Contents
Watering seedlings of petunias is carried out 2-3 times a week for young seedlings and 1-2 times for adult plants. It all depends on the temperature, the level of illumination, as well as the humidity in the room or on the street. It is necessary to periodically inspect the soil – if it is too dry, watering is increased, if it is wet, water is not given at all.
What water to water
Watering seedlings grown from petunia seeds should only be done with settled water. The liquid is first poured into a container and allowed to stand for at least 12 hours (preferably a day) at room temperature. If possible, it is also recommended to filter it. This is necessary to remove impurities, including gaseous ones. You can use a regular household filter.
Melt water or rain water is best for irrigation. It is not hard, contains additional minerals, therefore it is especially useful for young seedlings. It is enough to defend it for several hours so that the liquid warms up to room temperature.
If there is no time to wait for a long time, you can pour ordinary tap water and add a small amount of hot liquid to it. As a result, it should acquire a temperature not higher than +25 ° C.
But it is better not to practice this method of watering petunia seedlings regularly. Liquid without prior settling contains quite a lot of chlorine, which can damage young roots.
How often should petunia seedlings be watered on the window
The root system of all varieties of petunias is located in the surface layer of the soil. This makes it possible to quickly absorb water after watering. But at the same time, the earth dries out rather quickly. Therefore, you need to water the seedlings and seedlings of petunias regularly.
The frequency depends on several factors:
- stage of plant development (young seedlings are given water more often, and adults less often);
- temperature and humidity in the room;
- illumination level.
As a rule, water petunias before germination and in the first 14 days after their appearance should be three times a week. Initially, it is necessary to create greenhouse conditions – cover the seedling containers with a film with a hole or transparent glass. Periodically it is removed for ventilation. Water is given from a syringe (without a needle) or from a nebulizer.
Young seedlings are watered every 2-3 days
The grown seedlings of petunia are also watered three times a week, while the volume is slightly increased. After the seedlings grow up, water can be given twice a week. At the same time, the day before transplanting into the ground, it is necessary to make abundant watering of the seedlings in order to form an earthen lump. Due to this, the roots will practically “not notice” the transplant, and the plants will easily take root in the new conditions.
Otherwise, petunia seedlings may suffer from black leg, rot and other dangerous diseases.
How to water petunia seedlings at home
Features of watering seedlings largely depend on the stage of its development. If young shoots need very little moisture, but it needs to be given regularly, then grown seedlings need large volumes. At the same time, you can give water only twice a week, making sure that the soil constantly remains slightly moist.
How to water a petunia after sowing
Seeds require very little moisture before germination. Fertile soil is preliminarily placed in seedling boxes (for example, a mixture of soddy soil with peat, humus and sand 2: 1: 1: 1), then it is moistened with a sprayer.
Lay small seeds on the surface, cover with a film and put in a warm place. This moisture is enough for 1-2 days. Further, the glass or film is constantly removed for ventilation. If the soil begins to dry out, give watering from a spray bottle.
Watering petunia seedlings after germination
When shoots appear, they are also given water from a spray bottle. You can also use a syringe without a needle, which guides a thin line of settled liquid. Watering frequency – three times a week. If the room is sufficiently humid and warm, and the soil does not dry out, the seedlings can be moistened 1-2 times. At the same time, they do not pour water abundantly – it is better to give out small volumes, but stably. Then the soil will be moistened evenly, and the plants will quickly gain green mass.
The inlets that appear are moistened from the atomizer
Since the root system is located in the surface layer of the earth, water is directed directly under the root. To do this, you can use both a syringe and a syringe. Another option is to purchase a special small watering can equipped with a narrow spout. The best time to moisturize is in the morning.
Watering petunias after picking
Seedling picking is carried out after the appearance of two true leaves. They are seated in plastic cups or peat pots. Pre-complete abundant watering of seedlings to form an earthen ball. Since there is a lot of water, it is not necessary to moisturize in the first days after picking.
