Top dressing petunias: types of dressings, recipes
Content:
Petunias are one of the most popular and common plants that are especially loved by gardeners for many reasons. Petunias can be both perennial and annual. And the choice on them falls on the part of the gardener, depending on how he himself wants to care for the plants, how he can care for them, and in general what he is ready to do for the plant in order to get beautiful and attractive strong inflorescences. Very important for the growth of the plant is such a thing as feeding petunias.
Top dressing of petunias. Introduction
Petunia is known not only among gardeners and amateurs. But also on the part of professional landscape designers who like to plant this bush for flower beds, rock gardens and other decorative plantings.
Petunias are planted in flowerpots in park areas, as well as in flower beds in cities. You can grow these flowers on balconies and loggias. They take root well in various conditions, give an excellent, bright inflorescence.
Petunias also bloom well, but sometimes, due to the influence of external circumstances, their flowering can deteriorate in some sense. And in this case, the plant loses its decorative features. In this article, we'll take a closer look at what these flowers love. How to feed them correctly in order to get excellent inflorescences and decorative flower indicators.
These recommendations and advice will make the gardener's activities much more effective and more enjoyable, simplify his care measures and measures for plants.
The choice of fertilizers for petunia flowers. Top dressing petunias for lush flowering
When petunia is still very small and gradually leaves leaves, mineral supplements should be used, which contain large quantities of nitrogen. For this, such petunia feeding as saltpeter or urea, as well as natural organic matter, is ideal. Since it is in these substances that the most useful substances and components are contained.
This feeding of petunia is introduced once every two weeks, focusing on the general condition of the plant, on its growth and flowering characteristics. Experienced growers emphasize that it is best to apply the most standard dose of fertilizers for this purpose. And also make solutions, since it is much more convenient to bring them into the root circle. And so the components reach the root system much faster, therefore the flower will receive more useful components in a short time.
Changes for the better after application can be noticed already in about one week after fertilization has been applied to the plant. If the seedlings managed to get stronger, gave abundant leaves, which are also filled with strength, then this seedling no longer needs such abundant feeding. And in principle, the plant can be left alone for a while, without feeding or irrigating with substances. So that it has time to independently adapt to relatively new conditions for itself.
Top dressing can be alternated with each other. To do this, you can adhere to the following feeding scheme:
- in order to support younger and fresher plants, potassium nitrate should be used in moderation. But at the same time, excessive application can only damage the plant;
- then you can use nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizing, which will allow the plant to give more lush and luxurious flowering. It is best to use this fertilizer in a ratio of 2 to 1. The additives must be dissolved in water and mixed well so that no precipitate forms.
For petunias, supplements are excellent, where the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen has already been calculated. So the gardener will definitely not make any mistakes in the calculations. He will only need to add the required amount of top dressing to warm settled water and mix well to make a concentrated solution.
After the seedlings are planted in separate containers, the root system needs a phosphorus supplement. This is how the roots feel supported. It will be easier for them to take root in new conditions, gain a foothold in them and adapt well. For example, as such a phosphorus supplement, a drug called Kristalon is perfect.
After one decade, you can feed the plant with nitrogen supplements. But when the seedlings have grown and got stronger, they generally do not need this feeding. So no more nitrogen should be used.
But as a growth stimulator, potassium-phosphorus supplements are used. However, as we have already noticed, potassium and phosphorus are substances that are constantly present in the "diet" of a plant, and therefore cannot be ignored.
Sometimes the dose can be reduced, but in general, there will be no harm from regular and frequent application. We also note that these components do not cause any addiction at all on the part of the petunias themselves. Therefore, they are quite friendly about such fertilizer.
If you carry out timely feeding of the plant, then the petunias will give a long and generous flowering with magnificent multi-colored colors.
Feeding petunias with folk remedies
Feeding petunias is also carried out using folk remedies. They are also appropriate as they do not contain any chemical additives. And some natural ingredients are much easier to obtain. Indeed, sometimes they are all on the site at the gardener himself.
Among such folk remedies are the following:
- nettle tincture - it can be used when the plants have already been planted in open ground. About three weeks after planting, the bushes can be thoroughly watered with nettle solution. It stimulates growth and helps the roots to protect themselves from diseases, increases their immunity and the immune system of the plant as a whole;
- boric acid - it is recommended to bring it under the bushes for better flowering of petunias. At the same time, boric acid is also excellent for spraying bushes with it at various stages of their growth and development;
- lemon acid - the solution is great if suddenly the deciduous part of the petunias, for one reason or another, began to turn yellow. Usually, about 12 grams of citric acid crystals are dissolved in three liters of warm, settled water. You can also add a little iron sulfate to the solution. Then the solution is perfect not only to apply it under the root of the bushes, but also to spray the deciduous part with it. The main thing is to spray either early in the morning or late in the evening. At the same time, it is worth paying attention to the climatic conditions that are in a particular region where petunias grow. When using this top dressing, the plants will acquire their juicy green tint. And the bushes themselves will look much fresher and more attractive, which is undoubtedly very important;
- wood ash - a solution based on wood ash is highly valued due to the fact that the ash, in principle, contains a large number of components and microelements, which have an excellent effect on a wide variety of crops. This is primarily potassium, which is necessary for petunia to color well and develop well. But as practice shows and as experienced gardeners say, it is necessary to use an ash-based solution, which had been infused for about 24 hours, no less.
