If you dream of turning your plot into a blooming paradise, but are afraid that petunias are too capricious, these tips from experienced gardeners will change your mind!
Few people know: success depends not on expensive varieties, but on a secret sowing technology.
Now we will lay all our cards on the table so that in just 4 weeks your seedlings will turn into lush bushes covered with buds.
Start by choosing quality seeds - this is the foundation.
But don't rush to throw them into the ground! Experts advise doing some clever preparation: soak the seeds in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour. This will kill the fungi and increase germination.
While the seeds are soaking, work on the soil. The ideal mixture is peat, sand and regular soil in equal parts.
If you are too lazy to mix, buy ready-made soil, but make sure it is loose and breathable.
Now take containers - plastic cups, cake boxes or even eggshells. The main thing is not to fill them to the brim! Leave 1.5 cm of free space, otherwise the sprouts will suffocate.
Petunia seeds are like dust - you can't scatter them with your hands. Here's a life hack: wet a toothpick, pick up a few seeds and carefully transfer them to the soil. If you sow in a common container, mix the seeds with sand and "salt" the soil with this mixture.
After sowing, cover the container with film or glass - this will create a greenhouse effect. Place the mini-greenhouse in the brightest place, but not under direct rays.
The temperature should be like in the tropics - 23-25 °C. Every day, lift the film to ventilate and shake off condensation. Water only through a spray bottle: a stream from a watering can will wash away the tiny seeds.
In 7-10 days the first sprouts will appear. Don't relax! Now the main thing is not to overwater them. Water only when the soil dries out slightly.
And when 2-3 true leaves open, transplant the seedlings into separate pots. There is a nuance here: take the seedlings by the leaves, not by the stem, otherwise you will break them.
Two weeks after picking, start fertilizing. Take a complex fertilizer, but dilute it in half the dose - delicate petunias do not like overfeeding.
And don't forget to harden off the seedlings: a week before planting, take them out onto the balcony for a couple of hours. That's the whole secret. Follow these steps - and your petunias will bloom so thickly that your neighbors will ask if you've already bought adult plants.
Author: Elena Shimanovskaya