The petunia belongs to sort of grassy long-term semi-bushes from family the Nightshade family. Grows from 10 to 100 cm high, depending on grade. Sort from the South American tropics. Grows in the nature in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Petunia is upright, creeping, ampelous. In floriculture she is grown up as annual plant. Therefore every year the bed needs to be made out petunia anew. But beauty and abundance of magnificent flowers of various coloring compensate all difficulties of care for this plant. The bed of petunias is the real dolgotsvetushchy holiday in your garden.
Cultivation conditions
Petunia very much loves heat and sunlight. She grow in shadow and the more so will not blossom, in frigid climate too (except specially removed cold-resistant grades). Large-flowered petunias need heat more, than melkotsvetkovy. Petunia does not love dampness, but having watered with it abundant is necessary.
The soil for petunia has to be loamy or sandy. The fertility of soil increases introduction of humus on which the plant very much praises. Fresh manure under petunia cannot be brought as plants at once will begin to be surprised fungal diseases. The petunia does not love sour soils, on bed for these flowers it is necessary to proizvestkovat them (200 g of lime on 1 m²). In the spring when redigging the soil add fertilizer nitrophoska in number of 30 g on 1 m².
Reproduction
Make multiple copies petunia seeds. Therefore from the beginning of season at which you want to issue bed petunia it is worth taking care of seedling. Seedling can be bought ready, and it is possible to grow up houses. For this purpose petunia seeds at the end of January sow in seedling boxes. Seeds at plant small therefore they are not powdered with the earth, and just are slightly pressed into the surface of the soil. It is possible to mix seeds with sand or snow and even layer to distribute on the surface of the soil. Under glass or film the seeds of petunia have to be at temperature of +22 °C until give shoots. Usually it occurs for the seventh day. Shoots of petunia need to be sprayed and turned daily to light. Change on bed can be carried out when pass spring frosts, in the middle of May. Plants well transfer change even in the blossoming state.
Use
The petunia wins first place in popularity among decorative annual plants today. From petunias create multi-colored beds, jobs, borders. It is landed as one, and in combination with other annual plants and perennials with which she transfers the neighbourhood very well. On bed combine upright grades with creeping. It allows to close all blank spaces in flower bed and to suppress growth of weeds.