How to plant lobelia outdoors?

Care for ampelous lobelia after germination

I am often asked how to care for ampelous lobelia after germination. My answer is that caring for an ampelous plant is no different from other species of this plant. Read below how to do this.

When the first shoots appear, an important moment comes in caring for the seedlings. In order for her to grow well, it is necessary to adhere to certain conditions:

• lighting
• humidification
• temperature

Let's consider each of them.

Lighting.

It is believed that lobelia needs 12-16 hours of light. If you live in Moscow and the sun is always looking at your windows, then the daylight hours, depending on the season, will be like this (in hours):

• January - 7.5
• February - 9.5
• March - 12
• April - 14
• May - 16

and if you live, for example, in Khabarovsk, then the duration of daylight hours will be different (in hours):

• January - 9
• February - 10
• March - 12
• April - 13.6
• May - 15

If you have a dark apartment with windows facing north, then the amount of light for the plants will be less. Based on the above figures, it can be seen that the plant needs additional lighting, but depending on the month it will be different in time. If you plant in January, you need to light up for 5-9 hours, and if in March, then 2-4 hours. Therefore, seedlings planted in March always look better and stronger than those in January or February. From my own experience, I will say that we plant seedlings in early March.

Moisturizing.

The biggest problems with seedlings are precisely because of the wrong moisture regime. The seedlings are so thin and delicate that when they are watered with rain, they will all fall and, most likely, will never rise again. Some people try to lift them with a toothpick, but it is safer to water them so that the water does not get on the leaves of the plants. Watering should be carried out at the root with a medical syringe or water should be poured along the walls of the container in which the seedlings are sitting, and the earth is already saturated with moisture itself.

A prerequisite for normal development is airing the container with seedlings. This hardens the plant and prevents plant rot and blackleg disease. When shoots appear, begin to slightly open the bag from above so that excess moisture comes out, first for 5-10 minutes, and gradually bringing the time to 1 hour after two weeks.

I want to say that you should not blindly follow the recommendations. The amount of moisture inside the package strongly depends on the amount of soil and its area, on the amount of water during irrigation, and the ambient temperature. The process is so lively and different from year to year. The main criterion for opening the airing bag is the presence of condensation on the film. No condensation - don't open. You can also check for a musty smell inside - there is a smell, start airing.

Temperature.

As I said, the optimum temperature for growth is + 20 ... + 25 degrees. But after the emergence of seedlings, it is recommended to reduce the temperature regime to + 15 ... + 17 degrees and it is advisable to adhere to this temperature before planting in the ground. At the same time, the root system will form better in the plant and it will stretch less in height. The main thing is not to allow drafts, while the seedlings are small, this can destroy it.

Growing from seeds

Asters (growing from seed requires well-prepared soil) love slightly acidic soil. As a soil, use ready-made mixtures or prepare the soil on their own: mix peat, turf, sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 0.5, add half a glass of wood ash (or 2 tablespoons of dolomite flour), sift and evaporate in a double boiler for an hour. If it is not possible to steam the soil, you can wet the soil with a saturated solution of potassium permanganate or fungicide.These measures are designed to protect seedlings from fungal infections in order to grow healthy seedlings.

Important! At the bottom of the planting tank there should be a drainage layer (stones, brick chips, pebbles), and at the very bottom there should be holes for excess moisture to escape. Small containers are used first.

Fortified seedlings are transplanted into separate boxes, pots or cups. Astra tolerates picking well and develops in a large container

Small containers are used first. Fortified seedlings are transplanted into separate boxes, pots or cups. Astra tolerates picking well and develops in a large capacity.

Choosing the right time for sowing

When to plant asters for seedlings? The best time is early April. In a good greenhouse, it can be sown in March, but not earlier, since the seedlings will not have enough light.

Seed preparation and sowing

A week before sowing asters, their seeds are wrapped in cloth and soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After 12 hours, squeeze out excess moisture and put in a plastic bag and place in a warm place for germination.

Aster seeds are large, so they are planted less often.

Important! When planting seeds, it must be borne in mind that they quickly lose their germination, so it is worth using only fresh ones. For planting, grooves are made in the soil, seeds are poured there, sprinkled on top with a layer of sand and spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate through a sieve

Cover with foil or glass on top and leave to rise in a warm place. The emerging seedlings are placed in a cool place.

