Norms

Petunia pinching. Pinching petunia: step-by-step photos

Voluminous multi-colored bushes of double, ampelous, bicolor and single-color petunias have won the hearts of experienced gardeners and beginners. From mid-spring until the first frost, flowers of amazing variety and decorativeness decorate not only summer cottages, but also the balconies of multi-storey buildings, verandas of cottages, city flower beds, cafes and restaurants. The flowers are unpretentious, do not require professional maintenance or special conditions, but they respond favorably to the care of flower growers. The flower needs good care, which includes, in addition to traditional procedures, the formation of a bush by tweezing or pinching it. Petunia, which is not pinched but allowed to grow freely, can form an elongated bush that will fall to one side. If you form the crown of the plant correctly, you can get a lush flower with many flowering shoots.

Why do you need to pinch petunia?

Pinching (or tweezing) – breaking off/plucking off the top of a plant shoot with nails. After this, the remaining part of the stem becomes woody and begins to thicken, the leaves become more saturated in color, and the buds in the axils increase in size. In gardening, this process is done to produce strong new shoots and a more beautiful appearance. However, this method works if the pinching was done before the growing season ended.

It is not difficult to get a strong and pleasing living decoration from a small sprout; the main thing is to know how to pinch petunia correctly and strictly follow the rules.

Do all varieties of petunias need to be pinched?

Old amateur varieties that have been bred long ago or plants grown from seeds collected from their flowers must be pinched. As a rule, such petunia in its natural form is far from compact and lush.

Breeders place strict demands on modern hybrid petunia not only for the beauty and splendor of flowering, but also for the simplification of plant care.

Petunia of modern varieties or hybrids does not require pinching or requires minimal intervention in the formation of the crown.

However, even on modern varieties it is impossible to do without pinching. Often, when petunia seedlings are grown at home with a lack of light and in cramped conditions, at a temperature that is too high for it, the plants stretch out.

In this case, you can spray the seedlings with Atlet or another similar product (which is what is used in industrial greenhouses) or do pinching. Many gardeners are not in favor of using excessive “chemicals” even on flowers and prefer to pinch petunia.

The rapid formation of side shoots is facilitated by lower night temperatures.

What is needed to pinch petunias?

To carry out this manipulation you will need the following:

convenient scissors or pruning shears;
strong seedlings with 4 – 5 large leaves at the top;
container for collecting removed cuttings.

How and when to pinch petunia

Pinching petunias should be done twice - at the seedling stage and after planting in open ground. If the second pinching can be neglected due to lack of time, then pinching at the seedling stage is mandatory. It is carried out when the young seedling has 5-6 leaves, maybe a little less, but not more than this amount. The algorithm is quite simple. Using a miniature pruner, scissors, or just your fingers, you need to pinch the stem of the young plant above the 5-6th leaf. In order for the seedling to recover faster after this procedure, you can water or spray it with a growth stimulator such as Epin or Zircon.

A month later, when new side shoots begin to grow, you need to tweezer again. Now it is carried out not only on the central stem, but also on the side shoots, which after this procedure will sprout third-order shoots. After repeated pinching, foliar and root feeding is carried out with complete mineral fertilizer and growth stimulant. It is advisable to pinch ampelous varieties every 3-4 weeks.

What to do after pinching a petunia

With regular shortening of shoots and increased growth of petunia, constant feeding with a growth stimulant and complete mineral fertilizer is required. Otherwise, many thin stems will develop. You can achieve the best results from the plant only with constant watering and proper care.

We remember that we need to pick off wilted flowers in a timely manner (do not pull them out, but pinch them off from the branch with the peduncle). By forming seed plants, they take away strength from the plant.

Incidental propagation of petunia by cuttings after pinching

The tops of petunia shoots, plucked or carefully cut with nail scissors, are used as cuttings for further propagation of the plant.

The roots that appear on green cuttings placed in water serve as a signal that they can already be planted in the ground, having cleared the lower part of the stem of leaves, leaving a couple of leaves at the top. Young plants can be planted quite densely, often watering and spraying them, feeding them, and also using a growth stimulator as necessary.

