Petunia is familiar to many flower growers. It is often grown by both experienced and novice gardeners. She pleases others from mid-spring to late autumn. Petunia does not belong to capricious plants, so it can be seen in many places: in flower beds, balconies, cafe areas, vegetable gardens, etc.

However, if you need to get well-developed bushes with a large number flowers, you should take care of a number of conditions. It is very important to understand how to pinch a petunia and do it correctly.

The value of pinching

How to pinch a petunia? For getting beautiful flowers it is necessary to wait three months after the emergence of sprouts. The development of the plant is directed upward - towards the sun. At this moment and pinching applied- shortening of the upper part of the main stem. After cutting the seedlings, additional growth points appear. The bush becomes more magnificent, thicker, as it grows already to the sides. The more shoots, twigs, the more flowers, respectively. The quality of flowering is also improved.

It must be borne in mind that immediately after pruning, the strength of the plant is spent on the formation of new shoots, so the appearance of buds is slightly delayed. Usually the delay does not exceed a few days. However, new buds are larger.

Cutting must be done carefully. Although in some cases it is not required at all. This is about hybrid or elite varieties petunias. However, it should be borne in mind that even they, in violation of optimal conditions(temperature, low light) will stretch upwards. In this case, home seedlings will also have to be pinched for better development.

A month after the procedure, the lateral stems are also shortened. This is done with the same goal - to achieve further branching. Seedling bushes become even thicker. After the petunia can be cut off periodically, however, it is not necessary. This is more of a matter of decorative taste.

It should be noted that pinching is often also called pinching in the literature. Although some distinguish between these two concepts. They believe that pinching is the procedure described above, and it is performed only at the stage of seedling development. Pinching - cutting off an already adult, formed plant. It is used in propagation to obtain cuttings.

Pinching

Important questions are how to pinch a petunia correctly and when to pinch a petunia? It is desirable to carry out the first pinching of petunias immediately after transplanting seedlings into the ground. However sometimes because of the weather have to wait a long time for this. The time of the procedure for both planted bushes and those at home can be determined by appearance. It is enough to form five sheets. There is no point in waiting further, as the petunia will grow, and it will no longer be possible to make compact bushes.

Home seedlings are grown so that flowering begins in more early dates. In this form, the sprouts are indoors for about 2-3 months. Then they are planted in the ground. At the stage of seedlings, pinching is mandatory, after planting in the ground, it is only desirable. Although it should be borne in mind that if there is enough space, light and other suitable conditions it may not be needed at all.

You can carry out the procedure with something sharp. Usually applied:

• well-honed garden knife;
• regular nail scissors

Tools must be clean and sharp. If seedlings are grown in a greenhouse, then procedure has to wait until the moment when the seedlings finally take root. Implementation is not difficult:

Use of the obtained cuttings

If the cut piece is long enough, it can be used for landing. In this case, it must meet the following requirements:

• strong stem;
• 5-6 leaves.

Particularly successful will be the planting material obtained after repeated tweezing. In this case, the cut cuttings are stronger, the stems are thicker. The sprouts are placed in a vessel with water. Wherein it is important not to forget remove the most lower leaves- those that will be in contact with water. This way you can avoid rotting of the cuttings. Here they quickly form roots. To speed up the process, you can add a little special growth stimulant to the water.

After the appearance of the root system, the seedlings are planted in a container with earth. The soil must be selected fertile, in structure - light (loose).

This method of reproduction has its advantages. In addition to convenience, in some cases, the qualities of the mother plant are better transmitted. For example, if a cutting was taken hybrid variety, the resulting plant will be completely identical by its appearance. If you try to propagate the same hybrid with collected seeds, the resulting plant will be different. In addition, sometimes it is simply not possible to find the seeds of the variety you like. In this case, cuttings may also be suitable.

Petunia has become so widespread, including thanks to this type of reproduction. Although the plant is nominally annual in our latitudes, you can change the situation by covering it for the winter in a warm room. In spring, cuttings are used for vegetative propagation. Then everything can be repeated. It appears to be a perennial.

