No summer garden should be without blooming petunias. You can find out how to propagate petunias yourself from seeds or cuttings here.
Petunias (or with the botanical name Petunia) are annual plants of South American origin that unfortunately cannot withstand our freezing temperatures in winter. That's why you have to fill your balcony with fresh plants every year. However, these do not necessarily have to be bought expensively or overwintered at great expense. You can save a lot of money by simply propagating petunias yourself. This works via cuttings, which you can easily take from the finest plants in your possession, or via seeds. When propagating from seeds, new color variations can even occur when petunia varieties are mixed together.
Propagate petunias: sow seeds yourself
Propagation by sowing works very well and is uncomplicated. The seeds can be bought in specialist shops. The selection of varieties here is usually enormous. If you already have petunias at home, you can harvest the seeds yourself. The salmon-colored variety "Salmon Wave", for example, is particularly easy to grow from seed and is even rainproof.
Harvest your own seeds
The seeds of petunias are easy to harvest yourself. To do this, proceed as follows:
- Don't trim wilted inflorescences
- Harvest seed pods when they are light brown and closed
- Dry the capsules in a warm, airy place until they burst
- Collect small, black seeds and store in a cool, dark place (e.g. screw-top jar)
The formation of the seed pods starts all by itself as soon as you refrain from cleaning. The dried seed pods start to burst open after a few days.
Sowing the Seeds
The seeds are sown from February. If you pay attention to a few points, you will soon be able to take on small ones with great certaintyPetunia seedlings delight.
- Fill the seed tray with sterile seed compost
- Mix the seeds with dry quartz sand and spread evenly over the soil with sufficient spacing
- Cover seeds max. with a thin, permeable layer of soil (light germinates)
- Germination temperature: min. 20 °C
- Keep the soil slightly moist with a water atomizer (water atomizer)
- Cover the seed tray with a foil hood (ventilate once a day after germination)
- Bright location without direct sunlight
- From the formation of the 2nd pair of leaves: prick out or transplant individually into small pots
- Acclimatization of the seedlings before planting outside
- Planting outdoors from mid-May (no more risk of frost)
Mixing with quartz sand is optional, but makes sowing the mini seeds considerably easier. A thin layer of soil over the seeds reduces the risk of mold growth. The film hood provides the necessary humidity. The plantlets are acclimatized by being placed outside during the day on sunny days. You can find out which location is best for petunias from May onwards in our article on growing petunias.
Tip: Although petunias theoretically flower from June to the first frost, many plants are already completely exhausted in terms of flowering and growth due to their own pace and fade prematurely. To avoid a flowering-free period, some of the seeds can be sown later (April/May).
Propagating petunias by cuttings
Hanging petunia varieties are particularly suitable for propagation via cuttings, as they develop very long, strong shoots with the right care. It won't take long for your cuttings to start rooting if you do the following.
- Best cut cuttings in summer
- Use 10 cm long (preferably flowerless) shoots
- Remove all leaves and flowers (except the top pair of leaves)
- Place in a glass with lime-free water until roots have formed and then put in pots with soggy potting soil OR plant directly in the pots
- Propagation was successful when the cuttings sprout at the top
- Repot into larger planters and continue growing like adult petunias
- Acclimatization of the cuttings before planting in mid-May
It can take two to three weeks for the cuttings to form enough roots in the glass with water. When planting directly in pots, the cuttings are simply stuck a few centimeters deep into the soil and then pressed firmly. You can read everything about the subsequent care of your small self-made products here.
Petunia varieties: a small selection
Petunia varieties abound. The colors in which they bloom are just as diverse. The flower shapes also vary. From simple to double flowers, there is something for every taste. The different varieties are traditionally divided into four groups of varieties.
- Miliflora with flowers two to three centimeters in size
- Multiflora with about five centimeter large, rainproof flowers
- Floribunda with flowers approx. eight centimeters in size
- Grandiflora with trumpet-like, rain-sensitive, very large flowers
Below is a list of particularly beautiful petunia varieties.
- Night Sky: The large flowers of this trailing petunia are reminiscent of a purple night sky filled with white stars. One flower is never the same as another.
- Chocolina: With its rather small, chocolate-colored flowers, this variety looks good enough to bite into (but please don't snack). It has a bushy, slightly hanging habit.
- Pirouette Red: The Pirouette Red is a representative with double-double flowers and a hanging habit. The red eye is surrounded by a beautiful white.
- Amore® Queen of Hearts: The name says it all: With red hearts on a yellow background, each individual flower of the upright variety proclaims a message of love.
- Mirage Red Morn: This upright petunia will brighten up any border with its red-rimmed, white-eyed flowers.
Note: The hardiest and easiest to care for are the simple blue or purple petunias, such as the Big Time Blue variety. These can even handle wind and rain quite well. White flowering varieties tend to chlorosis. The 'Yellow Apple Bee' and 'Purple Balls' varieties are very compact and even weather-stable.
You can find everything you need to know about petunias - from cultivation to care and overwinteringin this article.