Petunia: modern varieties

Petunia is one of the most popular plants, and among the flowers for flower gardens, and the very first. She fully deserves this popularity. First of all, petunia is highly adaptable to growing conditions. It is grown both in the north and in the tropics, only the duration of flowering is different. It grows well in flower beds, containers and hanging baskets. And yet she has a variety of colors and flower shapes, like roses or sweet peas. You can also add aroma, which in some varieties is quite strong. And all this petunia acquired over almost 200 years of work of breeders who, from a slightly attractive, but very hardy plant, reaching a height of up to 60 cm, with single flowers of 4-5 cm, usually blue or white, created a modern beauty. The appearance of F1 hybrids especially influenced the fate of petunia. Since these hybrids bloomed early and amicably and were much lower and more compact than ordinary varieties, they began to be grown in pots before flowering and planted in the ground already in bloom. So, shortly after the Second World War, container technology for growing seedlings was developed in the United States, and petunia took a leading place in it.

Read the articles about growing seedlings:

Petunia: sowing seedlings and growing

Modern approaches to growing quality seedlings

A huge achievement of breeders is the variety of flower colors: the main color of a flower can be from pure white through light pink to dark purple, and from light lavender to dark blue, almost black. Darker veins are added to the main color, which makes the flower more graceful. The light or dark center of the flower makes the overall color delicate or rich. On the main background of the flower, large white spots can be placed in the form of a rim along the edge of the flower or as rays from the center, giving the flower the shape of a star. Petunia lacked only yellow colors, there were cream and pale yellow. But there are already petunias with fairly clean yellow colors. In recent years, amazing tricolor yellow-lemon-purple colors have appeared, which change with the weather, for example, in such hybrids as Sophistica... And the last cry of fashion - almost black petunia with a large yellow star Phantom(Phantom) makes a strong impression, but reproduce it vegetatively.

By the size of the flower, petunias are divided into two large groups: large-flowered (Grandiflora) with a flower diameter of 8-13 cm and small-flowered (multi-flowered) (Multiflora or Floribunda) with 5-7 cm flowers.In recent years, a group with small flowers 2.5-4 cm in size, called Milliflora (miniflower). She became famous for her special compactness, resistance to rain and abundant flowering. But large-flowered and small-flowered petunias differ not only in flower size, but also in response to growing conditions. In our climate, the most unfavorable factor for petunias in summer is prolonged rains and low temperatures with damp air. Large-flowered petunias in such conditions lose flowers, which sometimes also rot. In prolonged damp weather, both leaves and shoots can begin to rot. When it gets warmer, they need 7-10 days for flowering to recover. Small-flowered petunias, although they suffer from such weather, tolerate it more easily and bloom faster when the sun warms up. Therefore, large-flowered petunias are good on balconies, in floor containers or in the sunniest places, where their foliage and soil dries out quickly.

To the variety of colors and size of the flower, terry and various forms of the edge of the petal (corrugation, fringe and waviness) are also added. The shape of the flower in large-flowered petunia is more changeable.The fimbriate type (fimbriata) the edge of the petal is fringed, while the superbissima type (superbissima) wide pharynx and fringed edge. These two types were very popular in pots before the introduction of heterotic hybrids. It seems that interest in them has begun to return. So, a new hybrid F1 Frillytunia has flowers with a fringed edge, and in some hybrids of large-flowered petunias, the flowers are similar in shape to the type of superbissima.

Terry petunias still attract the attention of lovers with their unusual shape and color. Terry varieties and hybrids are found in both large-flowered and small-flowered petunias.

Finally, petunias differ in growth type and plant height. They can grow straight up and have a compact or spreading bush, and spread, and then, if placed in a container, the stems will hang down, forming an ampel. Such ampelous petunias are especially popular now.

Basically, heterotic hybrids are planted in flower beds and containers, of which there are many in both large-flowered and small-flowered petunias. The commercial seedlings are grown in greenhouses from professional seeds. These seeds are sold as individual colors in series, differing in other decorative characteristics, for example, plant height and flower shape. If you intend to grow seedlings on your own, then when buying seeds you need to pay attention to the information on the package. Petunias are often sold in packages in a mixture of colors and often from different series. It is good if all large-colored or all small-colored are selected. But there are packages with a specific indication of the series, for example DaddyF1 Mix... These are the seeds you need to buy, and it is even better when a specific color is indicated, For example, PrismF1 Sunshine or Supertunia F1 Pink Moorn.

Naturally, it is impossible to give a list of all the petunias available for sale, especially since firms selling seeds often give catchy commercial names that do not correspond to the original ones. Therefore, the most common individual hybrids and series are presented. (Names in Russian are given if this series and hybrid are on sale with this spelling.)

The garden group of large-flowered petunias includes the following series and hybrids:

DaddyF1 Series - height 25 - 30 cm, the plants are compact, early flowering, the flowers are very large, with a diameter of 7.5 - 10 cm, with elegant colors due to dark veins on a lighter background, the series includes hybrids of 6 colors.

