This flower fascinates, captivates with its simplicity and grace; flowers of different shades abundantly strew the fragile branches and delight with their appearance from May until the autumn cold. Those who once grew petunia and fell in love with it will be interested to know why pinching petunia is important, the features of this manipulation in different species and when to do it when growing a plant from seeds at home.
It is necessary to distinguish between pinching and trimming. They are carried out at different times using different technologies. If you buy seedlings, the first pinching has already been done. The importance of subsequent pinching and pruning will depend on the variety. Modern varieties of some bush and cascade petunias bred by breeders do not particularly need pinching, since the ability to branch is inherent in them through many years of selective selection. But most varieties still require pinching.
During the growth process, subsequent pinching is carried out if it is necessary to give the plant a certain shape or to grow an evenly developed bush. When performing repeated pinching, only branches that are very elongated compared to other branches are trimmed.
This cascading petunia needs drastic pruning.
Repeated pinching is sometimes called trimming. If the plants are poorly formed, they are not pinched, but pruned. Trim the branches, leaving two or three internodes from the ground. New branches begin to grow from them, and after three weeks the plant takes on the appearance of a beautiful lush bush dotted with many flowers.
Pinching seedlings is carried out to form petunias due to an increase in the number of lateral shoots. By neglecting this operation, you can end up with an elongated, pitiful-looking plant. The bushes are pinched for the first time when the top of the seedling grows up to eight centimeters long.
Correctly formed petunia bush
When planting plants in the ground or containers in a permanent place, it is necessary to fertilize and water them on time. When the side branches grow ten centimeters, it is advisable to pinch the petunia again. It is as important as the first for the following reasons:
When grown from seeds, you can get interesting varieties that are rarely sold as seedlings. It will take extra effort, maximum attention and care to obtain healthy plants.
After germination, the plant, with normal development, is ready to flower in about twelve weeks. The initial formation of a petunia bush (pinching) must be done when the first six leaves appear, after picking the seedlings. This is a very important stage in growing a plant from seeds.
Petunia seedlings stretch upward in one shoot. It must be pinched over the fourth or fifth leaf, using a clean blade or sterile scissors, carefully cutting off the growing point. The cut can be sprinkled with activated carbon powder or wood ash.
The plant will grow in the lateral axils near the leaves. After a short period of time, several side branches will grow. This is how the correct formation of seedlings begins. If a petunia has many branches, it will produce many flower buds. With good care and sufficient lighting, this plant blooms profusely for a long time.
Further formation is carried out monthly by planting the petunia in a permanent place, pinching or cutting off the branches. Some gardeners who pinch petunia correctly are able to achieve flowering all year round by growing it as a perennial at home. This also requires a special temperature regime and artificial lighting of plants in winter.
There are many hybrid varieties. They are grown to decorate balconies, to decorate alpine slides and flower beds, or as a houseplant. Varieties of petunias differ in the direction of growth of the stem, the shape of the flower, and have their own characteristics of growing and pinching. Knowing the varietal characteristics, you can plan what a loggia or flower bed will look like.
According to the shape of the petunia stem, there are:
Bush petunia is used to decorate flower beds. The growth of the branches is directed upward, forming a compact bush dotted with flowers. It can grow without repeated pinching if the seedlings are formed correctly.
Cascade petunia has branches that grow overhanging from a flower pot. Cascade varieties are great for decorating balconies, loggias, and alpine slides. You can get a “floral carpet” from one plant, decorating the wall of the house under the window or the flower bed in front of the house with many flowers. Correct pinching of cascading petunia involves the initial formation of the bush at the seedling stage. Of course, the appearance of the plant depends on its variety. For example, Typhoon Wave is a fundamentally new, unparalleled series of hybrids. A powerful, spectacular plant with shoots 1-1.5 m long. The total area of the flowering plant is more than 2 square meters. meters! Flowers about 5 cm cover the plant with a continuous cover.
Ampelous petunias grow with long branches hanging from flowerpots. They differ from cascade ones in their more fragile stems and the direction of branch growth downwards. This is the most demanding type of petunias when it comes to pinching, but even if this manipulation is carried out correctly and in a timely manner, the plant will never please you with a very lush bush.
