Surfiniais an amazingly beautiful plant, characterized by long, drooping shoots and lush flowering. It is perfect for hanging pots and balcony boxes! See whatsurfinia careshould look like, ensuring beautiful and long flowering of those plants thatsurfiniawork best and how to fightdiseases surfiniiso that the plants do not lose their charm. In this article you will learnhow to distinguish surfinas from ordinary petunias , as well as what are the characteristics of unusual varieties such as Supertunia and Sweetunia!
Surfinia in a hanging pot
What does surfinia look like?
Surfinie are characterized by beautiful flowers , which are their greatest ornament. Thanks to long, dangling shoots, they look great in pots hung under a roof on balconies and terraces, as well as in boxes on balcony balustrades.Surfinie have ovoid leaves , short-tailed or sessile. The entire plant is hairy and gives off a slight odor. The flowers of surfinia are cup-shaped, with fused petals.
In stores you can findvarieties of surfinia with a very varied color of flowersThe color palette is really wide, from white through pink to dark purple.The flowering period of surfinia lasts from June to autumnIts flowers are therefore enjoyed for a long time: -)
Varieties of surfinia
Surfinia belongs to the petunia speciesand is a variety of garden petunia with long, drooping shoots and profuse flowering.Very oftensurfinie are also referred to as cascading petunias
Surfinie can be primarily divided by flower colorWe can therefore distinguish:
- varieties of surfinia with single-color flowers- purple, pink, yellow, red, blue,
- multi-colored varieties of surfinia .
The second group presents very interestingvarieties of surfinia with bicolor flowers- pink surfinia with a white border, surfinia with white flowers with a purple center, or surfinia with full flowers, blue -white.
A two-color variety of surfinia with white flowers with purple veins
Fig. pixabay.com
In addition to the color of flowers, it is also worth paying attention toother features of surfinia varieties , such as:
- flowering abundance,
- growth rate,
- shoot length,
- resistance to adverse weather conditions.
And so, for example, beautifulvarieties of surfinia from the Veranda groupdo not have very long, dangling shoots, but they allow for very shapely balls, which looks great in hanging containers. However, they require sheltered places, because they do not tolerate unfavorable weather conditions well. Sometimesunusual decorative qualities should be sacrificed for the resistance and endurance of surfinia , which in an unfavorable growing position may give a better visual effect.
Monochrome varieties of surfinia often withstand wind and rainfall better
Fig. pixabay.com
There are so many varieties of surfinia that it is impossible to list them all. Here are10 of the most popular and interesting varieties of surfiniathat we have found in Polish growers and garden centers:
- Surfinia Conchita Grande Pink- a variety with large, light pink flowers resistant to weather conditions, blooms for a very long time and stays fresh for a long time after cutting into a vase
- Surfinia Conchita Grande Lavender- similar to the above-mentioned surfinia variety, also weather-resistant and long-flowering, the difference is the color of the flowers, which in this case are lavender
- Surfinia Conchita Grande White- another resistant variety of surfinia with large white flowers
- Surfinia Lavender Bouquet- this surfinia has full, lilac blue flowers, blooms early all summer until fall, requiring a sunny location. "
- Surfinia Deluxe Night Sky- the name of this variety of surfinia, translated into Polish, would sound like a night sky. The name is well-deserved, because its dark purple flowers are covered with irregular white spots, which with the abundant flowering of the plant resembles a starry night sky "
- Surfinia Amore Queen of Hearts- a variety with yellow-red flowers, with the red drawings on the flowers in the shape of hearts. We recommend it if you want to give SURFINA to the person you love!
- Surfinia Raspberry Blast- a beautifully colored variety of surfinia, pink flowers, with transverse white stripes
- Surfinia Scarlet Improve- attractive red variety with a slightly darker center. It grows vigorously and blooms for a long time
- Surfinia Purple Vein- surfinia with blue flowers with dark purple veining
- Surfinia Table Dark Red- a very graceful variety of surfinia with beautiful red flowers
A variety of surfinia with white flowers with a purple center
Fig. pixabay.com
Apart from typical surfinias, it is also worth paying attention to other varieties of petunias with unique features. Recentlyplants from the Supertunia Vistagroup have been gaining great popularity, characterized by a sublime-creeping habit and covered with flowers so heavily that you can hardly see the leaves. They cover various surfaces very nicely, and at the same time are very resistant to wind and rain.
For those who seek real pearls, I recommend a plant calledSweetunia 'Black Mamba'This variety is distinguished by its unusual , the black color of flowers. For a good effect, it is worth planting it in larger groups or contrasting with surfinias with yellow or white flowers. This unusual variety of surfinia can be found in the ŁOBANOWSCY garden center in Łódź.
Pots with surfinias in the garden center
Fig. pixabay.com
Surfinia a petunia. Basic differences
Now that we've got to know the noteworthy varieties of surfinia, it's worth learning to distinguish between beautiful surfinia and ordinary petunias. If only in order not to get stuck in the proverbial bottle and not to overpay for an ordinary petunia. First of all, remember thatsurfinia is a petuniaThis is a group of varieties whose prototype was Petunia x Atkinsiana. Therefore, if you want to learn more about surfinia, you should first of all look for information about petunias. The only clearly visibledifference between surfinia and petuniasis the dangling habit of surfinia, which makes surfinia excellent dangling flowers. Petunias, on the other hand, have raised stems or only slightly overlapping stems, much shorter than those of surfinie, and usually they bloom less profusely.
Surfinia in a hanging pot
Fig. pxhere.com
Growing and caring for surfinia
Growing surfiniais not very complicated. However, you must strictly follow the rules for the care of these plants, because they are very sensitive to unfavorable growing conditions.