At this point, the seedlings are shaded for 3-4 days to reduce the evaporation of moisture. After the soil dries, watering is done 2-3 times a week. A syringe or nebulizer can be omitted. To moisten, use a watering can with a narrow spout or pour water from a glass with a weak stream strictly under the root. It is important not to get on the leaves so that the plants do not get sunburned.
Watering petunias in pots and planters
Often, summer residents transplant seedlings of seedlings into pots, and not into open ground. In this form, flowers are used for landscaping balconies, terraces, window sills. The containers are usually small, and the earth does not have time to dry out quickly. Therefore, watering petunias in pots should be 1-2 times a week.
If the weather is hot outside, the soil dries out pretty quickly. To prevent this, water can be given in small volumes on a day-to-day basis. This irrigation option is suitable for outdoor cultivation on the sunny side of a veranda or balcony.
Determining the need for additional watering is quite simple. If the foliage of seedlings, adult plants begins to turn yellow, then dries and falls off, you need to check the soil by probing the surface layer. If it is dry, urgently make watering in sufficient volume.
Due to insufficient moisture, the leaves turn yellow and wither.
It is not worth delaying watering, since many petunias do not tolerate drought well – they will survive, but flowering will be weak. In addition, due to insufficient watering, immunity decreases. Flowers can be affected by powdery mildew, whitefly and other pests.
Wicky watering
Both adult plants and seedlings need a regular supply of moisture. In practice, it is not always possible to ensure this, since there is no time, and besides, the water must be settled. Therefore, to facilitate the task, you can make wick watering petunias.
The essence of the method is that the pot is placed in a container with water, from which a capron wick comes out (it can be cut out of pantyhose, stretched well). Due to the force of surface tension, moisture is absorbed into the material and enters the soil. Moreover, the liquid saturates it evenly, so it is no longer necessary to regularly give water.
To make wick watering petunia seedlings, proceed as follows:
- They take a pot or other container, lay a drainage layer, for example, fragments of foam.
- Spread an incomplete turn of the wick for watering, its end is brought out through the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot for petunia seedlings.
- The soil is covered and an adult plant or seedling seedling is planted after picking.
- The free tip of the wick is dipped into a pre-prepared container of water for irrigation. It is necessary to immerse the cord so that it touches the bottom.
- Then the soil is abundantly moistened. Further, watering the seedlings of petunia is no longer needed. It is only necessary to periodically add settled water to the glass under the pot, and also rinse its walls.
What to water for good growth
In order for petunia seedlings to grow well, liquid fertilizers should be given along with watering. Special complex compositions are used as dressings, for example:
- “Fertika Kristalon”;
- “Kemira Lux”;
- “Ideal”;
- “Baikal”;
- «Bona Strong»;
- nitrophos.
Apply and folk remedies for irrigation:
- wood ash (a tablespoon per 1 liter of water);
- banana peel (3-4 pieces per 3 l);
- dry yeast (10 g per 1 liter).
Common mistakes
Watering seedlings and adult petunias is planned depending on the condition of the soil and the stage of plant development. In general, this is a fairly simple procedure, but it also has nuances. Therefore, when planning irrigation, one should take into account common mistakes that are often made by both beginners and experienced flower growers:
- If flowers are grown on a balcony, window, take into account its location. When going north and west, watering does not need to be done too often. And if the balcony is located in the south or east, water is given at least twice a week.
- If adult flowers or seedlings spend the night on the street (for example, in May before transplanting), watering is completely abandoned. At night, the temperature drops significantly, and because of this, combined with strong moisture, the root system will suffer. This is one of the most common mistakes beginner gardeners make.
- Petunia in a pot is watered twice a day – in the morning, when the sun is still not warming so much, and in the evening, when the heat gradually subsides. Doing this during the day is not worth it – the moisture will quickly evaporate, the earth will dry out and may crack. In addition, there is a risk of getting on leaves, flowers and shoots that will burn in direct sunlight.
Conclusion
Watering petunia seedlings at home is quite simple to organize. Young seedlings are moistened from the sprayer, and until the emergence of seedlings they are grown under glass or film. Adult plants are given water 1-2 times a week, focusing on weather conditions and soil conditions. How to water petunia seedlings is described in the video.