The shape of petunia flowers is:
Terry petunia, when propagated by seeds, does not retain the doubleness of the flower. Therefore, it is propagated only by cuttings, using seedlings. Cuttings are harvested during repeated pruning and rooted in a light nutrient substrate without covering with film.
We wish you success in growing beautiful, lush petunias!
In contact with
Welcome to the site tips for gardeners. Petunia is especially loved by flower growers for its ability to maintain a decorative appearance for a long time. After all, the plant begins to bloom in mid-spring and continues to delight the eye until the first frost.
Flowers are easy to care for, but need shaping. And today we’ll talk about how to properly pinch petunia.
The basis for obtaining a healthy bush is proper cultivation and mandatory formation. That is why pinching petunias can be called one of the most important agrotechnical procedures.
What is pinching? This is the removal of the growth point of a young plant at a certain stage of development. The procedure enhances the branching of the stems, and, accordingly, in the future the flower will have many more buds.
Do I need to pinch petunias? This is a necessary procedure if you want to get a decorative flowering bush.
If you let the flower grow on its own without interfering with this process, you will end up with an elongated plant. In addition, a stem that is too long simply bends under its own weight, and the flower falls to the ground.
After removing the main growing point of the plant, several new stems appear at once at the cut site. In addition, it stimulates the growth of side shoots. The first results of pinching appear within a couple of weeks in the form of beautiful buds.
Of course not everyone petunia variety needs shaping. On simple varieties, pinching is absolutely necessary. But if your petunias are grown from selective seeds, then you can skip this stage of growing.
The fact is that breeders initially set themselves the goal of creating varieties capable of acquiring the necessary splendor without human intervention.
And yet, pinching is possible on selected varieties. Since plants are initially programmed for accelerated growth, after formation they produce new shoots much faster.
How to pinch petunia? Before starting the procedure, you must familiarize yourself with the following rules:
1. You need to carefully monitor the growth of the plant. Formation can begin after the young flower has already become slightly stronger and has begun to actively grow in height.
2. The ideal period for carrying out the procedure is the time when the seedling has already formed 5....6 leaves. This is the best time to pinch petunia. If you miss the moment, the plant may stretch out.
3. When the flower is ready, you just need to remove the stem above the last leaf. This can be done in two ways: by cutting it off with pruning shears or simply pinching it with your fingers.
As a result, the petunia receives a new growth point, which will throw out several new shoots at the same time. Since pinching is perceived by the plant as a serious intervention, it may slow down its development a little.
But petunia recovers very quickly and produces additional lateral shoots. The result of the procedure is a beautiful rounded bush.
A fairly common question is: “Is it possible to pinch flowering petunia?” Yes, but after the procedure, flowering will slow down slightly. Also don't forget to read Why doesn't petunia bloom?
You can pinch the petunia again in about a month, when it has already grown well. This time you can also remove the length of the side shoots to add compactness to the plant.
If the seedlings are planted in open ground, then the first formation should be carried out after planting the plant. The seedling needs to be given a few days so that it can get used to the new conditions. And only after that do the pinching.
Beginner gardeners need to remember the following rules:
In order for the plant to bloom as long as possible, you cannot limit yourself to just pinching. Do not forget about the following subtleties of care:
1. It is necessary to remove all wilted and completely faded buds from the plant. Because if you leave them, then petunia will be forced to spend all its energy on ripening the seed pod.
2. The plant must be fed.
3. If daytime temperatures are too high, then the flower bushes should be sprayed with a spray bottle. But the procedure can only be carried out early in the morning and in the evening, when the sun's rays are no longer so active. Otherwise, the plant will get burned and may die.
And remember that every pinching is stress for the petunia, which it must endure. That is why after each procedure the bushes freeze slightly, but respond with increased growth of side shoots and the formation of larger buds.
Petunia is a perennial mountain flower from Montenegro; for its sweet beauty, it fell in love with our compatriots who traveled abroad during the Soviet era, and was brought to our open spaces. However, it turned out that no one remembered the information about the conditions in which it should be grown, and especially how to pinch petunia.
Trial and error showed that the flower requires a lot of water, heat and is not able to withstand the harsh Russian winters. But, as you know, Russians do not give up, petunia began to be grown in the warm season in dachas, flower beds, in flowerpots or home pots, and the plant eventually transformed into an annual version.