Petunia grown from seeds at home, as well as seedlings of inexpensive varieties purchased from retail chains, must be subjected to regular pinching of shoots protruding from the general bush. Elite varieties grown in special nurseries can develop well without pinching, but they are more capricious, sensitive to sudden changes in humidity and temperature, and suffer from exposure to rain and wind.

Do not use the operation for seedlings in boxes and young immature shoots, do not mix different varieties and rid the soil of weeds and pests in a timely manner. Remember, petunias, like other ornamental species, need constant attention and care;
After pinching, the removed shoots (3-4 leaves) can be placed in a jar of water and after small roots appear, use them to grow new petunia bushes;
Throughout the season, it is necessary to remove faded flowers in a timely manner, this will contribute to the formation of new buds on the plants.

Pinching is a simple and at the same time important manipulation that allows you to improve the quality of flowering and form a certain shape of the plant. To correct the shape of the plant, you need to pinch the petunia regularly, skipping a month between this procedure. If you follow these rules for caring for petunia, you can grow beautiful bushes of this flowering plant, which will be no worse than in the photos given in this article. If petunias are allowed to grow on their own, they will simply stretch out and the flowers will be small. Petunia lovers are constantly finding new ways to decorate using unusual varieties, and it looks simply amazing.

Petunia is familiar to many gardeners. It is often grown by both experienced and novice gardeners. She pleases others from mid-spring to late autumn. Petunia is not a capricious plant, so it can be seen in many places: flower beds, balconies, cafe areas, vegetable gardens, etc.

However, if you need to get well-developed bushes with a large number of flowers, you should take care to fulfill a number of conditions. It is very important to understand how to pinch petunia and do it correctly.

Meaning of pinching

How to pinch petunia? To get beautiful flowers, you need to wait three months after the sprouts emerge. The development of the plant is directed upward - towards the sun. At this moment and pinching is applied- shortening the upper part of the main stem. After pruning the seedlings, additional growth points appear. The bush becomes more magnificent and dense, as it grows to the sides. The more shoots and branches, the correspondingly more flowers. The quality of flowering itself also improves.

It must be borne in mind that immediately after pruning, the plant’s energy is spent on the formation of new shoots, so the appearance of buds is slightly delayed. Usually the delay does not exceed several days. However, the new buds are larger.

Circumcision must be done carefully. Although in some cases it is not required at all. This is about hybrid or elite varieties petunias. However, it should be borne in mind that even if optimal conditions are violated (temperature, insufficient lighting), they will stretch upward. In this case, home seedlings will also have to be pinched for better development.

A month after the procedure, the side stems are also shortened. This is done for the same purpose - to achieve further branching. The seedling bushes are becoming even denser. Afterwards, the petunia can be trimmed periodically, however, it is not necessary. This is rather a matter of decorative taste.

It should be noted that in the literature pinching is often also called tweezing. Although some people distinguish between these two concepts. They believe that pinching is the procedure described above, and it is performed only at the stage of seedling development. Pinching is cutting off an already mature, mature plant. It is used for propagation to obtain cuttings.

Carrying out pinching

Important questions are how to properly pinch petunia and when to pinch petunia? It is advisable to carry out the first pinching of petunia immediately after transplanting the seedlings into the ground. However sometimes due to the weather you have to wait a long time for this. The time of the procedure for both planted bushes and those at home can be determined by their appearance. The formation of five sheets is enough. There is no point in waiting any longer, since the petunia will grow and it will no longer be possible to make compact bushes.

Home seedlings are grown so that flowering begins at an earlier date. In this form, the sprouts remain indoors for about 2–3 months. Then they are planted in the ground. At the seedling stage, pinching is mandatory; after planting in the ground, it is only advisable. Although it is worth considering that if there is sufficient space, light and other suitable conditions, it may not be needed at all.

The procedure can be carried out using something sharp. Typically used:

a well-sharpened garden knife;
regular manicure scissors.

