How many times should you pinch cascading petunias? How to properly pinch petunia for abundant flowering? Ampelous petunia: description of the plant

This flower fascinates, captivates with its simplicity and grace; flowers of different shades abundantly strew the fragile branches and delight with their appearance from May until the autumn cold. Those who once grew petunia and fell in love with it will be interested to know why pinching petunia is important, the features of this manipulation in different species and when to do it when growing a plant from seeds at home.

It is necessary to distinguish between pinching and trimming. They are carried out at different times using different technologies. If you buy seedlings, the first pinching has already been done. The importance of subsequent pinching and pruning will depend on the variety. Modern varieties of some bush and cascade petunias bred by breeders do not particularly need pinching, since the ability to branch is inherent in them through many years of selective selection. But most varieties still require pinching.

During the growth process, subsequent pinching is carried out if it is necessary to give the plant a certain shape or to grow an evenly developed bush. When performing repeated pinching, only branches that are very elongated compared to other branches are trimmed.

This cascading petunia needs drastic pruning.

Repeated pinching is sometimes called trimming. If the plants are poorly formed, they are not pinched, but pruned. Trim the branches, leaving two or three internodes from the ground. New branches begin to grow from them, and after three weeks the plant takes on the appearance of a beautiful lush bush dotted with many flowers.

What is the pinching process?

Pinching seedlings is carried out to form petunias due to an increase in the number of lateral shoots. By neglecting this operation, you can end up with an elongated, pitiful-looking plant. The bushes are pinched for the first time when the top of the seedling grows up to eight centimeters long.

Correctly formed petunia bush

When planting plants in the ground or containers in a permanent place, it is necessary to fertilize and water them on time. When the side branches grow ten centimeters, it is advisable to pinch the petunia again. It is as important as the first for the following reasons:

an increase in the number of side shoots gives an increase in the number of flowers;
By pinching, you can correct mistakes in the initial formation of the bush: make the bush more fluffy.

The first pinch when growing petunia from seeds

When grown from seeds, you can get interesting varieties that are rarely sold as seedlings. It will take extra effort, maximum attention and care to obtain healthy plants.

After germination, the plant, with normal development, is ready to flower in about twelve weeks. The initial formation of a petunia bush (pinching) must be done when the first six leaves appear, after picking the seedlings. This is a very important stage in growing a plant from seeds.

Petunia seedlings stretch upward in one shoot. It must be pinched over the fourth or fifth leaf, using a clean blade or sterile scissors, carefully cutting off the growing point. The cut can be sprinkled with activated carbon powder or wood ash.

The plant will grow in the lateral axils near the leaves. After a short period of time, several side branches will grow. This is how the correct formation of seedlings begins. If a petunia has many branches, it will produce many flower buds. With good care and sufficient lighting, this plant blooms profusely for a long time.

Further formation is carried out monthly by planting the petunia in a permanent place, pinching or cutting off the branches. Some gardeners who pinch petunia correctly are able to achieve flowering all year round by growing it as a perennial at home. This also requires a special temperature regime and artificial lighting of plants in winter.

Features of various types

There are many hybrid varieties. They are grown to decorate balconies, to decorate alpine slides and flower beds, or as a houseplant. Varieties of petunias differ in the direction of growth of the stem, the shape of the flower, and have their own characteristics of growing and pinching. Knowing the varietal characteristics, you can plan what a loggia or flower bed will look like.

According to the shape of the petunia stem, there are:

bush,
ampelous,
cascading.

Bush petunia is used to decorate flower beds. The growth of the branches is directed upward, forming a compact bush dotted with flowers. It can grow without repeated pinching if the seedlings are formed correctly.

Cascade petunia has branches that grow overhanging from a flower pot. Cascade varieties are great for decorating balconies, loggias, and alpine slides. You can get a “floral carpet” from one plant, decorating the wall of the house under the window or the flower bed in front of the house with many flowers. Correct pinching of cascading petunia involves the initial formation of the bush at the seedling stage. Of course, the appearance of the plant depends on its variety. For example, Typhoon Wave is a fundamentally new, unparalleled series of hybrids. A powerful, spectacular plant with shoots 1-1.5 m long. The total area of the flowering plant is more than 2 square meters. meters! Flowers about 5 cm cover the plant with a continuous cover.

Ampelous petunias grow with long branches hanging from flowerpots. They differ from cascade ones in their more fragile stems and the direction of branch growth downward. This is the most demanding type of petunias when it comes to pinching, but even if this manipulation is carried out correctly and in a timely manner, the plant will never please you with a very lush bush.

