Poor quality soil
Poor quality soil is the main reason why petunia seedlings die. The quality of the soil is characterized by its mineral and organic composition. The development of seedlings is affected by the acidity of the soil; more often they die if the soil is acidic pH<5.5 or alkaline pH>7.5. The best soil options: neutral, slightly acidic (pH level from 5.5 to 7).
Important! The soil is suitable for petunia seedlings if the litmus paper turns red-violet.
You can prepare the soil with your own hands from peat, turf soil, sand, and leaf soil. Stick to the ratio – 1:1:0.5:1.
Before sowing (2-3 hours), pour the prepared mixture with a pink solution of potassium permanganate. Petunia dies less often if the soil has undergone pre-sowing treatment.
We sow correctly
Dense seedlings are one of the reasons why petunia seedlings fall. Flower growers come up with different ways to sow small seeds: mixed with sand, dusted with starch. Sowing in the snow can be considered the most convenient.
Cover the soil in the seedling box with snow, and spread the seeds over its surface using a toothpick. Black seeds are clearly visible on a white background; planting density can be adjusted.
Do not cover the seeds with soil. Cover the seedling box with glass (film). There should be an air gap between the soil and the shelter. The box should be taken to a warm place, where the air temperature does not fall below 20° C. The first miniature sprouts will appear in 10 days.
Why do sprouts die after germination without shedding their shell?
Some petunia sprouts need help to shed their membranes
After sowing the seeds, the container should be covered with film and placed in a warm place. Shoots appear at high humidity. Therefore, once a day you should open the film and make sure that the soil does not dry out; if it dries out at the slightest level, it should be moistened.
Sometimes at the seedling stage you can notice how the seed has sprouted and sprouted, but has not been able to completely shed its shell. As a result, the seedlings die before they even have time to grow.
There may be two reasons for this. Either these are seeds with a defect, that is, the plant is initially non-viable, and there is no point in saving it. The second possible reason for weak sprouts is insufficient air humidity. Then you should create conditions for them with less dry air.
Do not remove the film from the container, only ventilate for short periods of time
You can try to moisten the seed coat of the seedling with a pipette or syringe and carefully use a needle to help it release
Petunia falls
Petunia has risen and falls if:
- the top layer of soil dries out;
- there is waterlogging of the soil;
- hypothermia of seedlings;
- there is no ventilation of seedlings;
- Bright sunlight falls on the seedlings.
Moderately moisten the soil with a spray bottle, preventing it from drying out or becoming waterlogged.
Cover boxes with seedlings from direct sunlight. Do not remove the film until two true leaves are formed. Seedlings with two true leaves are planted in separate cups. Petunia rises and falls much less often if, after picking, it was provided with normal conditions for growth:
- room temperature 20° C;
- lighting;
- moderate watering;
- fertilizing with a 0.1% solution of mineral fertilizer at least once every 2 weeks.
Lack of light
What happens: unthickened seedlings may also experience a lack of lighting and stretch out, as a result, falling to the ground. This happens when sowing seedlings early and without additional lighting.
For normal development, seedlings need a daylight period of 12-14 hours.
What to do: most often in February-March, plants do not have enough natural light; additional illumination with phytolamps is necessary.
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Infected soil, black leg on seedlings
Soil that has not been treated with manganese or a fungicide may harbor fungal spores. Fungus is the main factor why petunia seedlings fall and die. The disease caused by fungal spores is known to all flower growers. This black leg is the enemy of all nightshades.
The fungus begins to multiply in the root collar area. The stalk gradually becomes thinner, breaks, and the petunia seedlings fall. The following factors provoke the growth of the fungus:
- the soil is acidic;
- increased soil moisture;
- high air temperature.
In this situation, you need to identify all diseased plants and remove them along with the root and a small amount of soil. Do this quickly so that the infection does not spread to healthy seedlings.
Important! Good protection against fungus: light hilling of the stem, watering around the perimeter of the pot, in which the soil next to the stem always remains dry.
Measures to combat blackleg
We found out why petunia is falling, all subsequent measures to combat blackleg are aimed at destroying the fungus living in the soil:
- removal of diseased seedlings;
- transplanting healthy seedlings into new soil, new containers;
- mandatory treatment of new soil with formaldehyde solution (40%);
- dusting the soil next to the stem with ash.
Grown-up petunia falls and gets blackleg due to weak immunity. To strengthen it, water the seedlings with fertilizer at least once every 10 days: nitrophoska, Kemira or Mortar. According to flower growers, adult seedlings planted in peat cups are less likely to get sick.
