Petunia seedlings stretched out: what to do 

Healthy petunia seedlings have a thickened main stem and large leaves. However, in some cases, at various stages of the growing season, the stems are significantly elongated, become brittle, and brittle. Such thin seedlings of petunias are subsequently unable to massively form large flowers, and in some cases they may even die without having time to bloom. In order to correct the situation and improve petunias, you should find out the cause of such an anomaly and take appropriate measures, which can be found in detail below in the article.

First problems

Often, petunias begin to stretch even before the appearance of true leaves. In this case, it is worth considering how the existing microclimate in the room corresponds to the required conditions for growing young plants:

• Temperature indoors should be within + 22- + 25⁰C. In conditions with temperatures above these values, petunia seedlings begin to stretch excessively. More often this situation can be encountered if the plant is in greenhouse conditions.
• Humidity for growing petunias should be at the level of 60-65%. At low humidity, plants should be sprayed.
• Not enough light very often leads to the fact that the petunia is stretched. The optimal length of daylight hours for young plants is 6-8 hours. In February, when the sowing of petunia seeds for seedlings begins, there is not enough natural light, so the plants should be illuminated with fluorescent lamps.
• Petunia seedlings should not be grown in containers with high rims.. They can create a kind of barrier to the penetration of light rays. Plants in this case, to obtain the necessary energy, will stretch above the existing barrier to the light source.
• Containers with seedlings located on the windowsill should be turn regularly different sides, so that the plants most distant from the light source do not experience shading and do not stretch.

Stretching of petunias at an early stage of cultivation can be combated by creating the best microclimatic conditions and diving plants into separate containers. So, in order to prevent stretching, you can use the following recommendations:

• when cotyledon leaves appear, the temperature for seedlings should be lowered to +20⁰WITH;
• with the advent of the first true leaflet, the light period should be increased to 8 hours;
• at the same time, it is recommended to feed the plants with complex fertilizer, which contains calcium for plant rooting;
• after diving petunias into separate containers, the temperature should be reduced to + 16- + 18⁰C to slow down the growth of leaves and the best development of the root system;
• the light period for dived seedlings should be as long as possible.

It is worth noting that petunia seeds are quite small and when sowing them in the ground it is difficult to observe the interval between seedlings, so the seedlings become quite dense as they grow. Shading each other, the sprouts try to stretch upward. At this point, it is very important to dive the plants in time, before their trunks become very thin and brittle. Information on how to care for young seedlings and dive into separate containers can be found in the video:

On the way to bloom

Not only small, but already quite tall seedlings of petunias are prone to stretching. The reason for this may also be microclimatic conditions that do not meet the requirements, a lack of nutrients, and violations of the irrigation regime.

Microclimate and lighting

Small seedlings require much less attention than mature plants. So, after picking into separate pots, plants should begin to harden. Daytime temperatures should not be higher than +22⁰C, and nighttime indicators should be set at + 14- + 16⁰C. Airing the room will also help harden the seedlings. So, every day you should open the window for 10-15 minutes. Such a measure will reduce the air temperature in the room and saturate the room with fresh air. However, when airing, it is worth remembering that petunia seedlings should not be in a draft, which can be detrimental to plants. In April-May, petunias can be taken outside for a short stay for the purpose of hardening, and containers with seedlings can be placed on glazed balconies or loggias.

Humidity also plays an important role in the process of plant formation. So, sharp fluctuations of this parameter should not be allowed. If the plants are in a greenhouse with high humidity, then the decrease in the indicator should be gradual, otherwise the seedlings of petunias will stretch very quickly.

As petunias grow, they need more and more light. However, highlighting the plants, you should remember some rules:

• during the day the lamp should shine at full power, but at night the intensity must be reduced;
• it is impossible to use incandescent lamps to illuminate seedlings, which heat the air and can burn the plant;
• the distance from the lamp to the leaves of the seedlings should be at least 10 cm.

In proper microclimatic conditions with a sufficient level of lighting, the petunia grows the strongest, most resistant to various diseases.

Watering

The correct watering regimen is also the key to the health of petunias. So, you can get a strong, strong stem from seedlings only with regular watering. The volume of water during irrigation should be small. So, one plant, 10-15 cm high, should have 15-20 ml of water. Petunias should be watered directly under the root. With excessive drying of the soil, the soil can be additionally sprayed. After watering, the soil must be slightly loosened, saturated with oxygen.

Additional fertilizing

When growing petunias, you need to be very careful about making top dressings and growth stimulants. So, seedlings without showing symptoms of slow growth do not need the introduction of growth stimulants. In this case, on the contrary, they can provoke seedlings to stretch, without increasing green mass.

Top dressing and fertilizers in the process of growing petunias are simply necessary. They should be applied 2-3 times during the entire growing season:

• plants after transplantation need to be fed with preparations with a high content of calcium. During this period, you can use calcium nitrate to spray the leaves;
• preparations with potassium, calcium and phosphorus will allow petunia seedlings to slow down growth, grow a sufficient number of strong, large leaves;
• nitrogen-containing fertilizing in excess stimulates the growth of petunia seedlings, as a result of which a thin stem of plants and small leaves are formed.

To feed petunia seedlings, it is better to use complex fertilizers that contain all the microelements necessary for normal growth and development. You can also use B vitamins for fertilizer.

Topping

The most effective way to avoid pulling out petunia seedlings is to pinch them. By pinching seedlings, you can form a neat, lushly flowering bush of the required shape. By removing the top of the main stem, the growth of side shoots is activated, which can also be pinched off later.

The first time you need to pinch the seedlings of petunias when 6-7 true leaves are formed. As a rule, at this time the plant is still in a pot, however, under favorable weather conditions, it can also be planted in the ground. Pinch the top of the main shoot with scissors or a fingernail. Such a measure will allow the development of side shoots.

Secondary pinching of petunias is recommended after the side shoots grow by more than 10 cm. In this case, their tops are removed, which provokes the growth of secondary shoots. With the help of such pruning, you can form a beautiful, profusely flowering bush. A video tutorial on how to properly form petunia seedlings by pinching can be viewed here:

If the seedlings planted in open ground are too long, then instead of pinching it can be formed as follows: the top of the main stem must be inclined to the ground and sprinkled tightly with soil. This will also lead to accelerated growth of side shoots. In this way, you can form beautiful decorative petunia bushes.

Conclusion

Before you start growing seedlings of petunias, you should familiarize yourself with all the favorable conditions described above for this. After all, only by observing the humidity regime, maintaining the optimum temperature, timely and moderately watering, feeding petunias, you can grow good, strong seedlings. In case of violation of some parameters or non-compliance with the rules of cultivation, you can get elongated, weak seedlings, which will not please you with abundant flowering and beautiful greenery.