Planting Methods and Precautions for Dwarf Petunias
You may not be familiar with the planting methods and precautions for dwarf petunias, as well as the techniques for growing them to bloom in clusters, and the experience in green plant maintenance. Let's learn about these together next.
Dwarf petunias belong to the Solanum genus of the Solanaceae family and are perennial herbaceous flowers, but they are commonly cultivated as annual or biennial flowers. Dwarf petunias are also known as Bidongqie, Hybridousa, Ganoderma牡丹, Shuttlecock Flower, Dwarf Trumpet, and Sweet Potato Flower, among others. The flowers are large and numerous, blooming profusely with a long blooming period and rich colors. They are excellent for flower beds and potted plants and can also be planted in natural clusters or used as cut flowers. They can bloom throughout the year in suitable climates or under greenhouse conditions. They can be widely used for flower bed arrangements, flower troughs, landscape decorations, window sills, and home decoration.
Dwarf petunias grow 20-45 cm tall; the stems sprawl and are covered with sticky pubescence; the leaves are soft, ovate, entire, and alternate, with the upper leaves opposite; the flowers are single, funnel-shaped, double flowers are spherical, resembling trumpets, and come in colors such as white, purple, red, pink, and white with red stripes, and are edged with other colors, very beautiful, blooming from April to frosting; the fruit is a capsule; the seeds are tiny.
Dwarf petunias are native to Argentina in South America and prefer warm and sunny environments. They are not frost-tolerant and fear waterlogging. The optimal growth temperature is 13-18°C, with winter temperatures of 4-10°C. If the temperature drops below 4°C, plant growth stops. They can tolerate high temperatures above 35°C in summer. Dwarf petunias are long-day plants and require ample sunlight during the growing period. Under normal lighting conditions, it takes about 100 days from sowing to flowering.
I. Propagation Methods for Dwarf Petunias: The common propagation methods for dwarf petunias are seed propagation and cutting propagation.
1. Seed Propagation: Seeds are usually sown in spring and autumn for seedling raising. Spring sowing can be done when the temperature is around 20°C, and autumn sowing can bloom by mid-March of the following year. Spring sowing in May can bloom by early August. Seeds can be sown directly in the garden or seedlings can be raised and transplanted. The common sowing methods include drill sowing, broadcast sowing in furrows, or broadcasting on the bed surface. After sowing, cover the seeds with soil so they are not visible, then cover with straw or plastic film to keep the soil moist. Dwarf petunias can germinate in about a week. When the seedlings have two or three sets of true leaves, thinning should be done, removing weak, leggy, and mixed seedlings. Ensure good air circulation and ample sunlight to promote rapid growth of the seedlings. When the plants have three sets of true leaves and the root system is well-formed, they can be transplanted or potted.
2. Cutting Propagation: Cuttings can be done in spring and autumn when the temperature is around 20°C. Cut 5-10 cm long stem sections with three internodes and insert them into sand or half-clay and sand soil. Keep the soil shaded and moist, and roots can usually form in 35-45 days.
II. Preparation of Potting Soil: For home cultivation of dwarf petunias, potting is usually done. The first step in potting is to prepare the cultivation soil, which is quite important. A pot is a special small environment, and no single type of soil can meet all the needs of dwarf petunias. Therefore, potting soil must be artificially prepared to replace natural soil, keeping the plant fixed in the pot and providing certain water retention and drainage properties. It should be loose, fertile, and well-draining sandy soil. Potting soil for dwarf petunias can be made from 50% garden soil, 20% decomposed leaf mold, and 30% sand. The prepared soil should be sterilized at high temperatures (by frying in a wok or steaming) before use, or it can be sun-dried to kill pathogens.
III. Potting: First, place broken tiles at the bottom of the pot, then add some decomposed cake fertilizer, crushed bones, fish bones, chicken feathers, etc., as basal fertilizer, then fill in the potting soil. Trim the long lateral roots, damaged roots, and excess fibrous roots of the dwarf petunia plant. Ensure the roots are spread out, fill the soil to half the pot, gently lift and shake the plant, compact the soil, and plant it not too deep, keeping the rootstock level with the pot rim. Too shallow may affect survival, and too deep may affect the plant's growth after transplanting. Water the plant thoroughly after planting. newly planted plants should be protected from prolonged exposure to strong sunlight as their root systems have not yet developed well. Keep the plants in a shaded environment for about a week before moving them to a sunny location for care.
IV. Daily Management
Dwarf petunias are afraid of drought and waterlogging. Watering should follow the principle of wetting through in dry seasons and wetting in wet seasons. In dry and hot seasons, water more appropriately, and in low temperatures and rainy seasons, control watering. In summer, water once in the afternoon every day, and in rainy weather, tip the pot to remove accumulated water. Reduce watering in autumn, and ensure water supply during the flowering period and summer. Dwarf petunias like fertilizer, but for potted plants, the amount of fertilizer should be controlled, especially nitrogen fertilizer should not be excessive. Foliar feeding can be used, and after the appearance of flower buds, apply 2-3 times of 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate liquid fertilizer to ensure continuous flowering. Move the pot of dwarf petunias indoors for winter, keeping the temperature above 0°C for safe overwintering. Remove faded flowers in time to avoid affecting the appearance.
The above content on the planting methods and precautions for dwarf petunias and the techniques for growing them to bloom in clusters can be used as a reference by green plant enthusiasts.