Lobelia is a lovely border flower of the bell family. Its homeland is South Africa, where it grows as a perennial, and in a temperate climate of the middle lobelia, it is an annual culture. Want to grow a chic flower ball from seeds? Then study the rules under which sowing lobelia for seedlings in 2019 will be successful.
- Sowing seedlings
- Dates
- Growing Rules
- Varieties <
- Soil selection
- Sowing
- Seedling care
- Pickling Transplant open seedlings
- Care
- Watering
- Top dressing
- Clipping
- Pests and diseases
Rules for planting lobelia for seedlings in 2019
Sowing seedlings
Before you begin to grow lobelia, you need to choose the right planting material and clearly determine the sowing date, because between planting seeds and the appearance of the first flowers it takes 2.5-3 months.
If you have a heated greenhouse with the right lighting, you can sow it in January-February. A prerequisite is the ability to provide additional lighting. If this is not possible, the seeds are sown in March. With proper care, they will quickly catch up with previously planted plants by development and flowering time.
Dates
Seeds for seedlings are sown in February-March. Some gardeners begin to do this in January. The lunar calendar will help you choose the right sowing time in 2019.
Favorable days for annual flowers:
- January – 17-19, 23-27;
- February – 6-8, 11-17, 21- 25;
- March – 12-17, 19-20;
- April – 6-8, 11-13, 15-17; 29-30;
- May – 8-17, 21-23, 26-28;
- June – 1, 2, 5, 6, 9-13, 16-20;
- July – 8-10.
Suitable days for planting perennials:
- January – 14-19, 23-27;
- February – 11-13, 20-25;
- March – 12-17, 19, 20, 27-30;
- April – 6-8, 11-13, 15-17, 24-26, 29, 30;
- May – 6-8, 10-17, 21-23, 26-28, 31;
- June – 1, 2, 5, 6, 9-13, 16-20, 27-30;
- July – 8-12, 25-31.
The most unsuitable for lobelia:
- January – 5, 6, 21;
- February – 4, 5, 9;
- March – 6, 7, 21;
- April – 5, 19;
- May – 5, 19;
- June – 3, 4, 17;
- July – 2, 3, 17.
Growing Rules
During the flowering period, lobelia becomes a luxurious plant, from which it is difficult to take your eyes off. This is a small compact bush with shoots from 20 cm to 1.5 m long, densely strewn with miniature graceful flowers. This beautiful plant is very moody and demanding in care.
Varieties
Of the annual flowers, the most common varieties are the White Palace, Royal Palace, Red Cascade, Blue Fountain, Sapphire Crystal Palace. Of the perennial (two-year) these species are widely known: Kardinal, Tierra del Fuego, Cozy Corner.
Lobelia of different colors grow and develop differently:
- white – it rises for a long time and grows poorly;
- lilac and violet – poor seed germination and poor flowering;
- blue and blue – have excellent germination, well developed.
There are two varieties of lobelia. The bush is distinguished by a large and dense flower ball located above the ground. The ampel bush is looser, with fewer flowers.
Soil selection
You must purchase universal soil for flower plants in the store or prepare the mixture yourself. To do this, mix:
- 1/4 humus;
- 2/4 of the upper layer of garden soil;
- 1/4 river sand.
It is recommended to disinfect the mixture bought or made with your own hands: heat it in the oven, microwave or pour it with a solution of Fitosporin. Then you need to fill the boxes into which the seeds will be sown. You can also sow using peat tablets.
Sowing
The lobelia seeds are very small. They are sown superficially, i.e. Do not fall asleep. There are several options for sowing them.
You can use tweezers and gently spread the seeds. But, if patience is not enough, it is recommended to mix them with sand and scatter them on the surface.
If there is snow on the street, then pour it into prepared containers and sow the seeds in the snow. After melting, he will pull them into the soil.
Another way is to sow small seeds placed on a sheet of paper. After this, the sheet should be folded and carefully scattered on the ground.
After sowing, pour the planting material by spraying it with a spray bottle and cover it with a transparent plastic film or thin glass. The container must be placed in a bright, warm place, completely protected from drafts. Until that time, when the seedlings appear, the culture will need minimal care – easy watering and rare airing.
Seedling care
Seeds begin to germinate after 5-14 days. Condensation that appears on the film should be regularly removed, as it can damage fragile seedlings. Sprouts are sprayed with warm, settled water from a spray bottle or syringe with a needle. You can water with a spoon. Do not allow the soil to dry out or excess moisture.