Tools must be clean and sharp. If seedlings are grown in a greenhouse, then you have to wait for the procedure until the seedlings finally take root. Carrying out is not difficult:

Using the obtained cuttings

If the cut part is long enough, it can be used for landing. In this case, it must satisfy the following requirements:

strong stem;
5–6 leaves.

Planting material obtained after repeated tweezing will be especially successful. In this case, the cut cuttings are stronger and the stems are thicker. The sprouts are placed in a vessel with water. Wherein it's important not to forget remove the lowest leaves - those that will come into contact with water. This way it is possible to avoid rotting of the cuttings. Here they quickly form roots. To speed up the process, you can add a little special growth stimulator to the water.

After the root system appears, the seedlings are planted in a container with soil. The soil must be fertile and light in structure (loose).

This method of reproduction has its advantages. In addition to convenience, in some cases the qualities of the mother plant are better transmitted. For example, if a cutting from a hybrid variety was taken, the resulting plant will be completely identical by its appearance. If you try to propagate the same hybrid using collected seeds, the resulting plant will be different. In addition, sometimes it is simply not possible to find seeds of the variety you like. In this case, cuttings may also be suitable.

Petunia has become so widespread thanks, among other things, to this type of reproduction. Although the plant is nominally an annual in our latitudes, the situation can be changed by covering it in a warm room for the winter. In spring, cuttings are used for vegetative propagation. Then everything can be repeated. It turns out that this is already a perennial.

Achieving high decorative results

In order for petunia to show all its decorative qualities, a number of conditions are required. The plant may have exceptional characteristics, but no one will see the work of the breeders. Regular and proper care is required. If you want your petunia to look like those that can be found on the pages of magazines or in the best flower beds, just pinching it won’t be enough. Basic rules of care include:

feeding is necessary, and regular and correct;
you should take a responsible approach to selecting soil for seedlings: you need something light and nutritious;
to avoid chlorosis disease, iron should be added to the fertilizer;
Do not underestimate the benefits of watering: approximately 6 liters are required per standard box;
after the buds have faded, they must be torn off for better flowering of the remaining and newly formed ones;
To combat the disease powdery mildew, treatment with preparations containing sulfur is necessary, preferably in rainy weather;
aphids can be removed with strong water pressure or appropriate preparations.

Petunia, familiar to many in Montevideo, where it comes from, is perennial and blooms almost all year round. There it is known for its small, monotonous flowers. However thanks to the work of breeders Petunia has long ceased to be a modest, pretty flower. Gardeners have a huge number of varieties at their disposal, including hybrid ones. They have a wide variety of characteristics:

larger flowers;
different colors of petals;
strong, pleasant aroma.

For us it lasts only until cold weather. Although by autumn it loses much of what can be seen in landscape design manuals. Here she is often depicted as a huge ball, which seems to contain nothing but flowers. At first glance, to achieve this - Only a professional can do it. However, petunia is an unpretentious and pliable plant. Therefore, even an inexperienced gardener can make such a ball or something else, no less beautiful. The main thing is to follow simple rules and perform pinching on time.

In order for the bushes to bloom profusely, you need to know how to pinch petunia correctly. If it is allowed to grow on its own, then the plant will simply begin to stretch upward, and the flowers will be small. Correctly carried out pinching will have a stimulating effect on the growth of the lateral stems of petunia and after two weeks flower ovaries will form on them.

How important is it to pinch plants?

Pinching (pinching) is cutting with scissors or breaking off the top of a plant stem with your hands. After this procedure, the remaining part of the petunia shoot thickens, the buds in the axils increase in size, and the color of the leaves improves.

It should be noted that this method can only work if the plant was pinched before the end of the growing season.

When to perform pinching

The first pinching is on a plant seedling

Pinching petunias is carried out as follows:

Pinching of petunia is carried out only after the plant adapts and takes root after planting in new soil. To speed up its rooting, it will be necessary to organize normal conditions for the development of the flower: seedlings should be planted sparingly, in which case their development will improve, fertilize right to the root, constantly moisten and spray the leaves with water;

If the seedlings are kept in a greenhouse, pinching the petunia is carried out only after picking the seedlings. Plant adaptation will occur quickly within two days. Then you can do pinching;

The final step will be to sprinkle the cut with ash or activated carbon powder. In order for petunia to recover faster, it is necessary to spray it with a plant growth stimulating agent.

