpretentious. It is enough to water them on time, periodically adding fertilizer to the water, and provide sufficient lighting. They produce small, up to 5 cm in diameter, but numerous flowers. Faded inflorescences fall off on their own.

Large-flowered can reach 10 cm in diameter, but do not produce such abundant flowering. However, they require more careful care. They require a certain amount of light, warmth, a specific soil composition, as well as regular pruning of faded buds.

How to plant ampelous petunia

As a rule, growing ampelous petunia begins with sowing seeds. In order for the plant to bloom as early as possible, sowing is done in February, since the plant develops very slowly. You can sow it in March, but you need to take into account the characteristics of the variety and the conditions in which the flower will grow. It has been noticed that large-flowered petunias produce the first flowers on 85–90 days after sowing, and small-flowered ones on 70–75 days. In any case, during the early stages of the plant’s growing season, it needs to be provided with additional lighting.

You can also plant a flowering plant by purchasing it in a specialized store. In this case, you will enjoy flowering until late autumn.

Important!High-quality seedlings are grown only under 24-hour lighting. During the day, the most intense light is given, and at night it is dimmed. Maintain temperature conditions and do not let the soil dry out to the point of crusting. Replant the plant in a larger container in time if you notice that its roots are already protruding to the surface. If you want the seedlings to stretch out more, add more soil. Expensive varieties of petunias are grown on peat tablets.

Choosing a place for a plant

When choosing a place for petunia, keep in mind that it loves light very much. The south side will suit her, where there is maximum sun during the day. The area itself should be open and not shaded. You can plant a plant in open ground only if you are sure that it will not be affected by frost on the ground. As a rule, this is the second half of May. The planting itself takes place in the evening or on a cloudy day.

If you want to plant petunia in an apartment, also choose southern window sills. In case of insufficient lighting, install fluorescent lamps to extend the plant's daylight hours to 14–20 hours.

Soil requirements

In the question of how to plant petunia, it is important to decide on the correct soil composition. In order for a flower to produce lush blooms, the mind needs loose and nutritious soil with a sufficient level of moisture capacity. Therefore, loamy, sandy, sandy loam soil is suitable for it.

Before planting, it is advisable to dig it up with leaf humus or rotted manure. But you should refuse fresh organic matter, as it provokes fungal diseases.

Basic rules for planting ampelous petunia seedlings

There are several basic rules for planting ampelous petunia seedlings. If you adhere to them, you will definitely grow a healthy and lushly flowering plant.

First of all, select high-quality seeds for sowing from Western producers. This way you are guaranteed to get good seed germination. Choose the right and high-quality soil in a specialized store. Before sowing, it is advisable to heat it in the oven or disinfect it with special means.

Observe sowing dates. Seed germination should be started no earlier than February, but no later than April. Strictly adhere to the recommendations for sowing and planting seedlings of a particular variety. So, seedlings need to be picked on time. It is planted in open ground together with a lump of earth so as not to damage the root system. Ampelous petunia has its own planting scheme: there should be a distance of at least 30 cm between the bushes. It is important to water the seedlings well after planting, and the next day to mulch the planted area.

Water the plant regularly, focusing on the amount of water consumed by the flowers. Strict temperature conditions are important only when growing seedlings. Seeds should germinate at a temperature of 18–20 °C and germinate at a temperature of 16–18 °C. But the most important thing is the refreshment mode. Until the seedlings grow and become stronger, they should be illuminated for at least 14 hours a day. Petunia requires feeding throughout the growing season. For this, liquid or granular fertilizers are used.

Rules for caring for petunia

Now let's take a closer look at the basic rules for caring for a plant.

Watering and fertilizing the plant

The most important thing in watering petunias - sufficient volume of water. Its amount must be increased as the plant grows. The larger the vegetative mass, the more moisture it needs. It is important not to let the soil dry out, otherwise the shoots of the plant will become woody, the leaves will fall off, and the flowers will become smaller. On hot days, watering should take place at least twice a day: in the morning and in the evening. Petunias that are grown in pots are generally recommended to be periodically immersed in water along with the pot.

