How to grow lobelia seedlings at home?

A good seedling of lobelia will definitely delight you if you follow the necessary rules and tips for growing it competently.

In this article, we will consider in detail how and when to plant lobelia for seedlings from seeds at home.

Lobelia seedlings - the secrets of growing from seeds at home

The question of how to grow lobelia seedlings is of interest to many lovers of beautiful flower beds in their summer cottage.

Among the large number of annual flower crops, this graceful light lobelia (Lobelia) occupies a special place, which looks gorgeous both in a flower garden as a "carpet" covering the ground, and in traditional pots that decorate the terrace or windows with cascades of small inflorescences of all shades of blue and red colors.

The flowers slightly resemble geranium inflorescences, only in a miniature version, and the range of shades is the same, pink-blue.

In order to grow annual seedlings on your own, you will have to try, since the flower is difficult to grow precisely during:

• sowing planting material;
• growth of seedlings at home;
• before planting in open ground.

And although these days it is naturally possible to buy ready-made seedlings at the market or in a flower shop, but it is so interesting to grow flowers from a seed on your own, and then enjoy the beauty outside the window of a country house.

So, let's talk in more detail about how to grow lobelia seedlings.

The most popular lobelia varieties

In addition to the usual (bush), there is an ampelous form with stems up to 45 cm long.

Florists distinguish the following beautiful varieties of lobelia:

• Crystal Palace.
• Emperor Willie.
• Miss Clebran.
• Cambridge Blue.
• White Palace.
• Sapphire.
• Blue fountain.
• Red cascade.
• Royal Palace.
• Fiery.

The seller of a specialized store will help with the choice of planting material.

You can read about how to choose the right seeds in this article.

When to plant lobelia seedlings?

Since the annual develops very slowly, it can be planted early - already in the 2nd-3rd decade of February.

Average sowing dates for lobelia:

• For the Moscow region and Central Russia - March 10 - 20,
• For Siberia and the Urals from February 15,
• In the southern zone of Russia and the Black Earth Region, lobelia can be sown already in the second - third decade of February.

Better if you follow the lunar calendar, you can find it here

Days	January	February	March	April
Auspicious days	26, 27, 28	17, 18, 21, 22, 25, 26	25, 26, 27, 28	21, 22, 23, 24
Unfavorable days	1-3, 16, 17	15,16	2, 3, 16, 17, 23	15, 16, 30

How to plant lobelia seedlings from seeds?

• Seedling soil

For planting, use any substrate for flowers purchased in a store or harvested on their own from the autumn period.

Lobelia soil option

Take sifted garden soil, as well as well-decomposed humus, 2-3 kg per 1 square meter. m, as well as 1 tablespoon of Agricola-7 and nitrophoska.

It is very important that the soil is not heavy and loose.

Small pots should be filled with earth, tamped lightly, and then spilled with boiling water.

After that, you need to loosen a little on top and sow the seeds.

• How to plant lobelia seeds

Lobelia planting material is very small, like dust, and in order not to overdo it with the number of seeds for seedling growth, you need to use a match:

1. wet the end;
2. put it in seeds;
3. move the seeds into a prepared container with earth.

Then the containers with crops must be covered with a glass sheet or PE film and sent to a warm place (not to a radiator).

With the correct temperature regime of 18-20 ° C, the sprouts will hatch in 7-14 days.

Important!!!

It is important to trace this entire period so that the inside does not begin to grow moldy, for this it is necessary to refresh the crops, in addition, it is necessary to ensure that condensation does not form - heavy drops can "sink" the seeds to the wrong depth.

After the seedlings germinate, the glass or film must be removed not immediately, but carefully.

How to dive lobelia is well explained in this article.

• Growing in peat tablets

Alternatively, peat tablets can be used to grow flower seedlings.

Dry peat tablets should be placed in a container, pour clean water and leave for 10 minutes.

When the peat tablets are completely saturated with water, you can do planting.

In the central part of the tablet, pits must be made and moistened with epin (it must be diluted strictly according to the instructions!), Then, with a wet toothpick, you need to attach annual seeds and transfer them to a peat tablet. The tablets must be sent to the mini greenhouse.

