How to properly reanimate petunia after rains, drought or other unfavorable conditions

Hail, rain, rain, wind - not a single garden plant is protected from these and other weather phenomena. Beautiful multi-colored petunia is no exception. It is impossible to monitor a flower 24/7; sometimes it suffers from waterlogging or drought, diseases or pests, or errors in agricultural technology. In this article we will tell you how to restore petunia after rain and prepare it for winter.

In what cases does petunia need to be revived?

Petunia unpretentious in care. For lush flowering, summer residents follow the rules of planting and fertilizing, pruning and loosening. If petunia does not have enough nutrition, gardeners see it immediately: the flower grows weak, the shoots are thin and sluggish, the buds are small. Sometimes flowering is delayed or does not occur at all. They also think about restoring petunia if the flowers are pale in color. This suggests that petunia needs additional agricultural techniques. The reason for restoration and special care is waterlogging or drying out of the flower.

The main reasons for the deplorable condition of the flower

To save and revive petunia, it is important to detect the causes in time her deplorable condition. Sometimes these are errors in agricultural technology: excess or lack of moisture and fertilizing, incorrect pruning, non-compliance with landing rules. External conditions also influence flower growth: temperature, lighting, amount of precipitation. Often the reason for poor development lies in insect pests and diseases.

Errors in care

Before planting a perennial plant, gardeners study subtleties of care. Petunia does not tolerate waterlogging or watering with cold water.. Before the procedure, it is recommended to warm it up in the sun. Water should not get on the leaves, otherwise fungal diseases may occur, so watering cans or garden hoses are used for watering.

Inexperienced summer residents make another common mistake — feed the perennial only 3-4 times per season, as you are used to doing with vegetables. The flower needs to be fertilized regularly, about once every 5-7 days. Gardeners alternate organic and mineral fertilizers, and use complex fertilizers 2 weeks before flowering. Petunia blossom stimulate a solution of dry wood ash, urea, double superphosphate, potassium salt.

The plant stops growing if pruned incorrectly. Every year, gardeners shorten it by 10-12 cm, and sprinkle the cut areas with charcoal. For the procedure, disinfected garden shears are used. If you neglect this, you can introduce an infection with dirty equipment and the plant will get sick. This will affect the appearance of the perennial.

Attention! Sometimes gardeners make mistakes even at the stage of preparing seedlings: they use dirty containers or soil with insect larvae and lumps of clay, and do not treat the seeds before planting. Because of this, diseases develop, insects multiply, and the flower does not have the strength to grow.

Unfavourable conditions

Petunia is a long-day plant, so it is planted in an open area.. This rule also applies to planting seedlings, and for moving seedlings into open ground.Light is especially necessary within 6 weeks from the moment the plant is transplanted - the duration of flowering depends on this. If petunia grows in a greenhouse, summer residents organize additional lighting using lamps. Shade or partial shade is not suitable for growing a flower.

Daytime temperature must be at least +23°C, night temperature - +10°C. Frosts can harm the plant, petunia will lose its ability to flower and die. This factor is especially paid attention to in cold regions of the country and, if necessary, cover the petunia with polyethylene or bring it into the house (if the plant grows in pots). Before emergence, the recommended air humidity is 90-95%, after - up to 65%.

Diseases

Young and adult plants are susceptible to diseases. Some diseases are infectious, others are viral or fungal. Common causes: contaminated soil, plant debris and weeds, sudden changes in weather.

Among the diseases, summer residents note:

1. Black neck. The causes of infection are waterlogged soil, sudden cold snaps, and lack of microelements. The black neck first affects the stem, then spreads to the leaves - they dry out, curl and fall off. The petunia stem becomes black, soft and covered with rot.
2. powdery mildew. A common disease of many garden plants. Transmitted by air or soil, affecting young flowers. Petunia becomes covered with a white coating and metabolism is disrupted. If you don't treat her, she will die.
3. gray rot. A fungal disease enters the plant through damaged roots. Light brown spots appear, which become larger over time. The leaves are covered with a fluffy gray coating.
4. Iron chlorosis. Signs of the disease are small leaves, changes in the shape of buds and flowers, drying out of the apical shoots. Chlorosis appears due to iron deficiency. In addition to petunia, the disease is often found on azaleas, lemons, and hydrangeas.

Pests

Pests enter the garden with poor-quality seedlings, dirty garden tools, or are carried by wind and rain from neighboring garden plots. A frequent guest in a flower bed with petunias is the spider mite.. Due to its small size, it is difficult to notice with the naked eye - the length of the pest’s body does not exceed 1 mm. Spider mites live in colonies and quickly move to neighboring plants. They suck out the juice, which disrupts the process of photosynthesis. The leaves become covered with large white spots, dry out and fall off. Ticks become more active in rainy and cool weather.