But excess moisture also has a detrimental effect on the plant. Therefore, it is important not to miss the moment when the moisture has already evaporated, but the soil has not yet dried out. Try picking up the soil from under the plant and rubbing it between your fingers. If the soil does not leave marks on your hands and completely crumbles, it is dry enough and requires watering.

Did you know?If you do not have the opportunity to water the plant often, add hydrogel to the soil. It retains moisture, preventing it from evaporating, and gradually releases it to the plant. This way you can reduce the frequency of watering by two to three times.

The plant requires feeding approximately once a week. For this purpose, potassium and phosphorus fertilizers are used. But some varieties of petunias, for example, from the Potunia group, are recommended to be fed with every watering. Starting with intensive feeding during planting, it should be gradually reduced, stopping at a concentration of approximately 2–3 g per liter of water. Otherwise, you won’t see abundant flowering.

For other varieties, the concentration of liquid fertilizer should be no more than 5 g per bucket of water. At the same time, pouring fertilizer into dry soil or along with watering is highly not recommended - you can burn the root hairs through which moisture is absorbed. This way the plant may die. As a rule, the packaging recommends using one cap per liter, but in the case of petunia you should use half. Moreover, they recommend the following watering and fertilizing scheme: water the soil in the morning, and apply fertilizing in the evening.

Soil care

Water the petunia carefully to the very root so that water does not get on the flowers. The next day, the soil around the flowers is weeded, loosened and weeds removed. Make sure that the soil does not form a hard crust.

How to prune ampelous petunia, form a bush

Even when petunia is well cared for, by mid-summer the shoots from the root to the middle length shed their leaves, and flowering persists only at the ends of the branches. To preserve the aesthetics of the plant, it is necessary to carry out measures to form the bush in a timely manner. To do this, you need to cut off about two-thirds of the shoot without much pity, despite the fact that an almost bare branch remains.

Important!The petunia bush can be preserved for the next season if it is stored in a cool and bright place at a temperature of 7–10 °C. This may be a balcony, loggia, but not a basement. Before sending for wintering, the plant must also be cut by two-thirds. It is watered rarely, and in March it is pruned again. After this, they are planted in a fresh substrate and a wider pot. Although flower growers recommend not to engage in such complex manipulations, but to buy fresh seeds in the spring.

The ampelous petunia is precisely pruned; pinching in this case will not help much. If you remove only the end of the shoot, new shoots will still not appear on the exposed part. To avoid the unsightliness of such a procedure, it can be carried out in several stages, cutting off two or three branches at intervals of a week.

Ampelous petunia: pinching

In order for the flower to be lush and beautifully blooming, it must be pinched. This will protect the branches from possible breakages during growth, ensure the appearance of new shoots and the density of the bush.

How to properly pinch ampelous petunia? As with any other plant, you need to remove the tip of the shoot, especially if it has become too elongated. Along with it, you need to pinch off all faded buds, especially if seed pods have appeared on them. Otherwise, the plant will devote all its energy to their formation, and you will no longer see flowers.

How does a flower reproduce?

The most common way to propagate a flower is through seeds. But it can also be propagated from cuttings. This is a rather complicated process, but justified with some varieties of ampelous petunias, which are very expensive.

Propagation by seeds

If you decide to grow a flower from seeds, then buy fresh ones in the store. It is not recommended to collect them yourself from petunias growing on the site. Most of the varieties that are presented in stores today are hybrids. This means that not all the characteristics of the mother bush are passed on to the next generation, and you will end up with a degenerate variety. In addition, if you have several varieties growing on your site, they are very likely to be cross-pollinated. And some varieties are not able to set seeds at all, such as terry varieties.

Purchased seeds are sown in well-moistened, loose, nutritious soil poured into special boxes. The seeds are not sprinkled with soil, but covered with a transparent film or glass so that they are sufficiently illuminated.