For planting, grooves are made in the soil, seeds are poured there, sprinkled on top with a layer of sand and spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate through a sieve. Cover with foil or glass from above and leave to rise in a warm place. The emerging seedlings are placed in a cool place.

Properly prepared fresh seeds will sprout 5-10 days after planting.

How to care for seedlings

Watering the aster is necessary rarely and abundantly, but not flooding, since the flower can get sick with a black leg (fungus).

As soon as the first shoots appear, the container with the seedlings is placed in a sunny and cool place (on the windowsill).

Aster seedlings sprout well. If a nutritious soil has been prepared, fertilization is not necessary. With poor soil, seedlings are watered with biofertilizer or ash infusion a week after transplanting.

Important! You should not use nitrogen fertilizers, they impair the quality of flowering.

Site selection and soil preparation

Non-acidic fertile soil is suitable for asters. The place is chosen bright, sunny, in which water will not stagnate during watering.

Landing in open ground

Before planting asters outside, the plants are hardened: you need to take them outside or open doors if the seedlings grow in a greenhouse. So it will more easily endure the "move" and possible cold snaps.

You can transplant seedlings into open ground from mid-May: ready-made shoots should be 10 cm in height and have leaves. The most fragile place of the sprout is where the stem passes into the root. To avoid injury, the flowers are watered abundantly and after half an hour they are removed from the soil with a toothpick or a match.

Seedlings are planted in grooves filled with water at a distance of 20-30 cm, up to half a meter is left between the grooves.

Landing

Types and varieties of swimwear

Many types of bathers are grown in the culture, but we offer you an acquaintance with the most popular plants of this genus in amateur gardening.

Ledebour's Leotard (Trollius ledebourii)

It is the most winter-hardy representative of the genus up to 1 m high. This plant is widespread in the nature of Eastern Siberia, the Far East, Mongolia, China and Japan. Ledebour's bather has deeply dissected petiole leaves, erect, leafy stem only in the upper third and open orange flowers 5-6 cm in diameter with thinly pointed nectaries slightly rising above the stamens. Gardeners are most often interested in the following varieties of the species:

• Goliath is a plant with flowers up to 7 cm in diameter with light orange nectaries and dark orange sepals;
• Lemon Queen - a variety about 70 cm high with yellow-lemon flowers up to 4 cm in diameter;
• Lightball - a swimsuit up to 60 cm high with flowers up to 5 cm in diameter with yellow nectaries and light orange sepals;
• Orange King is a plant up to half a meter in height with flowers up to 5 cm in diameter with orange nectaries and dark orange sepals.

Asian swimsuit (Trollius asiaticus)

It grows in Central Asia, Siberia, Mongolia and the Polar Urals. In Russia, these plants are called "roasts" or "lights". These are herbaceous racemeal perennials with petiolate basal palmate-five-split leaves 20-30 cm long, peduncle up to 50 cm tall and spherical flowers up to 5 cm in diameter with red-orange sepals and orange nectary petals. The Asian swimsuit is one of the most beautiful species of the genus. It has a double shape with a large number of sepals. This species was introduced into culture in 1759.

European swimsuit (Trollius europaeus)

Distributed in the range from the steppe to tundra zones of Europe, in Scandinavia and Western Siberia. The size of the plant varies depending on living conditions: in the tundra it reaches a height of only 20-30 cm, and in the middle lane it can grow up to 80 cm. The basal petiolate palmate-five-part leaves of the European swimsuit are collected in a rosette. An additional decorative effect is given to them by the patterned shape of the leaf lobes - rhombic and sharp-toothed. Plant stem simple or branched, leaves cover only the upper third of the peduncle. Spherical, weakly fragrant flowers, consist of 10-20 sepals, colored in shades from pale yellow to golden, and reach a diameter of 5 cm. Nectary petals of intense orange color do not exceed sepals in length. In culture, the swimsuit has been European since the 16th century, it has only two varieties:

• garden form with pale yellow flowers;
• variety with larger and brighter flowers.

