Petunia is a densely leafy spherical bush with many shoots and lush flowering. This is ideal. But for some gardeners, especially beginners, petunia often grows completely different: lanky, consisting of thin 2-3 branches with flowers on the tops. And it’s not a matter of lack of feeding or proper care. The mistake is not pinching the petunia - and this is necessary for the formation of the plant and its abundant flowering.
Pinching petunias in seedlings is a way to form a lush branched bush
So how can you pinch petunia so that it is fluffy, grows in the shape of a ball and blooms beautifully? We will tell you everything right now.
Do you pinch petunia?
The crop is easy to grow, very decorative and plastic, rich in various species and varieties, but for lush flowering, petunias must be pinched. Without this procedure, the plant sends out long branches, lashes, where flowers are formed only at the top. Usually only 1-3 stems grow from one root, long and brittle. By removing the tips of overgrown central and lateral shoots, petunias are stimulated to create new branches with buds. Varieties and hybrids bred recently bush on their own, but after pinching - removing the top, the seedling becomes more voluminous and takes on a spherical shape due to dense branching.
Comment! Shortening first the central stem and then the side shoots of the petunia helps create a curly bush and numerous buds.
Summer anti-aging pruning
In the summer, flower growers prune petunias to rejuvenate the bush, give it a beautiful appearance and stimulate flowering.
For abundant flowering
How to renew a plant? In July, petunia flowering decreases and the bushes thin out. To stimulate the appearance of new flowers, pruning is carried out. The work involves using garden pruners, scissors, or cutting off the stems by hand. If you ignore this procedure, the plant will begin to spend all its energy on ripening the seeds. To do this, shorten the central stem and lateral shoots.
The stems are pinched in places where there are almost no flowers left. Four leaves are left on the cut stem. Dry buds are removed manually or with nail scissors. Experienced flower growers advise pinching petunia once a month until the end of September.
To form a bush
In August, pruning is performed to restore the plant and lush flowering. The procedure is the same as in July.
As a result of intensive flowering, petunia quickly loses its strength. To renew them, the bushes are regularly sprayed and fed once a week.
After flowering, the plant is pruned if the bushes are grown for decorative purposes. If the gardener needs seeds, pruning is not carried out. When regular pinching does not give the expected results and the leaves turn yellow, it is recommended to trim the bushes by one third. The plant is removed from the pot along with the earthen ball and the root system is divided in half. A sharp knife will do for this.
After dividing the rhizomes, the petunia is transplanted into larger pots, filling them with fresh soil mixture. The containers are transferred to a dark place for a week and watered regularly. For three weeks, the soil is fertilized with nitrogen, then they switch to complex fertilizing. After such pruning, petunia will resume flowering at the end of August and will delight with new buds until September.
What varieties of petunias are pinched?
Be sure to pinch regular petunias, not hybrid ones, as they are called - amateur ones. The flowers on the plants, although simple and not elaborate, emit a subtle honey aroma. After pinching, the flowerbed will be much curlier. For a visual effect, ampelous and cascading varieties are pinched to give an impulse to multiple branching. Sometimes it becomes necessary to do the same procedure with professional varieties when the stems stretch upward:
- if the seedlings grow very crowded;
- there is not enough light;
- containers are in too warm a room.
Features of the formation of different types of petunia
Now let's look at how to pinch petunia so that it blooms beautifully.
Ampelous petunia
Ampelous petunia is genetically designed to form a lush, branched bush. It is not necessary to form an adult plant, the exception is the removal of faded buds and seed pods. This measure will allow the plant to direct all its forces to the formation of new buds and gorgeous flowering.
Early pinching at the seedling stage is desirable. Pinching the main shoot will help the side shoots grow more actively.
In cool and humid summers, it is worth paying special attention to the petunia bush. Many gardeners note that in damp weather, excessive splendor can lead to the development of fungal diseases on petunias. Therefore, it is recommended to thin out petunia, ensuring good ventilation of the bush. This is especially true for hanging and cascading varieties. Therefore, it is recommended to thin out petunia, ensuring good ventilation of the bush. This is especially true for hanging and cascading varieties.
