Ampel petunia - growing in hanging pots

The most common ampelous plants are petunias. They are unpretentious in care, bloom profusely, brightly all summer. And the versatility of colors allows you to compose compositions and full-fledged decorative elements. Before purchasing the seeds or seedlings of this beauty, you should learn how to plant ampelous petunia in a flowerpot and how to care for it.

How to plant ampelous petunia in a pots

Growing an ampelous beauty is not at all difficult. It is enough to know a few rules. Seedlings of petunias are planted in the pots. It is obtained in two ways - by sowing seeds and by cuttings.

Beauty in flowerpots

• Sowing seeds is a very painstaking work, since the seeds are small and the seedlings are very fragile. Sow should be on the surface of the earth, covering with glass. Moisten the soil by spraying and make sure that no condensation drops collect on the glass, which can damage the first shoots. After sowing, the plant grows well and quickly, it is important to thin out and transplant future bushes into pots one at a time.

• Cut the plant into water or directly into a moistened peat mixture. Rooting occurs after two weeks. After the start of active growth, cuttings can be planted in pots. The shoots of ampelous petunia grow up to 1 m in length; during growth, gardeners often cut it off to give shape. Cut shoots are suitable for plant propagation by cuttings even in summer.

Young seedlings

To plant petunias in pots, you should prepare a soil mixture. Since flowering is supported by abundant watering, but not by collecting moisture in the roots, the soil should be loose but moist. This combination is obtained from two parts of soil (ordinary garden) and one part of sand and peat. To retain moisture, gardeners add a hydrogel (previously soaked in water) or vermiculite. Perlite will provide looseness to the soil. You can also immediately add superphosphate here, which will support the plant while getting used to the new soil and will provide excellent nutrition for flowering.

When the soil is ready, you should choose the right planter.

Petunias feel great in clay, wooden and ceramic pots

But the material for the pot does not play a special role in the life of petunias. It is much more important for her that water does not collect at the roots and prevent them from rotting. Ideal "house" for a flower:

• with good drainage holes for excess water;
• with a drainage layer;
• if the soil mixture could not be made loose enough, you can put a sponge on the bottom of the pot, which will absorb excess moisture;
• without sharp edges so that the shoots are not damaged.

Landing rules and techniques

After preparing the soil and pots, the only thing left is to plant. There are two methods of planting plants, depending on the conditions for the permanent placement of the flower. If petunia grows under a canopy and the soil does not dry out, then:

1. pour expanded clay on the bottom of the pot;
2. fill the pot almost to the brim with soil mixture;
3. take out the seedlings without damaging the root system;
4. plant a flower at the level of growth, without deepening or overestimating the already formed earthen lump.

You need to make a depression in the seedling pot

If the pots are hung in the bright sun, dry crust and cracks will form on the soil, which can harm the roots.In this case, planting an ampelous petunia in a hanging planter is done in a different way. The pot is filled with prepared soil mixture only half, and the top of the pot is filled with peat. Mulch can be used to retain moisture and protect plants from damage. Petunia grows quickly and itself is able to protect its roots and soil, retaining moisture, but in the initial stages of growth this will not be superfluous.

What volume of pots is needed

When choosing a pot, it should be remembered that the root system of petunia is very developed, it needs enough space and moisture for active flowering and growth. The average volume of a pot for one bush of ampelous petunia is 5 liters. Moreover, if you plan to combine different colors in one pot, then each bush should be provided with the squares it needs. Otherwise, the plants will be emaciated, pale, with thin shoots and small rare flowers.

How much to plant in one planter

The number of bushes for one pot directly depends on its size. If this is not possible, but you want to combine colors and contrasts, other neighbors will be the way out. Some types of ampel flowers do not require too much space for the root system and will get along well next to petunias. The most friendly ampelous with a small root system are lobelia and alyssum.

Color combination options

Growing and care in pots

When growing petunias in pots, you should take into account the size of the pot and the earthen coma and adjust the watering accordingly. Petunia loves abundant watering and spraying of the leaves. When spraying, it is important not to get on the flowers and buds.

Petunia does not require daily maintenance other than watering. Once a week, it is enough to devote time to it to remove dried buds and leaves, seed pods and long shoots.

Bush formation

Ampel plants are decorative items and, if you do not follow them, can ruin the very decor. Some types of petunias grow chaotically, shoots can grow to one side, sideways or too long. It is important to monitor the shape and size, and such care does not harm the plant at all. On the contrary, by removing unnecessary and long shoots, petunia blooms in large flowers.

Most often, the shape of these bushes is spherical.

Varieties of ampelous petunias for hanging pots

The variety of colors increases every year. The following varieties are suitable for choosing petunias as ampelous plants:

• Explorer and Snow Queen - white inflorescences and long whips;
• Ekaterina, Svetlana and Easy Wave Red - red and pink shades with large flowers;
• Surfinia and Fortunia are unusual combinations of light and dark shades in one "gramophone" of a flower.

Ampel petunias delight not only with lush and bright flowering. They exude the scent of a summer evening with a hint of honey. They need special care, but not difficult, so even a beginner can handle it.