Lobelia perennial, unlike its one-year-old relative, is not so famous and widespread, but no less spectacular. The flower is grown from seeds in a seedling method, which is a rather lengthy and painstaking process. A preliminary acquaintance with the long-term varieties of lobelia and the nuances of their cultivation will guarantee the success of its breeding.
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Species and varieties
There are about 300 types of lobelia. Among them are annuals and perennials, grassy forms, shrubs and shrubs. With all the variety of types and forms in decorative floriculture, no more than 20 are used.
In the temperate latitudes of Russia, annual varieties of lobelia are most often grown. They look great in single plantings, forming flowery carpets and curtains and are effective in the composition of plant compositions. Colored clouds of annual lobelias adorn balconies and loggias, verandas and arbors.
Perennial varieties are not so famous and are cultivated less often, but no less spectacular and interesting.
They have high erect stems bearing fairly large inflorescences of red, purple and blue hues. Group plantings of perennial lobelias brightly spot lawns, decorate parks and squares, turning them into a cozy corner, which offers relaxation.
Currently, several types of perennial lobelia are cultivated. Each of them has its own varieties.
1. Lobelia is beautiful. This type of lobelia is characterized by high (up to 80 cm) erect and strong shoots with large, elongated leaves of green or dark purple hue.It has large (3 cm) flowers in bright saturated colors and has high frost resistance, due to which it can be grown in the northern regions of the temperate zone. One of the most spectacular varieties of the species is Deep Red with red velvety inflorescences, blazing bright reeds of flame against a background of dark green foliage.
2. Lobelia red. Plants of this species are distinguished by slender tall (60–70 cm) shoots, elongated by narrow leaves and large racemose inflorescences formed by buds of bright red shades. Varieties of fire lobelia are less cold-resistant and need winter shelter or digging and storage until a spring in a cool place. Popular hybrids: Queen Victoria with tall shoots that carry purple leaves and spectacular scarlet inflorescences, and Rushn Princess - a bush with densely arranged tall shoots that carry purple-cast leaves and fragrant inflorescences of raspberry shades.
3. Purple lobelia stands out among its relatives by strong, high (up to 1 m) shoots, oblong leaves of emerald green tones and spike-shaped inflorescences formed by bright scarlet flowers of an original form. Prefers to grow near water bodies and in shallow water. The most famous decorative variety of purple lobelia is “Ruby Slippers” with elegant silky buds of a pink-raspberry hue.
4. Lobelia perennial blue is very attractive, but for the conditions of central Russia, its varieties are not winter hardy enough.
Growing flowers from seeds
Perennial lobelia is grown from seeds. Sowing material is collected independently or purchased in a specialized store.
Growing lobelia from seedlings is the most effective and at the same time quite lengthy and troublesome process of obtaining lobelia, requiring meticulous observance of certain points regarding the technology of sowing and care of seedlings.
How and when to sow seedlings for seedlings
Sowing seedlings for seedlings is carried out in the last decade of February - early March. To carry it out you will need:
• small containers or any plastic containers with drainage holes;
• correctly selected and prepared soil.
One of the important components of obtaining good lobelia seedlings is the use of high quality soil. It must be nutritious and have high air and water permeability. These conditions are met by the purchased substrate for flower seedlings with the addition of a small (1/10 part) amount of sand. The ideal option is to use soil for cacti.
With independent preparation of the substrate, forest land, peat, humus and sand, taken in equal amounts, are mixed.
Before sowing, the soil is sieved and disinfected in any way possible:
• shed with a solution of potassium permanganate or fungicide;
• calcined for 10-15 minutes in the oven or microwave;
• steamed for half an hour in a water bath.
The prepared substrate is placed in a container, not filling up to the edges of 1 - 1.5 cm, and moisten well with hot water. After this, they begin to sow.
Lobelia has very small (dusty) seeds, so they are not buried, but distributed evenly on the surface of the earth.
This can be conveniently done in several ways:
• pour seeds on a sheet of white smooth (glossy) paper, previously bent in half, and sow from the fold, tapping lightly on it;
• With a wet index finger or blunt end of a pencil, “grab” seeds that have been sprinkled onto a flat surface, and point them to the soil with point movements.
Some gardeners use other techniques to achieve a more even distribution of small seeds:
• sown on snow, which previously covers the soil - dark seeds are clearly visible on a white background;
• sowing is carried out with a mixture of seeds and fine dry light sand (1:10), previously carefully and carefully mixed.
After seeding, the containers are covered with a dense transparent material and placed in a warm (20 - 25 ° C) and bright place.
How to care for seedlings
The first sprouts of lobelia will appear in a week. They are not always friendly and, among other things, very small and weak, with thin filamentous stems. Therefore, they need to create certain conditions and care:
• the protective material from the containers is not removed after emergence for another 1.5 to 2 weeks.
• After 2 weeks, the seedlings begin to air, gradually removing the film and increasing the time of the procedure.
• Seedlings organize additional illumination by positioning the light source at a distance of 3 - 7 cm from the soil surface.
• The soil is moistened with warm, settled water through a tray or using a spoon or syringe, directing the stream along the wall of the container. When growing lobelia seedlings, it is unacceptable to allow both drying out and waterlogging of the soil.
In a month, the seedlings will grow noticeably and get stronger. When small lobelias have 3 to 4 true leaves, they can be dived.
Picking the Lobelia perennial
Lobelia picking is not an easy task. The difficulties of its implementation are explained by the small size of the seedlings, their fragility and rather dense seedlings.
Therefore, when picking, lobelia is planted not in one seedling, but in groups of 5-8 in an individual container. Plastic cups or cassettes are used, filled with a substrate of the same composition and properties as for sowing.