Currently, breeders count more than 800 species of petunias, but flower growers have fallen in love with only a few of the most interesting specimens.
Popular and most beautiful views:
The main rule of the gardener is: the more elaborate and beautiful the plant looks, the more difficult it is to care for and propagate. It is the ladies with the names “Floribunda” and “Ampelnaya” who are distinguished by their special whims - they are extremely thermophilic and, like truly noble ladies, cannot stand drafts.
However, there is also a general point - no matter how complex or simple the types of petunias are, they must be pinched.
Pinching (or tweezing) – breaking off/plucking off the top of a plant shoot with nails. After this, the remaining part of the stem becomes woody and begins to thicken, the leaves become more saturated in color, and the buds in the axils increase in size. In gardening, this process is done to produce strong new shoots and a more beautiful appearance. However, this method works if the pinching was done before the growing season ended.
It is not difficult to get a strong and pleasing living decoration from a small sprout; the main thing is to know how to pinch petunia correctly and strictly follow the rules.
In order for petunia to produce good bushiness and delight you with an abundance of buds for a long time, you need to take into account its individual characteristics, which have been identified by experienced gardeners.
After pinching, quite large tops remain; they should not be thrown away; this is an excellent material for breeding new flowers using the cutting method.
Having decided to take up floriculture on our own, we are free to study a lot of literature and search for information on the Internet, but, as practice shows, it is best to take the advice of professionals.
Petunias are beauties with a difficult character, but if you find a competent approach to them and surround them with care, they will gratefully delight you and your guests in the gardens from late spring to early autumn.
The unpretentious, modest Petunia, familiar from childhood, has long been transformed into a luxurious beauty. Thanks to the hard work of breeders, a huge number of varieties and hybrids of various colors and shades have appeared. The plant has won the hearts of even inexperienced flower growers, being distinguished by its unpretentiousness and continuous gorgeous flowering. One of the main procedures when growing it is to remove the apical buds. This operation allows you to get a lush bush strewn with multiple flowers.
The homeland of this beauty is considered to be Brazil and Uruguay, from where it was brought in the 18th century by the French botanist Jean Lamarck, who was searching for rare plants.
The plant is a perennial, however, it is mainly grown as an annual plant, and, with the onset of the first frost, it is simply thrown away. In late autumn, petunia can be transferred to a container with nutrient soil, brought indoors and provided with additional lighting. Then this flower will delight you all year round.
The flower is a shrub from 15 to 90 cm in height with creeping stems forming axillary shoots of the second and subsequent orders. The perennial leaves are of various shapes and sizes, without teeth or notches, and are heavily pubescent. Flowers of regular shape: simple, semi-double, double. They are distinguished by a delicate aroma and a variety of colors. The fruit of the plant is represented by a capsule containing 300-800 small seeds.
The beauty blooms in late June - early July, delighting with its beauty until the onset of significant frosts. Calmly withstands a short drop in temperature down to -3 degrees. Propagated by sowing seeds or cuttings. Seedlings begin to be grown in the third decade of January, using additional lighting.
Important!
When planting in a permanent place, the plant must be provided with well-lit areas, sufficient watering, and ventilation.
Having worked hard to create modern varieties and hybrids, breeders have ensured that the gardener has to make a minimum of effort and intervention when forming the petunia crown. However, even when growing modern hybrids, pinching is simply unavoidable.
The pinching method is used to:
Removal of apical buds is carried out at the time of active growth of seedlings no later than 30-55 days after the appearance of the first shoots. The procedure is carried out using any cutting instrument or simply with your fingers. The shoot is cut off above the fourth or fifth true leaf. At the site where the plant breaks, a new growth point is created, from which secondary stems will grow. After the operation, the seedlings slow down their development for some time. However, after a few days it is completely restored and begins to grow more actively.
After the pinching process, the lower part of the petunia becomes very strong. Thanks to this, the plant is more resilient and resists any natural disasters.
Mandatory removal of apical buds is required:
Most of the hybrids bred by the original breeders do not require pinching, being distinguished by their compactness and lush flowering. Hybrids do not need pinching at all:
In order for the beauty to please with chic and long-lasting flowering, the apical buds need to be removed three times per season:
Triple pinching allows the plant to turn into a bright, chic bush over the course of a season.