Achieving high decorative results

In order for the petunia to show all its decorative qualities, a number of conditions are required. The plant may have exceptional characteristics, but no one will see the work of breeders. Requires regular and proper maintenance. If you want your petunia to look like the ones you find on the pages of magazines or in the best flower gardens, just pinching won't be enough. The basic rules of care include:

• top dressing is necessary, and regular and correct;
• you should responsibly approach the selection of soil for seedlings: you need light and nutritious;
• to avoid the disease of chlorosis, iron should be added to the top dressing;
• do not underestimate the benefits of watering: it takes about 6 liters per standard box;
• after the buds have faded, they must be torn off for better flowering remaining and newly formed;
• to fight disease powdery mildew treatment with preparations containing sulfur is needed, it is better - in rainy weather;
• Aphids can be removed with strong water pressure or appropriate preparations.

Petunia familiar to many in Montevideo, where it comes from, is a perennial and blooms almost all year round. There she is known for her small monotonous flowers. However thanks to the work of breeders petunia has long ceased to be a modest pretty flower. At the service of gardeners - a huge number of varieties, including hybrid ones. They have a wide variety of features:

• larger flowers;
• different colors petals;
• strong, pleasant aroma.

We only keep it until the cold weather. Although by the autumn it is losing much of what can be seen in manuals on landscape design. Here she is often depicted as a huge ball, in which, it seems, there is nothing but flowers. At first glance, to achieve this - only for a professional. However, petunia is an unpretentious and pliable plant. Therefore, even an inexperienced gardener can make such a ball or something else, no less beautiful. Most importantly, stick to simple rules and pinching in time.

To make petunia seedlings strong and branched, it is not enough just to take care of the bushes. For growing side branches and correct formation, young sprouts must be pinched.

What is pinching?

Pinching is an obligatory stage in the formation of petunia seedlings. It consists in removing the top of the shoot of the main trunk and, accordingly, in cutting off the central point of growth. As a result, instead of one trunk, the plant forms many lateral processes. More branches grow on the bushes, respectively, the number of buds increases. Petunia pinched at seedling age grows well-branched, fluffy, with many large flowers.

There is an opinion that some varieties of petunias do not need pinching. For example, some hybrids and ampelous petunias. According to the producers, they should bush well on their own. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. In any case, one pinch will not be superfluous for any variety of petunias. Even ampels after such manipulation grow more decorative and bloom better.

At what stage of seedlings do they pinch?

It may take several pinches to form seedlings. It all depends on the variety. Some varieties branch well after one pinching. Others, to get the same look, will need to cut off the growing point 2-3 times.

The first pinching is usually performed over 4-5 true leaves (excluding cotyledon leaves). For modern hybrids, as a rule, this is enough. If the petunia is capricious and stubbornly does not want to branch, after 20-30 days they make a second pinch. Moreover, you can pinch not only the central trunk, but also those side branches that still managed to appear. Subsequent pinching (if necessary) is performed at the same frequency.

Technology for pinching seedlings of petunia

So, what needs to be done so that the petunia begins to branch? So, as soon as young plants release 4-5 true leaves, you can start a "surgical" operation. Often, nail scissors are used for this, with which the apical bud is carefully cut off. Instead of scissors, you can pinch off the growing point by capturing it with your nails. That's the whole procedure - nothing complicated.

If the seedlings are stretched out and there are no longer 4-5 leaves on it, but much more, then it’s not scary either. On the contrary, you will have a wonderful opportunity to get additional planting material. In this case, it is not necessary to carry out minor manipulations. It is enough to cut off the central stem at a height of 2-3 internodes. The cut off top can be used as a cutting for a new petunia bush. Young cuttings root perfectly both in water and directly in the ground. Moreover, in the spring the rooting process is at an accelerated pace. After 2 weeks, the stalk will take root and begin to live like independent plant. And it will also have to be pinched!