The highest bather (Trollius altissimus)

It grows in the Carpathians and Western Europe in wet high-grass meadows. She has dark green, long-petiolate openwork leaves collected in a large rosette, up to 60 cm high. The edges of the leaves are serrated, the leaf plate is strongly dissected, the venation is clear, convex. The straight and usually branched stem of the plant reaches a height of one and a half meters, and in the axils of large stem leaves in an amount of up to 5-7 lateral shoots are formed, also bearing greenish-yellow flowers with a milky tint, reaching a diameter of 6 cm.

Altai swimsuit (Trollius altaicus)

Grows wild in Central Asia, Western Siberia, Northern China, Mongolia and Altai. She has finger-separated petiolate basal leaves, collected in a rosette up to 30 cm high, a simple or branched stem, covered with sessile leaves and reaching a height of 80-90 cm. Globular flowers, consisting of 10-20 orange or golden yellow, reddish outside sepals and orange petals-nectaries, reach 5 cm in diameter. Anthers of flowers are purple. This species has been cultivated since 1874.

Cultural swimsuit (Trollius x cultorum)

It unites most of the garden forms and varieties of the swimsuit, which differ from natural species in larger and brighter flowers. Of interest are the following varieties:

• Goldkvel - a swimsuit with bright yellow flowers up to 6 cm in diameter;
• Orange Princess - a plant up to 60 cm high with bright orange flowers about 5 cm in diameter;
• Fire Globe is a bather of the same height with flowers of the same diameter, in which the nectaries are orange and the sepals are orange-red;
• Erlist of Oil is a plant with flowers about 4 cm in diameter with dark yellow sepals and light yellow nectaries;
• Alabaster is a variety with large pale cream flowers;
• Canary Bird is a bikini with pale yellow flowers.

Planting methods: their advantages and disadvantages

You can plant seeds, seedlings of lobelia or its cuttings in open ground. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Seeds

Experienced gardeners breed lobelia by sowing seeds directly into open ground:

1. The seed is mixed with clean sand.
2. The mixture is poured directly onto the snow. As the snow melts, the seeds will receive the required moisture level.
3. The first shoots will appear in two weeks.

Advantages:

• a variety of varieties suitable for cultivation;
• less hassle than growing seedlings;
• the plant is stronger due to optimal growing conditions.

Disadvantages:

• it is difficult to guess the optimal sowing moment;
• you can lose seedlings during recurrent frosts;
• the plant blooms later than specimens grown through seedlings.

Cuttings

In the fall, before the first frosts, the lobelia bush is transplanted into a pot and left in room conditions for the winter.

In February, young shoots form from the base of the bush, which are cuttings:

1. Sprinkle soil into the pot so that the shoots touch the soil. To increase the number of cuttings, the plant is pinned to the ground in several places.
2. Roots form on the shoots within three weeks. Rooted cuttings are planted in other containers, pre-treated with a stimulant for better rooting and development of the root system.
3. When the cutting reaches 5 cm, it can be pinned again for the next cuttings.

Also, cuttings can be done by pruning young shoots:

1. Shoots 10 cm high are cut diagonally.
2. The cuttings are treated with a growth stimulant and planted in a sandy mixture.
3. The planted cuttings must be covered with foil.
4. Top dressing of cuttings should be carried out up to 4 times a month.
5. Young plants can be transplanted into open ground one month after grafting.

The advantages of this method:

• simplicity;
• cheapness;
• guaranteed result, since the mother bush fully transmits hereditary characteristics;
• rapidity.

Disadvantages:

• the need to care for the bush from the moment of transplanting into a pot;
• limited use (not all varieties are suitable for grafting);
• vulnerability of cuttings to bacteria.

The place of lobelia in landscape design

Lobelia is often used in landscape design. The flower looks great both on the balcony and in the form of "carpets" near water bodies, in compositions of an alpine slide next to other perennials. In modern design, lobelia is widely used to create coziness in the corners of the garden, for which it is planted in flowerpots or containers. The most common places for planting a plant at home are flower beds, curbs, hanging baskets.

In the flowerbed

Before planting a flower on a flower bed or flower bed, you need to think about what the color scheme of the future composition will be.