After carrying out all these actions, the seedlings stop growing quickly, however, they begin to gain strength. Externally it becomes spherical due to the appearance of lateral stems.

At what length of shoot should pinching be carried out?

The stem of the plant must be of such length that at least 4 cm of the top can be separated from it without damaging the shoot. If pruning is carried out in the thinnest place of the stem, then the shoots growing at this place will begin to break off in strong winds.

Every week you need to feed the plant, it is better to water the shoots every 2 days.

Second pinching

Pinching should be repeated 2 - 3 times, while the top is cut off, both on the central stem and on the side stems. This event is carried out only after they grow to 15 cm. But when and how to pinch petunia for the second time? To improve the shape and increase the number of flowers on petunias, shortening the shoots is carried out a month after the first pinching. In this case, there must be at least five leaves on the main stem.

In most varieties, one of the branches can begin to quickly stretch, taking food from other stems. And an ovary forms on it. In this case, urgent pinching with pruning shears is required. You need to count 4 leaves from the bottom and remove the rest of the stem. The growth point of the flower will change. It will stop growing upwards and side shoots will appear.

Attention! After pinching, flowering will begin two weeks later. In this case, several flowers will appear instead of one and their buds will be larger.

Before moving on to the next pinching, you need to wait for the bush to grow. Then you need to shorten the elongated shoots, as a result of which the flowers will grow thicker. In this case, it is recommended to make the cut closer to the base of the stem, but do not pinch the crown.

What to do after pinching

With constant pruning of shoots and active flower growth, frequent feeding with plant growth stimulating agents and mineral fertilizers is necessary. Otherwise, many thin, weak stems will grow.

So the desired result can only be achieved with regular watering and proper care.

Important! It is necessary to pick fading flowers in a timely manner, removing them along with the peduncle. Otherwise, testes will form, which will begin to take strength from the petunia.

Conclusion

In most cases, pinching petunias is carried out three times: during the period of growing seedlings, after planting in open ground and during the growing season. However, if the third pinching is not of great importance, then the first two must be carried out. In this case, you must adhere to the following rules:

Attention! If cuttings of hybrid plant varieties were carried out, then the grown specimen will be able to retain all the characteristics of the original one. When propagating by seeds, a similar result cannot be achieved.

Petunia, like many flowers, is very demanding in terms of care, so you need to provide it with suitable conditions in a timely manner and pinch it in a timely manner, as shown in the following video:

Similar articlesIt’s October outside - at night my petunia hides from the cold on the veranda, during the day I take it outside to enjoy the last warm days!

Briefly about petunias

I thought it was so simple and all flower growers know how to do it! I was wrong! I forgot about the newcomers again! This topic is not entirely clear to them! Where exactly should I pinch? Do I need to pinch all the stems? When should petunia be pinched? And how many times per season should this procedure be carried out?

Petunias are amazingly colorful flowers that will make any flower bed bright and unusual. Today they decorate the gardens and personal plots of many housewives. Thanks to their rich color spectrum, these plants allow gardeners to create rich compositions. Despite the fact that petunias are quite common and serve as decoration for flower beds throughout the summer, they are rather fragile plants that require special care.

Rules for pinching petunias

Petunias, thanks to the efforts of breeders, are increasingly gaining popularity among lovers of decorative floriculture every year. Petunias are suitable both for decorating flower beds and for growing in small-volume crops (balcony flowerpots, garden vases, etc.).

Peonies require different nutrients at different stages of their life. Since flowering usually begins only in the third year, feeding newly planted plants is different from what they will need at a more mature age.