Picotee (Pikoti) F1 Series - compact plants, 25-30 cm high, early-flowering, large flowers, 8-9 cm in diameter, very bright, thanks to a wide white border around the edge of flowers with red, pink, purple and dark blue color.

PrismF1 Sunshine - plants are powerful, 30 - 35 cm high, flowers are large, 7 - 10 cm in diameter, creamy yellow.

SophisticaSeries - the plants are powerful, 25-40cm high and 25-30cm wide. The flowers are large, up to 10 cm, of unusual multicolor colors, in which the size and saturation of the spots change from the weather and the age of the flower: AntiqueShades - light pink with yellow spots of various sizes; BlueMorn - dark blue with a silvery white throat and a spot around it; LimeBicolor - greenish-yellow with bright purple-pink spots.

StormF1 Series - height 30 - 35 cm, compact plants, large flowers, 7 - 9 cm in diameter, in a series of 8 colors.

Large-flowered petunias such as fimbriata and superbissima

Frillytunia (Frillitunia) F1 Series - height 35-45 cm, compact plants, large flowers, 8-10 cm, white, dark pink and blue, with an elegant fringed edge.

Jabot series - The plants are compact, 30-35cm high with huge, up to 12cm, strongly corrugated Superbissim flowers, pink, purple and dark blue. Great decoration for a south balcony or a large veranda pot.

 

Large-flowered terry petunias

DoubleCascade (Double Cascade) F1 Series - plants are semi-compact, well-branching, 25-35 cm high, terry flower, similar to a carnation, 10-13 cm in diameter, with a wavy edge of petals, has colors: dark blue, lavender-pink, lavender with veins, light pink, burgundy , pink. Plants of the series bloom 2-3 weeks earlier than other large-flowered, double petunias.

Pirouette (Pirouette) F1 Series - Plants 25-35 cm high, the flower is terry, large, the petals are strongly corrugated and indented with a white edge of different widths, colors: dark purple, dark pink and red.

Sonata (Sonata) F1 - Plants 25-35 cm high, the flower is densely doubled, large, the petals are slightly corrugated, the color is pure white.

Multi-flowered petunias

CarpetF1 Series - compact plants, 25-30 cm high, early and abundant flowering, the series includes hybrids of 16 colors, incl. in large white stripes in the form of a star.

CelebrityF1 Series - the plants are very compact, 20-25 cm high, flowering early and abundant, the series includes hybrids of 16 colors, incl. with dark veins and a white center.

F1 MerlinSeries - compact plants, 25 cm high, flower 6 - 7 cm in diameter, the series includes 17 colors, incl. with a white border on the petals.

MirageF1 Series - plants with a height of 25-35 cm, the series combines hybrids with 25 different flower colors: monochromatic, with bright veins, with a light and dark center and white stripes in the form of a star.

Small-flowered terry petunias

Bonanza F1 Mix - height 30 cm, abundant flowering, terry flower, a mixture of bright colors.

Duo(Duo)F1 Series - well-branching plants, 20-30 cm high, semi-double flower, 5-5.5 cm in diameter, slightly wavy petals, resistant to moisture compared to other terry petunias. The richest series in flower color, it includes 10 hybrids with monochromatic and two-color colors.

Miniflower petunias

Fantasy F1 Series - height 20 - 25 cm, plants are compact, almost spherical, flowers are small 2.5 - 4 cm, abundant flowering until frost, the series includes hybrids of 11 colors.

Ampel petunias

EasyWave (Easy Wave) Series - Plants form a cascade 50-60 cm long, Flowers 7-8 cm in diameter, varied in color, monochromatic, with a large white center and dark veins. A total of 14 colors. The series is suitable for hanging baskets.

ExplorerF1 Series - Plants up to 80cm long, flowers are medium. The series includes 9 solid colors, with a dark center and bright veins.

Ramblin (Remblin) F1 Series - the length of the lash is 50 - 60 cm, the flowers are medium, eleven colors, including two two-color: pale lilac with white and light salmon with white.

SuperCascadeF1 Series - sprawling vigorous plants, forming a wide bush, flowers are very large, with a diameter of 9 - 13 cm, the series includes 9 colors. More suitable for large pots and floor containers.

Wave(Wave) F1 Series - Plants form a cascade up to 120 cm. Flowers are medium, 5-7 cm in diameter, dark blue, purple, lavender, light pink and pink in color. For balcony boxes and hanging baskets.

Minitunia FEpisode 1 - the plants grow up to 90 cm long, the flowers are medium-sized, the flowering is abundant and long-lasting. Colors: dark blue, pink, light pink with bright veins, dark pink and white cream.

Supertunia FEpisode 1 - Plants form a cascade up to 80 cm, flowers are medium, 5-6 cm in diameter, have monochromatic colors, with bright veins and with a white center.