What is the difference between ampelous petunia and cascading petunia: photos, features of planting and care

Features of ampelous petunia

The distinctive feature of ampelous varieties is determined by careful study of the species and methods of its cultivation. Let's figure it out.

Description

The plant forms bushes with hanging shoots, they look straight down, do not fall apart and do not rise. The length of the branches is from 30 to 120 cm, it all depends on the variety. When grown in hanging containers, the plant can be given any shape. The leaves are pubescent, at the tips of the shoots they are small, and those that are higher are larger.

Basically, all ampelous forms are strewn with bell-shaped flowers, while small-flowered varieties form more buds. The diameter of an open flower can be from 3 to 10 cm; both large and small flowers bloom simultaneously on one bush.

The color is varied, from white to dark purple. There are single-color and two-color varieties. On one lash there can be buds of different shades. When planting different varieties in one pot, the flowers do not cross-pollinate, resulting in a very bright, varied and completely independent composition. The bushes bloom profusely from late June until the first autumn frosts.

Features of planting and care

Ampelous petunia is grown in seedlings; seeds are sown from late March to early April. However, it is better to calculate the timing yourself, since about 2.5–3 months pass from sowing to flowering. Picking is required; seedlings can be immediately transferred to a permanent flower pot. Plants are taken outside when the weather is warm day and night.

The flower does not like stagnant moisture, the roots rot quickly, the pots must have holes for water drainage, and a layer of drainage material is placed at the bottom. The plant needs to be watered (only at the root) every day until the soil is completely wet; in hot weather, watering is carried out 2 times a day. Before the onset of cold weather, the frequency of procedures is reduced. Hanging varieties need to be protected from the wind.

Every 7 or 10 days, fertilizing is carried out (after watering, the ground should be wet), complex mineral fertilizers are suitable. Large varieties can only be planted singly. Medium and small ones can be placed in groups, but the distance between the bushes should be at least 15 cm.

As soon as the plant actively begins to grow in a new place, pinch the top (above the 5th leaf). The procedure will stimulate the growth of side shoots. Withered buds must be removed along with the seed pods, so the plant will have enough strength to form new flowers.

Hanging varieties are most often grown in hanging boxes and flowerpots; sometimes the containers are placed on the ground and the branches are attached to twigs (decorating walls, fences). It is better not to plant it in a flowerbed with other flowers, otherwise the petunia will quickly grow and cover all the plants. But if you give the flower a separate place, it will create fluffy, bright rugs in a short time.

Popular varieties of ampelous petunia

There are many varieties and varieties of ampelous petunia, and every year there are more and more of them. We will describe the most beautiful and most popular options:

• Black velvet is a highly branched bush with dark, velvety flowers. The length of the stems is about 40 cm;
• The Snow Queen is a hybrid petunia whose stems grow up to 80 cm in length. The flower is completely white, fragrant;
• Mashenka - the stems of a dense bush grow up to 80 cm, the flowers are funnel-shaped, bright pink with a yellow throat;

• Ekaterina - flowers up to 6 cm in diameter, unusual color, a mixture of yellow, red and orange shades;
• Ramblin neon roses - stems about 40 cm, flowers large, lilac or light purple;
• Svetlana - the stems are long, branched, the flowers are wavy, light pink with darker, thinner stripes;
• Explorer is a series of varieties with strong, long stems. The flowers are large with a waxy surface and varied in color.

Difference in care

In general, there are few differences between these two types of petunias, but they exist. And these differences determine the difference in care.

Pinching seedlings

• In the ampelous petunia, the shoots grow only downward from the very beginning , and in order to have more of them, the sprouts of the ampelous petunia are pinched.
• Cascade shoots can grow in different directions . There is no need to pinch out its sprouts; this reduces the growth rate and weakens the plant. And without this procedure, there are many buds, and subsequently flowers, and the vines fall down under their weight.

Shoot care

• The shoots of cascading petunia are thicker, more powerful, strong, long, and produce more shoots.
• The canopy shoots are thinner, weaker, and must be handled very carefully so as not to break them.

Trimming flowers and seed pods

To ensure that the bush always looks beautiful, the ampelous petunia needs to be trimmed at least once a week . In this case, faded inflorescences should be torn off along with the seed pods so that the plant does not waste energy on setting fruit. If this is not done, the petunias enter the fruiting phase, all efforts are spent on setting seeds, new flowers are not formed and a complete loss of decorativeness occurs. Read more about caring for ampelous petunia here.

