Lobelia perennial: planting, care
A charming delicate flower with airy stems and an unusual shape of flowers – perennial lobelia. White, blue, pink buds of this subtropical beauty, a distant relative of the bell, adorn balconies and garden plots.
Planting perennial lobelia
Planting a flower is very simple. To do this, it is enough to buy a bag of seeds and sow them in the ground in early – mid-February.
Beauty lobelia perennial is easy to plant and care for
Here’s how to do it.
- In peat tablets. The method is elementary: moisten your finger in the moist substance of peat, dip it into a bag of seeds, slide it over the surface of the peat with a rubbing motion. No need to sprinkle.
- In boxes with soil. Mix the seeds with sand and scatter over the moistened soil. Cover with foil, put in the sun. Periodically, once a day, remove the film for airing.
- In egg containers or plastic cups filled with universal flower primer. You can sprinkle some sand on top of the ground and distribute the seeds in piles. This makes it easier to transplant the bushes to a permanent place.
After 2-3 weeks, in March, the seedlings will be strong enough to pinch them. This is necessary in order to form a dense bush. In June, prepare pots, planters, or planting boxes. Carefully remove the lobelia bush together with the earthen lump (you can do this with a regular spoon) and root it into the ground, after making shallow holes.
If the flowers are not ampelous, then planting can be done directly in open soil, loamy or loose. Mix seeds with sand and pour into the snow over the place where you plan to make a flower garden in March-April. The melted snow will moisturize the soil with seeds well, and sprouts will appear 2 weeks after thawing.
The flower takes root well, but requires careful maintenance. The root system of lobelia is weak, it suffers from both excess and lack of water. Therefore, when watering, make sure that the soil is moist, but the roots are not flooded.
The plant begins to bloom in the middle of summer. At the end of July, the first buds appear, which, with proper care, will delight the eye until the September cold snap.
- A haircut is required. Immediately after the first flowering, trim the tops of the bushes by 7 cm.If this is not done, you can not wait for the re-flowering.
- In order for the plant to bloom profusely, not only abundant timely watering is needed, but also loosening.
- Fertilize with mineral fertilizers in the spring.
- Collect the seed pods in the fall so that there is no self-seeding.
- For the winter, cover the bushes with fallen leaves or bring pots and pots into the house. If the lobelia hibernates outside, trim the stems to 3 cm.
The flower feels best in a sunny place. In shaded areas, it grows, the flowers become small and rare.
Lobelia is beautiful and unpretentious for many years. It multiplies easily by seeds, blooms all summer, does not require complex care.