Did you know?Petunia seeds are very small: there are up to 10 thousand grains per gram of seed material. For ease of sowing, they are mixed with sand in a ratio of 1:5 or you can buy planting material formed in pellets.

Good seed germination is achieved at a temperature of 22–24 °C and air humidity of 95-98%. Sprouts emerge in about a week or two. With the first leaf the cover is removed. Every day they need to be sprayed and the temperature gradually reduced. By the time the seedlings in the box have grown stronger, the ambient temperature should be 18–20 °C during the day and 14–16 °C at night.

About a month after sowing, when the sprouts have at least two leaves, they are plucked, deepening the sprout into the soil up to the first leaf. The growth of seedlings can be very slow, since at this time all the plant’s forces are spent on forming the root system. When two or three more leaves form on it, you need to pick.

Do not forget to water the seedlings on time and sufficiently, but do not allow moisture to stagnate. Young shoots are susceptible to blackleg disease.

Important!“Blackleg” is a fungal disease. It can only appear on young seedlings in the first weeks of their life. If barely hatched seedlings rot, fall and dry out, they are probably infected with this fungus. For prevention, it is recommended to water the seedlings with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Before planting seedlings in open ground, they must be well hardened. Properly prepared plants feel good even when the temperature drops to 10 °C.

Cuttings

When propagating petunias, cuttings are also used. It is carried out in February - May, but if good conditions are created for planting material, it can be carried out all year round. These conditions include additional lighting and a temperature regime of 15–22 °C. The cuttings are planted in peat tablets, half-liter cups or seedling boxes with a suitable soil mixture.

Cuttings from healthy mother plants are cut at an angle so that the planting material has 4–6 leaves, and the cutting itself reaches no more than 10 cm in length. Only the top two leaves are left on it and it is immediately planted in the ground to a quarter of the length of the stem. When planting in a box, make sure that the distance between the cuttings is at least 1.5 cm. The seedlings must be covered with glass or transparent film, ensure a temperature of at least 21 ° C and plenty of light.

The roots of the cuttings appear in 5–10 days. Next, they must be cared for in the same way as for seedlings obtained from seeds. When the root system is sufficiently strong, they are planted in separate containers. The advantage of such seedlings is that they bloom within 20–35 days after planting.

Petunia – a relatively undemanding plant. If you provide it with intense and abundant light and monitor soil moisture, you can ensure its long flowering. For the bush to be lush, it is enough to carry out pinching and pruning in time. It can propagate both by cuttings and seeds. The last option is the most profitable, especially if you buy seeds in specialized stores. Among the huge number of varieties and hybrids, you are sure to find one that fits perfectly into your garden.

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Flowers January 30, 2015 Petunia blooms approximately three months after sowing the seeds. During this time, due to the lack of natural light, the seedlings become very elongated. To get a powerful branched quagastic, the top of the central shoot must be removed. You will have to pinch petunia several times during the season, so we will carefully study this issue.

Why do you need to pinch petunia? After you remove the top of the central stem, active growth of side shoots begins. The plant becomes bushy, and with each new growth an additional number of buds is formed. As a result of pinching petunia, we get a beautiful habit and more abundant flowering in the future. Using cut branches, you can get additional planting material. Place the cuttings in a bowl of water or a damp substrate. In the latter case, cover the plantings with a jar. What you need to know about pinching petunia seedlings Here are a few points that a novice gardener needs to know: do not delay pinching. Being late is worse than being a little hasty; pinching petunias can be done every month; don’t worry if flowering slows down a little. After such a procedure, this is a common occurrence. When to pinch petunia We do the first pinching when the seedlings have more than six true leaves. Some gardeners advise carrying out this technique after the plants are planted in open ground. But you still need to navigate the situation. If it is still cool outside for heat-loving annuals, perform pinching while they are in cups. We carry out the second procedure about a month after the first. At a time when the side branches have grown by about 10 cm. Now it is necessary to shorten not only the central stem, but also all other shoots. During the growing season, additional pruning of the petunia is also allowed. But it is rather done for decorative purposes in order to achieve a uniform habit. How to pinch petunia, video We leave at least 4-6 true leaves on the bush. We either pinch off the top of the stem with our fingers or cut it with scissors. We do this with all grown seedlings. Watch the video, which shows well how to pinch a petunia for the first time. The second and any subsequent pinches are performed in the same way.