Cascade petunia
Cascade petunia, in addition to early pinching, needs to be pinched 1-2 more times per season. This is necessary so that it bushes better. The second and third pinching of shoots is carried out a month apart.
The operation looks like this step by step.
- Prepare a clean and sharp tool: pruning shears or garden shears, a jar for cut cuttings, disinfectant powder (for example, activated or charcoal).
- The plant is carefully inspected and shoots are identified for removal. Pruning is a creative process that requires a lot of imagination. You need to mentally imagine what a pruned plant will look like, on which side there are extra shoots and on which side there is no need to remove anything, which shoot needs to be pinched to stimulate the growth of stepchildren.
- Use scissors or pruning shears to cut off unnecessary shoots. The cut must be done cleanly, without leaving burrs. The cut shoots are not thrown away; they are useful as cuttings for rooting and obtaining additional planting material for petunia.
- The sections are powdered with charcoal to prevent disease and quickly heal the wound.
Important! It is better to prune petunia in open ground in dry and warm weather. Then the cuts will dry faster
Bush and terry petunia
Bush and double varieties of petunias are pinched based on the varietal characteristics of a particular plant. If it is clear that the petunia produces few side shoots, the bush should be “spurred up” by pinching the central stem.
It is necessary to remove faded buds and damaged, shriveled leaves on any variety of petunia.
Multi-flowered petunia Alderman, which forms a compact and very lush bush 30 cm high, does not need to be pinched. The exception is if the petunia seedlings stretch out and begin to fall to the side.
When to pinch petunia
Pinching is carried out in several stages:
- the time of the first shortening of the central stem in most cases occurs during the seedling period, after picking, 1.5 months after germination;
- the second time, after 3-4 weeks, the side shoots that are too protruding are shortened when they reach 8-9 cm;
- if all the lateral branches rapidly develop after pinching, they are also shortened to form the next shoots from each branch;
- the following pinchings are used for branching of the bush and more luxuriant flowering periodically, after about 20-30 days.
The first procedure for forming petunia is possible 9-12 days after moving, when the seedling takes root and gets stronger. Pinching is carried out when the petunia produces 5-6 leaves, otherwise the bush will outgrow and will not form harmoniously. From this point on, the petunia directs its forces to the formation of lateral stems, where flower buds are formed over time.
Often 1-3 branches protrude strongly; they are also cut off so that all shoots are approximately the same length. After the first abundant flowering, unopened buds are plucked along with the faded ones. The petunia will recover for a few days and then form more flowers. In the south, where seeds are sown in a flowerbed, or seedlings are planted early without pinching, pinching is also carried out after the appearance of the 3rd pair of leaves and final adaptation to the new location.
Advice! Petunias are pinched when the plants have 5 or 6 leaves.
Further care
In order for petunia to continue to delight with lush flowering, experienced gardeners recommend following a number of rules:
- For intensive growth, bushes are fertilized with minerals and growth stimulants.
- During drought, the plant is watered daily, and in the evening it is sprayed with water from a spray bottle.
- Withered flowers are removed along with the stem.
Feeding rules:
- After planting the petunias in a permanent place, add 5 tsp to the soil. potassium monophosphate per 10 liters of water. Once a week, the plant is fertilized with Zircon (1 ampoule per 10 liters of water). To improve flowering, use the drug “Kemira Lux” with micro- and macroelements
- In mid-July, Kemira Lux mixed with potassium monophosphate and potassium nitrate is added to the soil every five days. For abundant flowering, the bushes are fed with urea (10 g per 10 liters of water). Nitrogen stimulates the growth of green mass and ensures lush flowering.
- In August, the plant is fed with Fertika and potassium monophosphate once every 7 days.
At the end of summer, fertilizing is reduced to a minimum. By this time, the bushes will have gained strength and will delight with prolonged flowering until the end of the season.
How to properly pinch petunia
Experienced gardeners quickly tear off the tops of plants simply with their fingers. Less experienced people prepare scissors or a sharp knife for manipulation, which are treated with any disinfectant:
- Using scissors, carefully cut off the growth point of a stem or side branch, or perform the procedure with your fingers;
- It is often advised to make the cut slightly obliquely, and not perpendicularly;
- pinch the central stem of the developed bush so that at least 4 internodes remain;
- No more than 1/5 of the plant is removed at a time.
