How my petunia seedlings are growing

In mid-February, I sowed petunias for seedlings. I grow these wonderful flowers every year, planting them in hanging baskets, boxes, and pots to decorate our gazebo-terrace. I also plant them in open ground along the paths.

I grow seedlings in my apartment. My seedlings grow slowly, so I have to care for them like a small child.
These aren't like marigolds, which grow on their own—you just sow them and don't forget to water them! But delicate petunias require a lot of attention. If the soil dries out too much, the tiny seedlings can die.

Today marks exactly a month since I sowed petunia seeds.

These are the varieties I chose this year (2021)

Petunia superb 'Burgundy'

This petunia has giant flowers, 16 cm in diameter, with wavy, fringed edges. The package contained 10 seeds, of which seven germinated. A month later, five of the seedlings had developed two leaves each, and two had just unfurled their cotyledons.

Petunia supercascade "Plum Wave" minitunia hybrid

The description says this is an easy-to-grow cascading petunia with flowers 5-7 cm in diameter. I sowed the seeds in a pot with a petunia superbum. Three of the five seeds sprouted. The sprouts have two leaves each.

Petunia grandiflora 'Tango' scarlet

Bright scarlet flowers up to 10 cm tall, branched bushes 25-30 cm tall, early flowering. Three of the 15 seeds germinated. The seedlings have two to four true leaves. Sown with the 'Balkonnaya' petunia seeds.

Petunia balcony mix of colors

This petunia sprouted the best. There are a lot of seeds in the packet. I grew this variety last year.

The flowers vary in color and are quite large. The bushes are about 40 cm.

I sowed some seeds in a pot with a Tango petunia, and some in a separate container. The sprouts have two to four true leaves.

Double petunia 'Blue Waterfall'

This is a hybrid; I used to grow a petunia like this, and it's very beautiful. The flowers are fragrant, densely double, and large. The bushes branch well and bloom early.

Six out of ten seeds sprouted. The seedlings are not growing at all.

Petunia Aphrodite white frillitunia F1

This is my favorite petunia with large, snow-white, fringed flowers. I've been growing it for about three years now.

I also had a pink Aphrodite growing.

But this year only three sprouts have emerged and they are also growing poorly, one has two leaves, the others have one each.

Petunia grandiflora 'Can Kan' F1 Harlequin Cherie Rose

Description: A large-flowered petunia with velvety, lacy, cherry-white flowers up to 8 cm in diameter. The plant is vigorous, reaching a height of 20 cm. Of the five seeds, only one germinated. A month after sowing, the seedling had one true leaf.

All the last three varieties are planted in one pot.

The packaging states the harvest year is 2020 and the expiration date is 23 years. The seeds are fresh, but the germination rate is terrible. I'll be trying to help these tiny petunias grow into blooming, fragrant bushes.

For now, the pots with seedlings are covered with bags, but I open the bags every day and air out the seedlings.

After the new moon, I will carry out the first picking, and later I will feed it with flower fertilizer.