Cascade petunia is not pruned during the entire flowering period.

Placement in flowerpots and watering

For hanging varieties of petunias, small hanging pots or flowerpots will be sufficient . However, it should be remembered that the green mass of this plant is very large, and the root system is limited. Therefore, ampelous petunia needs to be watered frequently, in hot weather - up to twice a day. You can add hydrogel to the soil - then the moisture will remain longer.

Petunia cascade

Cascade petunia is a subspecies of ampelous petunia. It has an obvious similarity in appearance to the first variety, but differs in a host of its own characteristics.

Description

As the bush grows, it forms a large number of shoots with lateral branches. The length of the stems can reach one and a half meters. At first the branches are directed upward, and as they grow, they droop. Externally, the bush resembles a fluffy, voluminous ball with long, hanging lashes.

Flowers are up to 5 cm in diameter; on bushes all buds will be the same size. The color, as in the previous case, depends on the variety; single-colored, mixed-colored varieties and double forms are also found.

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Features of planting and care

Preparing seedlings, planting, watering and fertilizing are carried out in the same way as in the case of ampelous petunia. One plant requires a capacity of at least 5 liters. When planting 4 bushes, take a pot of up to 20 liters and plant them at a distance of 30–40 cm from each other. Form pinching is not necessary.

Cascade petunia grows very quickly; when grown on the ground, it needs to be given a separate place. The area should be about 2 meters, this is the distance the bush spreads its lashes. For cascading varieties, special poles are built, they are hung on fences and fences, in such cases the branches can be directed.

Popular varieties of cascading petunia

Among the leaders, the following variety series stand out:

• Ramblin - the height of the lateral branches can reach 40 cm, and the lashes grow up to a meter in length. The varieties bloom very early;
• Mona Lisa - highly branched, low bushes, medium-sized flowers, varieties are resistant to negative weather factors;
• Double Cascade - plants of this group form neat bushes, they are quite capricious, the flowers are double, single-colored and two-colored.

There is no point in singling out individual varieties from each subgroup; there are too many of them, and not all of them can be found on sale.

Planting petunias in open ground

Seedlings are transplanted to a permanent location after return frosts, when stable above-zero temperatures have established at any time of the day. Usually this is the period from late May to early June, earlier in the south. When choosing seeds, please note that many varieties have now appeared that can tolerate minor frosts.

Petunia is demanding on soil fertility; the soil must be fertilized before planting. Acidity also matters; the flower develops better with a neutral or weak reaction. The planting pattern is dictated by the selected species and variety. Petunia seedlings are carefully removed from the cups; it is very important not to damage the roots; it is best to plant them early in the morning or in the evening.

Watering and fertilizing are carried out frequently; in open ground, it is better to fertilize petunia with organic matter. During hot periods, in addition to watering, you need to spray the bushes, but only after sunset or before sunrise.

In regions with early summer and warm autumn, gardeners have the opportunity to grow petunia without seedlings. Sowing is carried out in pre-prepared soil in May, with the seeds left on the soil surface. The beds are irrigated abundantly with water. The plant will bloom 2 or 3 weeks later than one grown from seedlings.

Growing procedure

From seeds

• prepare a container with soil and sand substrate;
• it is necessary to use high-quality soil;
• before planting, flower seeds are mixed with sand in a ratio of 1:5;
• It is better to use not pure seeds, but in a shell, to protect the plant from diseases and mechanical damage;
• February and March are ideal months for planting;
• if there is insufficient lighting, you need to organize it yourself;
• it is necessary to moisten the already sown seeds from a spray bottle and cover with a transparent film;
• the room temperature should not be higher than 25 degrees;
• when the first shoots appear, the flooring should be removed;
• watering should be minimal;
• Nitrogen fertilizer can be used as a top dressing several times a month.

Topping

In order for petunia supercascade burgundy to grow with lush flowers, it is necessary to systematically pinch the plant. The procedure involves removing the shoots when they reach the top of the stem by 10 cm.

The next pinching is carried out when the shoots reach 15 cm in height. The trimmed plants can be placed in water. They will take root and can be used to grow flowers in pots or boxes.

Picking

The procedure is carried out to give the plant abundant growth, flowering and nutrition. Three weeks after the shoots emerge, the petunia should be placed in a separate container.

The soil is first thoroughly moistened so that the plant can be removed safely. Transplanted flowers are stored in a well-lit, ventilated room with an air temperature of at least 22 degrees.

