How to properly pinch a petunia to make it lush
Petunia is popular with many gardeners for its beauty and ease of growing. This flower is ideal for decorating a country house, a summer cottage and even a balcony in an apartment. Before you start growing a plant, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of pinching a petunia.
What is pinching
Some novice gardeners have never heard of pinching and do not know what it is for.
Pinching is cutting off the top of the stems or buds at the ends of the branches. It is recommended to use special instruments during the procedure. For this, garden shears or pruners are suitable. Picking off branches or buds by hand is contraindicated as this can damage the plants.
The benefits of pinching petunias
It is recommended to understand in advance the purpose of the procedure and its benefits.
Lush crown formation
Most often, flowers are pinched to form the crown. With the help of pruning, it is possible to grow a lush bush even from the smallest sprouts.
Termination of growth of apical shoots
There are times when, without pinching, the petunia begins to grow strongly, and many side shoots appear on it. To prevent this, the main stem is pinched several times a season and the side shoots are cut off.
Lignification and strengthening of the lower part of the shoots
It's no secret that petunia belongs to the group of herbaceous plants with a weakened stem. Pinching strengthens the lower part of the stem and makes it lignified. Such a plant withstands weather cataclysms better and withstands pest attacks.
How to pinch petunia correctly
Before cropping flowers, you need to figure out how to do it correctly.
Prerequisites for pinching petunias
It is necessary to do the pinching at the moment of plant growth activation. If tightened with pruning, the bushes will grow too tall and ugly. Experienced flower growers recommend carrying out the procedure one and a half months after planting the seeds.
The step-by-step process of pinching
Step-by-step instructions will help you pinch the flower correctly.
After germination
The work consists of several sequential stages:
- search for the lowest sprout;
- counting five sheets from the bottom;
- trimming the part of the stem located above the fifth leaf;
- dusting the cut with ash.
For abundant flowering
To make the flower bloom better, the procedure is carried out three times:
- the first - after the appearance of five leaves;
- the second - after transplanting the shoots into the flower bed;
- the third - during the period of active growth.
Features of pinching a potted petunia
Pinching a potted plant is pretty easy. The top is pinched once, when the flower grows up to 10 centimeters in height.
Are all varieties of petunias subject to pinching?
Some gardeners argue that all varieties of a flower should be pinched, but this is not the case. Most hybrid varieties bred by professional breeders can be grown without pruning.
Features of the formation of different types of petunias
It is necessary to familiarize yourself in more detail with pruning the most common types of bushes.
Ampelnaya
A popular variety of petunias used by many flower growers to decorate flower beds. This flower is genetically designed to form a lush and brightly flowering plant. Therefore, ampelous flowers do not need to be pinched. However, if the seedlings grow poorly, you can cut the upper stem to make the bush more branched.
Cascade
Pruned at least twice during the entire growing season. Timely pinching makes the seedlings lush and more beautiful. During the formation of cascading bushes, side shoots are removed so that the plant is symmetrical.
Shrub and terry
Terry and bush varieties are pinched using the traditional method, which will make the shape of the bushes more lush.
FAQ
There are several questions that interest many novice florists.
Can you pinch petunia when it blooms?
Cutting off flowering plants is not contraindicated. The only peculiarity of pinching petunias during the flowering period is that it is necessary to cut off 2-3 shoots at a time.
Does pinching affect flowering time
Many are interested in how stem pruning affects flowering. Plants that are pinched will flower 10-15 days later.
How often to pinch
Experienced gardeners recommend pinching once - during the active growth phase.
What to do with cut off shoots?
Cut off shoots can be rooted and made into planting material. To do this, you will have to remove the lower leaves of the cut stem, after which it is placed in a container with water. Over time, roots will sprout from the cutting and it can be used for planting in the ground.
Petunia care after pinching
After pruning, the flowers weaken and need feeding. Therefore, 2-3 days after pinching, mineral and organic fertilizers are added to the soil. Growth stimulants are also used, which saturate the soil with nutrients.
In the future, fertilizers need to be applied to the soil every two weeks. In this case, it is better to use fertilizers that contain a lot of nitrogen. Also, when caring for petunias, you need to regularly moisten and loosen the soil.
Conclusion
When growing petunias, many flower growers have to pinch them. To do everything right, you will have to familiarize yourself with the recommendations for pruning common varieties.