You need to care for petunia correctly, otherwise it will lose its decorative effect, stretch out and fall to the ground. Initially, seedlings should be planted densely, without leaving large spaces between the bushes. The plant responds well to fertilizing, which is best poured under the root. It is necessary to water the flowers constantly, and in hot weather, spray them twice a day. Before pinching petunia, you need to wait until it grows. If the plant stands still for a long time, you should use a growth stimulator.

Try to damage the sprout as little as possible.

Overgrown seedlings are not suitable for pinching. Therefore, seedlings need to be closely monitored. As soon as the plants get stronger and produce five or six leaves, they can be pinched. The pinching process itself lasts only a few seconds - the apical shoot of the plants is cut off so that at least five leaves remain below. As a result, a new growth point is formed. Intensive branching of new young stems begins from it. Pinching petunias is accompanied by stopping the growth of bushes. But there’s nothing wrong with that; on the contrary, the plant becomes stronger. Along with the growth and branching of side shoots, the bushes acquire a rounded shape.

Petunia is perhaps the most popular flower, which has become widespread in the landscape design of parks, streets, squares and garden plots. The variety of colors, shapes and colors of this plant is simply amazing.

Well, that's all! This is where I end my review! I wish you all successful moments!
Well, let's figure it out! But. Before I begin my brief review, I want to warn you that I am not a “Guru” in this area. I just want to tell you what I do with petunia. What agricultural techniques do I use to make petunia lush?
Why should you pinch petunia? This is done so that the stem does not become too elongated and does not distort the appearance of the plant. Also, if the stem is too long, the flower usually falls or bends under its own weight. After removing excess shoots, new shoots appear at the cut site, on which buds grow, thereby making the bush thicker and brighter.

Despite the fact that petunia comes from South America, this flower takes root quite well in our weather conditions, and it can be grown not only in open ground, but also in pots and containers. This is a perennial plant, but it does not survive in harsh winters and does not germinate well if the seeds are planted immediately in open ground.

Growing petunias is not particularly difficult, however, if you want to fully enjoy the decorative nature of these flowers, you need to know some “secrets”, one of which is pinching.
More...
Experienced summer residents do not face the question of whether it is necessary to pinch petunia seedlings. Initially, you should select the tallest shoot, count three or five leaves from below, and pinch off the rest. The growing point of the petunia will change, instead of growing upwards, it will send out side stems. Of course, during this period the plant will not bloom profusely, because all its forces will be directed to the growth of side shoots, but as a result the buds will be larger.
A month after pinching, as soon as the plants get stronger and send out new side shoots, you can repeat the pinching procedure.

Cuttings of petunias after pruning

Pinning out petunia, which is intended for planting in open ground, is done only after the plant has been replanted and has been successfully rooted. The sprouts will need two to three days to adapt.

This decorative and easy-to-care flower grows almost everywhere. For many who do not know how to pinch petunia, the information in this article will be very useful.

The article was written for you by Alenamir

So! Usually, beginning flower growers (or those who still have their own difficulties with growing petunias from seeds) buy young seedlings - about this age.

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How to pinch petunia and is it always necessary to do this?

The process of removing excess shoots is quite painstaking, but it bears fruit. In just 2 weeks you will see the first result.

Therefore, if you want to decorate your flower beds with petunias, sow seedlings first. Sprouts should be planted in the 2nd half of May or early June, when the night frosts have passed and the ground has warmed up sufficiently. In order to get lush bushes of flowers, petunia must be pinched. This must be done while observing the basic rules.

More...

The easiest way to transplant irises is transshipment. Together with a large lump of earth, they can be painlessly moved to a new location, both in the fall and at any time of the year. But this method is only suitable for the youngest plants. Adult specimens have to be dug out completely and separated.

Before pinching your petunia next time, you need to wait until the bush has grown well. To make it bushier, you can shorten some of the side stems. The resulting cuttings should not be thrown away in a hurry; by placing them in water, you can get an additional petunia bush. The removed shoot quickly takes root in water, and can be planted in open ground or a separate pot. Before planting, you need to tear off all the leaves on the plant, leaving only the top ones.

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To ensure the formation of large flower buds, petunias are fed with special fertilizers.

