Friends Talk About Petunia's Explosive Pot Experience
The core content of this article: Knowledge of family gardening with petunias, friends talk about petunia's explosive pot experience, detailed introduction below.
To make petunias explode in the pot, it is first necessary to understand the habits of cows. Here are some tips for raising petunias:
1. Timely removal of withered flowers helps to increase the number of flowers and extend the blooming period.
2. Early blooming is not necessarily a good thing. All plants have a growth cycle, and early blooming only indicates that the environment is not suitable for growth or the pot is too small, causing the plant to reproduce prematurely. The petunias with a longer growth cycle here have明显 larger flower quantities.
3. Avoid planting multiple petunias in one pot unless you want to mix colors, as it is unnecessary.
4. If you want to pinch the top, at least 2-3 leaf buds should be left below the pinched part to make the plant丰满.
Let's take a look at the daily care of petunias:
Sunlight: Extremely sun-loving, petunias need full sunlight to ensure abundant flowers. Although they can grow and bloom under short-daylight conditions, the number of flowers is small and the blooming period is inconsistent. In my experience, under full sunlight (10-18 hours), more than 80% of the plants are covered with flowers, while under half-daylight (8-12 hours), only 30-40% of the plants are covered.
Water: Petunias have extremely developed underground root systems and above-ground plants. When exposed to strong sunlight, the water requirement due to transpiration is very high. If they do not receive sufficient water for a long time, the leaves at the root will turn yellow and fall off (the old leaves at the root first wilt, and the top is usually prioritized). Therefore, except for proper water control when newly planted to promote root growth, it is better not to let the soil dry out and keep it moist, especially under strong sunlight. The best method is to feel the soil moisture by the weight of the pot. (Be careful! If your medium is loose with poor breathability, excessive watering can cause root rot.)
Temperature: I don't have much experience with this yet, but I know that weather around 20 degrees Celsius is very suitable for petunias.
Medium: The medium I use is 100% pure white peat from the Netherlands, with a ratio of 85% peat and 15% perlite (powder needs to be washed off), and no vermiculite is added. Vermiculite easily breaks into small particles, which can affect the breathability of the medium. This medium has good water permeability and breathability but has a clear disadvantage: poor water retention, requiring frequent watering during hot weather.
Fertilizer: Petunias are also fertilizer-loving plants that need sufficient fertilizer to maintain long-term abundant blooming. I usually do this: mix a large amount of chicken manure as a base fertilizer in the lower 1/4 of the medium, and then cover it with a layer of slow-release fertilizer like澳绿. Every time I water, I mix in about 2000 times liquid fertilizer. If it rains or is cloudy, I reduce the concentration and spray it directly on the leaves, but be sure to avoid strong sunlight after fertilizing to prevent fertilizer burn and leaves that are not dry before sunset (which can lead to disease).
Pinching: Many posts suggest pinching petunias, and I have also experimented with various pinching methods. The result is that whether or not pinched, all turned into flower balls, but the most perfect plant shape was from those that were never pinched. I have consulted professionals, including employees of虹越 and experienced old gardeners for many years, and even their opinions are not the same. My understanding after synthesizing their opinions is that pinching is a corrective measure for plant shape, not a manufacturing method. Some imported varieties have good branching and can naturally grow into balls with sufficient fertilizer and water. Over-enthusiasm for topping early or excessively can affect the normal growth of the plant. Although it may seem like there are more branches in the short term, it can hinder the normal growth of the plant in the long run. Unintentional pinching can also lead to uneven branch lengths, affecting the overall plant shape. Some domestic varieties with poor branching ability and natural plant shape need to be trimmed in a planned way for long and short branches to effectively control the development of the plant shape.
Planting: Many people ask what size pot to plant petunias in. My view is that it depends on the size of your space and the effect you want to achieve, because the above-ground volume of this upright plant depends on the expansion area of the underground root system.
The above content about friends talking about petunia's explosive pot experience (picture) is clear to green plant enthusiasts, right?