The sprouts will germinate in bunches, but the picking does not need to be performed, so it will be necessary to send it to the flower bed in bunches, but it is imperative to remove the grid along the dotted line of the peat tablet before planting.

Lobelia seedlings

Useful tips for growing lobelia seedlings

One of the important points when caring for seedlings is timely watering.

Since the lobelia seedlings are very small at the initial pores, watering should be done correctly from a syringe with a needle.

After the appearance of the first true leaves, the plant can be planted in pots in families of several seedlings, choosing the most:

• strong;
• juicy;
• high quality.

It is correct to pinch the bush varieties of the flower after a certain period of growth, then the flower will branch well, and the ampelous species do not need to be pinched.

The correct conditions for seedlings, for growth, after they hatch - a temperature of 13-17 ° C and good natural light.

Important!!!

Despite the fact that lobelia is thermophilic, hardened seedlings tolerate mild frosts down to –1 ° C.

What problems can you face when growing?

The main problem with growing seedlings is watering.

Important!!!

If the plant is flooded, then the thin seedlings will become moldy, and if there is little moisture, the seedlings will instantly curl up into a tube.

Light also influences growth, there should be a lot of it. If this moment is ignored, then the seedlings will be pulled up.

It is for this reason that experienced florists recommend using additional lighting when the seedlings are on the northern windowsill.

It is also important to consider the moment of fertilization.

Resist the temptation to feed the seedlings; during the initial growth, feeding will be harmful.

Fertilize should be:

• already in the flowerbed;
• in containers on the loggia;
• in flowerpots or pots.

It is important to comply with the conditions, then the seedlings will turn out to be strong, and the color will be active.

Lobelia

When to plant lobelia seedlings in the ground?

After the frost stops, the flower seedlings can be planted outside.

It blooms well both in sunny and semi-shady places, on light garden lands with sufficient humidity

You can send to the site no earlier than May - in warm (Central) regions and from mid-June - in the cold territories of the country.

The distance between the seedlings should be 100-150 mm. If the planting dates are met and properly looked after, lobelia will give color in June and will continue to delight us until late autumn.

For planting, you need to choose an area where there is a lot of sun or partial shade, the land should be of high quality, not scarce, and moist.

In hot and dry conditions with poor watering, lobelia can stop the color.

If the seedlings will be sent to grow in containers or flowerpots, it is important to moisten the soil in a timely manner. Watering should be carried out 2 times in the morning and evening, especially when the summer is drought.

For active flowering, the plant must be fertilized 2-3 times during the summer:

• The first feeding is carried out 2 weeks after planting the seedlings in a permanent place or after germination. Lobelia is fed only with organic fertilizers: 1 tablespoon of liquid fertilizer "Rainbow" and organic fertilizer "Flower" are diluted in 10 liters of water.
• The next top dressing is carried out in June, at the beginning of flowering: 1 tablespoon Agricola Fantasy and 1 tablespoon of complete Agricola fertilizer for flowering plants are diluted into 10 liters of water.
• This top dressing is given in July, and also after cutting the plant - in August.

It is interesting!

If in August the plant is cut low, fed, loosened and watered, a second flowering occurs, which will last until frost.

If you have chosen your favorite type of plant, then you can continue cultivating a flower culture by removing a beautiful bush from the soil in the autumn, transplanting it into a pot and saving it until spring as an indoor flower.

And in the spring, you can plant a flower in the holes by cuttings.

By the way, it is also quite possible to preserve the favorite varieties of terry petunias and some other flower crops, according to the tradition of grown annual plants.

Save the article to your favorite social network so as not to lose:

The content of the article:

1. In what soil to grow lobelia seedlings.
2. Growing lobelia from seeds.
3. Planting and caring for lobelia outdoors.

   YOU WILL BE SURE TO GROW SUCH LOVE!

Lobelia can be grown in pots, containers, hanging baskets and of course in the ground. There are common and ampelous varieties. But to be honest, having been cultivating these flowers for a long time, I never noticed much difference between the most common and ampelous lobelia.