The coating should be removed gradually: first for 10-20 minutes. morning and evening, increasing this time to several hours. It is necessary to remove the film when the sprouts reach 1 cm.
For the good development of seedlings, additional lighting is required from about 7 a.m. to 9-10 a.m.Otherwise, the seedlings will begin to stretch, and the seedlings will be weak and painful, which will reduce the likelihood of its successful development in the open air.
To protect the plant from diseases, use the organic preparation “Gliokladin” (1 tablet per 300-400 mg of soil ) The tablet is pressed into the soil in a plot free of seedlings.
Picking
Picking is carried out approximately 4-5 weeks after sowing, in the phase of two or three true leaflets. The height of the sprouts during this period will be 1.5-2 cm. Lobelia is sometimes planted in open ground without diving, but such seedlings take root worse.
Picking is the transplanting of grown sprouts into separate cups.
It is better to take purchased soil for seedlings of flowers. The soil is prepared a day before the start of the procedure: disinfection is carried out. Suitable for planting disposable cups of 200 g or special cassettes. It is necessary to make drainage holes in them or pour pebbles on the bottom.
After proceeding directly to picking:
- moisten the container with seedlings well;
- fill the cups with soil mixed with 2/3;
- each make a small indentation;
- the germs are carefully removed from the container with a spoon in bundles of 5-10 pcs.or cut with a knife squares of soil with seedlings;
- if the sowing was carried out in peat tablets, each must be broken into 2-3 parts without injuring the seedlings;
- 3-4 cups are placed in cups and carefully sprinkle with earth, compacting it with a spoon or stick;
- watered with water or a solution of Energen.
If you plan to grow in hanging planters, it is better to dive seedlings right away in them.
Transplanting seedlings into open ground
Lobelia is afraid of frost
Get started Separated from the second decade of May, you can start planting seedlings on a constant growth. The main condition is the absence of a threat of frost. Before planting, seedlings are quenched. When the air temperature reaches 12-15 ° C, you need to take them outside for 10-20 minutes, gradually increasing the time.
To change to a permanent place, you need to choose a well-lit area without drafts with light loamy soil. Then – make holes so that the distance between plants is 15-20 cm. After that, you need to moisten the soil and plant seedlings in the ground.
Care
Further care for the lobelia is from timely measures taken to improve the conditions of plant development and disease prevention.
Watering
In the hot summer, daily watering is required in the morning and in the evening.Lobelia is sensitive to a lack of moisture, so with the slightest lack of liquid, buds begin to fall.
Fertilizing
Plant is fed once a month with mineral fertilizers.
2-3 weeks after transplanting, seedlings are fed with Rainbow or Flower (10 l of water – 1 tbsp.).
Before flowering, in late June, it is recommended to carry out the second topical preparation for flowering plants “Agricola” or “Agricola Fantasy.”
In late July or early August, re-fed but this drug.
Trim
It is necessary not only to monitor the ornamental plant species, but also timely crop withered buds, so they did not take power from the flower. In the case when the flowering has become not so plentiful, it is necessary to shorten the shoots by 10-15 cm, which will stimulate the appearance of new stems. With proper care, Lobelia pleases blooming until the first frost.
Pests and diseases
This beautiful plant is practically not affected by various diseases.
Under bad weather conditions, when humidity is high and it rains, Lobelia may be damaged by rust or powdery mildew.
- Bordeaux mixture – for its preparation must be dissolved in one can in 1 liter of water 100 g of lime, and in the second – in 1 liter of hot water 100 g of vitriol, then pour the vitriol into lime, mixing thoroughly;
- “Fundazole” – the mixture contains 1 g of the drug per 1 liter of water, treatment is carried out with a break of a week three times.
Spider mite can cause lobelia, which can be eliminated by using insecticides. The solutions are prepared in the following proportion:
- “Fitoverm” – dilute 10 ml of the substance in 1 liter of water;
- “Bison” – immediately before use, dilute the ampoule in 1 liter of water, and then add 9 more;
- “Aktara” – dissolve 8 g of the substance in 10 l of very warm water.
Lobelia can be turned into a perennial by digging a bush before the onset of cold weather, and bring it into the greenhouse or onto the loggia. The main thing is that the air temperature in the room should be at least 10 ° C.
Sometimes, to maintain the level of humidity in the tissues, the flower is slightly watered. In the spring, the bush is separated and planted, and with the onset of heat, it is time to plant the plant in open ground.
Growing lobelia is a long and laborious process, but the efforts are justified, because throughout the summer and until mid-autumn, it pleases with plentiful, bright flowering.
