Pruning of petunias in the middle of summer and at other times: how to trim it in July and August, as well as if it is stretched out; can this be done during flowering?

Petunia is a plant that delights everyone with its magnificent color and pleasant aroma. It can be grown in the loggia, on the balcony or in the garden. But in order for it to give a magnificent color, you need to know a few simple subtleties of care.

The plant begins to bloom in the middle of spring, and ends when the first frost occurs.

One of the few rules for caring for a petunia is pruning or pinching, and in the article we will consider how to properly carry it out.

Plant features

Petunia is a beautiful and unpretentious plant that has the shape of a bush covered with many flowers. The latter can have a uniform color: violet, blue, pink, red, white, etc. Some species are bicolor.

Reference! Recently, the variety of petunias has gained immense popularity, in which the edges of the flowers have a terry surface.

For successful cultivation on a balcony, flower bed or flower garden, regular watering and adequate lighting are necessary. It is also important that the plant is not oppressed or obscured by the larger neighbors in the flower bed. Otherwise, the branches of the petunias will be elongated and the color shallow.

Petunia needs to be periodically treated from pests. If this rule is ignored, the bush can simply dry out.

Each grower wants his plants to be not only healthy, but also beautiful, for this you need to periodically trim the petunias.

What is cropping and what is it for?

If the growth of petunia is left to chance, then the plant will take on an elongated shape with small and dull flowers. Proper pincing (pinching) of the main branches activates the growth of lateral stems even during the growing of seedlings. And after a maximum of 14 days, the first buds will be visible on the plant, which is what every grower wants.

The first pruning is done at the seedling growth stage. But, since most get the plant ready for planting in the soil or in the pot, you need to know how to handle it further. Pruning time depends on the type of plant.

Pinching is breaking off with your fingers or cutting off with the help of scissors the tip of the stem. This stimulates the thickening of the shoot, the leaves become thicker and have a more saturated color. The activation of sleeping buds on branches begins, which quickly turn into new stems filled with large flowers.

Is it possible to trim this plant?

Not only possible, but necessary. Using this method, many gardeners create a variety of forms of the bush, directing the growth of stems. So you can make the petunia round to flow around the pot, or you can hang down, it looks especially beautiful if it grows on the balcony.

This method is relevant only in case of timely pinching during the vegetation period of the plant.

Will it help if the trunk is very extended?

As a result of improper care or insufficient lighting, the plant begins to stretch. The stems become long and sparse. So, the correct pruning in this case will help correct the situation. Bush petunia can be easily plucked, making branches only 15 cm in length. Do not regret the plant, because after a while you can see how it began to grow with renewed vigor.

What must be taken into account?

Pruning or pinching should be done only on an adult bush. This will not only stimulate flowering, but also additionally propagate the plant using cuttings. 3-4 weeks after the first pruning, it is necessary to perform an additional shortening of the lateral stems to give additional volume. As for the subsequent manipulations with shortening the branches, they are carried out at their discretion or according to the state of the plant.

Nipping

In order for the plant to easily tolerate the pinch and not spend extra energy on restoration, some nuances should be taken into account. All inventory must be prepared in advance. To pinch the grower, you must have:

stronger seedlings, the bush should consist of at least five large leaves;
a container to put the cuttings there;
manicure scissors - if you plan to tweeze;
secateurs or garden knife for pruning.

Next, a visual video on how to pinch a petunia:

Basic Rules

To grow a lush and flowering plant, you must adhere to the following rules:

When performing pincing, at least 5 large sheets should remain on the seedlings.
It is important not to miss the right moment. Overgrown seedlings are not suitable for tweezing.
When transplanting a plant into a flower bed, you must wait three days. During this time, petunia will get stronger, otherwise the plant will most likely die.
When pinching young shoots, the instrument is recommended to be sterilized.
Try to carry out cutting with minimal trauma to the stem.

Attention! To achieve maximum results in the form of a dense bush and large buds, it is necessary to feed the petunia from time to time with special fertilizers.

Timing

In the pruning of the plant itself there is nothing complicated if you follow all the rules. But depending on the period of development, haircuts are slightly different. If at the beginning of summer the plant is only gaining strength and has a healthy and beautiful appearance, then at the end of the season, without the lack of proper care, the petunia can completely dry out. The very first pinching is done even on seedlings around the beginning of June. Next, stems grow and the first buds appear. In July, this is a fully ripe flowering bush.

How to carry out the procedure to improve flowering in summer?

In this case, you will need a pruner or clippers. However, some gardeners do this with their fingers, which is not a gross violation. By mid-summer, the bush becomes less flowers, and the bush is thinning a little. Pruning is needed to resume flowering.

If you do not take care of the petunia correctly, do not prune it in time, then in the middle of summer it will practically cease to bloom, since all its forces will be spent on ripening the seeds. To prevent this, you need to pluck branches where there are practically no buds left. On a trimmed stem should not remain less than 4 leaves. It is also worth plucking buds that have already faded. Experienced petunia breeders recommend pinching every month, until the end of September.

July haircut

Not only the central stalk is shortened, but also the lateral processes on it.
You need to cut if there are almost no new buds left on the stem.
Dry leaves and faded buds break off.
Pinching only the tip of the stem is not recommended, since new branches here will grow weak and thin.

The following is a visual video about a petunia haircut in the month of July:

In August

In August, pinching is carried out in order to resume bush density and active flowering. The principle of the procedure is the same as in the previous month. At this time, some petunias may lose strength as a result of active flowering. For best results, weekly top dressing and regular hydration are recommended.

Important! Pinching is best done early in the morning or in the evening, when direct sunlight does not yet reach the petunia.

After flowering

Is it possible to prune a plant during flowering? In this case, it all depends on the purpose of growing petunias. So if the gardener wants to get seeds, pruning makes no sense, it is worth waiting for the full maturation of the seed capsule and only then pinch it along with the stem. Well, if the bush is grown for decorative purposes, then pruning is necessary, as the ripening of the seeds draws a lot of strength from the plant.

When regular plucking does not give positive results, and the leaves and tops begin to turn yellow, pruning should be done. And, after some time, young shoots will begin to appear from the old stems.

Follow-up care

In order for the plant to continue to please with a magnificent color, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

for enhanced growth of petunias, it is necessary to regularly feed with mineral fertilizer and a growth stimulator (how to feed the plant for abundant flowering can be found here);
to carry out daily watering on hot days;
nip off faded flowers with the stem.

You can get more information about the features of caring for petunia during flowering here, and from this article you will learn what to do if the plant does not bloom at all.

Conclusion

Petunia is a lushly blooming, bright beauty, who has a strict and at the same time responsive character. And so that she can please the eye throughout the season, she must be carefully looked after. Timely plucking or pruning of flowers and stems of the plant will extend the period of active growth.