Well, except that the second has slightly longer stems. And so they both look great in any hanging containers, are moderately drought-resistant, bloom profusely and for a long time. In addition to blue and blue lobelia, there are many varieties with pink, crimson, red and white flowers.

Soil for growing lobelia seedlings

The soil for growing seedlings should be nutritious, light and moisture-consuming. The shops sell a special substrate for growing flower seedlings. The easiest way is to use just such a soil. If you are used to stocking up on land for planting seedlings on your own, then in the fall you need to prepare an earthen mixture consisting of forest land, humus, peat and sand in equal proportions.

An earthen mixture prepared at home (and often bought in a store) must be sieved through a coarse sieve, or at least through a net from an old iron bed. It will be very difficult to work with non-sifted soil.

Both purchased in the store and prepared independently must be decontaminated before planting. This can be done by spilling it with a fungicide solution or by frying it in the microwave, or you can just keep it outside in the cold all winter.

Growing lobelia from seeds

Lobelia blooms only 2 - 2.5 months after planting. Therefore, in most cases, it is grown through seedlings.

  When to sow.

Seeds are sown for seedlings from mid-February to late March. It is more advisable to sow in the first half of March. The lag in flowering of the March seedlings from the February ones will be insignificant, but the hassle is much less.

How to sow seeds

For sowing seeds, you can use low plastic containers or peat tablets. If you chose a plastic container for planting lobelia, then first make drainage holes in it, fill it with earth and moisten it well. After that, you can proceed to sowing seeds.

Lobelia seeds are available in granules and in bulk. One granule contains 5 - 8 seeds, they are laid out on the soil surface at a distance of 3 - 4 cm and a small bush grows out of each granule. Subsequently, such bushes are very convenient to dive.

It is better to grow lobelia seedlings with such nests.

It is also better to sow seeds in bulk, not evenly, but in nests, as you see in the photo. To do this, sprinkle the seeds on white paper and touch the seeds with a blunt, slightly damp end of the pencil. The seeds stick to the pencil and then with this pencil, with the adhered seeds, they make small indentations in the ground. The pencil is slightly turned, so that the seeds remain in the ground.

Then very carefully, so as not to blow off the seeds, slightly moisten them by spraying, cover with a film and put in a warm, bright place.

Lobelia seeds germinate in the light; they should not be covered with earth.

An interesting way to grow lobelia from seeds in tea bags. See if this is useful to you:

Lobelia seedling care

The first time the seedlings will have to be carefully looked after!

    Temperature. In the room where the seeds will germinate, the air temperature should be + 20 - 22 degrees. When the first shoots appear, the temperature must be reduced to + 15 degrees. To do this, simply transfer the planting box to the windowsill. Seedlings are usually amicable and appear in 7 - 10 days.

During the entire time while the seeds are germinating, make sure that the ground is moist and do not forget to ventilate and remove condensation from the film or glass. After the sprouts appear, do not rush to remove the film cover. This should be done very gradually. The shelter is completely removed when the seedlings grow up to 1 cm.

     One of the most common mistakes when growing lobelia from seeds is the sharp removal of the film after germination. After that, the seedlings may die within one day.

Lobelia seedlings care.

    Backlight. When lobelia is planted in February, the daylight hours are still very short and without illumination, the seedlings will grow elongated and frail, so they need to organize additional lighting. When planting in March, you can already do without backlighting, especially if the seedlings will stand on the southern windows.

    Watering. There are many problems with watering young lobelia seedlings. The seedlings are so thin and delicate that when watered with "rain" they will all fall on the ground and most likely will never rise again.

You can, of course, try to lift them with a toothpick, but it is safer to water them so that the water does not get on the plants. This will also save the seedlings from black leg disease. It was said above that sowing lobelia is preferable not with a solid carpet, but with bushes. Such a planting will facilitate not only a dive, but also watering.