1. It is convenient to make a pick using a small spatula or any device that replaces it (teaspoon, tweezers), capturing several plants with a lump of earth and carefully placing them in a previously made hole.
2. After planting, plants are sprinkled with earth and watered with warm water. Watering should be done carefully, through a tray or on the wall of the container, being careful not to get on the plants. If after watering the soil settles, forming voids, they are covered with dry soil.
3. After diving, containers with plants are put in the shade for several days. Seedlings are looked after, providing heat, light and moisture.
Growing seedlings in peat tablets
Lobelia seedlings are conveniently grown in peat tablets. This reduces the cost of preparing or acquiring the substrate and containers, significantly simplifies sowing and avoids picking.
For sowing lobelia, it is better to use medium-sized peat tablets, previously soaked in hot water.
1. Swollen peat tablets are placed in plastic containers and sown, placing several seeds on the surface of the tablet.
2. During the first 1 to 2 weeks, before emergence, the top of the peat tablet should always be slightly moist. To achieve this state, a small amount of water is poured onto the bottom of the container.
3. The container with tablets is closed with a transparent, airtight material and placed in a warm, bright place. The seedlings are looked after similarly to growing in containers, excluding picking.
Growing lobelia directly in tablets is planted in flower beds.
Outdoor landing
Before planting in the soil, the lobelia seedlings are hardened, daily taking out into the open air. The first hardening is carried out for 15-30 minutes, protecting plants from drafts and direct sunlight. The duration of "walks" is gradually increased to several hours.
1. Landing time. After the threat of night frost disappears, lobelia can be planted in open ground. In the middle latitudes, this happens in late May - early June.
2. Where and how to plant. Lobelia grows well in sunny places and in partial shade, in areas with loose and not very fertile soils. Land on the selected site is prepared in advance, in the fall. It is carefully digged and loosened, mixed with sand (1: 1) and humus added (1/10 of the total volume).
Plants are placed in previously dug small holes at a distance determined by the tasks of the grower:
• for a continuous carpet - after 10 - 15 cm;
• when planting with an interval of 25 cm, lobelia will grow in curtains.
Plant care
Lobelia care is pretty simple and won't take long. It consists of watering, pruning and top dressing.
1. Watering. Lobelia needs moderate hydration, excluding overflow. The regularity of soil moisture is determined by the state of the topsoil. It should always be slightly moist.
2. Pinch. A procedure designed to activate the growth of side shoots and form a beautiful lush bush. If necessary (strong stretching of the shoots or interest in obtaining a bush of a certain shape or increased density), the pinch is repeated after some time.
3. Cropping. After the first flowering, the lobelia shoots are cut to a length of 5 cm. This allows you to achieve increased bushiness and cause a more generous subsequent flowering.
4. Feeding. To obtain long, plentiful and lush flowering, lobelia is fed three times a season, introducing complex mineral fertilizers for flowering plants, which contain an increased amount of phosphorus and potassium.
With good care, lobelia begins to bloom in the second half of June and pleases with bright colors until the first frosts.
Lobelia propagation by perennial cuttings and layering
When growing lobelia from seeds, varietal characters are not always preserved, therefore rare or especially liked varieties of lobelia are propagated vegetatively using cuttings and layering.
For this:
• in late autumn, lobelia bushes are dug up together with a lump of earth and planted in containers of suitable size;
• boxes with plants are placed in a cool (13 - 15 ° C) bright place and occasionally watered;
• at the end of February they carry out cuttings and make layering.
These procedures are not particularly difficult:
1. As cuttings, sections of shoots up to 10 cm long are cut. Rooting is carried out in the soil, in individual containers, after which the plants are planted in open ground.
2. To obtain layering, shoots of the lower tier are used. They are bent to the soil, in the place where the shoot touches, they make a small incision on it and pin this section of the shoot with any convenient non-metallic device. Then it is sprinkled with earth. When the rooted layers give their shoots, they are separated from the mother form and transplanted into separate containers or open ground.
Protection against diseases and pests
Adult forms of perennial lobelia are not prone to frequent diseases and are rarely affected by pests. But the seedlings are very sensitive and quite often sick.
The main causes of diseases are gross violations in seedling care:
• sowing in poorly washed containers;
• use of unsuitable substrate;
• seedling content in a cool (up to 18 ° C) place;
• lack of light;
• irrigation regime violations.
Most often, lobelia is affected by fungi that cause the development of certain diseases:
• The black leg is manifested by decay of the basal neck, leading to lodging and death of seedlings, and sometimes adult plants. In the initial stages of the disease, seedlings can be saved by treating with a fungicide.
• Gray rot is diagnosed by the formation of dusty plaque and gray spots on the leaves and shoots of lobelia. When the first signs of the disease are detected, the affected plants are removed, and the plants are treated with fungicides containing copper compounds.
• Tracheomycotic wilting is accompanied by yellowing and gradual drying of the plants. In order to finally verify the defeat of the plant, it is necessary to cut one of the shoots and consider its cut. The presence of darkened vessels confirms the assumption. Sick plants destroy. The soil and containers are disinfected with systemic fungicides according to the instructions of the drug.
The leaves of perennial lobelia attract sucking insects: thrips, aphids, spider mites. Pests are destroyed by insecticides.
Despite all the difficulties of breeding, perennial varieties of lobelia have already found their fans. And this is understandable - knowing the secrets, as well as some convenient and effective methods of growing it, allows you to get a beautiful and unusual plant. In gratitude for the understanding and care, it will delight others with its colors for several months.