After removing the tops, you need to provide the plant with the necessary nutrition. A few days after the first pinching, young seedlings need to be fed with any growth stimulant according to the instructions:
Further fertilizing should be carried out every 10-15 days with complex mineral fertilizers with a high percentage of nitrogen content. A pinched plant also requires systematic watering and loosening of the soil. Without providing petunias with proper care after pinching, you may end up with the development of thin, painful shoots.
Removed apical shoots are valuable planting material. With the help of the remaining cuttings you can successfully replenish your collection of petunias. This is especially true for those hybrids whose seeds have considerable cost. To get a young bush you need:
Differing in the shape of the bush and the length of the stems, the plant has some features in the formation of its lush crown.
Plants that have inherited the natural formation of a lush, abundantly flowering bush. Many ampelous hybrids do not require pinching. However, to fully guarantee the creation of a well-branched bush, it is necessary to carry out a one-time removal of apical shoots when the seedlings are 35-45 days old.
A type of petunia that requires at least triple pinching over the entire growing season. By removing the apical shoots on the plant, you can achieve gorgeous flowering and the shape of a brightly blooming ball.
Plants of this type are pinched when few lateral branches form. Such petunias need to be stimulated by cutting off the central stem and treating them with any growth stimulant.
Terry hybrids very rarely need to remove apical shoots. Compact, luxurious flowers created by breeders that initially form a gorgeous crown during the growing season. The pinching procedure is carried out in cases where young seedlings are stretched out due to lack of daylight.
If the flowers have already begun to bloom profusely, removing the apical shoots can also be successfully carried out. The main thing is to cut no more than four shoots from the bush. After the procedure, a day later, treat the flowers with any growth stimulant.
Plucked off shoots of plants can be rooted, replenishing the flower garden with new bushes. To do this you should:
To form a bush that will delight you with its beauty and continuous flowering, remember the following recommendations:
Important!
For the fastest formation of lateral branches on the plant, you should lower the air temperature at night by 4-6 degrees.
By properly removing the apical shoots and following the recommendations for caring for petunias, you can admire the exquisite beauty of the plants and continuous flowering until frost.
PINCHING PETUNIA CORRECTLY! Recently, it has become very fashionable to decorate garden flower beds with colorful flowers, which delight with beautiful inflorescences throughout the summer. Petunia is one of these plants, and its many varieties allow gardeners to experiment and create interesting compositions. It should be noted that this flower is extremely whimsical, it is difficult to grow it from seeds, but even when you manage to get beautiful seedlings, this does not mean at all that the plant will delight you with its appearance. Everything requires care and attention, this flower was no exception. In order to get luxurious flowering bushes, you need to pinch petunia. As a result of pinching, the petunia begins to actively produce side shoots. This makes the bush look more lush, stronger and healthier. More new branches guarantee more buds and flowers. At the same time, the quality of flowering also improves: it becomes long-lasting and abundant. The first pinching of petunia seedlings is done on the 4-5th leaf, removing the apical bud. Inhibition of apical growth will cause the awakening of lateral buds, from which shoots will begin to develop. When forming ampelous petunias, it is also useful to pinch them in the phase of 4-5 leaves. Carry out the following pinching procedure (planted in open ground) after the plant planted for permanent residence has become stronger and acclimatized. There should be at least five leaves on the top shoot. You need to select the tallest shoot, count three or five leaves from below, and pinch off the rest. The growing point of the petunia will change, instead of growing upwards, it will send out side stems. Pinching delays flowering by about 2 weeks. But not just one flower will bloom, but several at once, and as a result the buds will be larger. Before pinching petunia next time, you need to wait until the bush has grown well. To make it bushier, you can shorten some of the side stems. The resulting cuttings can be rooted by placing them in water, thereby obtaining an additional petunia bush. The removed shoot quickly takes root in water, and can be planted in open ground or a separate pot. Before planting on the plant, you need to tear off all the leaves, leaving only the top ones. It is also necessary to monitor the appearance of the plant. All faded flowers should be removed in a timely manner, because they not only spoil the appearance of the bush, but also interfere with the formation of new buds. This is especially true for varieties with large inflorescences and double petunias. Such simple actions will allow you to get great pleasure from contemplating these beautiful flowers.