Depressions are made between the bushes (with the same pencil) and water is poured from a syringe into these holes. Water is absorbed and the earth is evenly moistened, and young sprouts remain dry and do not fall. The same result can be achieved by pouring water from a syringe onto the walls of the container, provided that the container is not large.

Watering in this way is necessary for 2 - 3 weeks, then the plants will get stronger and these precautions will become unnecessary.

It's time for this lobelia to dive.

    Picking. In the photo you see the seedlings, which are already time to dive.These seedlings grew like this in about a month. Lobelia dive not one plant at a time, but in groups at once. Use a small spatula to pry up a bush and transplant it into a glass. If the seedlings grow with a carpet, then separate part of the soil along with the seedlings and transplant them into larger dishes.

After picking, the plants are watered and kept in the shade for several days, after which they are again exposed to a sunny place.

    Topping. When the seedlings are accepted after the pick and grow up to 3-4 cm, it is recommended to pinch it. To simplify this procedure, you can cut off the tops of all seedlings with scissors. This will contribute to both bushiness of plants and the development of the root system.

This is especially useful when there are only a few roots growing in the cup. If you pinch several times, then even from one seedling you can grow a large, lush bush.

Growing lobelia in peat tablets.

    Growing seedlings in peat tablets. It is very easy and convenient to grow lobelia in peat tablets. But it is better to transfer seeds to the surface of the tablet not with a pencil, but with a wet toothpick. To prevent seedlings from sprouting very densely, use the tip of a toothpick to distribute the adhering seeds to different places on the tablet.

Then do everything as usual, only it is more convenient to water the seedlings in tablets through the pallet. Watering should be moderate, make sure that water does not accumulate on the sump.

When growing lobelia in peat tablets, picking may not be necessary. If the plants are not very densely planted, then they can wait in this state for disembarkation in open ground.

You can come up with original ways of planting lobelia.

    Growing lobelia from seeds without picking.

For those who grow lobelia in hanging baskets and do not want to tinker with seedlings, the following method can be recommended.

In early April, fill the pots with fertile soil, sow seeds there, cover with foil and place them on the windowsill. When it gets warm, you just have to move the planter to the garden. Lobelia will bloom with this cultivation, of course, later, but not any fuss with seedlings.

Planting and caring for lobelia outdoors

Lobelia looks good in a rock garden among stones.

    Hardening of seedlings. Before planting lobelia in the garden, it must be tempered. On the first day, seedlings should never be placed in the sun and wind. Choose a warm, quiet day and put the plants in the shade, next time try partial shade and only then can you take it out in the sun for an hour or two.

    Landing scheme. When lobelia is planted after 10 - 15 cm, a continuous carpet is formed, and when planted after 25 cm, the plants will grow in separate bushes.

Where to plant and how to care for lobelia.

This plant is not capricious and requires a minimum of care and attention.

  The soil. She loves loose, breathable soils without stagnant water. Do not grow lobelia on too fertile soils, otherwise it will actively develop green mass, and there will be few flowers. For the same reason, you should not feed it with nitrogen fertilizers.

    Watering. Like most plants, lobelia prefers moderate watering without waterlogging.

    Location. It grows well in the sun, but it will develop and bloom no worse in places where the sun looks for 2 - 3 hours a day. Flowering lasts until frost.

Lobelia is easy to grow in planters and hanging pots.

   Lobelia care in planters and hanging pots.

It is much more difficult to care for plants growing in flowerpots and pots. The soil there dries up quickly and nutrients, due to the small volume of the soil, are also lacking. To facilitate the care of such flowers, it is necessary to add hydrogel or vermiculite when filling the flowerpots with soil (turf soil and compost in equal amounts).

During the season, plants in pots are fed 2-3 times with potassium sulfate and complete mineral fertilizer.

Watch a video about planting lobelia in a flower pot:

How to collect seeds

In lobelia, even the seed pods are small - you can't get enough fingers. And the seeds are only in a bunch and you can see it. But despite their scantiness, they sprout beautifully, and therefore it makes sense to collect the seeds ourselves. Many summer residents grow lobelia in pots and other containers. The easiest way to get seeds is from such plants. The pots are placed on paper and, after waiting for the seeds to sow themselves, they are poured from the paper into a bag.

