For lush flowering of petunia, proper care is necessary, namely pinching the shoots. Despite watering, feeding, and loosening, petunia throws out few flower stalks and looks like a sparse plant: few buds, legible stems. Pinching is the key to abundant flowering, splendor and decorativeness of the bush. To get a flowering bush, it is necessary to carry out pruning work.

Description and characteristics of the petunia plant

Petunia belongs to the decorative species of nightshade plants. Flowers are grown in different colors, sizes, shapes. Plants do not require difficult care. The plant's homeland is South America. This is an annual plant distinguished by large bell-shaped flowers.

Decorative vegetation is grown to decorate balconies, verandas, window openings, arches, and gazebos. The leaves of the flower come out of the cuttings one by one. The shape of the leaves depends on the variety. The bush has a green, branched form.

For your information: the variety of varieties and colors of buds amazes with its choice from old to black shades. Popular color palette: pink, red, blue, purple. There are flowers with variegated bright patterns and velvety edges.

How and why to pinch petunia correctly

Pinching a petunia is the process of pruning the shoots at the top of the plant to create a full, luxurious bloom. After pruning, the plant actively produces side shoots, the bush becomes strong, spreading, healthy with many flowers and buds. Pinching improves the quality and duration of flowering.

During flower processing, dry stems, wilted and faded buds are removed. On hot days, frequent spraying is necessary. You can’t spray it during the daytime; a moistened plant can get burned in the scorching sun. The first pinching is done after the flower has acclimatized in a new place after transplantation.

Do all varieties of petunias need to be pinched?

To get a lush and flowering plant, almost all varieties of flowers are pinched. An exception to pinching is found in the Alderman variety. This is a compact and lush plant with abundant flowering. The bush requires shaping only if it has fallen on its side or stretched out. Care, feeding, watering, spraying, removal of faded buds and dry parts of the flower are done with all varieties of petunias.

Time to pinch petunia

The period after transplanting into containers, soil or flower pots is considered a suitable time for the procedures.

If you do not pinch, the plant develops green mass growth (in one branch). The shoots are long and not beautiful (like whips), there are few flowers.

Important: pruning is carried out only on healthy plants; the procedure can harm weak flowers.

Caring for petunia after pinching

It is important to provide petunias with care after pruning. Feed regularly and correctly to ensure abundant flowering and growth of stems and leaves. Among fertilizers, nitrogen-containing ones are selected. It is recommended to use combined fertilizers (nitrogen + phosphorus + potassium). Nitrogen fertilizing is responsible for increasing the amount of green mass.

To ensure abundant flowering, petunia is fertilized with a composition containing potassium and phosphorus. The best results are obtained with liquid fertilizers applied during watering. Dry formulations and granules are available for sale. The granular form of fertilizer is applied during planting, then the granules slowly dissolve during watering. A one-time application of dry fertilizer provides care throughout the season. Fertilizers are purchased in specialized markets or gardening stores.

Not only flowers, but also leaves need feeding. For this purpose, there are fertilizers in sprayers, thanks to which the stems and foliage receive vitamin and mineral support. The compositions are prepared from products intended for dilution in water. Spraying is carried out with a spray bottle.

1. Excessive moisture can harm the plant. It is required to adhere to: morning and evening watering.
2. The beauty of the plant also depends on the temperature (at least 15 degrees during the day, at night at least 10).

Petunia cuttings after pinching

Cuttings are fresh planting material. To obtain young shoots, medium-sized stems are suitable. For successful rooting you need:

• removing the lower leaves;
• placing the stem in a glass of water;
• When the roots appear, plant the seedlings in a pot.

You can immediately root the cuttings in light substrates - 2/3 sand, 1/3 garden soil. The sections are powdered with Kornevin, moved into a pot, and a transparent jar, plastic bottle or bag is placed on top. Watering is carried out through trays. After 1.5 weeks, the plant starts to develop roots.

When the petunia in the ground gets stronger and takes root, pinching can be done to promote lush flowering and growth. To preserve its decorative appearance, careful care, spraying, watering and fertilizing are required.

How to pinch different types of petunias

Do all petunia varieties require pruning?

hanging plant

The ampelous species has a genetic predisposition to the formation of branched bushes. Mature plants do not require pruning. It is enough to simply remove faded buds and seed boxes. Then the power of the plant will be aimed at stimulating new flowers and gorgeous flowering.