Feeding petunias for growth with organic fertilizers
Petunias respond well to any fertilizer - both mineral and organic.You can, after the petunias have been planted in open ground, use these types of fertilizers in turn. From this, the plant will receive only even more nutrients, which will have a great effect on them.
Also, thanks to organic matter, soil fertility can be preserved for a long time. And of course, in this regard, it is necessary to dwell in more detail on organic fertilizers that can be used to feed petunias. As a rule, organic matter can be used in completely different ways, it all depends on which organic matter is available to the gardener himself, and what is the current state of the plant itself:
- chicken droppings - it should be insisted in advance in warm, settled water, and then filtered and applied at the root. But you have to be very careful. Since such a tincture can damage the roots, burn them;
- compost. The main component of compost is always manure, which the grower receives from cattle. And which is defended for a long time. Then it can be used as an effective organic supplement without fear for the plant, because the compost is natural and completely safe;
- grass - various herbs collected from the site can be infused in hot or warm water for some time, after which the solution is filtered and the petunias themselves are fertilized
- bone flour - in this case, ideally, it is fish bone meal that is suitable, since it is originally intended for the implementation of precisely these purposes.
As we can see, initially the droppings are best infused well in water. Then strain, dilute in a certain amount of water. And only after that, you can carry out top dressing. In its pure form, these fertilizers can not only not help the plant, but also cause it even more harm.
Therefore, it is worth being extremely careful in this regard and, of course, focusing on the general condition of the plant itself. For his needs at one time or another. Whether he needs feeding at all, or whether petunia is in that stage of development where feeding can be completely abandoned for a while.
In general, if you follow the few, but very important rules, then the petunia plant will respond perfectly.
Top dressing ampel petunias
Petunia grows well not only in home gardens, but also in suspended pots. Top dressing should be done once a week. This requires complex fertilizers and feed mixtures.
At the same time, it is recommended to use mixtures with a high content of potassium and phosphorus for these purposes. Also, petunias can perfectly perceive feeding during each watering. Since fertilizers reach the root and other systems of the plant faster with solutions, the effect can be noticed much faster.
Some compound fertilizers can also come in handy and are great for improving the overall health of flowering plants. Of course, it is most convenient to use liquid fertilizers. Since they are also spread faster through the soil to various petunia systems.
Do not use dry substrates and mixtures. Also, do not use a dry mixture when feeding overdried soil. This can only cause some damage to the plant. Therefore, you should be very careful and give the plant liquid feed, which will be much better perceived by the petunias themselves.
Additional feeding can be applied when the plant has already adapted and matured enough, and began to give active growth. Here you can take fertilizers in the form of sticks, and the term of their work is more than three months.
They are applied, and for the next few months, you can basically forget about fertilizers. Of course, even after that, it is worth monitoring the general condition of the plant. Since sometimes petunias may not respond very well to such feeding. They also need other substances, or simply more abundant watering.
If you take such a fertilizer in the form of a stick at the beginning of summer, then in general the plant will be provided with comprehensive feeding for the entire summer period, and this is very important. And it can save the gardener's time not only on the feeding process itself, but also on looking for suitable feedings and mixtures so that they ideally fit the plant and strengthen it.
Conclusion
Thus, using these very simple techniques, you can make petunias incredibly attractive, strengthen them, give them a second life. This is especially true for plants that may initially grow in regions and areas that are not the most favorable for themselves. And therefore, they certainly need additional external support.
It is important to observe concentrations and dosages. Otherwise, fertilization can only do more harm to the plant. Again, everything here depends solely on the care of the gardener, on his own desire to make his garden and flower beds even more beautiful and attractive.
In general, it cannot be said that petunias are already completely capricious or whimsical. They, like any other plants, need the most standard care techniques. Only in this case, they give abundant, lush bloom with a variety of flowers, decorate with themselves any areas - both backyards, and within the city, in parks.
In general, fertilizers should be handled with extreme care. Since not everyone can benefit the plant. There are fertilizers that are originally intended for the plant (in our case, for the petunia). But at the same time, if you use it incorrectly, then the plant can get harmful effects. And in this case, the result will be completely opposite to what can be, in principle, from the use of solutions and preparations.