Seeds can also be harvested from lobelias that grow in flower beds. Shoots with yellowed seed pods are cut off from them, the shoots are tied into a bunch, on which they put on a paper bag and hang in a dry warm place. The seeds will ripen and spill out into the bag.

  For those who want to grow lobelia from their own seeds, but are too lazy to tinker with all this: you can simply dry the cut stems until brittle, and then rub in your hands. There will be many seeds among the remains of the leaves. In spring, all this can be sown the way lobelia is always sown: on the surface of wet soil - and covered with glass or film. Seedlings with such sowing may not be as dense as always. But this is even good.

   

Save article to:

Dear visitors of the "Dacha Plot", tireless gardeners, gardeners and flower growers. We offer you to pass the aptitude test and find out whether you can trust the shovel and let you into the garden with it.

Test - "What kind of summer resident I am"

Share this article with your friends:

Charming lobelia, spread out on flower beds and in flower beds with a bright carpet, elegantly looking in the air ampels, is one of the most beloved annuals. Long flowering, unpretentiousness, rapid growth and lace-like flowering, despite the poisonousness of the plant, provide it with the title of a leader among openwork abundant flowers. Growing lobelia is not at all difficult, and the easiest and most affordable way is to grow your own beauty from seeds.

Lobelias are lacy, lush, surprisingly "plastic" annuals that create blooming clouds of delicate texture or uniquely lush spots. Lobelia grows in the form of a creeping plant with thin, flexible shoots. In the soil, it spreads out with carpets or grows in spheres-bushes, in containers it hangs gracefully (respectively, the varieties are divided into curb and ampelous).

The most valuable trait of lobelia, like any other stellar flyer, is rightfully considered a long, relentless, abundant flowering. But lobelia and foliage are more than good: small, but dense, it always forms a fresh-looking and lush green background for a massive scattering of flowers. They literally shine, small, delicate, but very beautiful.

The lobelia genus contains more than 300 plant species. The general favorite can boast of the greatest beauty of flowering. lobelia black (lobelia erinus). But other, rare species are as easy to reproduce as this beauty. Lobelia: ampelous, the thinnest, strong and even lovely can be grown from seeds without hassle and expenses. These beauties are not sown in open soil, but grown only in seedlings.

Self-collection of seeds and their selection for sowing

Even in the middle lane, seeds ripen in lobelia. They need to be harvested after the bushes wilt, in the fall or after the bolls turn yellow, without shaking out the seeds, but cutting the fruits into deep containers and shaking them out already indoors (the seeds are very light, they are simply carried by the wind). To prevent spilling, you can pre-tie the fruit with a transparent cloth.

Because lobelia seeds are very small, they complicate the sowing process. Today on sale you can find granular seeds, which are easier to work, allow you to immediately get a "nest" of lobelia of 3-5 plants.When buying seeds, carefully study the growth form - bushy or ampelous - and preferences for growing conditions. If you want to grow lobelia that can grow in light shade or partial shade, then you better look for those modern hybrids and mixtures that are specially bred to be less light-loving.

Lobelia seed capsule

Lobelia soil and containers

Sowing containers for seedlings should be low, shallow and preferably large. For lobelia, plastic containers for sweet treats, small vessels or bowls with a height of 2-3 to 5-6 cm are well suited.For granular seeds and simplification of growing, refusal to dive, seedling cassettes are perfect.

For reproduction of lobelia, it is necessary to choose a high-quality, nutritious, but the lightest in texture substrate - loose, water- and air-permeable. Ready-made soil mixtures for seedlings of flowering crops, self-prepared soil from garden soil, vermiculite and sand are perfect for this summer garden. There should be no humus in the lobelia substrate. It is advisable to disinfect the soil - treat it with a special agent, spill it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or treat it with boiling water.

Sowing lobelia seeds

The optimal sowing dates for lobelias are considered to be March and early April, but for earlier flowering, many gardeners begin to sow lobelias as early as February. The "deadline" for sowing lobelia is mid-April. This summer plant blooms 2-2.5 months after sowing.