For decorative pinching of an adult bush, use sharp scissors or pruning shears. Tearing off part of the developed stem with your fingers can result in the shoot being macerated instead of a neat, even cut. When processing petunias in the flowerbed, wait for warm and dry weather. In such conditions, the cut sites heal faster and there is less risk for the plant to “catch” the infection. For those who are starting manipulation for the first time, it is better to first watch pinching a petunia on video:
Cascade
The main characteristic of the species is the rapid growth of long shoots that spread in all directions, up to 70-90 cm. Hybrids and varieties belonging to this category bush abundantly on their own and usually acquire a spherical shape without pinching. Shoots of cascading petunias are pinched when the seedlings are developing rapidly, and it is too early to move them to a permanent place. There is a risk that if there is insufficient lighting, the lashes will be weak. Cascade varieties are also shortened in the case of dense placement of seedling pots, since the shoots will stretch upward. There is an opinion among flower growers that any hybrids should be pinched for a better effect.
Ampelnaya
Shoots of ampelous varieties create long, flowing shoots. Plants, like cascading ones, are used in landscaping the upper level of streets and balconies. In the flowerbed, branches spread along the ground. Apmelaceae are pinched so that lateral shoots develop. The rule of the “third pair” of leaves does not apply to this category of petunias. The central stem is pinched at the top when its length reaches 10 cm. Otherwise, the bush may have an empty center.
Attention! Cascading and ampelous plants, like all dense petunia bushes, are thinned out in rainy summers, fearing fungal diseases.
Terry
Experienced gardeners are sure that the shoots of terry bushes must be shortened so that more buds are formed. The first pinching is done above the third node 1.5 months after germination. Then the side shoots are shortened, and during the period of bud blooming, care is taken to remove the wilted ones in time.
Bush
Many varieties of bush petunia do not require pinching. We must proceed from the general state of the instance:
- if there are few side branches;
- the central stem has grown too high.
Why do you need a pinch?
Pinching petunia is an agrotechnical procedure during which the upper parts of the shoots of the plant are removed. Many gardeners believe that petunia does not need pinching. This is far from true. Petunia is not prone to tillering on its own.
Without pinching, the plant forms independently into a single stem with a small number of flower buds.
A correctly carried out procedure has a positive effect on the growth and development of petunia:
- gives the bush a correct and neat shape;
- increases the number of flower buds;
- stimulates the growth of side shoots;
- extends flowering time;
- gives the bush a neat and well-groomed shape.
After removing the growing point, the petunia produces new shoots with flower buds and stops stretching upward. Multiple side shoots begin to actively form on the plant, and bright and lush inflorescences begin to bloom profusely on them. As a result, flowering becomes more abundant, lush and lasting.
Is it possible to pinch petunia during flowering?
Petunias with several or one flower are purchased at markets. Each plant must be inspected and decided whether it is worth pinching. If many other shoots have grown, only the withered flower is removed, always with the receptacle.
If the central stem is too high, it is also pinched short, leaving 2-3 nodes. Flowering will stop for a while, but new branches formed over time will produce significantly more buds. Long shoots are also cut off in the summer. The plant recovers within a week and creates other growth buds, which helps to increase the volume of the bush. The decorative effect improves after 20-25 days. Flowering will last long until frost.
Description and characteristics of the petunia plant
Let's start the description of the petunia plant with the fact that it comes from Argentina and Brazil. In their homeland, the plants are perennial, but here they do not overwinter and are used as annual plants. Of course, modern garden hybrids are very different from their wild ancestors. The main breeding work on their creation began in the middle of the 19th century in America and continues throughout the world to this day. There are more than 25 species, among which there are small-flowered forms with a plant height of 20 to 40 cm, blooming 70–75 days after germination, and large-flowered forms, the height of which can reach 60 cm. These petunias bloom two weeks later than small-flowered ones. There are terry ampelous forms, the shoots of which can reach more than 1 m in length.