The shape of petunia flowers is:

simple;
terry;
small-flowered;
grandiflora.

Terry petunia, when propagated by seeds, does not retain the doubleness of the flower. Therefore, it is propagated only by cuttings, using seedlings. Cuttings are harvested during repeated pruning and rooted in a light nutrient substrate without covering with film.

We wish you success in growing beautiful, lush petunias!

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Not only the beauty of flowers and the duration of flowering attracts petunia flower growers. It easily adapts to different care conditions and requires simple agricultural technology. It is enough to follow the watering regime and periodically feed it to get a lush flowering bush in your area. You can grow it from cuttings you collected yourself or from purchased seedlings. But it is much easier to purchase plant seeds.

Ampelous petunia: description of the plant

Petunia is readily used for growing in the garden, in flower beds, and decorating balconies and verandas. It has the most varied colors of flowers, which can bloom no larger than a coin or reach 9–10 cm in diameter. All this diversity is divided into two main groups: erect and ampelous petunias. The length of the shoots of erect plants reaches 70 cm, but after being pulled up they gradually fall to the ground. Such varieties are often taken for planting in flower beds.

The latter are characterized by long hanging shoots, which are used as living decoration. In some varieties, the length of the loops reaches one and a half meters. Petunia is grown in flower pots, baskets, and boxes. Sometimes it is used as a ground cover in the garden, on alpine hills, and used in flower cascades.

Some experts identify another group of petunias - semi-ampel. It grows as a lush bush with shoots no more than 40 cm and is used mainly as a houseplant.

Did you know?Petunia belongs to the genus of subshrubs and herbaceous perennials of the Solanaceae family. Its natural habitat is the tropics of Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Argentina, and Brazil. Actually, the name of the plant has Brazilian roots: “petun” means “tobacco”. In total, there are at least 25 species of this plant, not counting various hybrids.

The plant has flowers of a wide variety of colors. They can be plain, two or three tones. At the same time, the cores, veins, borders around the edges, and even just spots can be painted a different color. Bell-shaped flowers can be double or semi-double, corrugated, carved, fringed or smooth.

Hybrid varieties have developed in two directions: multi-flowered and large-flowered. Each such ampelous petunia has specific rules for planting and care. So, multi-flowered ones are considered unpretentious. It is enough to water them on time, periodically adding fertilizer to the water, and provide sufficient lighting. They produce small, up to 5 cm in diameter, but numerous flowers. Faded inflorescences fall off on their own.

Large-flowered can reach 10 cm in diameter, but do not produce such abundant flowering. However, they require more careful care. They require a certain amount of light, warmth, a specific soil composition, as well as regular pruning of faded buds.

How to plant ampelous petunia

As a rule, growing ampelous petunia begins with sowing seeds. In order for the plant to bloom as early as possible, sowing is done in February, since the plant develops very slowly. You can sow it in March, but you need to take into account the characteristics of the variety and the conditions in which the flower will grow. It has been noticed that large-flowered petunias produce the first flowers on 85–90 days after sowing, and small-flowered ones on 70–75 days. In any case, during the early stages of the plant’s growing season, it needs to be provided with additional lighting.

You can also plant a flowering plant by purchasing it in a specialized store. In this case, you will enjoy flowering until late autumn.

Important!High-quality seedlings are grown only under 24-hour lighting. During the day, the most intense light is given, and at night it is dimmed. Maintain temperature conditions and do not let the soil dry out to the point of crusting. Replant the plant in a larger container in time if you notice that its roots are already protruding to the surface. If you want the seedlings to stretch out more, add more soil. Expensive varieties of petunias are grown on peat tablets.

Choosing a place for a plant

When choosing a place for petunia, keep in mind that it loves light very much. The south side will suit her, where there is maximum sun during the day. The area itself should be open and not shaded. You can plant a plant in open ground only if you are sure that it will not be affected by frost on the ground. As a rule, this is the second half of May. The planting itself takes place in the evening or on a cloudy day.

If you want to plant petunia in an apartment, also choose southern window sills. In case of insufficient lighting, install fluorescent lamps to extend the plant's daylight hours to 14–20 hours.

Soil requirements

In the question of how to plant petunia, it is important to decide on the correct soil composition. In order for a flower to produce lush blooms, the mind needs loose and nutritious soil with a sufficient level of moisture capacity. Therefore, loamy, sandy, sandy loam soil is suitable for it.