It is recommended to carry out early panzerization in seedlings. Pruning the main shoot is the key to the active growth of lateral stepsons.

Important: Excessive moisture can cause an outbreak of fungal diseases. Thinning is recommended for good ventilation.

Cascade plant

After panning, cascading flowers are pinched 2 more times, sometimes one pruning is enough. Repeated work is carried out at intervals of 30 days. Pruning is done with a clean, sharp tool: pruning shears, scissors.
After pinching, the damaged area is treated with disinfectant powder. Charcoal or activated carbon will do. Pinching is carried out on a warm and dry day so that the sections dry faster.

bush plant

It definitely needs to be pinched. If the flower has few side stems, the bush is trimmed.

double plant

Requires the formation of flowering by pinching the central part. Buds that have bloomed, damaged and dried foliage are removed on all varieties of petunias.

Is it possible to pinch petunia when it blooms?

If the plant is blooming and the time for pinching has come, work is not prohibited. The only condition is to cut 2-3 shoots. After work, feeding is required. If you do not form the bush in a timely manner, the plant will look sparse.

To grow beautiful bushes, you must follow the recommendations of professional florists and experienced gardeners, namely:

• work is carried out using sterile equipment;
• a sharp tool ensures an even cut without burrs;
• attentiveness to weak shoots;
• morning and evening spraying;
• pinches in 2-3 approaches.

After pruning, the plant slows down the formation of buds for 2-3 weeks. At this time, petunia needs spraying and feeding. Large petunia copes better with changes in the crown. It is not recommended to plant different varieties of flowers together.

The plant soil requires timely elimination of weeds and pests. Withered flowers, foliage, and damaged stems should always be removed, otherwise the plant will waste energy on forming seeds.

Conclusion

When growing petunias without pruning, you will not get a lush bush. Pinching stimulates flowering. The procedure is carried out to obtain a beautiful head of flowers on the plant, otherwise few buds are formed, and the stems grow in random strands. You can plant several colors of petunias in one flowerbed. Flowers require regular care. The plant needs loose soil with sufficient watering, spraying, ventilation, and fertilizing. If you follow the recommendations for caring for petunia, the plant will delight you with lush color for 5-6 months.

Petunia wins hearts with its beauty, brightness, long decorative period, and unpretentiousness. The plant does not require much care; however, one of the necessary procedures is pinching.

This simple operation allows you to grow a compact, lush bush, strewn with bright, multiple flowers. Let's find out how to properly pinch petunias and what conditions are necessary for the procedure.

The pinching procedure is also called pinching and involves breaking off/pinching off/cutting off the apical part of the shoots. Translated from German, the word “pincing” means “to remove the end,” and this translation perfectly reflects the essence of the procedure.

The purpose of the operation is to awaken the lateral buds on the shoots, which are dormant before pinching.

After the procedure and healing of the cut site, the remaining stem thickens, sometimes becomes woody, becomes stronger and stockier. The shade of the foliage changes for the better - it becomes brighter and more saturated. The axillary buds swell and become more voluminous - as a result of this, the flowers that then bloom from them delight with their large size and splendor.

Pinching in general is required to produce stronger shoots, a fuller bush and more beautiful, vibrant flowers and foliage. This procedure is aimed at increasing the external attractiveness and decorativeness of petunia.

Benefit

Let's find out why you need to pinch petunia.

Crown formation

This is the main purpose of the procedure. Pinching makes it possible to turn a small sprout into a compact and lushly flowering plant, pleasing to the eye for a long period. A well-groomed and correctly formed crown always looks much more neat.

Stopping the growth of apical shoots

Due to the fact that pinching removes the top of shoots growing upward, the lateral branches begin to grow more actively. As a result, the petunia does not stretch out, but becomes a round small bush, which looks more attractive.

In addition, the more side branches there are, the more flowers will appear, not to mention the increase in bushiness.

Lignification of the lower part of the shoots

Although petunia is essentially a herbaceous plant, the lower part of its shoots, after pinching, becomes very strong, almost lignified. Thanks to this, the plant will be stronger, stronger and more resilient, able to withstand weather disasters.

When to pinch, what conditions are needed?

