Petunia grandiflora: what is it, what is characterized by its popular Bravo variety, and how to care for this plant and protect it from diseases and pests?

Petunia is a plant widely known to all flower growers. And this is no accident, because it grows quickly and for a long time pleases with its large bright flowers.

One of the brightest representatives of this flower is the petunia grandiflora. In the article we will consider what this plant is and what kind of care it needs.

You will learn the history of the origin and discovery of this beautiful plant, learn how to choose seeds and healthy plants for reproduction, how to water and whether petunias need bright light.

Botanical Description

Grandiflora petunias are flowering annuals. Representatives of the nightshade family. Grandiflora cannot boast of a large number of flowers on the bush, but their size will impress anyone. This is a stunted plant, the height of which reaches 25-50 cm. The diameter of the flowers is 9-12 cm. Flowers can be double and ordinary, but double knit quite rarely.

Reference! Grandiflora is very sensitive to excess or lack of moisture and temperature changes. Therefore, with special attention and care should be approached in the care of these plants. Petunia will delight you with luxurious flowering only 85-95 days after sowing seeds.

History of occurrence

The first genus of petunias was found and described in Uruguay in 1793 and assigned to the genus Tabakov. Later, petunias began to appear in the tropical parts of America, and then more than 30 species were found and described in Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Parana, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande. All of them grew only in the small coastal regions of the rivers of South America. And only one species, Petunia parviflora, had a wide habitat. It is still found in Cuba, Western India, Mexico and the United States.

Further, several more species of petunias were found and described. Breeders also worked tirelessly to create new forms and varieties of plants. In 1834, the first hybrid plant flourished and since then, petunias have been widely flooded with parks, gardens and flower beds around the world.

Varieties and their features

The assortment of this plant is very wide. There are three main classes of colors:

Multi-flowered - the most unpretentious and plastic. They grow well in sunny places, any type of garden land is suitable for them. Care requires only regular watering and top dressing. Flowers are only 5 cm in diameter, but they are numerous. Bloom quite early and bloom in full bloom for a very long time. Beautiful and not whimsical like free space in a pot and regular vitamin top dressing.
Large-flowered or grandiflora - is thermophilic and has features in leaving. From an excess of moisture can lose their attractive appearance. The diameter of the flowers is 10 cm and they are not as plentiful as those of multi-flowered ones. It requires the right growing conditions and special care at home. It requires sufficient lighting, a highly rich mineral and vitamin composition of the soil, the optimum temperature for growth and flowering, and regular pruning.
Floribunda - a cross between the first two plants. Has a sufficient number of large inflorescences. Weatherproof. It looks very nice on balconies, framed by flower beds, and it just grows beautifully on entire garden ridges.

In each of the classes there are several subspecies that differ in the shape and size of the flowers, and the height of the plant.

Also, all plants are divided into:

Cascading - greatly expand. They are grown in large containers. It is characterized by the presence of long side shoots. Able to throw whips up to 1.5 m long. Height is not more than 50 cm.
Ampelic - This is a real living decoration. The length of the loops is up to 1.5 m. Falling shoots. Grown in boxes or baskets. Look spectacular in flower pots. Often used to create a flower carpet.
Semi-amp - grow lush shrubs. Do not exceed 40 cm. Use as a houseplant.

You can read about all types of petunias in a separate article.

Variety Bravo

The earliest flowering plant. It has an incredible variety of colors. Very uniform flowering time. Insensitive to lack of lighting. Beautifully branched, but roomy enough. Almost do not outgrow in the garden. Looks great both in open ground and in a pot. Height up to 25-30 cm. Flower size 8-9 cm.

Growing technology

Sowing

Use light peat based soil. Sprinkle the seeds lightly with a thin layer of soil. The soil should be moist enough so as not to wash off the seeds during watering. The moisture level during germination is 100% (this will soften the shell of seeds, allow the root to appear and help in the development of cotyledons). You can cover the seeds with vermiculite to provide moisture around them. Temperature 24-25^aboutFROM.

