Thin petunia seedlings

Content

1 First problems
2 On the way to bloom
3 Topping
4 Conclusion

healthy petunia seedlings has a thickened main stem and large leaves. However, in some cases, at various stages of the growing season, the stems elongate significantly, becoming fragile and brittle. Such thin petunia seedlings are subsequently unable to produce large flowers en masse, and in some cases may even die without having time to bloom. In order to correct the situation and improve the health of petunias, you should find out the cause of this anomaly and take appropriate measures, which you can find out in detail below in the article.

First problems

Often petunias begin to stretch even before the true leaves appear. In this case, it is worth thinking about how the existing microclimate in the room corresponds to the required conditions for growing young plants:

Temperature indoors should be within +22-+25⁰C. In conditions with temperatures above the specified values, petunia seedlings begin to stretch excessively. More often, this situation can be encountered if the plant is in greenhouse conditions.
Humidity for growing petunias it should be at the level of 60-65%. When humidity is low, plants should be sprayed.
Insufficient light very often leads to the fact that the petunia is stretched. The optimal length of daylight for young plants is 6-8 hours.In February, when sowing petunia seeds for seedlings begins, there is not enough natural light, so the plants should be illuminated with fluorescent lamps.
Petunia seedlings should not be grown in containers with high edges.. They can create a kind of barrier to the penetration of light rays. In this case, plants will reach above the existing obstacle to the light source to obtain the necessary energy.
Containers with seedlings located on the windowsill should be turn regularly on different sides, so that the plants furthest from the light source do not experience shading and do not stretch out.

You can combat the stretching of petunias at an early stage of cultivation by creating the best microclimatic conditions and diving plants in separate containers. So, in order to prevent pulling, you can use the following recommendations:

When cotyledon leaves appear, the temperature for seedlings should be lowered to +20⁰WITH;
with the appearance of the first true leaf, the photoperiod should be increased to 8 hours;
at the same time, it is recommended to feed the plants with complex fertilizer, which contains calcium for plant rooting;
after diving the petunias into separate containers, the temperature should be reduced to +16-+18⁰C to slow down leaf growth and better development of the root system;
The photoperiod for picked seedlings should be as long as possible.

Important! You can illuminate petunia around the clock. In domestic conditions, you can use fluorescent lamps or lamps with energy-saving “cold” light bulbs for this purpose.

It is worth noting that petunia seeds are quite small and when sown in priming It is difficult to maintain the interval between seedlings, so the seedlings become quite dense as they grow. Shading each other, the sprouts try to stretch upward. At this moment, it is very important to pick the plants in time, before their trunks become very thin and brittle. Information on how to care for young seedlings and plant them in separate containers can be found in the video:

On the way to bloom

Not only small, but also already quite tall petunia seedlings are prone to stretching. The reason for this may also be microclimatic conditions that do not meet the requirements, lack of nutrients, and violations of the irrigation regime.

Microclimate and lighting

Small seedlings require much less attention than adult plants. So, after picking the plants into separate pots, you should start hardening them off. Daytime temperatures should not be higher than +22⁰C, and night indicators should be set at +14-+16⁰C. Ventilating the room will also help to harden the seedlings. So, every day you should open the window for 10-15 minutes. This measure will reduce the air temperature in the room and saturate the room with fresh air. However, when ventilating, it is worth remembering that petunia seedlings should not be in a draft, which can be detrimental to the plants. In April-May, petunias can be taken outside for a short stay for the purpose of hardening, and containers with seedlings can also be placed on glazed balconies or loggias.

Important! Hardening off seedlings will prepare the plants for planting in open ground and will prevent the main stem from stretching.

Humidity also plays an important role in the plant formation process.So, sharp fluctuations in this parameter should not be allowed. If the plants are in a greenhouse with high humidity, then the decrease in the indicator should be gradual, otherwise the petunia seedlings will stretch out very quickly.

As petunias grow, they increasingly need increased light intensity. However, when highlighting plants, you should remember some rules:

During the day, the lamp should shine at full power, but when illuminated at night, the intensity must be reduced;
You cannot use incandescent lamps to illuminate seedlings, which heat the air and can burn the plant;
the distance from the lamp to the leaves of the seedlings should be at least 10 cm.

Important! When using a mini-greenhouse for growing petunia seedlings, you should select a material with good permeability of light rays (film, plastic). However, glass is not recommended.

In proper microclimatic conditions with sufficient lighting levels, petunia grows most strongly and is resistant to various diseases.

Watering

The correct watering regime is also the key to the health of petunias. So, you can get a strong, strong trunk from seedlings only with regular watering. The volume of water when watering should be small. So, for one plant, 10-15 cm high, there should be 15-20 ml of water. Petunias should be watered directly at the root. If the soil dries out excessively, the soil can be additionally sprayed. After watering, the soil must be slightly loosened, saturating it with oxygen.

Important! A lack of moisture leads to the withering of seedlings, and its excess leads to the development of fungal diseases and rotting of the roots.

Top dressing

When growing petunias, you need to be very careful about applying fertilizers and growth stimulants. Thus, seedlings without symptoms of slow growth do not need the addition of growth stimulants. In this case, on the contrary, they can provoke the stretching of seedlings, without increasing green mass.

Petunias simply need fertilizing and fertilizers during the growing process. They should be applied 2-3 times during the entire growing season:

After transplantation, plants need to be fed with preparations with a high calcium content. During this period, you can use calcium nitrate to spray the leaves;
preparations with potassium, calcium and phosphorus will allow petunia seedlings to slow down their growth and grow a sufficient number of strong, large leaves;
Nitrogen-containing fertilizers in excess stimulate the growth of petunia seedlings, as a result of which a thin plant stem and small leaves are formed.

For feeding petunia seedlings It is better to use complex fertilizers that contain all the microelements necessary for normal growth and development. You can also use B vitamins for fertilizer.

Topping

The most effective way to avoid petunia seedlings from being pulled is pinching. By pinching the seedlings, you can form a neat, lushly flowering bush of the required shape. By removing the top of the main stem, the growth of side shoots is activated, which can later also be pinched.

Important! After pinching the seedlings, petunia blooms later, however, the plant forms much more large buds on the side shoots.

First time pinch petunia seedlings needed when 6-7 true leaves are formed.As a rule, at this time the plant is still in the pot, however, under favorable weather conditions it can be planted in the ground. Pinch the top of the main shoot with scissors or a fingernail. This measure will allow side shoots to develop.

It is recommended to perform secondary pinching of petunias after the side shoots have grown more than 10 cm. In this case, their tops are removed, which provokes the growth of secondary shoots. With this pruning you can form a beautiful, profusely flowering bush. A video lesson on how to properly form petunia seedlings by pinching can be viewed here:

Important! For decorative purposes, you can carry out even more pinching to form a bush of the required shape.

If seedlings planted in open ground have become excessively elongated, then instead of pinching them, they can be shaped as follows: the top of the main stem must be inclined to the ground and covered tightly with soil. This will also cause side shoots to grow faster. In this way you can form beautiful decorative petunia bushes.

Conclusion

Before you start growing petunia seedlings, you should familiarize yourself with all the favorable conditions described above for this. After all, only by observing the humidity regime, maintaining the optimal temperature, watering in a timely and moderate manner, and feeding petunias can you grow good, strong seedlings. If certain parameters are violated or the rules of cultivation are not followed, you can end up with elongated, weak seedlings that will not please you with abundant flowering and beautiful greenery.