Pinching and flowering: some nuances

Pinching - useful procedure, which helps to form dense, branched, lushly flowering balls from petunia seedlings. And you might think that the more pinches, the better. But it's not. This procedure has consequences. Since the petunia forms buds at the ends of the shoots, when pinching off the apical buds, the already laid buds are also removed. Flowering seedlings are delayed. We'll have to wait until the budding occurs on new lateral shoots that have grown from the central stem. On average, after each pinching, the flowering of a petunia is inhibited by 1.5-2 weeks. Therefore, you should not get carried away with pinching, otherwise you may not see flowering at all.

Petunia is a perennial mountain flower from Montenegro, with 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 under which it is necessary to grow, and even more so, how to pinch a petunia.
The trial and error method showed that the flower requires a lot of water, warmth and is not able to endure the harsh Russian winters. But, as you know, the Russians do not give up, they began to grow petunia in warm time years in dachas, flower beds, in flowerpots or home pots, and the plant eventually transformed into an annual version.

To date, breeders have more than 800 species of petunia, but flower growers have fallen in love with only a few of the most interesting specimens.

Popular and most beautiful views:

• dwarf;
• large-flowered;
• floribunda;
• multicolor;
• ampelous.

The main rule of the grower says: the more pretentious and beautiful in appearance the plant, the more difficult it is to care for and reproduce. It is the ladies with the names "Floribunda" and "Ampelnaya" who are distinguished by special whims - they are extremely thermophilic and, like truly noble ladies, cannot stand drafts.

However, there is also total moment- no matter how complex or simple the types of petunias are, they must be pinched.

What is it for?

Pinching (or tweezing) - breaking / pinching off the top of a plant shoot with your nails. After that, the remaining part of the stem becomes stiff and begins to thicken, the leaves become more saturated in color, and the buds in the axils increase in size. In horticulture, this process is done to obtain new strong shoots and a more beautiful appearance. However, this method works if the tweezing was done before the growing season ended.
Get strong and pleasing to the eye from a small sprout living decoration it’s easy, the main thing is to know how to pinch a petunia correctly and strictly follow the rules.

Pinching process step by step

In order for petunia to give good bushiness and please for a long time with an abundance of buds, you need to take it into account individual characteristics that experienced gardeners have identified.

Pinching rules:

1. Track the growth of seedlings from the very beginning. For beginner amateur gardeners, the question always arises, is it necessary to pinch petunia seedlings or is this already done on an adult bush? It is with young shoots that tweezing is carried out, overgrown ones will not work.
2. One of FAQ on the care and reproduction of petunias, this is "When should I pinch a petunia after germination?". As soon as the first shoots begin to gain strength and grow 6-7 leaves, you need to carefully cut off the top after the bottom two pairs of leaves, which will create a new point for branching and growing new stems. Advice! This is the most best period for pinching, if you skip it, the plant will stretch, side shoots will not branch, and the bush will lose its rounded shape.
3. If the flower will be planted in open soil, pinching of petunia seedlings is carried out only at the time of rooting after transplantation, plus it will take several days to adapt. Advice! When planting petunias and initial pinching, accuracy should be avoided - leave enough space between the sprouts. Otherwise, the bushes will be small.
4. With greenhouse content, it is possible to separate the tops only after picking.
5. The soil should be regularly fertilized 1-2 times a week and regularly moistened, and the shoots themselves should be additionally sprayed with water several times a day.
6. A month later, the tweezing procedure must be carried out again, this is done for better flowering. At this time, you can shorten the side shoots to improve shape.

What to do with the remaining cuttings

After tweezing, rather large tops remain, they should not be thrown away, this is an excellent material for breeding new flowers by cuttings.

1. remove the lower tier of leaves so that the water and the stalk do not rot;
2. put in a container with water;
3. wait for rooting;
4. plant in the ground.

