Land for seedlings of petunias 

Petunias are flowering plants that often decorate gardens, terraces, windows, loggias and balconies. Florists like them because of the presence of a large number of varieties, colors and hybrids, which allows each person to make a unique flower arrangement. For successful cultivation of seedlings, it is important to properly prepare the soil for petunias.

The flower is not particularly whimsical, however, if you want the flowering to be lush, then you need to follow some basic rules. Not only the soil for petunia must be properly prepared, the success of growing also depends on the quality of the purchased seeds. Ultimately, after preparation, the soil should be loose, moisture-intensive, light and nutritious. You can buy prepared soil for petunias or make it useful for seedlings yourself. About what type of soil is best suited for petunias and how to make it suitable for seedlings, we will discuss in this article.

Features of the composition of the soil

The type of soil suitable for petunia seedlings is determined by the Ferre triangle. Sand refers to large soil particles. Thanks to him, the soil breathes. However, sand does not retain moisture well, while clay and silt particles vice versa. According to the Ferre triangle, petunias grow well and develop in sandy-loamy, loamy and clayey-sandy soil.

The organic composition of the soil for petunias

The degree of soil fertility is determined by its mineral and organic composition. Chernozem contains about 10% of organic matter, while in infertile soil this figure does not even reach 3%.

What is organic? This is the presence of substances useful for plant growth. This number also includes microorganisms that break down mineral components into a form in which the plant is able to assimilate them.

Although it may seem to you that the earth is a substance within which nothing happens, in fact, two processes are continuously carried out in it: the accumulation of organic matter and the mineralization of the soil. This will explain the need to loosen the soil and the need to fertilize it.

The fact is that the composition and quality of the soil varies greatly and one type of soil may not be suitable for petunias. Mixing different soils will allow you to end up with strong and luxuriant petunias.

What should be the acidity of the earth

Acidity (pH) is the content of hydrogen ions in the aqueous solution of the soil. The soil may have:

1. An acidic environment with a pH level less than 6,5. In such an environment, aluminum, manganese, boron and iron are perfectly absorbed, while magnesium, calcium and phosphorus are practically not absorbed.
2. A neutral environment with a pH level of approximately 7. In such a soil, useful substances, such as macro- and microelements, are evenly absorbed.
3. Alkaline environment with a pH level of more than 7,5. In such a land, useful elements are practically not absorbed.

As for petunia, neutral soil with a pH level of 5,5–7,0 and slightly acidic soil with a pH level of 5,5–6,5 are suitable for its cultivation. You don’t have to go to a lab to measure acidity or pH. Purchase pH litmus paper from a specialized store. To conduct the test, you will need to cover half a glass with earth, and fill it with water to the top. Then you should stir the composition and leave it for 20 minutes. After that, the contents of the glass must be mixed again and the earth allowed to settle. Finally, dip the litmus paper into the water. Depending on the color on the paper, the type of soil is determined. If the result is red-purple, then you can plant petunias in the ground from your garden. But if the color is red or blue, then the soil is unsuitable for sowing these flowers.

Another test option does not require financial costs, since you will need vinegar and soda to test the acidity, products that are always in the kitchen cabinet. So the check is done like this:

1. Table vinegar drips onto the soil. If it hisses, it means that the soil is alkaline and definitely not suitable for petunias.
2. Sprinkle a pinch of baking soda on damp soil. If it hisses, then the environment is acidic. Such soil is not suitable for seedlings of petunias.
3. If the earth hisses a little to vinegar, but is more pronounced to soda, then this is a sign that it has a neutral environment. This soil is ideal for petunias.

How to change the acidity of the earth

Suppose that your site is not suitable for petunias soil. In this case, you can change the acidity or pH level:

1. Lime should be added to the acidic environment, and in the process of digging, add more organic matter, humic fertilizers and nitrates. And you can also add chernozem, soddy or sandy loamy soils.
2. Peat will help change the pH level in alkaline soil. Ammonia fertilizers are best. In this case, calcium and potassium nitrates should not be used.
3. If the earth is moderately alkaline, but crumbly, then sphagnum and compost are added to it.
4. In clay alkaline earth, you can add 1 pH per 1 m² approximately 2,5 tablespoons of powdered sulfur. Another option is 1 teaspoon of ferrous sulfate. Please note that these components split for a long time, so you need to fertilize a year or in the fall. You can also enrich the soil with peat and sand.

Sowing in peat tablets

Nowadays, growing petunias has become even easier. Since agronomists invented special peat tablets for sowing small seeds, which is typical for petunias. First, place the peat tablets on the pallet so that the recess is facing up. Fill the tray with warm water. This is necessary in order for the peat tablets to swell. After they are straightened, place petunia seeds in their recesses.

