Petunia
Description. It's hard to imagine that this plant is unfamiliar to somebody. Due to its unpretentiousness, it is especially loved by landscapers. But Petunia had a serious defect by the end of summer, high single stems with 1-2 flowers at the end formed. The type of planting became poorly decorative. Modern varieties of petunias ( heterozygous hybrids) do not have such a disadvantage: the plants, although growing, but well bush. A variety of forms of the bush( compact, ampelnye) and especially coloring puts Petunia in a dozen leading summer. Ampelnye modern petunias with abundant flowering - a great material for balconies, vases and hanging baskets. Traditionally, petunia is planted on flowerbeds, cottages and curbs. The plant likes sunny places, but withstands a slight shade, is thermophilic and drought-resistant.
Petunia garden of hybrid origin is a strongly branched plant of shrub form 20-45 cm high or stumpy with stems up to 75 cm long. Funnel-shaped flowers, single, located in leaf axils on short sturdy pedicels. Diameter of flowers from 6 to 12 cm, color white, yellow, lilac, violet, pink of various shades, carmine and bright red, one- or two-color, with a border or stripes. Root shallow rod, branchy.
Varied varieties are divided into two large classes: multiflorous and large-flowered. Each class includes several garden groups that differ in plant height( low, compact - 20-30 cm and high - 50-70 cm), as well as the size and shape of the flowers. In each class there are groups with double flowers. Standing apart is the group of Pendul - a stunted petunia. The whole range of modern petunias is foreign hybrids Fj, so it is useless to collect seeds from them. Multi-flowered petunias are unpretentious, plastic, grow well in sunny places and any garden lands. Large-flowered - more thermophilic and demanding to the conditions of growth, their flowers lose their appearance from prolonged rains.
Varieties of petunia hybrid are combined into 7 main groups, differing in the shape and structure of the bush, as well as the shape and size of the flowers.
Grandifora
The bush is spreading, branched, 40-60 cm in height, the flowers are large, the edges of the flower funnel are wavy.
Weiss Falke ( white flowers with yellow-green streaks).
Trandyflora superbissima
The bush is sprawling, slightly branched, 50-70 cm in height, the flowers are very large with a wavy edge of the flower funnel.
Württemberger ( dark crimson flowers with purple tint, velvety). Reingold ( flowers are pure white with yellow-green wavy edges).
Trandiflora fimbriate
The bush is compact, branched, 30-60 cm in height, flowers large with wavy dent-fimbral margin of the flower funnel. Gottfried Mikaeles ( crimson flowers with dark veins).
Edelitain ( flowers are light purple with dark veins).
Grandiflora Foam
The bush is spreading, branched, erect, 40 cm in height, large flowers with a jagged edge of a flower funnel.
Chedi Tart ( flowers are bright pink with a jagged edge).
The whim of ( bright crimson flowers with a jagged edge).
MULTIFLORA
The bush is spreading, branched, 45-50 cm in height, the flowers are numerous, small, the edges of the flower funnel are slightly wavy.
Pearl Plum ( flowers violet-red with dark veins, numerous, medium). Resito Blue ( violet flowers with a lilac shade, with black veins, numerous, medium).
Multiflora film
The bush is sprawling, strongly branched, 45-50 cm in height, the flowers are medium with the fringe edge of the flower funnel.
Strobery Tart ( flowers are bright red, the edges are pink fringes).
Snow Bird ( flowers are pure white, the edges are wavy fimbriated).
Nana Compacta
The bush is compact, branched, 40-50 cm in height, flowers are medium.
Velveteen Ball ( flowers are red, velvety). Marinkefer ( crimson flowers with dark veins, velvety). Fire Chif ( flowers are light red).
Petunia is a herbaceous, strong perennial plant, cultivated always only as an annual, 20-60 cm high, with a well-developed root system. Flowers single large, diameter 4-12 cm, with smooth, wavy or fringed edges. Coloring flowers is diverse - from white, cream and pink to dark purple or dark purple, and also two-color. Petunia is widely used in the flower decoration of the garden: in flower gardens, on the cuttings, in the form of flower curbs, for wall decoration, as well as for decoration of balconies, terraces, verandas and flower-girls.
Cultivation and care. Seeding for seedlings is carried out in March. Seeds are small, so they do not fall asleep with soil, but cover with glass. Seed shoots appear after 7-12 days. Picks take place in 4-5 weeks. The soil is planted in the middle of May at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other. Petunia reproduces well by cuttings. You can save your favorite plant in winter in a light cool place and propagate by cuttings in April.
Petunia blooms from June to frost, and well tolerates autumn frosts to -3 ° C.Fodder with full mineral fertilizers( 30-40 g. Per bucket of water).Watered only with a strong drying of the soil.