Before planting, it is advisable to dig it up with leaf humus or rotted manure. But you should refuse fresh organic matter, as it provokes fungal diseases.

Basic rules for planting ampelous petunia seedlings

There are several basic rules for planting ampelous petunia seedlings. If you adhere to them, you will definitely grow a healthy and lushly flowering plant.

First of all, select high-quality seeds for sowing from Western producers. This way you are guaranteed to get good seed germination. Choose the right and high-quality soil in a specialized store. Before sowing, it is advisable to heat it in the oven or disinfect it with special means.

Observe sowing dates. Seed germination should be started no earlier than February, but no later than April. Strictly adhere to the recommendations for sowing and planting seedlings of a particular variety. So, seedlings need to be picked on time. It is planted in open ground together with a lump of earth so as not to damage the root system. Ampelous petunia has its own planting scheme: there should be a distance of at least 30 cm between the bushes. It is important to water the seedlings well after planting, and the next day to mulch the planted area.

Water the plant regularly, focusing on the amount of water consumed by the flowers. Strict temperature conditions are important only when growing seedlings. Seeds should germinate at a temperature of 18–20 °C and germinate at a temperature of 16–18 °C. But the most important thing is the refreshment mode. Until the seedlings grow and become stronger, they should be illuminated for at least 14 hours a day. Petunia requires feeding throughout the growing season. For this, liquid or granular fertilizers are used.

Rules for caring for petunia

Now let's take a closer look at the basic rules for caring for a plant.

Watering and fertilizing the plant

The most important thing in watering petunias - sufficient volume of water. Its amount must be increased as the plant grows. The larger the vegetative mass, the more moisture it needs. It is important not to let the soil dry out, otherwise the shoots of the plant will become woody, the leaves will fall off, and the flowers will become smaller. On hot days, watering should take place at least twice a day: in the morning and in the evening. Petunias that are grown in pots are generally recommended to be periodically immersed in water along with the pot.

But excess moisture also has a detrimental effect on the plant. Therefore, it is important not to miss the moment when the moisture has already evaporated, but the soil has not yet dried out. Try picking up the soil from under the plant and rubbing it between your fingers. If the soil does not leave marks on your hands and completely crumbles, it is dry enough and requires watering.

Did you know?If you do not have the opportunity to water the plant often, add hydrogel to the soil. It retains moisture, preventing it from evaporating, and gradually releases it to the plant. This way you can reduce the frequency of watering by two to three times.

The plant requires feeding approximately once a week. For this purpose, potassium and phosphorus fertilizers are used. But some varieties of petunias, for example, from the Potunia group, are recommended to be fed with every watering. Starting with intensive feeding during planting, it should be gradually reduced, stopping at a concentration of approximately 2–3 g per liter of water. Otherwise, you won’t see abundant flowering.

For other varieties, the concentration of liquid fertilizer should be no more than 5 g per bucket of water. At the same time, pouring fertilizer into dry soil or along with watering is highly not recommended - you can burn the root hairs through which moisture is absorbed. This way the plant may die. As a rule, the packaging recommends using one cap per liter, but in the case of petunia you should use half. Moreover, they recommend the following watering and fertilizing scheme: water the soil in the morning, and apply fertilizing in the evening.

Soil care

Water the petunia carefully to the very root so that water does not get on the flowers. The next day, the soil around the flowers is weeded, loosened and weeds removed. Make sure that the soil does not form a hard crust.

How to prune ampelous petunia, form a bush

Even when petunia is well cared for, by mid-summer the shoots from the root to the middle length shed their leaves, and flowering persists only at the ends of the branches. To preserve the aesthetics of the plant, it is necessary to carry out measures to form the bush in a timely manner. To do this, you need to cut off about two-thirds of the shoot without much pity, despite the fact that an almost bare branch remains.

Important!The petunia bush can be preserved for the next season if it is stored in a cool and bright place at a temperature of 7–10 °C. This may be a balcony, loggia, but not a basement. Before sending for wintering, the plant must also be cut by two-thirds. It is watered rarely, and in March it is pruned again. After this, they are planted in a fresh substrate and a wider pot. Although flower growers recommend not to engage in such complex manipulations, but to buy fresh seeds in the spring.

The ampelous petunia is precisely pruned; pinching in this case will not help much. If you remove only the end of the shoot, new shoots will still not appear on the exposed part. To avoid the unsightliness of such a procedure, it can be carried out in several stages, cutting off two or three branches at intervals of a week.