Pinch petunia when the seedlings begin to actively grow. And this is a clear sign that it is better not to delay the procedure - otherwise the seedlings will stretch out and the bush will turn out ugly. By the time of the first pinching, 40-50 days should have passed from the moment the seeds were planted.

Only healthy plants are pinched: it is advisable to remove weak and defective shoots immediately so as not to waste time and effort on them. What condition should the plants be in: at the time of the procedure, they should be grown, strong, and have several leaves (no more than 5-6).

You will need garden shears or a small pruner, as well as a container in which you will put the cut off apical parts of the shoots. Next, you will learn how to pinch petunias step by step.

Process description

In short, pinching a petunia is removing the top of the shoot above the fifth or sixth top leaf. The procedure is carried out with pruning shears, and some gardeners simply use their own fingers, breaking off the shoot in the right place.

Due to the fact that the main shoot is broken, a new active growth point is formed in this place, from which side shoots will branch in different directions. Please note that immediately after the procedure, petunia seedlings slow down their development, but quickly recover and begin to grow even more actively.

If the seedlings are intended for planting in open ground, the procedure is also carried out after rooting the seedlings in a new place. However, after transplantation, several days must pass for the plant to adapt.

When grown in greenhouse conditions, pinching is usually carried out after picking, since before - there is no point.

Step by step guide:

• find the very bottom of the sprout;
• count 5-6 leaves from the bottom, maybe 4;
• We pinch the part of the shoot located above the counted leaf with pruning shears (fingers, scissors);
• Sprinkle the cut area with wood ash.

A month after the first procedure, a second pinching is usually performed.

Attention: no more than one-fifth of the plant shoot can be removed in one procedure. Some gardeners are late and then immediately cut off a third of the shoot, or even half: such crude intervention does not benefit the plant, and can even destroy it.

How to pinch for abundant flowering

In order for petunias to enjoy lush and long-lasting flowering, ideally you need to pinch them twice: at the stage of appearance of 5-6 leaves and the second time after transplanting into open ground.

Particularly responsible flower growers also carry out a third procedure, when the petunia is already actively growing after transplantation. And such triple pinching allows you to achieve the most successful and impressive results in the form of a lush-flowering, bright petunia bush.

How to pinch different types of petunias

Gardeners grow several popular types of petunias:

• cascade;
• ampelous;
• bush;
• terry

Let's look at the features of pinching all these varieties.

Cascade

This plant must be pinched two to three times during the growing season. The procedure will allow the plant to bush more actively and become more luxuriant. When pruning cascading petunia, you need to imagine how it will look later, since this type of flower is especially difficult to shape. It is important to achieve a uniform shape, symmetrical on both sides.

Ampelnaya

This plant is already initially, at the genetic level, designed to form a lush, well-flowering bush. Therefore, many varieties (especially new ones) of ampelous petunia do not need pinching at all. However, pinching the seedlings for the first time is still advisable - it will guarantee that the bush will be well branched.

Bush

The plant is pinched in the traditional way to achieve the correct and lush shape of the bush.

Terry

Since all terry varieties are hybrid and selection, they rarely need pinching. Initially, they form lush bushes with abundant leaves and flowers, so the procedure can be neglected. An exception is made if the seedlings stretch strongly to one side.

We will tell you in detail about the important nuances of the procedure and caring for petunia after it.

To minimize injury to delicate seedlings, carry out the procedure carefully and only with clean tools.

If the shoot is weak, you should not pinch it too much, much less tear off the leaves. Such a specimen must be treated with care, since otherwise it may not survive the procedure or may become ill.

It is best to carry out the procedure in the evening, when the sun sets below the horizon: at this time the rays become less scorching and aggressive than during the day.

When you pinch petunia not at home, but in the open ground, choose a dry and warm day for the procedure - this way the cuts will heal faster.

To make the buds larger and brighter, do not forget to fertilize the petunias with suitable minerals when caring. The plant responds very gratefully to feeding. After the next pinching, feed the petunia - it will recover faster and grow more actively.

Proper care should also include watering, spraying, and removing faded buds. Such care will have a positive effect on the health and appearance of the plant, making it lush, decorative, and pleasing to the eye.

To make side shoots grow faster and become more branched, it is useful to lower the air temperature at night.

Blooming petunia can also be pinched. However, no more than 2-3 shoots from the plant are removed in one procedure. Additional spraying with succinic acid will allow the plant to survive the operation more easily.

