Feeding petunia seedlings for growth: the best fertilizers

For the successful cultivation of petunia seedlings, you need to properly and timely care for the young sprouts, and feeding in this matter plays an important role.

About how and what you can feed petunia seedlings at home so that it grows well and then blooms magnificently, read on!

Why petunias need feeding and how to determine if seedlings need additional nutrition

Any seedlings are fed with the sole purpose of obtaining high-quality plants, which would be impossible without certain nutrients (macro- and micronutrients) that are required for the normal growth and development of petunias.

However, it is rather difficult to give a specific feeding scheme for the timing or phases of seedling development.

The fact is that the conditions for growing petunia seedlings are different for everyone. Everything can differ, starting with the soil, sowing dates and ending with the temperature of the content and humidity. Accordingly, plants will develop in different ways.

However, below you will receive general advice and recommendations, as well as an approximate feeding scheme for petunia seedlings for good growth and development.

What to do if petunia leaves begin to turn yellow and dry

There can be several reasons for yellowing of the leaves of petunia seedlings:

• overflow;
• lack of nitrogen;
• lack of iron, etc.

Advice! The site already has a detailed article about why the leaves of seedlings turn yellow and what to do in each case (how to feed).

How often to feed

So, let's say you want to know: "How many times to feed the petunia after the dive?" It is impossible to answer this question unequivocally, since it is necessary to take into account the condition of your seedlings:

• So, if you see that the seedlings developing well (actively growing), then, of course, often feed sense no, it will be enough to apply fertilizers every 2-3 weeks.
• If the seedlings develop very reluctantly and sluggishly, then feeding is best done at intervals of 7-10 days - until the plants begin to grow well.

Note! In the initial period, petunia really develops rather slowly, because a root system is formed, and without roots the leaves will not grow. This is totally normal.

How to apply fertilizers correctly: feeding methods

You can perform both foliar dressing and watering with fertilizer solutions at the root (do root dressing).

For foliar dressing, as a rule, microfertilizers are used, and from nitrogen fertilizers - only urea.

Several rules and tips for competent feeding of petunias:

• Foliar dressing is carried out in the morning or evening, or in the afternoon in cloudy weather. During the day, in sunny weather, it is impossible to spray on the leaves, because the plant can get sunburn.
• Root dressing is performed after irrigation with plain water or together with irrigation (but in a lower concentration).

Advice! Very comfortably combine top dressing with watering, and you can add top dressing every time you water. However, the recommended concentration fertilizer needed reduce by 3-4 times!

• When feeding petunia at the root, try not to get on the leaves of the plant, watering around the plant.

Important! If the concentrated solution does get on the leaves, then it is advisable to sprinkle the leaf plates from a spray bottle with clean water.

Video: foliar and root feeding of petunia seedlings after picking

Video: root feeding of petunia seedlings

When and how to feed petunia seedlings: timing and suitable fertilizers

Next, you will be presented with an approximate scheme for feeding petunia seedlings (fertilization schedule).

Remember! Nitrogen - for foliage, phosphorus - for roots, potassium - for flowers.

Petunia also responds very well to feeding. microfertilizerscontaining manganese, zinc and boronthat improve plant growth and flowering.

By the way! If you don't want to bother too much, you can simply use special fertilizers for flowershowever, you are unlikely to be able to save money.

Before the pick

As a rule, before the pick no feeding of seedlings is required: all the necessary nutrition for the initial development is in the seeds themselves and the soil, especially if you sowed in the purchased flower soil.

Nevertheless, some growers recommend, 2-3 weeks after germination, when the first true leaves are formed, to feed the seedlings with phosphorus fertilizer for better root growth. However, there is no special sense in this (phosphorus feeding), it is better to do this after petunia seedling picks into new containers.

Immediately after the pick

Any transplant (picking) procedure is enough severe stress for the plantespecially for its root system.

Accordingly, after petunia picks seedlings should be fed phosphorus to build up roots and relieve stress from trauma. And after the plant forms good roots, give all the other fertilizers (nitrogen, potash).

Advice! As a phosphorus fertilizer, you can use superphosphate solution (prepare according to the instructions).

However, it is after the pick that it is very convenient to use special root growth stimulants, for example, the same Kornevin (full analogues - Ukorenit, Root Super), Heteroauxin, and Kornerost.

By the way! You can also use to relieve stress Epin, Zircon, Energen and succinic acid.

7-14 days after the pick

When the seedlings completely take root in a new place, which will indicate the formation of new true leaves, it will be possible to perform the next feeding of the petunia.

Interesting! Most gardeners agree that this is the most basic and important feeding in the seedling period of growing petunias.

As for the approximate timing, then, as a rule, feeding is carried out after 7-14 days after the pick.

What can and should be fed with?

At this stage of development, petunia needs lot nitrogen for the formation of leaf mass (aerial part of the plant).

The most popular mineral nitrogen fertilizers are urea and ammonium nitrate.

Interesting! A lot of flower growers recommend using for feeding petunias after picking calcium nitrate, in which, in addition to nitrogen, there is also calcium.

However, in general, you can use during this period and complex mineral fertilizers, for example, the same nitroammofosk (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium - all 16% each).

A very good option is such a universal water-soluble fertilizer as Fertika Lux, which contains all the necessary nutrients (macro and micro).

But still it is better to use fertilizers with a high nitrogen content, in which there may also be other macro- (especially phosphorus, potassium) and very desirable trace elements (manganese, zinc, boron, etc.).

As organic fertilizers you can resort to various green infusions (for example, nettle), infusion of chicken droppings and mullein. Moreover, these fertilizers, in addition to nitrogen, also contain potassium and phosphorus + trace elements.

By the way! It is very convenient to use for foliar feeding of petunias micronutrient cocktails, eg, Humate +7 Iodine.

Before flowering (during budding)

When the seedlings already have 4-5 pairs (8-10 pieces) of real leaves and the budding phase begins, it will be possible to carry out another feeding of the petunia.

As a rule, top dressing is done before planting in the ground (in a balcony box or pots), but you can also after.

During this period, plants need phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, which will contribute to the growth of the root system and the active formation of generative organs (= buds).

Note! It is important to reduce nitrogen supply to a minimum or exclude altogether. In other words, during this period already not used purely nitrogen fertilizers (is the same urea, ammonium nitrate, calcium nitrate).

The most effective phosphorus-potassium fertilizer is potassium monophosphate (50% phosphorus and 33% potassium).

However, you can also prepare a potassium phosphate fertilizer with cheaper, single fertilizers - superphosphate and potassium sulfate.

During flowering (after planting in a flower bed or in a pots)

As soon as the petunia begins to bloom, the plant will need a lot of potassium, which promotes abundant and long-lasting flowering. the formation of flowers, their quantity, quality (brightness of color) will depend on potassium nutrition.

What potash fertilizers exist:

• Mineral - potassium sulfate (potassium sulfate), potassium magnesium (+ magnesium).

Important! In no case do not use chlorine potash fertilizers (potassium chloride, potassium salt).

• Organic - wood ash.

By the way! Truly folk potash fertilizer is an infusion of banana skins.

Well, now you know about all the rules for feeding petunia seedlings at all stages of its vegetation (growth). If you do everything correctly and on time, petunias will surely thank you with rich, lush and abundant flowering. Good luck!

Video: feeding petunias during the seedling period