Ampelous petunia: pinching

In order for the flower to be lush and beautifully blooming, it must be pinched. This will protect the branches from possible breakages during growth, ensure the appearance of new shoots and the density of the bush.

How to properly pinch ampelous petunia? As with any other plant, you need to remove the tip of the shoot, especially if it has become too elongated. Along with it, you need to pinch off all faded buds, especially if seed pods have appeared on them. Otherwise, the plant will devote all its energy to their formation, and you will no longer see flowers.

How does a flower reproduce?

The most common way to propagate a flower is through seeds. But it can also be propagated from cuttings. This is a rather complicated process, but justified with some varieties of ampelous petunias, which are very expensive.

Propagation by seeds

If you decide to grow a flower from seeds, then buy fresh ones in the store. It is not recommended to collect them yourself from petunias growing on the site. Most of the varieties that are presented in stores today are hybrids. This means that not all the characteristics of the mother bush are passed on to the next generation, and you will end up with a degenerate variety. In addition, if you have several varieties growing on your site, they are very likely to be cross-pollinated. And some varieties are not able to set seeds at all, such as terry varieties.

Purchased seeds are sown in well-moistened, loose, nutritious soil poured into special boxes. The seeds are not sprinkled with soil, but covered with a transparent film or glass so that they are sufficiently illuminated.

Did you know?Petunia seeds are very small: there are up to 10 thousand grains per gram of seed material. For ease of sowing, they are mixed with sand in a ratio of 1:5 or you can buy planting material formed in pellets.

Good seed germination is achieved at a temperature of 22–24 °C and air humidity of 95-98%. Sprouts emerge in about a week or two. With the first leaf the cover is removed. Every day they need to be sprayed and the temperature gradually reduced. By the time the seedlings in the box have grown stronger, the ambient temperature should be 18–20 °C during the day and 14–16 °C at night.

About a month after sowing, when the sprouts have at least two leaves, they are plucked, deepening the sprout into the soil up to the first leaf. The growth of seedlings can be very slow, since at this time all the plant’s forces are spent on forming the root system. When two or three more leaves form on it, you need to pick.

Do not forget to water the seedlings on time and sufficiently, but do not allow moisture to stagnate. Young shoots are susceptible to blackleg disease.

Important!“Blackleg” is a fungal disease. It can only appear on young seedlings in the first weeks of their life. If barely hatched seedlings rot, fall and dry out, they are probably infected with this fungus. For prevention, it is recommended to water the seedlings with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Before planting seedlings in open ground, they must be well hardened. Properly prepared plants feel good even when the temperature drops to 10 °C.

Cuttings

When propagating petunias, cuttings are also used. It is carried out in February - May, but if good conditions are created for planting material, it can be carried out all year round. These conditions include additional lighting and a temperature regime of 15–22 °C. The cuttings are planted in peat tablets, half-liter cups or seedling boxes with a suitable soil mixture.

Cuttings from healthy mother plants are cut at an angle so that the planting material has 4–6 leaves, and the cutting itself reaches no more than 10 cm in length. Only the top two leaves are left on it and it is immediately planted in the ground to a quarter of the length of the stem. When planting in a box, make sure that the distance between the cuttings is at least 1.5 cm. The seedlings must be covered with glass or transparent film, ensure a temperature of at least 21 ° C and plenty of light.

The roots of the cuttings appear in 5–10 days. Next, they must be cared for in the same way as for seedlings obtained from seeds. When the root system is sufficiently strong, they are planted in separate containers. The advantage of such seedlings is that they bloom within 20–35 days after planting.

Petunia – a relatively undemanding plant. If you provide it with intense and abundant light and monitor soil moisture, you can ensure its long flowering. For the bush to be lush, it is enough to carry out pinching and pruning in time. It can propagate both by cuttings and seeds. The last option is the most profitable, especially if you buy seeds in specialized stores. Among the huge number of varieties and hybrids, you are sure to find one that fits perfectly into your garden.

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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.

How to pinch petunia: video

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.

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.

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 at the root and spray with fertilizer.

You can pinch petunia with your hands without using any equipment.

Before pinching the plant, make sure that the flower stem begins to grow rapidly and stretches up to 3 or 5 leaves.
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.
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, after removing all the leaves except the top 2.
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, trim some of the side stems.

