Lobelia belongs to the genus of bell-shaped flowers, but some scientists prefer to attribute these plants to the only genus of lobelia. To get beautiful flowers for a summer residence, it is better to learn more about planting a plant in the ground and growing from lobelia seeds at home, because it will be necessary to observe some rules for planting flowers in the ground.
A bit of history about these colors
Let's talk about how to grow lobelia from seeds at home a little later, but for now a little history.
Lobelia is a very beautiful flower, it got its name in honor of one fairly famous botanist who lived in the Netherlands, it was this botanist who was the director in a large botanical garden belonging to the kingdom under Jacob the First. Such plants can be found in almost every city in the world, they are best taken root in those parts of the country where the subtropics rule, such flowers grow slightly worse in temperate zones. Today you can find more than three hundred varieties of these flowers, some varieties are used to create drugs, these medicines were then sold and used for lung diseases.
For planting in the front garden, you can use only twenty types of lobelia of three hundred. Each lobelia when growing from seeds at home, the photo should have a special approach, because each of the varieties is unique and requires its own care. I would like to note that these flowers are not too whimsical, so it’s worth it to boldly purchase a few packs of seeds and plant them in the ground. The plant is very similar to petunia.
Most often, when lobelia, when grown from seeds at home (with a photo), gives good seedlings, it is necessary to plant not perennial, but annual flowers. The bush is very compact, it grows up to a maximum of twenty centimeters in height, and usually has a spherical shape. Of course, you can find other varieties of lobelia, which will have a bush height of up to one and a half meters. Small bushes are perfect for growing a plant in pots at room conditions. The stems of this plant themselves are quite thin, but the bush is evenly and densely covered with large and dense leaves. After planting, the plant can begin to bloom only in June, but at the same time, lobelia only blooms in September. If you collect the seeds of such a plant, then you can save them up to three years, since during this time they will retain germination.
To start lobelia seed growing at home (forums are worth exploring), you need to prepare the seeds of this plant in advance, as mentioned above, lobelia propagates with the help of seeds. After planting, the bush will begin to give the first flowers in ten days, but it is very important to grow small seedlings from seeds so that flowering occurs precisely in these ten days. To grow the first sprouts, a special container for seedlings is being prepared, planting can begin already in the first days of February.
To get good seedlings, you will have to prepare a drainage, for this, put a little bark in the container or ordinary expanded clay will do, you can pour high-quality loose soil over the drainage, it is best to buy it in a flower shop. It is necessary to add a little river sand to the soil in advance, then the soil is watered with warm water and left for several minutes, this is necessary so that the soil settles. Once the earth is moist, you can begin to plant the seeds. The seeds do not need to be planted deep into the soil, they are simply laid out on moist soil and covered with sand a little (this is necessary so that the water does not evaporate from the seeds too quickly).When everything is ready, the container is covered with film or glass, and then put in a warm and bright place. This is how lobelia seeds are prepared for growing from seeds at home (how and when to sow it was written above), and now it's worth talking about caring for seedlings.
When the first exits begin to break through, it is necessary to water the plants more carefully, since the lobelia seedlings are not afraid of excess moisture, but dry soil can completely destroy the seedlings. That is why, if the air temperature in the apartment is more than twenty-two degrees, the plants must be under the film, it protects the soil from drying out. In addition, such plants tolerate cold well, it is not necessary to water them with warm water, lobelia transfers the temperature to minus two degrees and does not die from frost.
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Seedlings will grow extremely slowly, especially in the first month of their life, but in the second month growth will accelerate, and by the end of the second month the plants will reach four centimeters in height. After this, you can start transplanting small plants into separate cups of three things in one container. When the plants reach six centimeters in height, pinching is necessary so that the branches begin to grow faster. I would like to note that also lobelia is grown from seeds at home in pots, in this case the seedlings are transplanted not into the soil under the open sky, but into already prepared pots with soil.
If the flowers are replanted in the open ground, then it is recommended to do this only closer to the end of May, because only then there will be no severe frosts at night. When planting, you need to take into account the terrain, since growing lobelia requires a lot of sunlight. Do not fertilize the soil if it is not too fertile, since for such a plant sandy or clay soil is considered an ideal option. Also, do not use nitrogen, although it will make the plants more magnificent, but in this case the lobelia will not give beautiful flowers. It is necessary to take the sprouts out of the cup together with the soil and plant them on a new site, it is very important to keep the plant roots intact. Since the flowers will have a fairly lush bush, it is advisable to make a distance of fifteen centimeters between the holes.
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Planting lobelia ampelous from seeds at home can also occur on the street, only planting is done not in the open ground, but in a beautiful flower pot or hanging street baskets. At the same time, such a variety of flowers must also be sown first, and then ready-made seedlings should be planted so that the flowers better take root in a new place and do not die. Such flowers are perfect for decorating the house, both inside and outside. In addition, lobelia is used to decorate windows on the street, loggias or corridors. Growing lobelia from seeds at home is not so difficult, the main thing is to consider all the rules.
Other cultivation methods
There are some other methods of growing this plant, in this case you do not have to sow seeds to grow seedlings. You can make a perennial flower from an annual variety of lobelia. To do this, gardeners take plants and plant it in greenhouses for the whole winter, while the greenhouse should not be heated. You can also dig up lobelia and bring flowers into the house, they are disassembled into cuttings and planted in pots, the containers are put in a cool place where there will be enough light. With the onset of spring, these flowers are simply transplanted into the ground and wait for flowering. Gardeners often use the vegetative method when they are not sure that the seeds of the plant were able to maintain their varietal qualities and characteristics.
Flower care
Caring for these plants after landing and during flowering, it’s quite simple, but it’s very important to water the lobelia on time and constantly, especially with regard to the hot summer period, when the soil constantly dries. But the variety of lobelia that is planted in a pot requires special attention, since the plant is watered twice a day. It is also worth trimming the plants almost at the very base after it fades for the first time. For circumcision, it is necessary to retreat from the soil five centimeters and trim the bush at this height.
Do not be afraid, as the plant is not large and will begin to grow even faster, new shoots will soon give their flowers again, often flowering after pruning takes place more rapidly and beautifully. Every month you need to give plants a special mineral recharge, you can make it from fertilizers bought in a flower shop. After the lobelia has completely faded, you can simply dig it out of the front garden, and if necessary, collect the seeds.
Now you know how to grow lobelia from seeds at home!
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