A few tips from the pros

Having decided to do floriculture on our own, we are free to study a lot of literature, search for information on the Internet, but, as practice shows, it is best to take the advice of professionals.

1. Use sterile equipment.
2. When pruning, try to minimize damage to the sprout.
3. Weak shoots should be treated with maximum attention and patience - you can not cut off their leaves too much.
4. You can spray only early in the morning or after sunset, the rest of the time, drops of water under the direct rays of the sun will work like lenses and burn the leaves.
5. Pinch the petunia abundant flowering it is possible in 2-3 doses, but this is not always necessary. It all depends on the state of the shape of the bush and the number of buds. At the same time, it is important to take into account that pinching delays flowering by 2-4 weeks, since the plant spends energy on actively growing new shoots.
6. It is better to buy specialized fertilizers; they are sold in a large assortment in gardening stores.
7. All wilted flowers and damaged areas of stems and leaves must be removed. If this is not done, the plant will have to spend a lot of energy on ensuring the maturation of the seed pods, which will reduce the intensity of flowering.
8. Varieties with large flowers are more resistant to weather changes.
9. Do not mix different types.
10. The soil should be rid of pests and weeds in time.

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 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 won the hearts of even inexperienced flower growers, distinguished by unpretentiousness and continuous chic flowering. One of the main procedures in its cultivation is the removal of apical buds. This operation allows you to get a lush bush, strewn with multiple flowers.

Brazil and Uruguay are considered to be the birthplace of this beauty, from where in the 18th century it was brought by the French botanist Jean Lamarck, who was looking for rare plants.

The plant is a perennial, however, it is mainly grown as an annual, 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, bring into the room and provide additional lighting. Then this flower will delight all year round.

The flower is a shrub with a height of 15 to 90 cm with creeping stems forming axillary shoots of the second and subsequent order. Perennial leaves, differing in a variety of shapes and sizes, without teeth and notches, strongly pubescent. flowers correct form: simple, semi-double, terry. They are distinguished by a delicate aroma and a variety of colors. The fruit of the plant is represented by a box with 300-800 pieces of small seeds.

The beauty blooms in late June - early July, delighting with its beauty until the onset of significant frosts. Quietly withstands a short drop in temperature to -3 degrees. Propagated by sowing seeds or cuttings. Seedlings begin to grow 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.

How and why to pinch a petunia

Having worked on the creation of modern cultivars and hybrids, breeders have ensured that the gardener has to make a minimum of effort and intervention in the formation of the petunia crown. However, even when growing modern hybrids, it is simply impossible to do without pinching.

The pinching method is used in order to:

• stimulate the growth and development of lateral branches;
• provide abundant flowering;
• give splendor and compactness to the bush.

Apical buds are removed at the time of active seedling growth no later than 30-55 days after the appearance of the first shoots. The procedure is carried out by any cutting tool or just fingers. The shoot is cut off above the fourth or fifth true leaf. At the site of a break in the plant, 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 fully recovers and begins to grow more actively.

After the tweezing process, the lower part of the petunia becomes very strong. Due to this, the plant is more hardy and resists any natural disasters.

Do all varieties of petunias need to be pinched?

The mandatory removal of the apical buds is necessary for:

• old varieties that are not decorative;
• plants cultivated from self-collected seeds.

Most of the hybrids bred by the originators-breeders do not require pinching, differing in compactness and lush flowering. Hybrids do not need tweezing at all:

• Limbo F1;
• Mambo F1;
• Alladin F1;
• Schok Wave F1;
• Ultra F1;
• Frost F1;
• Picobella F1;
• Hulahoop F1;
• Dreams F1;
• Merlin F1;
• Mirade F1.

Time to pinch a petunia

In order for the beauty to please the chic and long flowering, you need to remove the apical buds three times per season:

1. When the fourth or fifth true leaf is formed on the plant 30-40 days after the appearance of the first shoots.
2. 10-15 days after transplanting seedlings to a permanent place in the ground.
3. During the active growth of flowers on permanent place no later than thirty days after transplantation.

