Content
Petunia Fulvia is a long-awaited new product from breeders who have created a hybrid that has not only excellent decorative qualities, but also outstanding endurance. The ability of the plant to adapt to extreme temperature changes has already been appreciated by many lovers of this crop.
Description of Petunia Fulvia
Petunia is a beautiful flowering perennial plant. However, for decorative purposes it is grown as an annual.
The petunia hybrid Fulvia F1 of the “Italian” series with unusual lemon-yellow flowers is famous for its ability to grow in the temperature range from -5° to +40°C. If the thermometer drops below zero, the plant only slows down its growth.
The stems of the Fulvia hybrid are creeping, highly branched, due to which they are evenly covered with peduncles. In open ground, the plant covers the soil with a continuous carpet. Petunia is grown in pots as an hanging crop. The length of its shoots can reach 30 cm or more, the diameter of the bush often exceeds 60 cm. The height of the plant is usually no more than 30 cm.
On short peduncles simple funnel-shaped flowers of five fused petals are formed.Their diameter is 7–8 cm. The color of the corolla gradually changes from deep yellow in the center of the flower to pale lemon along the edges.
Lemon-yellow Fulvia petunias look elegant and noble
Male flowers are sterile, resulting in long flowering throughout the season - from early spring to mid-autumn.
Advantages and disadvantages
Cascading petunia Fulvia with its unusual flower colors can enliven any floral ensemble. Many gardeners prefer to use this variety in single plantings or in combination with petunias of other varieties.
Fulvia looks great in pots and hanging planters
The undoubted advantages of the hybrid include the following features:
- lemon-yellow flower color, unusual for petunias;
- abundant lush flowering;
- high adaptive capabilities of the plant, allowing it to tolerate significant temperature changes;
- continuous flowering throughout the season;
- strong but flexible shoots.
Disadvantages of this variety:
- sterility of male flowers, which does not allow obtaining seed material.
Growing petunia Fulvia from seeds
It is possible to grow petunia Fulvia from seeds if you take into account several nuances and follow all the rules.
Forcing seedlings of this hybrid can be done from February to April. The timing is chosen in such a way as to plant plants in open ground that have reached the age of 11–13 weeks.
To sow seeds, it is necessary to prepare light, loose soil with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. The soil and container must be disinfected.
The seeds are mixed with sand, sown and watered with a spray bottle. They do not need additional deepening.The box is covered with glass or transparent film and placed in a well-lit room with an air temperature of +25°C.
After about a week, when the first shoots appear, the sprouts are ventilated twice a day, and the air temperature is gradually lowered to +20°C.
Seedlings need to be provided with additional lighting. The first shoots need lighting almost around the clock; grown shoots can be switched to a 12-hour daylight hours.
To illuminate petunia seedlings, it is best to use a special phytolamp.
It is advisable to water the seedlings in a tray - this is the easiest way to ensure moisture balance and not damage the delicate seedlings.
If forcing seedlings occurs in a poor substrate, it is necessary to carry out root and foliar feeding.
When the seedlings have 2-3 pairs of true leaves, the seedlings are picked.
Two weeks before planting in open ground, seedlings gradually begin to harden by taking them out into the air.
Landing Features
Petunia seedlings are transplanted into open ground in May-June. In order for Fulvia to maximize its potential, you need to choose sunny areas with fertile soil, enriched with humus or compost.
Plants are planted in such a way that the distance between them is at least 45–50 cm. The volume of a pot for one flower should be about 12–15 liters. Planting is carried out in cloudy weather. The plants are watered abundantly, removed from the container and transferred to a previously prepared hole. The soil is well watered and mulched, and the seedlings are protected from direct sunlight.
Rules of care
In order for Petunia Fulvia to please the eye all summer, it is necessary to provide it with proper care:
- watering, especially during the dry season;
- weeding and loosening the soil;
- fertilizing with complex fertilizers.
Petunia will bloom profusely and for a long time if dried flowers are removed in time, which stimulates the formation of new buds.
Diseases and pests
With good care, adult petunias are rarely affected by diseases and pests, however, weakened plants may suffer from late blight, chlorosis, invasions of aphids, thrips or slugs. For seedlings, the greatest danger is the black leg, which can destroy seedlings in a very short time.
Conclusion
Petunia Fulvia is an excellent choice for landscaping various areas. This hybrid is suitable both for growing in open ground and for decorating balconies and terraces. Unusual colors, long-lasting lush flowering and special resistance to changes in ambient temperature make this variety of petunia a welcome guest in household plots.
