Petuniais a genus of plants from the Solanaceae family, which includes about 40 species, mainly from warm regions of South America. In the wild, they are found on rocky slopes, pampas and degraded areas. As an ornamental plant,garden petunia(Petunia x hybrida) is cultivated, which is a hybrid of two species of petunia: Petunia axillaris and Petunia violacea. Colorful, trumpet-shaped petunia flowers, which can be admired from spring to autumn, are a perfect decoration for garden beds, flower beds and boxes on balconies and terraces.
Garden petunia has beautiful bell-shaped flowers that differ in color depending on the variety
The generic namepetunia comes from theword petun, which in South American Indians means tobacco. The petunia species are indeed related to it and, interestingly, exhibit a similar narcotic effect. The Polish name is mixed, but it is rarely used.
Petunias in our climate are grownas annual plants. They are fragrant plants with upward, overlapping or hanging shoots. Leaves are oblong or oval, ovate, green in color. Both the leaves and shoots are hairy. Depending on the variety, the plants vary in size and color of flowers. The flowers are cup-shaped, wide open, most often in shades of white, pink, red, purple and purple, and there are also two-colored flowers.
Varieties of petunias with long, dangling shoots are especially popular, referred to as surfinia.Surfinia varieties are perfect for planting in boxes and hanging pots, which are undoubtedly the best.
Petunia - division into groups, varieties of petunias
Due to the hugevariety of petuniasobtained by breeders, garden petunias in terms of the length of shoots were divided into 3 groups:
- Petunia x hybrida pendula- plants with stems over 80 cm
- Petunia x hybrida media- plants with stems between 40-80 cm
- Petunia x hybrida nana- plants with short stems, less than 40 cm
These beautifully flowering plants are also divided in terms of flower structure. According to this division, the following groups can be distinguished:
- Multiflora- these are the most commonly grown varieties, with good branching, with numerous flowers, about 5 cm in diameter, usually resistant to weather conditions (including heavy rains)
- Grandiflora- with less numerous but larger flowers, up to 10 cm in diameter, unfortunately sensitive to damage caused by gusts of wind and rains,
- Milliflora- group with the smallest flowers, the diameter of which does not exceed 3 cm.
This division is developing and evolving, and breeders are reaching for new names of petunia groups, and so we will also meet the terms Fimbriata, Superbissima or Compacta, and in groups the plants are still divided into series. How do you get to know it all? For example, petunia Grandiflora nana 'Ognik' means a plant with large flowers (grandiflora) and short shoots (nana), with the varietal name 'Ognik'.
Lushly bushy petunias look great in pots and boxes on balconies and terraces
Growing garden petunia
Growing a garden petuniausually begins with the purchase of flowering seedlings, which can be planted permanently from the second half of May (when the risk of late spring frosts is over).Plants are planted in sunny places to a well-prepared, fertile, humus and well-drained soil with a slightly acidic pH (pH 5.5-6.5).
These luxuriantly flowering and strongly branching plants have high water and nutritional requirements. They need to be watered regularly and abundantly, but remember that excess moisture must be drained from the pot (drainage at the bottom and properly permeable soil are required). On hot, sunny days,petunias in balcony boxesneed to be watered even twice a day.
When the plants take root in a new place, start fertilizing every 7-10 days liquid multi-component fertilizer. Remember thatpetunias hate nitrogen over-fertilization , and the fertilizer intended for them should be rich in potassium. Fortunately, there is a large selection of fertilizers on the market that are specifically designed for petunia.
Good to know!To maintain a nice habit and prolong the flowering of the petunia, regularly remove faded flowers and trim excessively bulging shoots.
Breeding garden petunia
Cascade petunias , with long, dangling shoots, are reproduced only by cuttings. In amateur conditions it is very difficult and is associated with a high risk of infection by viruses. Therefore, in such cases it is better in springto buy seedlings from a trusted breeder , who grows petunias professionally.
"In amateur conditions, however, it is possible togrow petunia from seedsThe seeds of garden petunia are sown in winter, usually in February. If we do not have a warm greenhouse, a warm and bright window sill is enough, preferably next to the south-facing window. Seeds are sown into boxes filled with soil for sowing seeds. Due to the high sensitivity of seedlings to fungal diseases, causing, among others, gangrene of seedlings, seeds are sown only in a sterilized substrate. Petunia seeds are not covered with soil, and after sowing, they only need to be pressed lightly to the ground.Boxes with petunia seeds sown in this way are not covered with glass or foil, allowing them to be aired. At the same time, you need to ensure adequate soil moisture, the soil must not dry out. The proper temperature for emergence is around 20 ° C. "
When the seedlings have 2-3 leaves each, they should be pierced into small pots. Fertilize every 10 days with diluted compound fertilizer, and seedlings must be hardened before planting outside.
Varieties of petunias with hanging stems can be successfully planted in hanging pots
Diseases and pests of petunia
Garden petuniais often infested with diseases and pests, but most problems in petunia cultivation result from improper plant care.Petunia diseasesmost often result from excessive soil moisture, over-fertilization or too little sun. Under such conditions, lush leaf growth is often encountered at the expense of less flowering, and in extreme cases, no floweringpetunia does not bloom In soils with too high a pH, plants are often unable to take up iron, which causes their leaves to turn pale (so-called leaf chlorosis). Petunia flowers can be damaged by wind and rain, so it is best to grow petunia in sheltered or covered terraces and balconies. If we do not have a safe place to grow, we should give up varieties with long shoots and large flowers. The smaller ones with finer flowers are usually less sensitive. Heterosis varieties marked with the F1 symbol are tolerated better by unfavorable weather conditions.
Garden petuniasgrown in too compact, impermeable soil, standing in moisture, are easily attacked by fungal diseases and quickly deteriorate completely. When the first symptoms are noticed, the affected parts of the plants should be cut. Petunias are also attacked by several viruses, including Cucumber mosaic virus, Tobacco mosaic virus and potato viruses. Viruses are often transmitted during propagation from cuttings, so plants propagated in this way should only be purchased from trusted growers.Petunia obtained from sowing seeds are less frequently infected with viruses.
Withpetunias, aphids appear most often onpetunias, so the cultivated plants must be monitored for these pests all the time. If they appear, spraying with an aphidicide will be necessary. In the case of petunia planted in the garden, slug control may also be necessary.
