Simple tricks can turn fragile petunia shoots into lush bushes the first time.
Pelleted seeds are a trap for the impatient. The dense shell often becomes a coffin for the embryo.
To prevent this from happening, scratch it with a toothpick, simulating the natural destruction of the soil.
The seeds should be left to germinate in the brightest place, covered with a transparent lid: darkness is not their friend.
And if thin sprouts fall from a drop of water, use the following trick.
Fill the container with soil and make furrows on top. Place the seeds in them, deepening them no more than 2 mm.
There is no need to cover them with soil - the thin “legs” of the sprouted seeds will rest against the sides, and the sprouts will not fall.
As for black leg, this scourge is mortally afraid of air. Soil with vermiculite and perlite remains loose even with abundant watering.
A drainage layer of these materials at the bottom of the cups is insurance against over-moistening. Seedlings grown in such a substrate do not know the word "fungus".
Cheap soil is enemy number one.
Compacted soil suffocates the roots, and an imbalance of nutrients inhibits growth.
A mixture with the addition of humus and sand, baked in the oven, becomes a safe cradle for seeds.
The film is removed like a veil - gradually. A sharp change in humidity destroys tender sprouts. Daily airing accustoms plants to real conditions, making them hardy.
A method found through trial and error gives petunias a chance to bloom more luxuriantly than store-bought specimens.
Author: Elena Shimanovskaya