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Is it necessary to pinch petunias?

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 14:54 + to quote bookRead in fullTo your quote book or community!

Why pinch Petunia seedlings?

Pinching (German pinzieren - remove the end) - pinching, removing the top of a young shoot. This is done so that the side shoots grow, otherwise all the growth will first go to 1-3 shoots and the plant will become ugly and will fall over under the weight of these shoots.

The process is labor-intensive and painstaking - but worth it. In the photo above, the petunia is already two weeks after pinching.

When and how to pinch Petunia seedlings?

Pinching must be done when the Petunia seedlings look like in the photo. The optimal time for pinching is the beginning of the appearance of the third pair of true leaves. Using manicure scissors, you need to cut out the top bud as deeply as possible so that it looks like in the photo.

Do all varieties of Petunia need to be pinched?

Petunia from cheap seeds in amateur packaging should be pinched 100%. Pinching is a labor-intensive process, so breeders are focused on creating varieties of Petunia that would develop normally without pinching.

I must say that the breeders succeed in this. Previously, I gave comparative photos of petunias from cheap and professional seeds, from which it was clear that it is not necessary to pinch normal varieties.

Modern varieties of Petunias for professional cultivation do not require pinching.

Why pinch back varieties of Petunias that don't need to be pinched?

Last season I tried pinching some plants from professional seeds and it turned out that such plants quickly acquired a normal appearance. I think if I had placed Petunia wide enough at once, pinching might not have been necessary.

But you need to save space; the seedlings stand tightly and therefore stretch upward. Now I will try to perform pinching on as many plants as possible.

The result of pinching (pinching) Petunia seedlings.

An alternative to pinching seedlings.

To prevent seedlings from stretching, many nurseries use Atlet, which shortens the length of internodes. However, Atlet is an insidious drug and its effect is unpredictable. Below is a photo of petunia treated three times with Atlet.

The delay in flowering of such petunia, in relation to the pinched one, was 2 weeks. Later I will try to post comparative photos of pinched and unpinched plants of the same variety in adulthood.

Pinching petunias.

Petunias, thanks to the efforts of breeders, are increasingly gaining popularity among lovers of decorative floriculture every year. Petunias are suitable both for decorating flower beds and for growing in small-volume crops (balcony flowerpots, garden vases, etc.). Growing petunias is not particularly difficult, however, if you want to fully enjoy the decorative nature of these flowers, you need to know some “secrets,” one of which is pinching.

A little about tweezing and pinching petunias

Pinching - an operation to remove a growing point - is carried out, as a rule, at the stage of growing seedlings, in order to obtain a compact bush with numerous side shoots on which flower buds are formed. The most optimal time for the operation is considered to be the beginning of the appearance of the third pair of true leaves.

Pinching petunias involves removing the central growth bud, which is cut out with nail scissors or a sharp garden knife. The pinching operation is labor-intensive and requires great care, so amateur gardeners prefer to shape an already mature plant by pinching.

Professional varieties and hybrids of petunias in most cases do not require pinching, unlike cheap amateur ones. However, if the temperature regime is violated and there is insufficient light, the seedlings become very elongated, then it is advisable to perform pinching on professional varieties.

Pinching is carried out on an adult plant, if for some reason pinching was not possible. Experienced gardeners also often resort to pinching, since this technique allows you to quickly propagate a valuable variety from cut cuttings.