Lobelia seeds are very small, they must be mixed with sand before sowing. An alternative way is to plant 3-5 seeds, hooked onto a moistened tip of a toothpick. But this option of sowing takes much more time. Sowing in the snow is problematic due to hypothermia, and it is inconvenient to work with tweezers. Granulated seeds can be manually poured into individual small cups or cassette cells one at a time.

Sowing technique of lobelia seedlings:

1. Fill the seed containers with soil without compacting it.
2. Do not water the soil before sowing.
3. Spread the seeds along with the sand evenly over the surface of the soil, trying to sow them not too thickly (or spread the seeds by hand).
4. Spray the surface with a spray gun. You do not need to cover the seeds with soil from above.
5. Immediately after sowing, cover the container with lobelia with foil or glass. They need to be removed every day for ventilation.

Conditions for germination of lobelia seeds

Lobelia seeds are light-sensitive and require the brightest possible light to germinate. As for temperatures, lobelias germinate in room conditions - at temperatures from 18 to 22 degrees. For lobelia, you need to regularly ventilate the crops, remove the film or glass, and also maintain a stable moisture content of the substrate by gently spraying the surface.

The process of emergence of lobelia usually takes up to 2 weeks, with insufficient light, the seeds germinate later.

Growing plants

The most difficult part of growing lobelia from seeds on your own is to comply with the requirement of cool growing conditions. Immediately after sprouting from lobelias, you need to remove glass or film, move containers to conditions with low temperatures, in the range from 10 to 15 degrees Celsius. If it is impossible to lower the temperatures, you need to carefully ensure that the substrate always remains on the surface in a slightly damp state, frequent spraying, while avoiding excessive dampness.

Plants gently, carefully moisturizing the substrate are grown in a container until the second pair of true leaves appears. Lobelias are grown without diving in general for 1 month.

Lobelia seedlings

Diving seedlings and caring for young lobelia

Late diving of lobelia is carried out after abundant watering.Bunches of up to 5-6 lobelia are carefully separated with a spatula or small spoon. Plants are placed not one at a time, but in "nests" in one container. For lobelias, you can use peat tablets, honeycombs, and individual plastic or peat cups.

In order for young plants to grow stronger and achieve decorativeness, they need to be provided with careful, careful care. Lobelia seedlings are afraid of complete drought and waterlogging. The black leg is considered the most dangerous for lobelia, it especially threatens the summer when young seedlings and seedlings are kept warm, quickly destroys all plants when the soil is waterlogged. Watering is carried out in moderation, as the substrate dries, allowing it to dry out in the upper layer. Unlike many annuals, lobelia begins to be fed already at the seedling stage: fertilizers are applied 2 weeks after the pick. The beauties will also benefit from pinching for greater thickening.

There is also an alternative technique in growing lobelias: growing without diving into individual containers or diving into deeper common containers. Since this summer plant is not afraid of transplanting and grows compactly, if there is not enough space for growing seedlings, lobelia can be grown before planting in the soil directly in the container in which it was sown. But when planting, breaking (or rather, cutting) a tightly braided coma into separate groups-nests, the roots are injured, some of the plants are inevitably lost.

Hardening lobelia seedlings

Lobelias can be hardened almost immediately after diving, bringing young plants to fresh air on warm days as soon as the weather permits. Thanks to long-term hardening, the lobelia will become more resistant: the seedlings will be able to withstand a drop in temperatures down to -2 degrees.

Chopped lobelia seedlings

Planting lobelia outdoors

Lobelia seedlings can be transferred to open soil only at the end of May, because this summer plant is very sensitive to return frost and low temperatures.

The optimal distance for planting is about 15 cm between the bushes. Lobelia can be planted in containers and ampels closer to achieve a more aesthetic splendor.