There are cuttings left - what to do with them?

After the pinching procedure, strong, high-quality and healthy shoot tips are usually left - complete planting material. Thus, with the help of the remaining tops, you can make your petunia population even richer.

To germinate such a cutting, you need to remove its lower leaves. Otherwise, they will rot in the water as the roots grow. After removing the foliage, the cutting is placed in a container of water. Then you need to wait a while for the roots to appear. And after their appearance, the cuttings are planted in the ground in the usual way (see photo).

Don’t forget to pinch the cutting when it actively grows and begins to stretch.

What varieties of petunias are pinched?

Not all varieties of petunias require a mandatory pinching procedure, but only:

• old varieties, bred long ago;
• amateur varieties;
• flowers from your own seeds.

All these types of petunias are not very decorative without pinching, so they must be pinched absolutely precisely. If you allow such varieties to grow as they please, you will end up with elongated, non-compact bushes with sparse flowers and stunted foliage. And you won’t be able to wait for abundant flowering.

However, there is good news - and these are new hybrid breeding varieties. Scientific developments are aimed at developing varieties of petunias that would require minimal care and still bloom luxuriantly.

Therefore, most varieties bred in recent years either do not require pinching at all, or require minimal pinching. However, it is necessary to pay attention to the conditions in which the cultivation takes place - in low light and in cramped conditions, the plants will still begin to stretch upward.

If a similar problem happens to a hybrid petunia, you can eliminate the elongation with chemicals such as Athlete. However, for most gardeners, a formative mechanical procedure in the form of pinching is better than using “chemistry” once again.

So, we learned how to properly pinch petunia so that it blooms long and luxuriantly. The procedure is absolutely necessary - when planning to grow petunia, keep this fact in mind. Without pinching, the bush will turn out to be inconspicuous, shapeless, and there will be few flowers.

Watch the pinching procedure in the video.

Petunias are flowers that invariably attract admiring glances. Beautiful, delicate, bright. They decorate our gardens, balconies and window sills. The plant is the leader in popularity among other flowers around the world and this is no coincidence. But in order for petunias to look so perfect, you need to follow a number of rules in caring for this crop. One of the required techniques is pinching.

The pinching procedure (in other words, pinching) involves removing the top of a young shoot. In the case of petunia, such an agrotechnical technique is considered justified and necessary. Pinching allows you to form a more compact and branched bush.

If left untrained, the plant will develop 1-3 stems, quickly become ugly and overgrown, and then fall over under its own weight.

Pinching will cause the petunia to form side shoots in large numbers. The flower will begin to grow not vertically, but in width. Accordingly, its flowering will be abundant, because each of the side shoots will begin to produce flower buds.

You may be wondering, do all varieties of petunias need pinching?

Flowers grown from seeds purchased from amateurs need to be pinched in 100% of cases. But modern varieties bred by breeders do not need this. The seeds of such petunias are not cheap; they are produced by well-known manufacturers.

On a note! Information that the variety does not require pinching can be found on the seed packaging.

When should you pinch petunia?

Pinching will ensure that the remaining part of the stem becomes woody, the leaves on the bush will be larger and brighter, and many dormant buds will awaken. But this technique can only work when the growing season is active. In order to turn a small sprout into a strong plant that pleases the eye, the procedure should be carried out in a timely manner; pinching on overgrown bushes will not give the desired effect.

Experts recommend waiting until the seedlings have 6-7 permanent leaves. It is at this moment that pinching is done to give impetus to the growth of new stems. If you skip this stage, the plant will stretch and it will be impossible to achieve a spherical shape from the petunia.

Then pinching is repeated when the shoots grow to a length of 12-15 cm. And for petunia planted in the ground, the shoots are pinched as necessary. If you see that the bush is losing its shape because the shoots have become too long, you can pinch the tops again. Then the petunia will direct all its forces to flowering and begin to form new flower buds.

How to pinch petunias correctly

Tweezing has its own rules; you don’t need to invent anything. Professionals have long identified patterns that lead to the best results.

By the time of the first pinching, the length of the shoots should reach 7-10 cm and there will be 2-3 pairs of true leaves on them. For the procedure, you can use nail scissors or tweezing your nails. It is necessary to remove the tip of the shoot along with the growing point above the topmost leaf. Some simply remove part of the stem along with the top leaf. After this, the petunia begins to bush, releasing many new shoots from the axils.