Technique for pinching petunias

Pinching of petunias begins after planting the seedlings in open ground, when the plant has “confidently begun to grow.” To form a compact bush, you need to leave 4-5 internodes on the central stem, cutting off the upper part of the shoot with scissors.

After the operation, the growth of petunia will slow down a little, as the plant will become “sick”. To help petunia adapt faster, it is necessary to fertilize it with complex mineral fertilizer for flowers.

It is also a good idea to carry out foliar feeding with microelements and growth stimulants. Petunia is very responsive to spraying with a solution of succinic acid and copper-molybdenum fertilizer (this will also serve as a preventive measure against fungal diseases). The matter is not limited to pinching the central stem, so after 1 - 2 weeks a repeat operation will be required, but this time to form side shoots.

Alternative Methods

Of course, carrying out pinching or pinching activities will require time, especially if the number of plants is in the hundreds. A number of preparations have been developed for commercial floriculture that significantly reduce the cost of manual labor. Growth regulators produced by the chemical industry are used at the stage of growing seedlings and prevent them from stretching, and also stimulate the development of side shoots.

Pinching and propagation

The cut tops of the stems are excellent planting material, so if you want to quickly propagate your favorite variety or hybrid, do not throw away the shoots, but root the cuttings. Flowering of petunias grown from rooted cuttings will be delayed in relation to the mother plants by only a couple of weeks.

Cuttings take root very quickly (within 7 - 10 days) if they are inserted into a container with moistened vermiculite and a translucent shelter is built to prevent increased evaporation of moisture. You must first remove all the leaves from the cuttings, leaving only the top couple, and bury them in vermiculite.

Cheerful petunia

The popularity of petunia is no longer in doubt - this plant has become a welcome guest in gardens and parks, streets and squares, country estates and modest country houses, and has also confidently settled on balconies and loggias, window sills and at the entrances of houses. Petunia bushes delight the eye with the splendor of colors and shades, from white, lilac, blue, pink and red, to multi-colored and striped.

Hundreds of varieties are offered to choose from. This perennial plant came to us from distant Montevideo, taking into account our climatic conditions, it is grown here as an annual. It loves sunlight very much and tolerates heat well, provided it is watered regularly. Cooling slows down flowering, but as the ambient temperature rises, budding resumes.

Well-groomed appearance of the plant

In order for petunia to continue to delight its owners throughout the summer, in addition to fulfilling the basic conditions for keeping plants, you need to pay attention to the formation of its bushes, keeping them compact, lush and luxurious. To do this, they use the pinching method. For those who have never pinched anything, it will be useful to know what it is and what it is needed for.

Every plant strives to grow, first of all, upward. Some people are not very successful at this, while others grow in height so quickly that the stem cannot stand it and falls over.

The picture is depressing. To prevent this from happening for some flowers, especially domestic ones, pinching is used - removing the upper regrown shoots. In particular, this is done with petunia. It's simple and useful.

Some come to this after their own conclusions, others do not hesitate to ask professionals how to pinch petunia correctly. But the result is always positive.

Why do you pinch petunia?

As a result of pinching, the petunia begins to actively produce side shoots. This makes the bush look more lush, stronger and healthier. More new branches guarantee more buds and flowers.

At the same time, the quality of flowering also improves: it becomes long-lasting and abundant. In addition, pinching petunia is one of the ways to reproduce it. The resulting cuttings are placed in water or in moist soil under a jar.

They produce roots quite quickly, after which they are ready for planting. A novice gardener simply needs to know how to pinch petunia. There is nothing complicated, but there are a few important points.

1. Don’t delay pinching; it’s better to do it sooner than late. Don’t pinch too much, leave 5-6 leaves and remove the shoot above them. Carry out the procedure a couple of times a month.

And don’t forget about the general rules: remove everything that has bloomed and withered, feed the plant, spray it several times a day in hot weather. High-quality care will provide you with long and bright flowering. Carry out the first pinching procedure after the plant planted for permanent residence has become stronger and acclimatized. There should be at least five leaves on the top shoot. Do not be upset when, as a result of the next pinching, the flowering of the petunia slows down for a while, but the side shoots will grow rapidly, on which new, larger buds will appear.

