Lobelia : planting and care

This remarkable culture as lobelia, planted in the country, can become a real decoration, delighting the owners of their magnificent blooms.Planting and event follow-up care for it does not represent a significant difficulty.

Inour latitudes lobelia flowers are often grown as annuals, in the overwhelming majority, representing a neat spherical bush (10 - 20 cm high).This culture is characterized by the presence of thin, branching directly from the base of the stems, generously covered with lanceolate leaves.In the flowering period (June - September), lobelia, as in the photo, is covered with delicate flowers axillary bilabiate white, magenta, purple, light blue, dark blue, (depending on grade) with small (about 2 cm) Stem.The fruits of the plant - polyspermous boxes.

Sowing

Priority method for growing lobelia - seed.Also, do not excluded and seedling method preceded by seed propagation.When asked when to plant lobelia?- Experienced gardeners comply with the following: in the beginning of February, you need to prepare tapes for seedlings (depth cells - 5 cm);put them in the drainage layer of expanded clay or pieces of bark;and then, on top of fill light, thoroughly mashed soil, to which added to river sand, coconut fiber.

prepared soil must be watered, wait for it to sedimentation, to sow in it the seeds mixed with sand.Seeds do not require embedding in the ground, as it may prevent them ascend.It will be sufficient to meet their minimum powder sand to avoid too rapid evaporation of moisture from the soil.The cassette should cover the glass or film, put in place, illuminated by bright sunlight scattered.

seedling culture

Shoots lobelia is not afraid of excess moisture, but too warm, over-dried air, dry soil can be fatal for them, because the germs can be killed and thinned.As a consequence, it is not recommended without leaving the tape covering her in a room with a temperature of + 22ºC and more.Also, it needs strict adherence to culture watering schedule.

Experienced gardeners recommend beginners to fill with those who fear or chill shoots perform their watering directly into the cassette tray.But the coolness of seedlings is not terrible, because they are resistant to temperatures up to -2ºC.During the first month of fairly slow growth of seedlings, almost imperceptible, but it is noticeably accelerate in the next month.Upon reaching the seedlings height of 3 - 4 cm (after two months from the time of sowing), should fulfill their picks in disposable cups (capacity 100 grams) to 3 - 4 things.When the seedlings reach the height of 6 - 7 cm, they must be prischipnut to encourage branching.Interestingly, lobelia bloom begins another seedling stage.

Planting lobelia

lobelia In the open ground planted in May (usually in the second half of the month), when the seedlings will no longer be afraid of night frosts.In deciding how and where to plant lobelia, preference should be given to solar area with loose soil (sandy loam or loam).In preparing the soil before planting, do not abuse the introduction of nitrogen fertilizers, because it is fraught with obtaining lush beautiful greenery at the expense of flowering.In all the holes (spacing: 10-15 cm), using the method of handling, the contents should be planted cups.

There is an alternative method of growing lobelia (without the use of seed method).It involves digging up the plant with its subsequent wintering in a cold greenhouse, thus, transformed into a perennial lobelia.In the winter storage possible entry into the house plants in a cool place with good lighting.In anticipation of spring, the bushes culture versed in the cuttings, seated in the prepared capacity for rooting, followed by planting in the soil.Using vegetative method is considered to be rational in the case where the gardener is not sure at maintaining lobelia, grown from seeds, varietal characteristics.

Care lobelia

For lobelia look pretty simple.The most important point - timely watering culture, as the soil underneath it must always be kept in a moist condition, which is especially important during the hot period.Also, the important crop plants, to be performed at the end of flowering.Trim stalks is performed at 5 cm from the soil, which contributes to the rapid growth in the next shoot, as well as re-abundant flowering.In addition, 2 - 3 times in the summer must be made feeding culture with complex mineral fertilizers.

Collect seeds

autumn, after the flowering plant should get rid of its residues by running (if necessary) to collect seeds.Leaving the spring this work, you need to be prepared for the possibility of breeding lobelia self-seeding, which will provoke its later flowering.The best option - to collect seeds and run their crop, according to the recommendations above.To collect the seeds necessary to cut the bush, shake over spread out paper to collect fallen seeds, put them in a match box, sign and send to storage.

Photo Lobelia flowers

Video how to grow lobelia