You can ensure high survival rate of plants using the following conditions:

Petunia is an amazing shrub-shaped plant with numerous flowers that emit a pleasant aroma. The birthplace of petunia is Montevideo. In our regions, this flower is grown as an annual. Petunia grows and blooms well in sunny areas and can easily tolerate heat with frequent and abundant watering. In conditions of low temperatures, petunia flowering is not so lush. But even the slightest warming contributes to the resumption of this process.

Series of messages "Lianas, hanging flowers":

It is at this age of the plant that I begin to make the first pinching. As you can see in the photo, the plant has very few stems, 5-6 pieces.

It should be noted that not all varieties of petunias need to be pinched. Only simple varieties require mandatory processing. It is not necessary to do this with plants from professional seeds, since breeders make sure that such flowers acquire their optimal appearance as quickly as possible.

Pinching should be done in a timely manner. This is done after transplanting into open warm ground. Make sure the plant is healthy and well established in its new location. In order for it to get stronger after transplantation, it should be watered and sprayed about 3 times a day. Once a week, apply fertilizer to the roots and spray with fertilizer.

To the beginning

More... You already know how to pinch petunia. In addition, you also need to monitor the appearance of the plant. All faded flowers should be removed in a timely manner, because they not only spoil the appearance of the bush, but also interfere with the formation of new buds. This is especially true for varieties with large inflorescences and double petunias. Such simple actions will allow you to get great pleasure from contemplating these beautiful flowers.Large apical shoots after cutting are excellent planting material for growing new plants.

Avoiding planting density by adhering to the agrotechnical characteristics of plants.

Today these are ampelous, double, one- and two-color varieties with a long flowering period. Almost all varieties of this plant bloom from mid-spring to late autumn.

Part 1 - Growing Climatis

In order to develop side shoots, you need to trim, and it is best to pinch the tip of the shoot. A separated piece of shoot should be at least 3-4 cm. Why exactly that much and not less? If you remove only the tip of the shoot (and this will be the thinnest place on the stem), then growing side shoots at this place will often break off in strong winds or bad weather.

Some gardeners recommend removing excess shoots from professional varieties of petunias, since breeding plants produce new shoots faster and allow you to achieve the desired result sooner. This is also done to save space in the seedlings so that the stems do not stretch upward.

You can pinch petunia with your hands without using any equipment.
Back
Unlike other types of celosia, pinnate (
Many flowers grown in pots require a special substrate. For example, soil for petunias should have good moisture permeability, be light and loose. This plant does not tolerate waterlogging, so the so-called soil soaking is completely unacceptable for it.
For quick and successful rooting, they are dipped in a container of water. To prevent them from rotting, the lower leaves that come into contact with water are removed, leaving only a few leaves on top. After the roots appear, young plants are planted in the ground.
Regular moistening of the soil and spraying - at least three times a day.
To achieve lush and long-lasting flowering, petunias need to be given proper care and attention.
Part 2 - Clematis - proper planting, care
By pinching in the right place, you will ensure the strength of the new shoots and then they will be resistant to mechanical damage. This is approximately what a pinch should be like (see photo).
If you see that the bush is growing evenly without any intervention, then the plant does not need to be pinched.
Before pinching the plant, make sure that the flower stem begins to grow rapidly and stretches up to 3 or 5 leaves.

Celosia argentea f. plumosa

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How to pinch petunia: video

To form decorative and abundantly flowering bushes, plants require proper care and attention. From the moment the seeds are sown, petunias require twice picking, pinching and spraying of the aerial parts. In addition, do not forget about regular watering, fertilizing and removing dried flower buds and shoots. New flower buds will appear in places where old flowers are cut.

Feeding the bushes both by root and non-root methods - at least once a week.

Getting beautiful and healthy bushes is not so difficult. First of all, it is necessary to properly plant the plant, as well as its formation. Proper planting of seeds and picking seedlings are undoubtedly important stages in the process of growing these colorful flowers. But pinching petunias is considered no less important. Its essence lies in cutting off the upper shoots at a certain stage of growth.