When planting a plant, remember that lobelias are light-loving plants that bloom most beautifully on a sunny site (only individual hybrids and modern varieties are not afraid of diffused light or light shading). And after planting, the plants need constant, systematic care - abundant watering, which compensates for even a short-term drought. This is a moisture-loving summer plant, in which the complete drying of the soil causes a cessation of development and flowering. The bushes are recovering, but without systemic irrigation, it will be difficult to achieve the same impeccable beauty from lobelia. But, on the other hand, feeding lobelia is needed literally in minimal quantities (potted lobelias are fed according to the standard scheme - once a week, but in reduced doses, and 1-2 procedures are enough for lobelia in the soil. After the flowering subsides, the plant needs to be cut (or simply shortened individual faded shoots).

Alternative breeding methods for lobelia

If lobelia is grown as a perennial plant, then in addition to the seed method, vegetative methods can also be used - cuttings or division of bushes. This alternative is also the only way to fully preserve the varietal properties of some hybrid varieties of lobelia, which, when propagated by seeds, produce seedlings with split characteristics.

Among the variety of annuals, there are many beautiful, delicate, magnificent ones, but a special place is occupied by the graceful airy, as if painted with watercolors, lobelia.This flower is magnificent in a flowerbed as a ground cover plant, beautiful in a flower pot, on a terrace, in a balcony box.Lobelia is used for horizontal and vertical decoration of the site. Its flowers vaguely resemble geraniums, but smaller, more touching, more colorful.

Planting lobelia seedlings

Sowing dates

Lobelia begins to bloom in late spring. The period from sowing seeds to the formation of the first flowers is long - 70-80 days, depending on the variety. The plant develops gradually, slowly. There is no need to rush the lobelia - if the seedlings do not like something, they will die.

In order for the lobelia to bloom by the beginning of summer, it is time to sow seeds for seedlings in March. You can shift the flowering time to the end of July, respectively, by sowing the plant in April. In February, it is only worth sowing ampel varieties, which develop a little more slowly, and plants that will be grown on the balcony.

Advice! Seedlings sown in February cannot be grown viable without using backlighting.

Ampel varieties are sown in February

Germination time

Lobelia seeds begin to hatch quickly - you can see the first shoots already several days after sowing. But do not rush to open the boxes and start caring for the sprouts - the lobelia rises unevenly. It is necessary to wait for mass shoots, which will appear no earlier than ten days later.

Be prepared for the fact that most of the seedlings will die even at the stage of the first cotyledons, without forming real leaves. Why is this happening? Lobelia seedlings are the most delicate of all indoor plants. Therefore, it is never grown by sowing seeds directly on a flower bed - this is useless, you will not even see the sprouts.

Lobelia seedlings are the most delicate of all indoor plants

Sowing tricks

For the successful survival and development of lobelia seedlings, it is worth applying some tricks.

1. Special containers.
2. Special primer.
3. Lighting.
4. Disinfection.
5. Thorough care

Lobelia containers

Seedling boxes, heavy containers, even plastic bowls are not suitable here. No drainage holes will save the soil from the appearance of mold, and the lobelia sprouts from rotting or death due to the black leg. There is only one way out - plastic transparent containers with lids, in which holes are made not only in the bottom, but also on the sides. They sell exotic fruits in the store. You can prepare an ordinary transparent plastic container in this way by making holes in it.

Growing lobelia in a transparent container

You will always see what is happening in the container, how the seedlings are feeling, is it time to moisten the soil.

Soil mixture

Lobelia seeds need a very light and crumbly soil. Ordinary peat, and even more so garden soil, is not suitable. Purchased soil must be loosened with calcined sand. It is better to use peat from horseback. The sand should be the same as the earthen component.

Lobelia seeds need a very light and crumbly soil.

All components of the soil mixture must be disinfected. You can use potassium permanganate (hot intense solution), you can freeze or heat, or better, in two ways. Lobelia seeds are very afraid of germs. If disinfection is not carried out, the black leg is provided.

Light for lobelia

This indicator is of great importance. Moreover, if for the cultivation of other flower crops at the stage of emergence of seedlings from seeds, lighting is not required, lobelia rises in the light. Therefore, the containers with crops, having closed the lids, must be placed in a well-lit place.