Triple tweezing allows the plant to turn into a bright, chic bush in a season.

Petunia care after pinching

After removing the tops, you need to provide the plant with the necessary top dressing. A few days after the first pinching, young seedlings need to be fed with any growth stimulator according to the instructions:

• Endophyte;
• Regoplant;
• Appin;
• Succinic acid;
• Alpha Nano.

Further feeding should be carried out every 10-15 days with complex mineral fertilizers with a high percentage of nitrogen. A pinched plant also needs systematic watering and loosening of the soil. By not providing petunias with proper care after tweezing, you can get the development of thin, painful shoots in return.

Cutting petunias after pinching

Removed apical shoots are complete planting material. With the help of the remaining cuttings, you can successfully replenish the collection of petunias. This is especially true for those hybrids whose seeds are of considerable value. To get a young bush you need:

1. Leave 1-2 leaves on the cut shoot.
2. Place the cutting in a container with water, adding 2 tablets of crushed activated charcoal to it.
3. When whitish roots appear on the shoot, plant the plant in a container with nutrient soil.
4. After complete engraftment of the petunia, tweezing it, necessary feeding and put in a permanent place.

How to pinch different types of petunias

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.

ampelous petunia

Plants that have inherited the natural formation of a lush, profusely flowering bush. Many ampelous hybrids do not need tweezing. However, to fully guarantee the creation of a well-branched bush, it is necessary to carry out a one-time removal of apical shoots at the age of seedlings of 35-45 days.

cascading petunia

A type of petunia that needs at least triple tweezing throughout the growing season. By removing the apical shoots on the plant, you can achieve chic flowering and the shape of a brightly flowering ball.

bush petunia

Plants of this type pinch out when few lateral branches are formed. Such petunias need to be stimulated by cutting off the central stem and treating with any growth stimulant.

Terry petunia

Terry hybrids need to remove the top shoots very rarely. Created by breeders, compact luxurious flowers that initially form a chic crown during the growing season. The pinching procedure is carried out in cases of pulling young seedlings due to lack of daylight.

Is it possible to pinch a petunia when it blooms

If the flowers have already begun to bloom profusely, the removal of 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, in a day, treat the flowers with any growth stimulator.

What to do with cut shoots

Pinched off shoots of plants can be rooted by replenishing the flower garden with new bushes. For this you should:

• process the cut stems with "Kornevin" or dip lower part cuttings into wood ash;
• cut off all the leaves on the shoots, leaving 1-2 pieces in the upper part;
• place the cuttings in a container with distilled water with the addition of activated carbon;
• plant the tops in open ground, mulching, covering with a plastic transparent container.

To form a bush that will delight with its beauty and continuous flowering remember the following tips:

1. For a good build-up of the vegetative mass, top dressing is necessary. complex fertilizer once every 7-10 days throughout the season.
2. Be sure to regularly water and loosen the soil.
3. Remove faded buds and formed seed pods.
4. Preventive treatment from pests with pesticides, from damage by diseases with copper-containing preparations.
5. Carry out the tweezing procedure with a sterile instrument.

Important!

For the fastest formation of lateral branches on the plant, you should lower the air temperature at night by 4-6 degrees.

Conclusion

When carrying out a competent removal of apical shoots, following the recommendations for caring for petunias, you can admire the exquisite beauty of plants and continuous flowering until frost.

Petunia has long occupied a leading position as one of the most decorative horticultural crops. And the fact that ampelous petunias grow well in pots and with proper care bloom and on next year, has made the petunia even more welcome to our gardens, balconies and apartments.

However, you can easily notice that in some flower beds, petunias produce several flowers, and look rather poor, and on neighboring flowers they simply pour like a waterfall along long green shoots. What is the secret to the abundant flowering of petunias?

Everything is very simple - it's a matter of correct pinching. If you remove part of the shoots, and know how to do it, your beauty will bloom gorgeously all season.