Aphids are dangerous - white small flying insects. They live on the inside of the leaf and multiply quickly. There are dozens of species of aphids. The affected leaves become deformed and the buds dry out. On the bushes you can also see thrips - small brown insects. White stripes are noticeable on the leaves, and the plant slowly fades.

How to revive petunia

If it was not possible to save the petunia, it is important to take timely measures to restore it. They depend on the age of the flower, growing conditions, reasons for the appearance one problem or another.

Procedure depending on the reason

If the plant is sick, gardeners begin to immediately treat using folk or store-bought remedies:

• against powdery mildew - garlic infusion (50 g per 2 liters of water) or the drug "Bravo";
• Gray mold is combated with the help of “Topaz” or mustard infusion (add 2 tbsp to 10 liters of water.powder and infuse for 4 hours);
• get rid of black neck with the help of “Fitosporin-M” or a solution of Bordeaux mixture.

If pests are found, use acaricides "Demitan" or "Neoron". They are used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, observing safety rules. An infusion of medicinal dandelion is used as a folk remedy. It prevents the appearance of aphids, thrips, mites and other insects.

Attention! If the petunia does not feel well due to an inappropriate planting site (lack of sun, low humidity), it is replanted. To do this, prepare a container with nutrient soil. The plant is watered, carefully removed from the ground along with the lump and placed in a new container. Place the pot in a sunny and well-lit place. Water again and feed with organic matter.

What to do if petunia is flooded with rain

Due to rain, the roots of petunias are in damp soil, which can lead to blackneck infestation. Fertilizers are also washed away, and the plant does not have enough strength to grow and flower.

To prevent petunia from suffering during the rains, experienced gardeners recommend pinching the tops. This will accelerate the development of side shoots and the adaptation of petunia to unfavorable climatic conditions.

If rain has flooded a perennial, gardeners remove damaged leaves and flowers. Watering and fertilizing are stopped for 10-15 days - this time will be spent on recovery. If the plant is more than 2 years old, the shoots are cut almost to the base, leaving 5-7 cm. After 2 weeks, a new flower will appear in the pot. It is recommended to loosen the soil and add Glyokladina tablets - they strengthen the roots.

How to revive a flower after drying

It happens that there is no rain for a long time, and there is no time for daily manual watering. Petunia dries out and loses its attractiveness. In this case, gardeners transplant the plant to a new location and water it abundantly with warm water.. It is advisable to transplant the petunia into a new pot with drainage holes, adding gravel to the bottom. The container is placed in a tray with water for 3-4 hours. Pre-cut all dry flowers and leaves. If the petunia has dried out completely, it will not be possible to revive it.

Recovery at the end of summer

In August, summer residents reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizing and focus on phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. They compensate for the lack of microelements and prepare petunia for the autumn-winter period. Phosphorus is necessary for the proper development of the root system, potassium is responsible for immunity. Fertilizers are applied in liquid or dry form, after moistening the soil. This will protect the roots from chemical burns and the elements will be absorbed faster. Fading flowers are pinched together with the stem so that they do not take away the strength from healthy ones.

Attention! At the end of summer, petunia is fed with potassium humate. Make a solution for spraying and treat the flower beds. The product increases the plant’s resistance to adverse factors, helps to withstand frost, winds, and rain.

Preventive measures

To avoid petunia wilting, gardeners pay attention to preventive measures:

• berry bushes are planted next to it;
• avoid proximity to potatoes, peppers, eggplants;
• for irrigation use water at room temperature;
• once every 2 weeks, spray the flowerbed with a solution based on laundry soap;
• before flowering, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are applied, after - potassium-phosphorus;
• regularly inspect the plant for diseases and insects;
• Seedlings are used for planting.

Advice from experienced gardeners

Experienced flower growers share recommendations, how to revive petunia and return it to its beautiful appearance:

• for growing, use garden pots with pallets or flowerpots;
• plant a flower in soil consisting of turf, foliage, peat, humus and sand;
• after diving, cover the plant with paper for 2-3 days;
• make sure that the flowers are always in the light;
• moisten the soil in the morning or evening;
• at the beginning of autumn, remove all dry shoots.

Conclusion

Petunia resuscitation involves not always simple but effective procedures. If you overwater a summer flower, the roots will rot. In this case, gardeners remove all damaged leaves and wait until the soil dries completely. If you overdry a perennial, its shoots and stems will weaken and the flowers will grow small. Abundant watering and organic fertilizing will help correct the situation after drought.

If the plant has suffered greatly from errors in agricultural technology, picking comes to the rescue - the petunia is transplanted to a new place, the nutrient soil and drainage layer are told in advance.