Caring for petunias does not end with pinching. To prevent the bushes from losing their decorative value, you need to constantly monitor the flowers, removing dried petals and inflorescences along with the seed pods. They should be removed so that the plant does not waste nutrients on setting seeds. All this will contribute to the rapid growth of new, larger buds. In addition, dry parts of the plant greatly spoil the appearance of the entire bush.

Do I need to pinch petunias?

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.

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

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.

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

If you see that the bush is growing evenly without any intervention, then the plant does not need to be pinched.

The great advantage of petunia among other flowers is that the shoots can be preserved in the winter until next year if you place them in the fall in a bright room with a temperature no higher than 10 degrees. If you store the plant at room temperature, spider mites may appear on the leaves and it will die.

It’s not so difficult to give a luxurious look to your flowerbed - plant petunias. Of course, growing these flowers requires certain skills, for example, in pinching technology. But the result will exceed all your expectations - colorful caps of flowers will decorate your garden until autumn.

In order for lush and beautiful bushes to please the eye with abundant flowering, you need to know exactly how to pinch petunia correctly. If petunias are allowed to grow on their own, they will simply stretch out and the flowers will be small. Correct pinching (pinching) of the main growth point will certainly stimulate the lateral stems to grow and after 12 days, the edge after two weeks, flower ovaries will appear on them, which is what we are striving for.

How to properly pinch petunia in the later stages of development to give it a certain shape? In purchased seedlings, the first pinching has already been done. Repeated - performed depending on the variety. Therefore, we will focus on how to properly pinch petunias of unpretentious varieties and breeding (here are the best varieties of these beautiful flowers) hybrids.

The importance of pinching for any plant

Pinching is cutting off either with scissors or breaking off the top of the stem with your fingers. After it is carried out, the remainder of the shoot thickens, the buds in the axils become larger, and the color of the leaves becomes richer. The process is performed so that young, strong stems with flowers grow and the plant acquires a delightful appearance.

It should be noted that the method only works if pinching is done before the end of the growing season.

First pinch - on petunia seedlings

We perform pinching in the following way:

We form a seedling as soon as it begins to gain strength and grow.
The best time for pinching is when the petunias have developed several (5 - 6) leaves. If this is not done on time, the seedlings will stretch out, the bush will not have a spherical appearance, and the stems will not branch.
When planting a flower in the ground, pinching is performed after it has rooted and adapted (usually at the end of May). In order for it to take root well, it needs to organize suitable conditions for development: we plant the seedlings sparingly, then they will develop better, we fertilize (feed) them at the root, regularly moisten them and sprinkle the leaves with water.
When keeping seedlings in a greenhouse (we grow them together with others), we perform pinching only after diving. Plants quickly (within a few days) adapt. And then they can be cut off.
Forming is done with pruning shears or fingers. Above the last (5 - 6) leaf of the petunia, remove the apical bud. This will create a new point for the stems to grow and branch.

After all the steps, we place the final emphasis on dusting the cut flowers with wood ash or activated carbon powder. In order for the seedling to recover faster, it would be a good idea to spray or shed it with plant development stimulants: “Zircon” or “Epin”.

After the event, the seedlings slow down, but gain strength. The petunia species becomes spherical when the side stems grow.

Shoot length for separation

The separated part of the shoot should be 4 centimeters, but it’s still better to be longer. If you trim the thinnest place on the stem (tip of the shoot) of a flower, then other shoots, developing at this place, will break off in bad weather and wind conditions.

Do not forget to fertilize the soil weekly, and regularly moisten the plant shoots, preferably every second (third) day.

Repeated pinching of petunias after planting in open ground

Pinching must be repeated 2 - 3 times, and not only on the central, but also on the side stems of the flowers. We perform this action when they grow to 13 - 15 cm. To improve the shape and rich flowering of petunias, it is advisable to shorten the shoots 28 - 30 days after the first procedure. In this case, the main shoot must have at least 5 leaves.

Ampelous varieties do not need repeated pruning. But in many varieties, one of the branches continues to quickly stretch out, taking away nutrition and strength from the rest. In some cases, an ovary appears on it. Then you need to urgently pinch it with scissors (secateurs). To do this, count 3 - 5 leaves from the bottom and cut off the rest. The petunia's growth point will change. It will not grow upward, but will send out side shoots.

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that after pinching, flowering is delayed by 12 - 14 days. But in the end, not just one flower will bloom, but several, and the buds will be larger.

