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Petunia has been enjoying increasing interest from gardeners and gardeners for many years. Previously, many preferred to buy petunia seedlings, without getting involved with all the complexities and subtleties of self-growing. Recently, the prices for petunia planting material have already been biting for many, and most importantly, so many new, completely unique varieties and hybrids of petunia have appeared that can be freely bought in the form of seeds, while the choice of varieties of finished seedlings is limited to only a few colors. and types.
Among them, it is not always possible to find exactly those varieties that are especially attractive for one reason or another. Therefore, more and more often, fans of petunias are trying to grow seedlings of their pets on their own. And this is quite real, given the many little things that have appeared in recent years, designed to make the life of flower growers easier and more enjoyable. These are special pelleted petunia seeds, which are very convenient to sow, and peat tablets, which play the role of both containers for sowing and nutrient soil.
And one of the important components of success for good growth and flowering at the right time is the choice of a specific time or even day for planting petunia seedlings. In this case, knowledge of the developmental biology of petunias, as well as the lunar calendar for 2022, can help.
What you need to know about the development of petunias
Petunia is a perennial plant with a fairly long growing season, which means that quite a lot of time passes from sowing seeds to the appearance of the first flowers – from two to three or even more months. In addition, petunia seedlings are very small and tender, and plants develop very slowly in the first month after planting, almost imperceptibly to the eye.
Among the wide variety of modern varieties and hybrids, there are petunias that need only two, two and a half months to develop from germination to flowering. And there are those (mainly ampelous and large-flowered varieties), which, under the same conditions, take up to three and a half months to develop before flowering.
It must also be understood that petunia is a very heat-loving plant and seedlings can only be planted in the ground when the last frosts have passed into oblivion in your region. Usually, however, plants are planted in large hanging baskets, which, if desired, can always be brought into the house, if the threat of frost suddenly appears. And if you are going to grow a petunia in a flower bed or rabatka, or in high monumental flowerpots, then you need to take into account the thermophilicity of this plant.
Also important is the very high demands of petunia seedlings, especially in the early stages of cultivation, to the level and duration of illumination. In principle, nothing prevents the grower from sowing petunias in January or even December for super-early flowering. The only problem is that during this period, for the normal development of petunia seedlings, in addition to heat, it vitally needs a lot of light. Therefore, without the use of special lamps for highlighting seedlings, it will not be possible to grow it in the winter months. And she needs at least a ten-hour daylight hours.
That is why flower growers who want to grow petunia seedlings without additional illumination can start sowing only in March. Only when you are in the southern regions, these works can be carried out in February.
Using the lunar calendar for sowing petunias
To determine more accurately the days of planting petunias for seedlings in 2022, you can use the lunar calendar.
But using such calendars, perhaps someone has already noticed that the data in them sometimes do not match, and occasionally even contradict each other. What can be done about it? It is necessary to understand the main patterns of the influence of the lunar phases on the development of plants. In this case, knowing the main lunar phases and the days of the position of the moon in different signs of the zodiac, you can determine the favorable and unfavorable days yourself quite accurately.
Major lunar phases and zodiac days
So, all actions with plants are influenced by:
- 4 lunar phases;
- 12 sidereal months (or days of the position of the moon in 12 signs of the zodiac).
The 4 lunar phases are:
- new moon (lasts about 3 days, includes the day of the new moon itself and one day before and after it);
- waxing moon (lasts from new moon to full moon for about 11 days);
- full moon (lasts about 3 days, includes the day before, after and the full moon itself) and, finally,
- waning moon (lasts from full moon to new moon about 11 days).
The dates of both the new moon and the full moon themselves must always be indicated in any lunar calendars.
During the periods of new moon and full moon, it is strictly not recommended to carry out any sowing and transplanting work with plants, as well as pruning, grafting, top dressing. You can only carry out treatments against diseases and pests and weeding.
During the waxing moon it is very good to sow and transplant plants that will develop above the ground (including petunias). Watering, fertilizing and vaccinations will also be good.
During the waning moon it is useful to sow and transplant plants that develop underground – root crops, onions. In all other respects, the work is similar to those carried out with the growing moon.
The position of the moon in the 12 signs of the zodiac can also always be found in the lunar calendar. The signs of the zodiac are divided into the following:
- Fire signs – Aries, Leo, Sagittarius – are responsible for the development of fruits.
- Water signs – Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces – are responsible for the development of leaves.
- Air signs – Libra, Aquarius, Gemini – are responsible for the development of flowers.
- Earth signs – Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn – are responsible for the development of the roots.
The signs of water and earth, as well as the sign of Libra, are considered fertile – when the moon is in them, you can plant, sow and transplant most plants. When the moon is in other signs, it is better not to carry out any responsible operations with plants: you can only weed and treat diseases and pests.
Now you can easily determine by the lunar calendar which days are suitable or not suitable for sowing petunias.
Lovers of these beautiful flowers may keep in mind that it is possible to sow a petunia for seedlings almost all year round, provided warm conditions and sufficient light are provided. Therefore, if you have a warm veranda or a place in the room for a hanging basket, then you may well grow a petunia at home. In this case, sowing can be done in any month, and using the knowledge gained from this article, you can always choose the most suitable day for this yourself.