Incidental propagation by cuttings

The tops of petunia shoots, plucked or carefully cut with nail scissors, are used as cuttings for further propagation of the plant. The roots that appear on green cuttings placed in water serve as a signal that they can already be planted in the ground, having cleared the lower part of the stem of leaves, leaving a couple of leaves at the top.

Young plants can be planted quite densely, often watering them and spraying them, feeding them, and also using a growth stimulator as necessary. Petunia grown from seeds at home, as well as seedlings of inexpensive varieties purchased in retail chains, must be subjected to regular pinching of shoots, sticking out from the common bush. Elite varieties grown in special nurseries can develop well without pinching, but they are more capricious, sensitive to sudden changes in humidity and temperature, and suffer from the effects of rain and wind. In general, petunia is not capricious, caring for it is not difficult, but The main condition will still have to be: you need to look and touch with love all living things on the planet, then life will reciprocate us.

How to grow petunia seedlings: understanding the technology

Already in mid-spring, the sale of flowering petunia seedlings begins in markets and garden centers. The choice of varieties is usually small, so the search for some sophisticated hybrid usually ends in disappointment.

To prevent this from happening, you need to learn how to grow petunia seedlings yourself at home. In fact, it's as simple as two and two. Want to learn?

Then go ahead!

Stage 1. Determining the timing of sowing petunia seedlings

Let's start by determining when to plant petunia seeds. Usually in the literature there are recommendations to time plantings in the second half of March. During this period, the daylight hours are already long enough to provide the sprouts with the necessary amount of light.

• apartment windows face south - plant petunia in early March there is good lighting - sowing can be started at the end of February windows face north - postpone the planting season until the end of March - beginning of April

Remember that if you plant seeds too early, the lack of light will definitely affect the health of the young plants. Their development will be slowed down, they will grow frail, elongated, and unable to fight diseases.

You are unlikely to get beautiful petunia bushes from such seedlings. It’s a completely different matter if you delay planting. In this case, you won’t have to worry about the sprouts, but flowering will be delayed.

Keep in mind that on average, petunia blooms 10-12 weeks after sowing.

Stage 2. Preparing a “residence” for seedlings

To sow petunias for seedlings, use wide and not too deep containers: boxes, cassettes, plastic containers for mayonnaise or butter. The prepared container is filled with earth to about 2/3 of the height. Fill the selected container with soil mixture, pour boiling water over it. This execution is necessary in order to destroy possible pests.

Petunia

However, a high-quality store-bought mixture, even during the production process, undergoes all sorts of processing and testing for the presence of pests (a particularly important analysis is checking for nematodes). However, it is better to play it safe and treat the soil with boiling water (steam in the oven or microwave). After 10-15 minutes, when the soil has cooled, you can start planting petunia seeds.

Stage 3. Sowing petunia seeds

Petunia seeds are sown on the surface of a moist substrate; they are not sprinkled with soil on top. Recently, to improve germination and easier sowing, petunia seeds of elite varieties have been treated with useful substances that form a shell around the seed - a granule. In this case, the seeds visually increase several times and it is easier to plant them, keeping the distance between the crops.

However, in order for the sprout to have enough strength to break through the hard granule, it must be well moistened with water. Therefore, as soon as you spread the granules on the substrate, moisten them on top with water from a spray bottle. Sometimes this measure does not work and the granule shell does not yield.

Perhaps the processing technology was not followed or the storage rules were violated. Then you should pry each granule with a toothpick and try to crush it to free the seed. Cover the top of the planting container with a sheet of glass or transparent polyethylene so that the seeds, and then the sprouts at the very beginning of their development, are in greenhouse conditions.

A stable microclimate with high humidity inside such a homemade “greenhouse” will save you from the need to water newly hatched petunia seedlings. This means that the survival rate of the younger generation in such conditions will tend to 100%. Seeds germinate only in the light, so immediately after sowing, place the container on a warm (23-26°C) and bright window sill. Droplets of water condense on the cover of the greenhouse, so the film (glass) must be turned over to the other, dry side every day. Now nothing will not prevent the seeds from sprouting after the allotted period has expired - usually after 3-4 days (old seeds take longer to sprout - up to 10 days).

Stage 4. Refusal of greenhouse conditions - the first “walks” of young shoots

As soon as the first shoots appear from the seeds, their temperature can be reduced to 18-20°C. For example, move containers with seedlings closer to the window glass and away from the battery. This event is rather desirable, but not mandatory.

When the temperature drops, young plants do not stretch, and accordingly, they grow more squat and stocky. Petunia seedlings are very small, so the first days need very careful handling. In the very first days of their existence, petunia seedlings must get used to non-greenhouse conditions. High humidity in a greenhouse is, of course, good, but it can play a cruel joke on the seedlings.

The most common disadvantages of keeping the substrate with sprouts under the greenhouse “hood” for a long time are the formation of mold on the ground and the spread of the “blackleg” disease. Therefore, every day the planting greenhouse needs to be ventilated by slightly opening its lid (polyethylene, glass, cassette lid, etc.). The first time, 2-3 minutes is enough, then, on each subsequent day, the time for “walking” the seedlings should be increased by several minutes and, finally, the greenhouse lid should be removed completely.

Stage 5. Picking up petunia seedlings

When a petunia sprout hatches from a seed, it already has a pair of cotyledon leaves. They are elongated and do not at all look like the so-called “real” leaves that will appear a little later.

Cotyledons must be handled very carefully - they contain nutrients for the young plant. With the appearance of 2-3 pairs of true leaves (they already retain varietal characteristics, unlike cotyledons), you can begin picking. What it is?

In the traditional sense, picking (picking) seedlings consists of two procedures: 1. Transplanting sprouts from common containers into separate ones. Seedlings develop quickly and very soon, if the crops were planted in the same container, they begin to suppress each other.

When picking a petunia, each sprout is sent to its own territory - in a separate glass or pot.2. Shortening of the central root. When its “center” is damaged, the root system begins to rapidly grow in breadth and becomes more powerful.

When picking petunia seedlings, only procedure No. 1 is usually performed. Manipulations with the central root are gradually fading into oblivion: amateur flower growers rightly decide that when transplanting seedlings, the root system is damaged anyway, so there is no point in further injuring it. It is convenient to pick up petunia seedlings with a wooden stick or a small coffee spoon. Thus, as soon as you notice, that the seedlings have become crowded, carefully transplant them, along with a lump of earth around the roots, into separate “apartments”. At the same time, bury each sprout in the soil up to the cotyledon leaves. Additional roots will subsequently appear on the buried part of the stem, which will form a more developed root system. In ordinary plastic cups, petunia seedlings will develop before planting for permanent residence

Stage 6. “Hardening” - lowering the temperature

After diving, the seedlings are already quite mature and need to begin to “harden off”. Among flower growers, this term means regular exposure of seedlings to low temperatures - 10-15°C.

Initially, short-term, 10-15 minutes, and then longer “hardening”, gradually turning into constant conditions of detention, allows petunia bushes to grow more compact and strong. This can be achieved if you take the seedlings out to a glassed-in balcony every day, or open a window in the room where the plants are located.

Stage 7. Pinching petunia seedlings

Pinching (pinching) petunia seedlings is another important procedure that determines the appearance of an already mature bush: how branched and lush it will be, how many flower buds can form on it. The petunia sprout always forms a clearly defined central shoot that stretches upward.