After the appearance of the first shoots, it is necessary to reduce the humidity to 50-70%. Because moisture can prevent oxygen from reaching the roots, which can lead to diseases of the root system. Do not dry out. Reduce temperature to 20-24^aboutC. Start dressing with potassium and potassium nitrate.

Important! Periodically, you need to check the growth of the root system (if the roots do not grow well, use fungicides).

At this stage, the temperature is 18-21^aboutC. We feed the plant with fertilizer with boron and iron. After germination, move the boxes to a bright room. During the first week, lighting should be for 18 hours.

Transplant into a pot

Use light peat based soil. A week after the transplant, reduce the temperature to 16-17^aboutC. Soil temperature should be 24^aboutC. Giving a lot of light. Shade at noon.

Grow petunia at a temperature of 15^aboutWith and high level of lighting. When the roots fill the entire pot, lower the temperature to 13-16^aboutFROM.

Fertilizers and growth regulators

Feed with each irrigation balanced fertilizer with the addition of iron. Do not give water without fertilizer. At a high level of lighting, feed ammonium. In low light - with calcium. Under high lighting conditions and long day conditions, fertilizers with ammonia should also be used. In conditions of low temperatures and lack of lighting - calcium fertilizers.

For a compact plant and good growth, it is better to maintain conditions of good lighting and low temperatures. Use small doses of retardants to avoid stretching the plant. You can use growth regulators every 7-14 days. However, the best growth regulators are lighting, watering and top dressing.

How to care?

First of all, it is important to get seedlings, and for this you need to know how to care for it:

After sowing the seeds, place them in a warm place and cover with glass or film.
Rearrange the first shoots closer to the light, do not remove the film. Water as it dries.
Do not overmoisten.
After the first leaves appear, pick-up (move each leaf in a separate container).
Fertilize from the first month of seedling growth.
When the weather is warm, transplant seedlings in open ground or in a pot.

Common Diseases and Pests

Fungal

Blackleg - the basal part of the stem becomes watery, darkens and rots. Fight: do not thicken crops, do not use heavy or acidic substrate, water moderately, do not allow an excess of nitrogen fertilizers. Remove diseased seedlings with part of the substrate around them.
Gray rot - light brown spots, a rash appear on the stems and leaves, which are then covered with a gray fluffy coating. Control measures: avoid heavy crops, excessive watering, too low temperatures, regularly remove damaged areas.
White rot - the appearance of weeping brown spots, covered with white coating. Affected parts soften and whiten. Deep digging and liming of the soil, timely removal of damaged parts will help.
Wet rot - develops like black rot. At emergence to spray with chemical preparations and to remove damages.
Brown spotting - the appearance of rusty brown spots on the leaves. Spray with copper-containing preparations.
Late blight - the base of the stem is more violent and rots. When growing seedlings, ventilate the greenhouse and not thicken the crops.

Bacterial and viral

Leaf galls - the formation of short and thick shoots at the base of the stem.
Cucumber Mosaic Virus - small flowers with dirty white or yellow spots. The tobacco mosaic virus is a violation of the normal development of the plant.
Tomato Aspermia Virus - improper development of flowers.
Tobacco necrosis virus - the formation of light green necrotic spots on the leaves. Leaves die off.

Attention! The treatment of all these bacterial and viral diseases is the immediate removal of a diseased plant.

Pests

Aphid - spraying with drugs.
Whitefly - trapping with the help of yellow glue traps.
Thrips - spraying with chemicals.
Spider mite - the use of specific drugs.
Slug - sieving on the soil surface of superphosphate, chemical treatment.

Propagation Features

The main method is seed. Rarely used cuttings. For this, in the spring young cuttings of 10-15 cm are cut, leaves are removed and placed in soil 5 cm deep. The soil is constantly moist, temperature 20-25^aboutFROM.

Possible problems with the growth and reproduction of a flower:

Poor quality seeds.
Failure to comply with care conditions.
Diseases and pests.

Do not be afraid of the difficulties in caring for a beautiful petunia. Just be attentive and caring to her in the care and then this beauty will become the queen in your garden or in the house.