Before further pinching, you need to wait until the bush grows. After this, we shorten the elongated stems, as a result - the flowers will be denser. In this case, I recommend making the cut closer to the base of the branch, and not pinching only the top.

In order for the vegetation to delight with abundant flowering, this operation must be performed without fail.

We prune an adult flowering plant in order to better develop the bush and increase the time of its splendor.

What to do after pinching

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.

In the lion's share of cases, pinching of petunias is carried out 2-3 times: in the seedling phase, after planting in the ground and during the growing season. But if the third pinching can be neglected, then in the phase of seedlings and planting in open soil they are absolutely necessary.

We remember that pruning is stressful for our flowers. For this reason, after it, the bushes freeze a little in development, but the development of lateral stems, which form large buds, increases.

Try not to injure the sprout too much. For tweezing we use clean instruments.
We form the petunia bush in a timely manner. Delaying the process has a bad effect on development.
We carry out pinching monthly.
To prevent the plant from getting burned and dying, we prune it in the evening or in the morning, when the sun's rays are not very active.
We do not throw away the plucked stems, but use them as cuttings (if only they have a stable stem and 5 - 6 leaves). To root, tear off the lower leaves and place them in a jar of water. As soon as the roots grow, we plant the stems in fertile soil. This way you and I will have additional seedlings.

It is important to remember that if you took cuttings from hybrid petunia varieties, the grown specimen will retain the appearance and characteristics of the original one. This cannot be achieved when propagated by seeds.

Petunias are blooming beauties with an obstinate but responsive character. If you constantly take care of them and properly care for them, they will gratefully delight you all summer long.

Pinching petunias to make the bush fuller - video

To make petunia seedlings strong and branched, it is not enough to simply care for the bushes. To grow side branches and properly form, young shoots must be pinched.

What is pinching?

Pinching is a mandatory stage in the formation of petunia seedlings. It consists of removing the shoot tip of the main trunk and, accordingly, cutting off the central growth point. As a result, instead of one trunk, the plant forms many lateral shoots. More branches grow on the bushes, and accordingly, the number of buds increases. Petunia, pinched at seedling stage, grows well-branched, fluffy, with many large flowers.

There is an opinion that some varieties of petunias do not need pinching. For example, some hybrids and ampelous petunias. According to the manufacturers, they should bush well on their own. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. In any case, one pinching will not be superfluous for any variety of petunia. Even ampels after such manipulation grow more decorative and bloom better.

At what stage are seedlings pinched?

Several pinchings may be needed to form seedlings. It all depends on the variety. Some varieties branch perfectly after one pinching. Others, to obtain the same look, will need to cut off the growth point 2-3 times.

The first pinching is usually done on 4-5 true leaves (not counting the cotyledon leaves). For modern hybrids, as a rule, this is enough. If the petunia is capricious and stubbornly does not want to branch, after 20-30 days a second pinching is done. Moreover, you can pinch not only the central trunk, but also those side branches that still managed to appear. Subsequent pinchings (if necessary) are performed with the same frequency.

Technology for pinching petunia seedlings

So, what needs to be done to make petunia start branching? So, as soon as the young plants produce 4-5 true leaves, the “surgical” operation can begin. Often, nail scissors are used for this, which are used to carefully cut off the apical bud. Instead of scissors, you can pinch off the growth point by grabbing it with your nails. That's the whole procedure - nothing complicated.

If the seedlings have stretched out and there are no longer 4-5 leaves, but much more, then it’s also not scary. On the contrary, you will have a wonderful opportunity to get additional planting material. In this case, there will be no need to carry out minor manipulations. It is enough to cut off the central stem at a height of 2-3 internodes. The cut off tip can be used as a cutting for a new petunia bush. Young cuttings take root well both in water and directly in the soil. Moreover, in the spring the rooting process occurs at an accelerated pace. After just 2 weeks, the cuttings will take root and begin to live as an independent plant. And you will have to pinch it too!

Pinching and flowering: some nuances

Pinching is a useful procedure that helps to form dense, branched, lushly flowering balls from petunia seedlings. And you might think that the more pinches, the better. But that's not true. This procedure has consequences. Since petunia forms buds at the ends of the shoots, when pinching off the apical buds, already established buds are also removed. Flowering of seedlings is delayed. You will have to wait until the budding of buds occurs on the new side shoots that have grown from the central stem. On average, after each pinching, the flowering of petunia is inhibited by 1.5-2 weeks. Therefore, you should not get carried away with pinching, otherwise you may not see flowering at all.