Why new varieties do not require pinching:

• In modern varietal petunias, branching is laid down at the genetic level. They can be immediately distinguished from plants of the old type.
• Already at the stage of formation of the second pair of leaves, you can notice the appearance of lateral shoots from the leaf axils.
• This is especially true for ampelous and cascading varietal new products. You don’t need to do anything with such plants; they form on their own.

On a note! In order for varietal petunias to branch independently, they need to be provided with the right growing conditions!

The second pinching is carried out a month after the first. It just promotes abundant flowering of petunias. By this point, the side shoots will have lengthened considerably and will now need to be pruned to allow third-order branches to form. Pinching is done at the tops of the shoots so as not to affect the already formed flower buds.

The second time, pinching occurs at the moment after transplanting to the flowerbed (planting is carried out at the end of May). You need to give the petunia time to take root. This is facilitated by free planting, when space is left between the bushes for their further development. When the bushes adapt to a new place, you can start pinching.

Each shoot is shortened above the fifth or sixth leaf, removing the apical bud with your fingers or pruning shears. It is recommended to treat the sections with wood ash or activated carbon powder to prevent infection from entering the tissue. As a result of the second pinching, the growth of petunia slows down, but the plants become stronger. When the side stems grow, the bush will take on a spherical shape.

On a note! The cut sections of the stems should be no shorter than 4 cm. If you pinch the very tip of the shoot, too thin branches will form at this place, which can easily break off even from the wind.

For ampelous petunia, only the first pinching is indicated, which is done after several leaves appear. She doesn't need a second pinching. But there are often cases when one branch grows longer than the others, begins to draw food onto itself and can even form ovaries. Such a shoot must be urgently trimmed using scissors or pruners. The remaining shoot should have 3-5 leaves.

After removing the growing point, the branch will produce lateral shoots and the shape of the plant will improve. You should not wait for the buds to appear within the next 2 weeks. Pinching will delay flowering. But then there will be not just one flower on the shoots, but much more. This manipulation will improve the development of an adult bush and extend the flowering period. To prevent petunia from getting burns at the pruning sites, tweezing is carried out early in the morning or evening.

Cut apical shoots are used as cuttings. Very small shoots are not suitable for this; you need 5-6 leaves left on the branch. The lowest leaves are torn off and the cuttings are placed in a glass of water for rooting. After the roots appear, the young seedlings are planted in fertile soil, obtaining new petunia specimens.

On a note! If a hybrid variety was cut from cuttings, the bushes will retain all the properties of the mother plant. This does not happen during seed propagation.

To prevent petunia from losing its decorative effect, pinching alone is not enough.

• It is necessary to promptly remove faded buds and seed pods; if they are established, the plant wastes energy on them.
• In addition, withered petals look sloppy and spoil the appearance of the plant. In this case, the flowers are not pulled out, but pinched off along with the peduncle.

Due to the fact that petunia regularly tolerates pinching, it definitely needs to be fed. The plant is considered quite “voracious”. If this is not done, the new stems will grow thin and flimsy. After all, petunia must consume a lot of nutrients to form them. You can use complex mineral fertilizers for feeding, for example “Flower”, “Kemira Lux” or “Summer”. They contain a complete set of elements necessary for vegetation and re-flowering.

• Growth stimulants are also used after pinching. After this treatment, the formation of new shoots will be more active.
• You can use homemade fertilizers based on yeast, hydrogen peroxide, banana peels, and ash. All compounds are applied only to moist soil so as not to damage the roots.
• In hot weather, it is watered twice a day - in the morning and in the evening.

Petunia is a heat-loving perennial and for this reason is grown in our climate as an annual plant. But if you value a certain variety, then, if you wish, you can preserve the plant at home until spring in order to give life to new plants using cuttings. This method is advisable to use for hybrids whose seeds do not retain the properties of the mother plant. It is suitable, for example, for supertunias, surfinias and other F1 hybrids.

To preserve the mother bush in winter, the following conditions are necessary:

• A bright, cool room with a temperature of 10-15°C and high humidity. This could be a glazed veranda, an insulated loggia or the window sill of your entrance.
• The bush is transplanted into a pot before the onset of frost and transferred for storage to the intended place. Diseased and damaged shoots are first removed, and all remaining shoots are shortened to 10-15 cm.
• The bush is not fed throughout the winter. Watering should be minimal (2 times a month).

If these conditions are met, petunias begin to grow and bloom in February. From this moment on, watering begins to occur more often and fertilizing is introduced. In principle, this bush can continue to be grown as an ornamental plant. But it has been noticed that in the second year the flowering of overwintered petunias is worse.

More often, flower growers use the plant for cutting cuttings, but do not save the bush itself. Only green, non-lignified shoots 10-15 cm long are suitable for cutting. They are rooted in water or loose nutritious soil under cover. First, the lower leaves are torn off to reduce moisture evaporation. After 1.5-2 weeks, axillary shoots appear on the plants.

How to pinch petunias Basic rules for forming a bush: video

How and when to pinch petunias? - video

Now you know how to properly pinch petunia to preserve its decorative appearance and prolong flowering. Be sure to use this technique to enjoy the beauty of the gorgeous flowers to the maximum. By the way, if you plant petunias in your home, you will be able to enjoy, in addition to the riot of colors, a pleasant aroma. Each variety of petunia has its own special smell.

Voluminous multi-colored bushes of double, ampelous, bicolor and single-color petunias have won the hearts of experienced gardeners and beginners. From mid-spring until the first frost, flowers of amazing variety and decorativeness decorate not only summer cottages, but also the balconies of multi-storey buildings, verandas of cottages, city flower beds, cafes and restaurants. The flowers are unpretentious, do not require professional maintenance or special conditions, but they respond favorably to the care of flower growers. The flower needs good care, which includes, in addition to traditional procedures, the formation of a bush by tweezing or pinching it. Petunia, which is not pinched but allowed to grow freely, can form an elongated bush that will fall to one side. If you form the crown of the plant correctly, you can get a lush flower with many flowering shoots.

Why do you need to pinch petunia?

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.

Do all varieties of petunias need to be pinched?

Old amateur varieties that have been bred long ago or plants grown from seeds collected from their flowers must be pinched. As a rule, such petunia in its natural form is far from compact and lush.

Breeders place strict demands on modern hybrid petunia not only for the beauty and splendor of flowering, but also for the simplification of plant care.

Petunia of modern varieties or hybrids does not require pinching or requires minimal intervention in the formation of the crown.

However, even on modern varieties it is impossible to do without pinching. Often, when petunia seedlings are grown at home with a lack of light and in cramped conditions, at a temperature that is too high for it, the plants stretch out.

In this case, you can spray the seedlings with Atlet or another similar product (which is what is used in industrial greenhouses) or do pinching. Many gardeners are not in favor of using excessive “chemicals” even on flowers and prefer to pinch petunia.

The rapid formation of side shoots is facilitated by lower night temperatures.

What is needed to pinch petunias?

To carry out this manipulation you will need the following:

• convenient scissors or pruning shears;
• strong seedlings with 4 – 5 large leaves at the top;
• container for collecting removed cuttings.

How and when to pinch petunia

Pinching petunias should be done twice - at the seedling stage and after planting in open ground. If the second pinching can be neglected due to lack of time, then pinching at the seedling stage is mandatory. It is carried out when the young seedling has 5-6 leaves, maybe a little less, but not more than this amount. The algorithm is quite simple. Using a miniature pruner, scissors, or just your fingers, you need to pinch the stem of the young plant above the 5-6th leaf. In order for the seedling to recover faster after this procedure, you can water or spray it with a growth stimulator such as Epin or Zircon.

A month later, when new side shoots begin to grow, you need to tweezer again. Now it is carried out not only on the central stem, but also on the side shoots, which after this procedure will sprout third-order shoots. After repeated pinching, foliar and root feeding is carried out with complete mineral fertilizer and growth stimulant. It is advisable to pinch ampelous varieties every 3-4 weeks.

What to do after pinching a petunia

With regular shortening of shoots and increased growth of petunia, constant feeding with a growth stimulant and complete mineral fertilizer is required. Otherwise, many thin stems will develop. You can achieve the best results from the plant only with constant watering and proper care.

We remember that we need to pick off wilted flowers in a timely manner (not pull them out, but pinch them off from the branch with the peduncle). By forming seed plants, they take away strength from the plant.

Incidental propagation of petunia by cuttings after pinching

The tops of petunia shoots, plucked or carefully cut with nail scissors, are used as cuttings for further propagation of the plant.

The roots that appear on green cuttings placed in water serve as a signal that they can already be planted in the ground, having cleared the lower part of the stem of leaves, leaving a couple of leaves at the top. Young plants can be planted quite densely, often watering and spraying them, feeding them, and also using a growth stimulator as necessary.

Petunia grown from seeds at home, as well as seedlings of inexpensive varieties purchased from retail chains, must be subjected to regular pinching of shoots protruding from the general bush. Elite varieties grown in special nurseries can develop well without pinching, but they are more capricious, sensitive to sudden changes in humidity and temperature, and suffer from exposure to rain and wind.

• Do not use the operation for seedlings in boxes and young immature shoots, do not mix different varieties and rid the soil of weeds and pests in a timely manner. Remember, petunias, like other ornamental species, need constant attention and care;
• After pinching, the removed shoots (3-4 leaves) can be placed in a jar of water and after small roots appear, use them to grow new petunia bushes;
• Throughout the season, it is necessary to remove faded flowers in a timely manner, this will contribute to the formation of new buds on the plants.

Pinching is a simple and at the same time important manipulation that allows you to improve the quality of flowering and form a certain shape of the plant. To correct the shape of the plant, you need to pinch the petunia regularly, skipping a month between this procedure. If you follow these rules for caring for petunia, you can grow beautiful bushes of this flowering plant, which will be no worse than in the photos given in this article. If petunias are allowed to grow on their own, they will simply stretch out and the flowers will be small. Petunia lovers are constantly finding new ways to decorate using unusual varieties, and it looks simply amazing.

To pinch petunia correctly, you should use only clean tools. This avoids injury to the sprouts. Repeated manipulation is allowed after a month. This is possible provided that strong side branches appear. Pinching is done at the tops of the plant. In order for large buds to form on new stepsons, suitable fertilizers are needed. It is necessary to water the crop well and remove dried flowers in a timely manner.

Why is pinching necessary?

Pinching the top of a plant shoot with your fingernails is called pinching. This procedure leads to the fact that the part of the stem that remains becomes woody. Becomes fat. The leaves become saturated with color. The sinuses of the kidneys enlarge.

This is done to obtain new stable shoots and give the plant a beautiful appearance. Tweezing should be done during the growing season.

It is advisable to adhere to the rules for pinching petunias. This will make it bushy. The flower will produce abundant buds for a long time.

Basic Rules

First of all, it is imperative to monitor the growth of seedlings from the moment they are planted. Pinching flower seedlings is not necessary; it is done on young shoots after 6 or 7 leaves appear. When the shoots become a little stronger, cut off the top. Two paired sheets are left in front of it - this will be the new point. New stems will branch and grow on it.

This period is considered the best for pinching. You can't miss it. Otherwise, the petunia will begin to stretch upward, and the shoots from the sides will not be branched. The rounded shape of the bush will be lost.

When planting in open soil, the flower must first be rooted and only then pinched. In addition, before this you need to let the seedlings get a little stronger and adapt.

It is necessary to avoid crowding, plant the sprouts sparingly, leaving space between them. Otherwise the bushes will be small.

If planting is done in a greenhouse, the top is separated after picking. It requires watering and adding fertilizer to the soil. Several times a week. Spray with water twice a day. Pinching is repeated after a month. These processes will improve flowering. At the same time, the shoots are shortened on the sides to improve their shape.

Ampelous petunia

To pinch petunia correctly at home, you should stock up on tools for this manipulation. You will need scissors or pruning shears and a container into which the removed cuttings will be sent. Finally, you will need a strong seedling with five large leaves at the top.

Pinching the ampelous petunia is done twice. The first time you need to do this is after planting in open ground. The plant is given some time so that it can get stronger. After the planted shoots begin to grow and elongate, a second pinching is performed. Count out from 3 to 5 full sheets. Everything on top is cut off. This does not prevent the further growth of the flower. It slows down just a little and gives off side shoots. Flowers appear in the form of large buds.

What to do with the remaining cuttings?

The remaining cuttings should not be thrown away. You can use the cutting method and get new flowers.

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