After sowing, cover the peat tablets with glass or a plastic bag. So, an ideal microclimate for the development of seedlings will be created. This is the easiest way to prepare soil for petunia seedlings.

Carrying out disinfection

Before sowing, the soil should be disinfected. This step is mandatory. The simplest method of disinfection is to pour the soil with a saturated pink solution of potassium permanganate 3–10 days before sowing petunias. This necessary requirement will protect young seedlings from diseases that may lurk in the ground.

Another disinfection option is to ignite the earth in an oven or microwave. The main thing is to do it at a high temperature. The annealing process might look like this:

1. Moisten the soil, place it in the baking sleeve, close and make 2-3 punctures in the sleeve with a fork. Ignite the earth in an oven preheated to 150℃ for 45–60 minutes.
2. Clay for petunias can be placed in a saucepan and filled with water. Make a water bath and heat for 1,5 hours. Boiling water must be topped up.
3. Disinfection in the microwave is the most effective, as it completely destroys pathogenic bacteria and fungus. To do this, place the soil in a plastic container, fill it with water so that a porridge-like mass is obtained. Put in the microwave for 6 minutes.

How to prepare the soil yourself

If you are a flower grower who does not trust purchased land, then you can prepare a mixture that is useful for petunias on your own. It can be made from peat, turf or garden soil, sand. There are two basic rules for preparing a fertile mixture:

• If you are growing petunias on a balcony, then you should mix 70% red peat moss with 30% clay.
• If the flowers are to be grown in containers, then it is necessary to mix one part of moss peat and sand with two parts of loamy soil.

If you are breeding petunias for sale, then make clay with moss peat in a 1: 1 ratio. Loam can be replaced with perlite or spruce bark. The quality of the constituents of the soil must be high. Peat is sterile, so it should always form the basis of the soil. Peat is divided into two types – black lowland and red riding. Black peat has low acidity and is, in fact, better for seedlings. Although its red counterpart is characterized by friability and moisture resistance, therefore it is also suitable for petunias.

The porosity of the soil is achieved by sand. In ordinary red sand, there is a lot of iron oxide, which has a bad effect on the root system of petunias. Therefore, it cannot be used to prepare suitable land. You will need river gray or white sand.

If you mix sand and peat in equal proportions, then it can be used for sowing seeds. But to improve the nutritional value of the soil, decomposed compost or humus should be added to this mixture.

Feeding with special additives

The next step in preparing the land for seedlings is feeding petunias. To improve the development of petunia seedlings, you can add to the soil:

• Perlite. This is a mountainous volcanic rock that helps to loosen the earth.
• Appin. It is an acid found in plant cells that stimulates growth. According to some, epin is a hormone, although in reality it is not.
• Microelements. It could be uniflor.
• Powder. It is sludge passed through a centrifuge. Rarely found in the free market. Improves plant germination.
• Hydrogel. It is an inert polymer that retains moisture very well. Like the powder, it improves the germination of petunias.

Sowing Rules

So, you already have nutrient soil. Now is the time to seed the petunias. And you need to do it right. Petunias are sown on the surface of the soil, without sprinkling seeds. To carefully sow small seeds, use a toothpick. Pick up a small seed with a sharp tip and place in a seedling container. With a second toothpick, mark the place of sowing, since the seeds are almost invisible on the surface of the earth. This way you will be able to sow evenly.

Excellent results are obtained by sowing petunias in the soil with hydrogel. It can be soaked not in water, but in a fertilizer solution, for example, “Kemira” or some other. In such a simple way, you can provide petunia seedlings with moisture and additional nutrition.

To avoid having to cover the seedlings with foil, you can plant them in food containers with a lid. Thus, you will get mini-greenhouses. Such containers are easy to ventilate, and the lid allows enough light to pass through, which will allow you to grow seedlings in them up to picking.

After the seeds are laid out in the ground, it must be sprinkled with water from a spray bottle. Then the seedlings are covered with a lid or covered with a film / glass. To prevent condensation from accumulating, do not forget to ventilate the seedlings from time to time.

Expect first shoots within two weeks. But if it so happened that shoots did not appear, then do not wait further. Even if they rise later, they will be weakened and there will be a lot of trouble with them. Such worries do not justify themselves, as a rule.

Now you are familiar with the main features of soil preparation for seedlings of petunias. All that remains is to put what you have learned into practice. We also invite you to watch a video that will allow you to further expand your knowledge: