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Petunia has been enjoying increasing interest from gardeners and gardeners for many years. Earlier petunia seedlings many preferred to buy without having to deal with all the complexities and intricacies of growing it themselves. Lately, prices for petunia planting material have already stung for many, and most importantly, so many new, completely unique varieties and hybrids of petunias have appeared that can be freely purchased in the form of seeds, while the choice of varieties of ready-made seedlings is limited to only a few colors and types.
Among them it is not always possible to find exactly those varieties that are especially attractive for one reason or another. Therefore, more and more often, petunia fans are trying to grow seedlings of their favorites on their own. And this is quite realistic, given the many little things that have appeared in recent years, designed to make the life of flower growers easier and more enjoyable. These are special pelleted petunia seeds, which are very convenient to sow, and peat tablets, which play the role of both containers for sowing and nutrient soil.
And one of the important components of success for good growth and flowering at the right time is the choice of a specific time or even day for planting petunia seedlings. In this case, knowledge of the biology of petunia development, as well as the lunar calendar for 2024, can help.
Favorable and unfavorable days for planting petunias according to the lunar calendar for 2024:
What you need to know about the development of petunias
Petunia is a perennial plant with a fairly long growing season, which means that quite a lot of time passes from sowing the seeds to the appearance of the first flowers - from two to three or even more months. In addition, petunia seedlings are very small and delicate, and the plants develop very slowly in the first month after planting, almost imperceptibly to the eye.
Among the wide variety of modern varieties and hybrids, there are petunias that need only two, two and a half months to develop from germination to flowering. And there are also those (mainly ampelous and large-flowered varieties) that, under the same conditions, require up to three and a half months to develop before flowering.
It is also necessary to understand that petunia is a very heat-loving plant and seedlings can be planted in the ground only when the last frosts in your region have passed into oblivion. Usually, however, plants are planted in large hanging baskets, which, if desired, can always be brought into the house if the threat of frost suddenly appears. And if you are going to grow petunia in a flowerbed or discount, or in tall monumental flowerpots, then it is necessary to take into account the heat-loving nature of this plant.
The very high demands of petunia seedlings, especially in the early stages of cultivation, regarding the level and duration of illumination are also important. In principle, nothing interferes with the grower sow petunias in January or even December for super early flowering.The only problem is that during this period, for the normal development of petunia seedlings, in addition to warmth, it vitally needs a lot of light. Therefore, without using special lamps to illuminate the seedlings, it will not be possible to grow them in the winter months. And she needs at least ten hours of daylight.
That is why amateur flower growers who want to grow petunia seedlings without additional lighting can start sowing only in March. Only if you are in the southern regions can this work be carried out in February.
Using the lunar calendar for sowing petunias
To determine more accurately the days for planting petunias for seedlings in 2024, you can use the lunar calendar.
But using such calendars, perhaps someone has already noticed that the data in them sometimes does not coincide, and sometimes even contradicts each other. What can be done about this? It is necessary to understand the basic patterns of the influence of lunar phases on plant development. In this case, knowing the main lunar phases and the days of the moon’s position in different zodiac signs, you can quite accurately determine favorable and unfavorable days.
Main lunar phases and zodiac days
So, all actions with plants are influenced by:
- 4 lunar phases;
- 12 sidereal months (or days of the moon's position in the 12 zodiac signs).
The 4 lunar phases are:
- new moon (lasts about 3 days, includes the day of the new moon itself and one day before and after it);
- waxing moon (lasts from new moon to full moon about 11 days);
- full moon (lasts about 3 days, includes the day before, after and the full moon itself) and, finally,
- waning moon (lasts from full moon to new moon about 11 days).
The dates themselves, both the new moon and the full moon, are always indicated in any lunar calendars.
During the periods of the new moon and full moon, it is strictly not recommended to carry out any sowing and replanting work with plants, as well as pruning, grafting, and fertilizing. You can only carry out treatments against diseases and pests and weeding.
During the waxing moon It is very good to sow and transplant plants that will develop above the surface of the earth (including petunias). Watering, fertilizing and vaccinations will also be good.
During the waning moon It is useful to sow and transplant plants that develop underground - root crops, onions. In all other respects, the work is similar to that carried out during the waxing moon.
The position of the moon in the 12 zodiac signs can also always be found in the lunar calendar. Zodiac signs are divided into the following:
- Fire signs - Aries, Leo, Sagittarius - are responsible for the development of fruits.
- Water signs - Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces - are responsible for the development of leaves.
- Air signs - Libra, Aquarius, Gemini - are responsible for the development of flowers.
- The earth signs - Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn - are responsible for the development of roots.
The signs of water and earth, as well as the sign of Libra, are considered fertile - when the moon is in them, most plants can be planted, sowed and replanted. When the moon is in other signs, it is better not to carry out any important operations with plants: you can only weed and carry out treatments against diseases and pests.
Now you can easily determine for yourself, using the lunar calendar, which days are suitable or not suitable for sowing petunias.
Fans of these beautiful flowers may keep in mind that petunia can be sown as seedlings almost all year round if warm conditions and sufficient light are provided. Therefore, if you have a warm veranda or room in the room for a hanging basket, then you can easily grow petunia at home. In this case, sowing can be done in any month, and using the knowledge gained from this article, you can always choose the most suitable day for this yourself.