It needs to be pinched at the level of 4-5 of the present leaf, that is, carefully pinch off the growth point with your nails or thin nail scissors. After this, new shoots will begin to grow from the axils of the remaining leaves, the bushes become fluffy, compact, and densely branched. Remember that the more branches a petunia has, the more flowers it will bear when mature. Therefore, pinching petunia seedlings can be done several times, the more, the denser the flower “ball” will be. In order for a young petunia to begin to branch, its stem is pruned - pinched

Salvia flower seedlings

Welcome to the site tips for gardeners. Petunia is especially loved by flower growers for its ability to maintain a decorative appearance for a long time. After all, the plant begins to bloom in mid-spring and continues to delight the eye until the first frost.

Flowers are easy to care for, but need shaping. And today we’ll talk about how to properly pinch petunia.

What is pinching

The basis for obtaining a healthy bush is proper cultivation and mandatory formation. That is why pinching petunias can be called one of the most important agrotechnical procedures.

What is pinching? This is the removal of the growth point of a young plant at a certain stage of development. The procedure enhances the branching of the stems, and, accordingly, in the future the flower will have many more buds.

Pinching petunias: what is it for?

Do I need to pinch petunias? This is a necessary procedure if you want to get a decorative flowering bush.

If you let the flower grow on its own without interfering with this process, you will end up with an elongated plant. In addition, a stem that is too long simply bends under its own weight, and the flower falls to the ground.

After removing the main growing point of the plant, several new stems appear at once at the cut site. In addition, it stimulates the growth of side shoots. The first results of pinching appear within a couple of weeks in the form of beautiful buds.

Of course not everyone petunia variety needs shaping. On simple varieties, pinching is absolutely necessary. But if your petunias are grown from selective seeds, then you can skip this stage of growing.

The fact is that breeders initially set themselves the goal of creating varieties capable of acquiring the necessary splendor without human intervention.

And yet, pinching is possible on selected varieties. Since plants are initially programmed for accelerated growth, after formation they produce new shoots much faster.

How to do pinching?

How to pinch petunia? Before starting the procedure, you must familiarize yourself with the following rules:

1. You need to carefully monitor the growth of the plant. Formation can begin after the young flower has already become slightly stronger and has begun to actively grow in height.

2. The ideal period for carrying out the procedure is the time when the seedling has already formed 5....6 leaves. This is the best time to pinch petunia. If you miss the moment, the plant may stretch out.

3. When the flower is ready, you just need to remove the stem above the last leaf. This can be done in two ways: by cutting it off with pruning shears or simply pinching it with your fingers.

As a result, the petunia receives a new growth point, which will throw out several new shoots at the same time. Since pinching is perceived by the plant as a serious intervention, it may slow down its development a little.

But petunia recovers very quickly and produces additional lateral shoots. The result of the procedure is a beautiful rounded bush.

A fairly common question is: “Is it possible to pinch flowering petunia?” Yes, but after the procedure, flowering will slow down slightly. Also don't forget to read Why doesn't petunia bloom?

You can pinch the petunia again in about a month, when it has already grown well. This time you can also remove the length of the side shoots to add compactness to the plant.

If the seedlings are planted in open ground, then the first formation should be carried out after planting the plant. The seedling needs to be given a few days so that it can get used to the new conditions. And only after that do the pinching.

Beginner gardeners need to remember the following rules:

• You should not delay pinching, since delay in the formation of the bush negatively affects its development;
• You can pinch petunia every month;
• after pinching, the plant freezes for a short time (slow flowering is observed).

In order for the plant to bloom as long as possible, you cannot limit yourself to just pinching. Do not forget about the following subtleties of care:

1. It is necessary to remove all wilted and completely faded buds from the plant. Because if you leave them, then petunia will be forced to spend all its energy on ripening the seed pod.

2. The plant must be fed.

3. If daytime temperatures are too high, then the flower bushes should be sprayed with a spray bottle. But the procedure can only be carried out early in the morning and in the evening, when the sun's rays are no longer so active. Otherwise, the plant will get burned and may die.

And remember that every pinching is stress for the petunia, which it must endure. That is why after each procedure the bushes freeze slightly, but respond with increased growth of side shoots and the formation of larger buds.