In the future, the seedlings must be highlighted at all stages of growth, up to planting in a flower garden.

Lobelia varieties

"Cascade Mix"	Trailing, for planters and hanging baskets
Blauer Edelstein	Large bush, for flower beds
"White Lady"	Ground cover, for flower beds and alpine slides
Schneebal	Ground cover, for flower beds and alpine slides
"Rosamund"	Shrub medium, for flower beds
Mrs Klebran	Shrub medium, balcony

Ampelous white lobelia

Sowing lobelia seeds

Lobelia seeds are unprecedentedly small - they look more like sand dust rather than future lush flowering bushes. It is difficult to sow them. Some people use a toothpick. After wetting its tip, pick up the seeds and transfer them to the prepared soil. Planting lobelia seeds one at a time will not work, even if you use a magnifying glass. To thin out the crops, mix the seeds well with fine river sand (disinfected). The seeds themselves, by the way, also do not hurt to dust them with fungicide powder.

1. Before sowing, the soil in a container is watered with hot water.
2. Then the top layer is loosened and the seeds are transferred onto it.
3. Watering is not necessary. You don't need to fall asleep.
4. The container is closed and sent to a bright place with a steady temperature of + 20 ° C plus or minus two, but not higher than + 22 ° C.

Video - Tricks of sowing lobelia seeds for seedlings

Before germination

Mold in the container can form before seedlings appear, so you need to carefully monitor and control the condition of the crops. Ventilate, remove condensation when it appears.

However, the soil must be kept moist or the seeds will not germinate. For this, a very fine spraying is carried out (a bottle of eau de parfum is suitable) with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and ordinary warm water alternately, as the top layer dries slightly.

After the start of shoots, you must wait before removing the shelter (open the lid) - let the shoots appear all.

Spraying seeds from a spray bottle

Advice! You can sow lobelia in peat tablets. They need to be soaked for 10-15 minutes, moisten the planting site with epin, transfer seeds to them, set the tablets in a mini-greenhouse.

Special care

After the shoots, the most stressful time comes - trying not to destroy the seedlings. They will be crowned with success if:

• do not water the seedlings in the traditional way, but do it in a tray or with a syringe;
• to light up seedlings in March - plus 4-5 hours by daytime, in April - plus 2-3 hours;
• monitor the constant air temperature in the range of + 17 ... 18 ° С, prevent drops and drafts.

Picking

This is another "jewelry" operation that growers hate. Many people use tweezers, toothpicks, trying to separate the tender sprouts from each other, which have merged into a solid rug. It is easier to "cut" the resulting "sod" into small pieces with a spoon or other suitable tool and place them in small personal pots (always with drainage holes). For those who sow a flower in peat tablets, it will be easier to survive the stage of painful picking.

Lobelia pick

The picking is carried out no earlier than a month after the emergence of shoots.

Lobelia pick with a spoon

Advice! There is no need to feed lobelia seedlings before planting in the ground or in balcony boxes, pots.

Pinching

So that the seedlings do not stretch out, and in the future compact bushes, abundantly strewn with flowers, develop from it, the seedlings need to be pinched or trimmed.

As soon as the seedlings reach a height of four centimeters, all the upper tips must be cut or pinched off.

Safe landing of lobelia

Planting lobelia seedlings in open ground

The end of May. All worries are over. You can plant ready-made seedlings in flower beds. By this time, she had already formed buds, some of which are trying to bloom. This is not scary, tender and capricious lobelia happens only at a young age. At the planting stage, it is quite capable of transferring the shock of moving into open ground without any particular consequences.

Advice! If you are planting seedlings earlier and night temperature changes are still possible, cover them with protective material at night.

This culture is difficult to grow. Moreover, difficulties begin already at the first stage - sowing seedlings. You should not try to grow a flower in a seedless way - the seeds are small, the seedlings are capricious, they cannot stand the conditions of open ground.Lobelia seedlings need to create special comfortable conditions. You will have to work hard, but as a result you will get a magnificent seedling material, which, turning into flowering bushes, will fill you with pride, and your garden - with beauty and harmony.