To combine with lobelia, a flower bed must be formed from similar shades: blue, lilac, blue, purple. This combination of colors looks quite attractive: crimson and white, blue and red, yellow and blue.

To combine with lobelia, the flower bed must be formed from purple, lilac, blue and light blue shades.

In hanging baskets

When growing ampelous species, such flowers look most beautiful in hanging baskets in the form of a ball - the plants are a solid carpet of flowers that hides the frame. One of the easiest options for planting lobelia is coconut liners. Holes are pre-made in them, filled with soil and plants are planted from the outside of the container.

Lobelias look great in hanging baskets

In decorative vases

Lobelia looks very attractive in decorative flowerpots, for which you need to choose the right "neighbors".If you use low-growing flowers in tandem with it, then for a variety of composition you can plant plants with different texture of leaves and size of flowers. Large-diameter flowerpots are perfect for such plantings. To give the flower composition dynamism, you can combine compact plants with upright plants.

An original solution in landscape design will be the use of a flowerpot like a round vase. In this case, ampelous lobelia can be planted in the bowl itself, and small bushes of this flower can be planted at the foot, after performing a light filling. To give the garden some flavor in the design, you can install several flowerpots of different sizes with contrasting colors.

To make lobelia in flowerpots look attractive, you need to choose the right "neighbors"

Vase tower

Lobelia stands out noticeably when grown in a flower tower, that is, pots placed on top of each other. To form such a composition, take several clay pots with a difference in diameter of about 7 cm.After that, fill the lower container with soil and insert the reinforcement, which is buried in the garden soil through a hole in the bottom, thereby ensuring the stability of the flower shelf. The rest of the pots are placed on top of each other, putting them on the fittings and filling them with soil, followed by ramming. Lobelia is planted in combination with other flowers starting from the lower pots, after which they are abundantly watered. In such compositions, blue flowers go well with purple and pink petunia, as well as white and red balsam.

As an example, a tower of pots is shown in which the lobelia will stand out noticeably.

Planting lilies

When to plant lilies

Lilies can be planted both in spring and autumn. You can plant lilies even in summer. Planting lilies in spring avoids the risk of bulbs getting wet and freezing in the open field

In spring, the roots grow better, so the survival rate of plants is higher, this is especially important for late-flowering lilies, such as, for example, oriental hybrids. Tibetan and tiger lilies and other varieties that bloom in autumn can be planted in March

Oriental, Asian and tubular hybrids are planted as soon as the snow melts. Terry lilies are also best planted in spring at 11 ºC.
The rest of the lily varieties are planted in the second half of April, protecting the plantings from frost with a layer of straw or dry grass.
Species such as candidum lily, monobloc lily, curly lily, Hanson's, Canadian lily, as well as Shovitsa lily are generally not recommended to be planted in the spring.

And yet autumn is the best time to plant lilies, because their root system has time to develop before the onset of winter, and they will perfectly be able to withstand the spring temperature drops, and you will help them survive in the winter cold. The best time for autumn planting of lilies is September, but the problem is that it is difficult to find good planting material in stores at this time. But in the fall, you can plant and replant the lilies growing in your garden. If you plan to plant several types of lilies in your garden, then it is better to follow this sequence: first (in the fall) plant white lilies, since they have the shortest dormant period, then Caucasian varieties and only then American hybrids.

Planting lilies in spring

For those who want to know how to plant lilies, the season does not matter: both in spring and in autumn, the planting principle is the same. Coarse sand is poured into the hole, an onion is laid on it, its roots are straightened and covered with sand completely. Then they cover the hole with earth and water it abundantly so that the bulbs take root faster. If you plant oriental, Asian and LA hybrids, mulch the planting with sawdust or peat in a layer of 5 cm, and planting marchagon lilies, snow-white or tubular hybrids should be mulched with leaf humus mixed with ash. example scheme:

• undersized varieties: large bulbs - by 10-12 cm, small ones - by 7-8, the distance between the bulbs is 15-20 cm;
• medium-sized varieties: large - 12-15 cm, small - 10 cm, distance between bulbs - 20-25 cm;
• tall varieties: large - 15-20 cm, small - 10-12 cm, distance - 25-30 cm.