Pinching a petunia is an optional procedure. The plant will continue to grow and bloom. Another thing is quality. If you want to have a luxuriously flowering and pleasing bush, and not just a long stem with leaves that falls under the weight of buds, then you need to do pinching. If you do not remove the side shoots, the plant will inevitably go up, and with such growth, it will not be up to the formation of flowers. Therefore, the path to a chic flowering petunia lies through pinching. Each cut stem will provoke the appearance of more and more buds. And shoots with flowers will become even stronger and thicker.

When to pinch

The first rule is timing. The first time a petunia needs to be pinned is at the seedling stage, before you are going to plant it in the garden. As soon as 4-5 leaves have formed on your flower, feel free to pinch off the top of it. By doing so, you will help your plant build up a powerful root system, and it will transfer landing in open ground without any problems.

The second time the petunia is pinched after you have planted the flower in open ground. Give it about a week (maximum ten days) to get used to and grow back after transplanting, and a second pinching can be done. By this time, several stems are already forming on the petunia, and each of them should be pinched.

The second rule is to choose the right place for pinching. As soon as your little seedling begins to stretch, you need to count five leaves from the bottom, and cut off upper shoot. It is this procedure that will ensure that the plant does not grow up, but to the sides, and more and more flowers form on the side shoots.

Do not over-tighten with pinching the petunia, otherwise the bush will not be able to properly form and become beautiful.

How to pinch a petunia

The bush that you are going to pinch must be plump and healthy, with a strong trunk. Cut off the top of the petunia with very sharp little nail scissors or a small, thin knife. Otherwise, the flower may die.

At the same time, at least three leaves must remain on the stem.

When you've plucked off the tops of the plants, don't throw them away. They are good for breeding. You just need to remove the leaves from them and put them in water. After a few days, the cuttings will sprout, and they can be rooted next to the mother plant, giving your flower bed even more pomp.

You can root the tops of petunias immediately in the ground, but they will take longer to take root. And cuttings with roots will grow almost immediately.

Does pinching affect flowering time?

Pinching is always a kind of shock for the plant. And the flower must survive this shock. Therefore, those bushes that you pinch will bloom later by about two weeks. But they will have much larger flowers, much more buds will develop, and the petunia will bloom not only more abundantly, but also longer. If you want to have lush, chic flowering petunias, be sure to pinch your bushes.

First of all, you need to cut off the middle, main shoot. And after that, cut off the side shoots, depending on the speed of their growth.

Be sure to keep in mind that faded petunia flowers should be removed. Moreover, it is necessary not only to tear off the flower itself, but also to pinch off the leg on which it is attached to the stem. Then you will have many flowers on the bush.

How often do you need to pinch

You need to pinch the bushes only when they are actively growing. Therefore, if your petunia does not feel very well, has not adapted, and looks weak, do not rush to touch it. Let the plant come to its senses, get stronger and begin to shoot. Then you can pinch it.

Pinching even healthy plants does not need to be done more than once a month. It is important not to overdo it, otherwise the flowers will hurt.

If your bush, after abundant flowering, began to age, it's okay. Trim the petunia as short as possible, it will do her good. After that, loosen the ground, fertilize, and in ten days you will be able to admire the gorgeous flowering of your beauty.

Features of pinching for petunias in pots

As you know, petunias can be grown in open field as well as in pots. And if pinching in the open field is still rather a recommendation In order for your petunia to be chic in color, then for plants that are grown in pots, pinching is necessary. For potted petunias, the stems must be shortened without fail, otherwise the flowers will not appear on the shoots at all.

For petunias in pots, you need to pinch the seedling for the first time even during seedlings. For the pot, you need to immediately achieve beautiful view bush. After the seedling has been placed in a pot, it must also be pinned down. After the petunia has overwintered in a pot (this flower does not hibernate in the open field), it should also be pinched. And then the cutting of the stems should already be done as necessary, depending on their growth.