Planting in open ground

In May, the plant can be transplanted into the soil, having first moistened it and mulched it with peat or humus. It is equally important to harden the seedlings before they are transplanted into open ground. It is enough to take it outside for five days.

Propagation by cuttings

Cuttings should be cut at an angle. It is important to ensure that the shoots already have several leaves. The cuttings are placed in warm water. As soon as they begin to take root, the soybeans and petunia can be placed in the ground.

With this method of transplantation, it is possible to grow supercascade blue petunia f1 no earlier than 35 days later.

Planting in flowerpots

Cascade and ampelous petunia look beautiful in hanging flowerpots. This is an excellent decoration for any balcony, loggia or gazebo. The soil is selected in a specialized store, as it must be loose, light and waterproof. You should not plant flowers with different flowering periods and sizes in the same pot. Growing conditions must be the same.

Petunia diseases and their control

In its homeland, petunia grows in extreme conditions - extreme heat and high humidity. The plant has excellent immunity to disease, but in our climate there are still risks. Problems and solutions:

• Powdery mildew - a fungus that affects all parts of the bush, forms white spots, leaves curl and dry out, and the plant gradually dies. The disease can appear in cold, rainy weather, with a lack of light, as well as with an excess of nitrogen in the soil. The affected bush is thrown away and the top layer of soil in the pots is replaced; in case of group plantings, neighboring plants are sprayed with Topaz or Skor;

• Gray rot - manifests itself in the form of gray fluffy spots appearing on stems or leaves. The disease can destroy petunias in 3 days. Comfortable conditions for development are high humidity and lack of light. All affected parts of the plant should be pruned and a small amount of nitrogenous fertilizers should be added to the soil; calcium and phosphorus promote the development of the fungus. If there are too many gray spots, the petunia is thrown away and the neighboring bushes are treated with Ordan or Trichodermin;

• Black rot - the stems at the roots become soft, easily separated from the outlet, the branches inside are empty or black. Leaves curl, turn yellow and become hard. The disease quickly spreads to healthy bushes. The reasons are dense plantings, high humidity and acidity of the soil. At the first signs, treatment is carried out with Bordeaux mixture;

• Late blight - the root part of the stems darkens and rots, the bush withers and dies. The infection develops with frequent changes in temperature and with a large amount of dew at night. Any copper-containing preparations are suitable for treatment;

• Brown spot - brown spots appear on the upper side of the leaves; at first they are round, but stretch out over time. The leaf plate becomes covered with a fungus, which spreads very quickly, and the bush gradually dries out. There is only one reason - excessive humidity. The affected parts of the bush are cut off, the petunia is dug up, the drainage holes and drainage are checked, and watering is reduced.

Prevention of any disease comes down to normalizing the density of the bush, moderate watering and balanced fertilizing. Also, we must not forget that petunia loves the sun.

The difference between ampelous petunia and cascading petunia

For those who want to learn how to correctly identify similar types of petunias, we have created a convenient plate in which we have placed all the distinctive features of ampelous and cascading petunias.

The main differences will be clearly visible when the petunia grows and blooms profusely. Some gardeners say that cascading petunia, unlike hanging petunia, cannot be planted in hanging flowerpots; apparently, they simply haven’t tried it!

Description of varieties

Ampelous petunia is a type of plant whose bush is not erect, but forms hanging shoots. There are a lot of flowers on each branch. Ampelous petunia is usually planted in flowerpots, but sometimes it can also grow in a flowerbed : in this case, the shoots spread along the ground, forming a flowering carpet. Strong and elastic shoots of ampelous petunia can grow up to 1.5 meters long, their growth proceeds from the main stem in a downward direction.

Cascade petunia is essentially a variety of ampelous petunia, the length of the shoots can reach 2 meters, the shoots are strong, elastic, their growth comes from the main stem in different directions, including upwards and to the sides. This type of petunia is also called spreading petunia.

Cascade petunia looks good in gazebos, on verandas, on trellises, alpine slides , and can serve as a ground cover. In the latter case, petunia needs a lot of space for the lashes to grow laterally - up to 2 meters.

What's more beautiful

Knowing about all the features of ampelous and cascading petunias, you can independently determine what exactly you need. The choice depends on the main purpose, and as for beauty, both types of flowers are very decorative.

Petunia is considered a fairly easy flower to grow. It is universal in use; the variety of species and hybrids allows it to be used anywhere. Now you know how to distinguish ampelous petunia from cascading petunia, all that remains is to make your choice.