Surfinia grows best on sandy loam, fertile and permeable soilsThe soil for surfinia should be slightly acidic, with a pH of 5.5-6.5.Surfinia bloom best in sunny and warm places.A good surfinia growing site should be located on the south, south-east or south-west side. It is worth providing plants with a roof to protect them from heavy rains that can damage surfinia flowers. You should also remember to water your surfinia regularly.
Note!Surfin do not like dryness. They should be watered regularly. On hot days, even twice a day - in the morning and in the evening.
To prevent surfinie from drying out, it is worth adding TerraCottem to the soil before planting It contains ingredients that improve the soil structure, a starting dose of fertilizers and a hydrogel that retains water after watering and gradually gives it back as the soil dries up. As a result, less water flows onto the stand under the pot, and the plant gains water for a longer period of time.
Surfinia seeds can be sown in Februaryin a warm greenhouse, then the seedlings should be picked into multi-pot pallets and transplanted into 10 cm pots. The obtained seedlings, however, are quite sensitive and are easily susceptible to fungal diseases. Therefore,in amateur conditions, surfinia is not cultivated from seeds , and we buy ready-made seedlings to be planted in boxes or pots. Plants are available for sale from May, when the risk of frosts has passed.
Therefore, care for surfinia begins with transplanting the purchased plants to their destination.Surfin is best planted in the middle of May , at intervals of 20-30 cm, if you want to get a really large amount of flowers.Heavy rains cause a periodic deterioration in flowering, but the plant develops more buds quickly. It is worth remembering thatsurfinia grown in containers require regular supplementation with mineral fertilizersCurrently, you can even get mineral fertilizers intended specifically for surfinia, such as, for example, Target surfinia liquid fertilizer, although any will be really good fertilizers for balcony flowers.
You should alsoremove the blooming surfinia flowerson a regular basis, thanks to which it will additionally stimulate the plant to produce new flower buds. The faded flowers are torn off by hand, preferably together with the inflorescence, from which nothing will be left anyway. It's worth doing this with gloves on as surfinia juice is a bit sticky.
If surfinia shoots grow too long and branch poorly,trimming surfiniaThis treatment will make the plants more compact and regular. It is best to trim the ends of the shoots.We cut with a clean and well-sharpened pruner or twig pruning shears.
Surfinie usually end their life in autumn, after the first frosts comePlants can be overwinter in frost-free rooms, however, it is quite complicated and the flowering of surfinia will not be as abundant in the following year. That is why surfinie is very rarely stored for the next year.
Surfinie - diseases and pests
Surfin are most often damaged mechanically by wind and rainfallCollect flowers damaged by rain, because they can easily rot and be susceptible to attacks by pathogenic fungi. We should also avoid wetting flowers and shoots during watering, because wet ones are easily attacked by pathogens. It is best to deliver water directly to the ground.
Check the surfin regularly, shredding their shoots and looking inside the plant , because this is where symptoms of diseases or pests attacking the plant may be visible.It is also worth doing such a review before we buy plants in a garden center.
Among the fungal diseases, the bane of surfinia lovers is gray mold caused by an attack of the Botrytis cinerea fungus.In the case of an attack of this surfinia disease, various types of spots develop usually on the edges of the leavesThey can be small watery spots or large brown and dry spots. Within the stains, a characteristic gray dusty coating appears over time. Humid weather favors the development of the disease. In rainy weather, the disease develops very quickly and can lead to the death of entire plants.
Surfinie on the balcony
Fig. pxhere.com
Leaves covered with spots or whole heavily infested shoots should be cut.Surfin can be protected against diseasesby placing them in roofed places so that they are not soaked by rain, and by spraying them with a natural preparation Biosept Active Spray, which strengthens plants and makes them resistant to diseases.The preparation is available ready for spraying, in a container with a sprayer. It is based on grapefruit extract and completely safe to use at home or on the balcony. However,in order not to damage the delicate flowers of surfinia, let's first try a fragment of the plantNever spray surfinia in full sunlight.
However, I do not recommend the use of chemical fungicides, especially for balcony plants. The use of these preparations in the apartment and on the balcony can be dangerous to our he alth.Better to throw away the pot with sick surfinia than poison yourself .
The pests on surfiniach may appear mainly aphids , which often inhabit plants in sunny weather. Aphids are tiny bugs, usually dark brown, black or green. The tips of young shoots and the base of petioles are especially numerous.
Usually, I recommend rinsing the plant thoroughly with water and just washing off the aphids.Unfortunatelyin the case of surfinia, we will damage their delicate flowers in this wayTherefore, it is better to use the home remedy for aphids, which is garlic extract (rub 25g of garlic cloves and pour a liter of water, leave for 15 minutes, a few stirring times, then strain and dilute with water in a ratio of 1: 1, spray immediately after preparation), diluted potassium soap or a ready-made natural preparation Emulpar Spray purchased from a garden store.
If aphids on surfiniach are a lotand it is a pity to waste our beautiful surfinas, you can reach for the Karate Spray. It is a chemical agent, but it is available in a ready-to-use form in a container with a sprayer. Therefore, we do not have to dilute it and it can be safely used on the balcony or terrace. Just remember to wear gloves and cover your eyes and face so that you do not inhale the agent. We never spray in full sun or when the wind blows.
The surfinia fertilizers and spraying against diseases and pestslisted in the articlecan be ordered in the shop of our guide.To view the offer, click the button below. We cordially invite you!
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Katarzyna Matuszak
