Petunia Flower Care, Meaning, Reproduction

by Abbas Jahangir · July 4, 2021

Petunia Flower: Symbol of Hope Vibrant Colors

Petunia, which can be grown in pots, on the ground, on the ground and in gardens, offers an impressive display with its fascinating flowers. It spends all summer and autumn months as flowering. This plant is long-lived as long as the appropriate environment and care are provided. Petunia flower means hope. This flower, which refreshes the colorful people, is also a symbol of hope.

If you think that petunia flower is grown only in gardens, you are wrong! If you wish, you can grow this flower in your home. In this article, we sought an answer to the question of “how to grow petunias at home”.

What is Petunia? Meaning and Characteristics

Petunia flower, a member of the Solanaceae family, is a very long-lived plant if properly cared for and provided with a suitable environment.
It is a perennial plant.
It blooms all summer long. It flowers during the summer and autumn months.
There are 4 types of petunias. These; large-flowered, small-flowered, multi-flowered, and ground cover.
It is quite impressive with hundreds of varieties, different colors, and shapes of flowers.
Multi-flowered petunias, as the name suggests, are multi-flowered. However, these flowers are small in size.
For this reason, multi-flowered petunias are often bundled. In this way, an impressive riot of colors is created.
Small-flowered petunias are miniature, so to speak. It is generally used for decorative and landscaping purposes, to fill corners.
Floor covering petunias are mostly used to decorate empty walls.
Petunias are 5-7 cm in length.
Some petunias are in steps.
Petunias look very stylish, especially when hung.
It likes sunny and semi-shady places.
Petunia flowers can be grown in gardens, balconies, or in pots (indoors).
Petunia flower means hope.

How to Plant Petunia Seeds?

Petunia can be grown from a petunia seed or sprout.
However, we should state that the sprout is preferred rather than the seed in petunia cultivation.
This is because the seeds are so small that they are difficult to handle.
It also takes about 10 weeks for the seeds to germinate. But if you start growing from a sprout, not from a seed
You do not need to wait for the 10-week period.
Seeds sown in boxes in February and March are planted in gardens from May.
It is mostly planted in rows or in groups.
If you are going to grow it in a flower bed, you should leave at least 15 cm gaps between the plants.
If you are going to grow it in pots, you can plant 2-3 plants in the middle of the same pot.

How to Care for Petunia Flowers?

Pot Selection

Soil, round and wide-mouth pots are ideal for petunia flowers.
Usually, some pumice, perlite, or gravel is placed at the bottom of the pot and then the soil is placed on top of it.
After the soil, the seeds are placed. You don’t have to bury the seeds in the soil, you can leave them on the surface.
About 3 weeks after sowing, the seeds germinate and seedlings begin to emerge.
The pot of sun-exposed petunias should be changed once a year.
Pots of petunias that see less sun should be changed every 2 years.

Soil

Petunia flower likes well-fertilized, humus-rich gardens.
Permeable, soft, and slightly acidic soil should be chosen. It is recommended that the pH value be between 5.6 – 7.6.
Soil drainage is also very important for this plant.
You can choose standard garden soil for growing petunias at home.

Irrigation

One of the most important aspects of petunia flower care is watering.
Whether you use a pot or a flower box, you need to water your flower regularly at certain intervals.
Petunia is a flower that requires a lot of water. Especially newly planted flowers require more water than those that have reached a certain maturity.
The soil of this plant should never remain dry. You should ensure that the soil remains slightly moist at all times.

Light and Temperature

The petunia flower is very affected by wind, cold, and frost.
Therefore, these points should be taken into consideration while choosing the location; It should be placed in places that are not particularly windy and not cold.
In addition, sunny and semi-shaded places should be preferred.
One of the important aspects of petunia care is daylight.
The flower must be placed in a spot where it can receive sunlight for at least 6 hours a day.

How to Propagate Petunia?

You can grow the petunia flower from seed or sprout.
Apart from this, you can also reproduce it with the steel method.
The ideal time for the steel method in July and August.
To propagate petunia, first, choose a healthy and vibrant petunia flower.
To get cuttings, cut a non-woody, healthy young shoot to a length of 10 cm.
Then remove 2/3 of the leaves on the underside of the cutting.
Soak the cuttings you bought in half a glass of water to root.
In a few days, the cutting will begin to root.
As a final step, plant the rooted cuttings in a suitable pot.

How to Prune Petunias

In order for the petunia to develop healthily, it must be cleaned of dead and dysfunctional flowers and weeds that grow too long.
This plant definitely needs regular pruning. If not pruned, its development may stop.