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Petunia leaves can acquire light or dark shades of green, their shape is oval, length from 6 to 12 cm. Petunia stems are straight, with densely located branches.
During the development process, a bush of the correct silhouette is formed, which eliminates the need for decorative pruning. The only thing that is required is pinching the top for more intensive growth in width.
In its natural habitat, petunia reproduces by seed. Its seeds ripen in a two-leaf capsule and are very small in size (0.8 mm). In one box, about 100 seeds can quietly ripen and then be sown.
To obtain planting material, the most decorative bushes are transplanted into pots in the fall, and used for cuttings in the spring. Large-flowered petunia is more thermophilic than small-flowered petunia. In rainy weather, it loses its decorative effect, and the agricultural technology for its cultivation is more complex. Therefore, it is more often used as a potted crop.
What to do with cuttings after pruning
The tops of the central and lateral shoots are rooted. The cuttings will transfer all the characteristics of the variety to the new seedlings. This is how you can reproduce expensive specimens:
- take the lower part of the cut branch and count 3 nodes with pairs of leaves (throw away the top of the shoot or admire the short-stemmed flowers in a vase);
- a couple of lower leaves are carefully cut off;
- the cuttings are treated with a root formation stimulator according to the instructions;
- planted in a loose substrate of soil and sand.
Glasses with cuttings are watered and placed in a cool room or outside in a place where the sun's rays do not reach. Cuttings take root in 25-32 days. By autumn, the seedlings are moved to larger containers and also grown at a temperature not exceeding 16 °C. Sometimes the tops of the branches are placed in a container of water, waiting for roots to form, and then planted in the soil mixture.
Caring for petunia after pruning
After pinching a bush at any stage of development, growth is inhibited for several days. For adaptation, all specimens are fertilized with complex mineral preparations:
- nitroammophoska;
- other store-bought products for feeding petunias or flowering plants from different brands.
Foliar feeding is also carried out, which has a positive effect on plants.
Flowering crops are fertilized once every 10-12 days. At this frequency, the most abundant flowering and good development of the bush are achieved. When carrying out frequent fertilizing, you need to ensure that the soil in the containers remains constantly moderately moist. Drying out the earthen clod will have a detrimental effect on the splendor of the buds and the decorative appearance of the specimen. Petunias are watered at least once a day, on hot days - up to 3 times. Particular attention is paid to flowers in pots, where the soil quickly dries out. Plants can be sprayed gently in the morning or evening using a hand sprayer.
The essence of the procedure
Pinching involves removing the top of the plant, which stimulates the formation of additional side shoots. After removing the top part, side stems grow, on which flowers are subsequently formed. The essence of the procedure is to obtain abundant flowering at minimal cost. There is no need to grow entire gardens of petunias when you can get the same abundant blooms from one bush.
Many gardeners emphasize the importance of pinching. But not everyone uses these recommendations. As a result, there is no need to expect abundant flowering, which is why many refuse to grow this magnificent plant in their own garden.
What happens if you don't pinch petunia? Lack of pinching leads to the fact that the plant actively strives upward and, under the weight of its own weight, there is a risk of violating the integrity of the entire flower. As a result, only one flower can be obtained from one seed, whereas after pinching one seed a whole bush with a stable root system is formed.
As for pinching the buds, this procedure is also important. As soon as the flower has bloomed, the bud must be carefully plucked off. If this is not done, the pollinated flower will form a seed pod. This will consume all the vital forces of the petunia, which will have a detrimental effect on the flowering of other flowers and the formation of additional shoots.
As soon as the flower has faded, you need to carefully pinch it off
Common mistakes
When growing petunia, it is important to avoid several erroneous steps when pinching, which reduce the rate of development of the flower crop and its decorative effect:
- only healthy, well-developed specimens are processed;
- It is better not to delay the procedure and pinch at the initial stage of seedling development, resulting in early blooming of buds;
- in one approach, only a fifth or sixth of the green mass of the bush is shortened; it is impossible to cut off all the shoots of the seedlings;
- shoots from an adult specimen are cut off after a month, not more often;
- Before work, tools are disinfected;
- Withered flowers are removed from the receptacle every day.