The deeper the planting, the later the lily will bloom, but its bulb will give more babies.

Planting lilies in the fall

In the fall, if your lilies began to grow too densely, it makes sense to separate them and plant them. Planting and caring for a lily in the fall is precisely in dividing and planting the bulbs. Actually, you can not wait for autumn, but start transplanting a month and a half after your lily has faded, especially if she is already three or four years old. Immediately after flowering, the bulb is weak and loose. Give her some time to heal. That is, if your lily bloomed in June, for example, then you can transplant it in August.

Dig up the lily with a pitchfork so as not to damage the roots, shake off the ground, rinse under running water, separate the babies from the mother bulb with a sharp knife and soak them for 20 minutes in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate, then dry slightly in the shade, trim the roots so that they are not longer than 10 cm, and plant the bulbs and babies as described in the previous section. Remember to mulch the garden bed after planting.

Lobelia flower - what is it?

The lobelia genus includes perennial or annual shrubs.

The plant is also represented by herbaceous varieties and shrubs.

As to which family such a flower originates from, there is no consensus among scientists:

1. Most scientific circles are in favor of attributing lobelia to the Kolokolchikovs.
2. But there are also adherents of the theory, according to which it is necessary to separate the plant into an independent family.

The distribution area of ​​the flower is very wide and is represented by varieties from the gardens of the subtropics and the temperate climatic zone.

To date, scientists have bred about 250 species, and the plant is used not only as a decoration for the interior of rooms and gardens.

Some types are taken as a basis in the manufacture of medicines for respiratory diseases.

Lobelia flower photo

Lobelia - distinctive features of the flower

The advantages of such a plant at all times remain unpretentiousness in care and an abundance of flowering. It is famous for its culture and variety of varieties, of which a great many have been bred since the end of the 19th century.

The main characteristics of lobelia are as follows:

• The most common species are bush-type annuals;
• The appearance is represented by small spherical bushes, reaching 15-25 cm in height;
• Depending on the variety, the height can vary up to 1.5 m;
• The flowers are located on thin, branching stems and are surrounded by whole lanceolate leaves;
• The buds are axillary and two-lipped, reach a size of no more than 2 cm and are planted on short pedicels;
• The color palette of such an annual is very diverse and is represented by white or purple, blue or purple varieties;
• The flowering time of the plant is limited to the period from June to September;
• The lobelia fruit looks like a polyspermous capsule, in which there are small grains;
• Lobelia seeds can remain viable for a three-year period.

Diseases and pests

The most terrible pest for lilies is the lily beetle, which glues buds and leaves with its larvae. These beetles can be hand-picked as they are quite bright and it is simply impossible not to notice them. They have bright orange backs. However, if you did not notice the guests immediately, then they can quickly multiply, and in this case, you will have to carry out processing with Aktellik, Karbofos, Aktara or Fitoverm. There is one big drawback in this - lilies treated with such preparations lose their former attractiveness.This is due to the fact that brown spots appear on flowers and leaves. Also, plants can be attacked by aphids and lily flies. They should be fought with the same drugs.

Insects can attack not only the aerial part of the lilies, but also the bulbs. Dangerous for them: wireworms, bears, thrips, May beetle larvae. It can be quite difficult to fight these pests, but the following drugs come to help the gardener: "Grizzly", "Thunder-2", "Thunder", "Mukhoed".

As for diseases, waterlogging of the soil can cause a disease such as fusarium or onion rot, as well as bacterial rot. Because of this, the plant begins to turn yellow and wither. It is impossible to cure these diseases, so the damaged specimens will simply have to be pulled out and destroyed. In regions with cool and too humid autumn, brown spotting may appear on lilies. It does not affect the bulb, but the stem of the flower. Moreover, he is not just sick, but dies. But lilies can be saved from this disease by treating them with an antifungal solution. Bordeaux liquid and Fitosporin are ideal.

It is also recommended to carry out various preventive measures. This means that it is necessary to burn all the stems, leaves, wilted buds in the fall. Every three years, you need to plant lilies, divide the bulbs. Also, do not forget about mulching so that weeds do not appear on the beds.

Protection from diseases and pests is one of the most important points when caring for and planting a lily flower.

Care should be given special attention