Next... How many times per season should this procedure be carried out? Pinching is carried out as the side stems grow. This means that as soon as the new side stems reach a length of about 10-15 (a little more is possible), pinching can be repeated.
Tips of the day - How to properly pinch petunias
Count 3-5 leaves and carefully pinch off the top shoot. This will slightly slow down flowering, but soon new shoots will appear at the site of separation and the stem will begin to grow in width. Soon, instead of just 1, 3 or 5 large buds (maybe more) will appear on the bush. The branched structure will help the plant become much more resistant to mechanical damage.
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) has soft, bird-like plumage, paniculate inflorescences. The plant is an annual plant, and growing it from seeds is the most affordable way to propagate it on your site.

Do I need to pinch petunias?

When purchasing planting material, a gardener usually receives rhizomes with roots and leaves already trimmed. In this form, storage of iris rhizomes can last no longer than two weeks if they are placed in a cool place. The only thing you should not do is put them in plastic bags or wrap them in any damp material.

Pinching petunias is the surest way to improve the quality, duration and abundance of flowering.

Pinching of petunia growing in greenhouse conditions is carried out after picking the seedlings.

Pinching petunia is necessary for the growth of new stems, good bushiness of the plant and the formation of many flower buds.

Part 19 - Do you know everything about clematis? Oh, I doubt it!)))

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How to properly pinch petunia

And do this until the bush becomes full. But, take into account the fact that with constant shortening of the stems and intensive growth of the plant, fertilizing is required. If you don’t do this, there will be a lot of new stems and they will be thin. You will not see abundant flowering. Only with good care and timely watering can you achieve full performance from the plant.

What should I do to make petunia grow like a ball? Super lush petunia!

Don't throw away old shoots. They can be placed in water, and soon they will sprout roots, thereby giving you new sprouts. Plant them in small containers with soil, having first removed all the leaves except the top 2.

To the end

In the southern regions, celosia is sown in early May directly into the ground. But in the middle zone, where at this time there is a high probability of night frosts, it is much more reliable to grow it through seedlings.

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Recently, it has become very fashionable to decorate garden beds with colorful flowers, which delight with beautiful inflorescences throughout the summer. Petunia is one of these plants, and its many varieties allow gardeners to experiment and create interesting compositions. It should be noted that this flower is extremely whimsical, it is difficult to grow it from seeds, but even when you manage to get beautiful seedlings, this does not mean at all that the plant will delight you with its appearance. Everything requires care and attention, this flower was no exception.

Some subtleties on how to pinch petunia:

Probably not many people know how to pinch petunia correctly. To carry out this manipulation, you need young plants that contain at least five leaves at the top, sharp pruners or scissors and any container into which you can collect all the removed cuttings.

Part 20 - DIY container garden - it's so easy! Master class
Another very important point! Remove all wilted flowers in a timely manner, they take a lot of silt from the plant - forming seed plants. Here are all the important points!

Hello to all flower lovers! A few days ago I published an article about petunias. About the dacha beauty of one beautiful courtyard. My readers liked the message! You can view this article here. After this message, my email was flooded with questions about how to grow such petunias. But the most frequently asked question was the topic: How to pinch petunias?

Usually the 2nd pinching is done about a month after the 1st. Before pinching the petunia for the second time, you need to make sure that the bush has grown sufficiently. To make it even thicker, shorten some of the side stems.

Lush bright bushes of ordinary, double and ampelous petunias delight with their multicolor. They begin to bloom in early May (in the southern regions of Russia, Ukraine), and are pleasing to the eye until the first frost. It is difficult to find a more common flower than the beautiful petunia. Its decorativeness is appropriate everywhere - in a modest flowerbed planted near the entrance, in pots and containers on the loggia of a multi-storey building, on the verandas of country cottages, in city parks and squares. Hanging in beautiful flowerpots in front of the entrance to a store or restaurant, bright flowers attract the attention of potential customers - you always want to go to a cozy place. Flowers are not only charming, they are relatively unpretentious and do not require constant care.

What kind of care do petunias need?