Fungal disease
The long-awaited sprouts have sprouted and it seems that you can relax, when suddenly the seedlings fall and die. What is the reason for what happened? This is due to the petunia disease, popularly called black leg. This is a fungal infection of the plant. Mold is always present in the soil, but as soon as all the conditions for its reproduction appear, it destroys the seedlings. The reasons that favor the prosperity of the fungus are as follows:
- Excessive soil moisture
- Not optimal soil temperature. If a lot of sun or heat hits the seedlings, then the greenhouse effect gives an impetus to the proliferation of mold.
- Incorrect, too dense planting of seedlings
- Increased soil acidity
It is not difficult to determine that a petunia has suffered from blackleg disease. Its thin stem becomes dark, and the flower falls to the ground. The disease is very common, because almost always all the conditions for the growth of mold are met - heat and moisture. To avoid the spread of destructive bacteria, it is necessary to ventilate the seedlings as often as possible, and also treat the soil with disinfectants in advance.
If you still cannot avoid the petunia disease, then there is no way to save the flower. Therefore, without regret, remove the affected shoots and replace the soil with a new one. There are cases of severe soil contamination when it is impossible to completely get rid of blackleg, even by removing diseased plants. In this case, it is necessary to treat the soil in which the petunia grows. Prepare a solution of potassium permanganate and 40% formaldehyde, then spray the mixture onto the soil. This medicine will stop the growth of mold.
Chlorosis is an insidious disease of seedlings
Chlorosis - the leaves on the top of the seedlings begin to turn yellow. Yellow leaves are a signal that the plant does not have enough iron. Iron deficiency can occur in seedlings of any age.
There are two reasons: poor soil, weak root system that does not absorb the required amount of iron. Petunias die if the necessary measures are not taken in time. Thanks to timely assistance, the color of the leaves will be restored and the development of the plant will continue.
Measures to combat chlorosis
The roots of the seedling do not work well, so foliar feeding on the leaves will help. The leaves quickly absorb iron. Fertilizers used for chlorosis:
- Iron chelate;
- Ferovit;
- Micro Fe.
If you don’t have these fertilizers on hand, you can use a weak aqueous solution of iron sulfate or a complex fertilizer containing iron. With early detection of chlorosis and timely treatment, petunia seedlings rarely die, usually after 2 - 3 weeks the seedlings are completely restored. Dealing with an advanced form of chlorosis is much more difficult.
Citric acid can also be used as a good folk remedy for chlorosis: add 1 g of citric acid crystals to 1 liter of settled water.
Petunia doesn't grow
A familiar situation - petunia has stopped growing and the seedlings are dying. In this case, there is no need to panic. We are looking for reasons. The problem is most likely in a small volume of soil, if the seedlings are provided with optimal conditions for temperature, light, and soil (air) humidity. When the roots have nowhere to develop, the plant's growth stops. The solution to the problem is simple - transplant it into a larger pot. A florist who transplants seedlings on time rarely encounters such a problem.
Features of growth
The appearance of petunia is as follows: a branched stem ending in cone-shaped inflorescences. The color of the inflorescences can be either solid (white, lilac, purple, etc.) or speckled. Petunia belongs to the nightshade category, has a stem of 10 cm. The peak of flowering is late spring - early autumn.
On a note. Some plant species can bloom until the first frost.
There are many types of petunias, but two main ones can be distinguished - indoor and outdoor. Street flowers are planted mainly along the border, in alleys, and hung in baskets on the walls of houses. Indoor grows in pots.
Petunia is a very unpretentious flower, so it does not require special care. The only thing this flower cannot tolerate is heavy flooding of the soil in which it grows. It is best to plant petunia in sunny places, as the flower is very drought-resistant.
If you want to get a lush shrub, then it is best to plant using the seedling method. You can buy it at any store or sow the seeds in small cups yourself. The optimal period for planting petunias is mid-March. But when planting, it is best to follow the instructions on the packet of seeds.
Powdery mildew
Even a single case of seedling death requires attention. In the summer, you can be left without flowers if you don’t figure out in time why petunias are dying. Flower seedlings have other dangerous diseases besides chlorosis and blackleg.
The photo shows plants with symptoms of powdery mildew. A variety of factors can activate powdery mildew spores:
- irregular watering of plants;
- cool damp air;
- excess nitrogen in the soil;
- very dense planting of flowers.
Without treatment, the diseased plant rots and dies. Spraying the leaves and stems with Topaz solution helps. It is necessary that the solution covers the entire plant.