Proper soil (you can find out how to properly prepare the soil for sowing, seedlings and flower beds in a separate article), lighting, timely watering and occasionally fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. Beginner gardeners often have a question: do they need to pinch petunia?

Petunia: pinching seedlings

Pinching (pinching, pinching) the tops of petunias– removal of the growth point of the main stem for development.

In order for the bush to grow beautiful and healthy, it needs help. In addition to timely picking, the flower must be pinched. What does this mean in practice? We will have to remove the grown upper shoots. What are the benefits of these actions for flowers? When petunia grows, pinching the seedlings will promote branching of the stems; many buds will form on the bushy crowns, which will decorate the garden plot or bloom in flower pots.

Pinching petunias: what you need

1) Strong petunia seedlings (we include a plant that already has several leaves at the top).

2) Secateurs (if you don’t have one at hand, large kitchen scissors will do).

3) Container for trimmed leaves.

How to pinch petunia

Petunia needs pinching - this manipulation will have to be repeated 2-3 times (depending on the variety you decide to grow) per season.

For the first time, pinching is done at the stage when 2-3 pairs of formed leaves and a clearly defined stem appear.

For example, on photo 2 There are already a lot of leaves, but there is no stem and it’s dangerous to pinch the growing point (you can simply destroy the whole plant) - it’s too early to pinch.

On photo 3 it is clear that there are already leaves and a trunk, and the growth point is clearly visible - the place from where new leaves begin to grow.

It is precisely this growth point that is pinched - the easiest way is with fingernails (hence the name “pinching”).

In order not to be mistaken, you can pinch the two already formed upper leaves - simply trim the trunk directly below them to form a “stump”.

After pinching, the side branches of the petunia begin to actively develop, resulting in the formation of a beautiful bush.

Some varieties (especially ampelous) petunias do not need to be pinched again. But in most varieties, sometimes one of the branches begins to grow rapidly, taking away the strength of all the others. And sometimes an ovary even forms on it ( photo 4).

Then you urgently need to pinch this particular branch - the easiest way is to trim it with pruners or scissors “under the leaf” (on photo 5 Possible places for cutting are shown in red - between the leaves, just above the place where the bush forms, that is, new branches appear).

A third pinching is rarely needed, but sometimes some plants’ branches begin to grow too vigorously again, for example, when they want to pull themselves closer to the light ( photo 6).

In this case, the longest, strongest and most powerful branches also need to be removed - cut closer to the base of the branch, and not just the top! Yes, of course, it's a pity. But if you want to be delighted all summer by lush petunia bushes, abundantly strewn with flowers, then this is a must!

Is it possible to pinch flowering petunia? In principle, it is possible if there is evidence for this - you missed the moment of pinching and the bush began to develop differently than you would like. But be prepared for the flowering to slow down slightly; the plant will need time to survive the stress that pinching causes.

If you plan to plant seedlings in open ground in a flower bed, then experienced gardeners recommend pinching petunias for the first time only after the flowers have been planted in a permanent place. Therefore, you should not sow seeds too early - this advice is relevant for central Russia, the Urals and Siberia, where frosts are still possible in April. Be sure to take into account that pinned seedlings will have a difficult time taking root in a new place. Plants must be given several days to adapt; flowers must get used to new conditions due to changes in lighting and soil composition. Don’t forget to water and spray – water will help the plants survive stress. And only after a few days carry out the procedure - you already know how to pinch petunia to stimulate its further growth.

Do not throw away the plucked shoots - with their help you can get additional petunia seedlings, and much faster than with seeds. Place them in a glass of settled water. In a few days the shoots will produce roots. After this, fill the pots and transplant the cuttings there.

Attention: Before transplanting, it is necessary to remove the leaves, leaving no more than the top 3.

Another advantage of petunia that simply needs to be mentioned is the ability to preserve shoots until the next season. This requires a glazed loggia or veranda (the room temperature should not be higher than +10-12 degrees C). Petunia will not survive in an apartment in winter; from excess heat and dryness it easily gets sick, and mites will appear on the leaves, which will destroy the plant.