Lobelia Erinus - from sowing to flower care

Lobelia Erinus - beautiful flowerthat will decorate any site or window sill. It will transform your carpet flower bed into something amazing. The plant gets along well with other flowers and creates an extraordinary composition.

Content

• Features and characteristics of the plant
• Optimal conditions for growing a flower
• Breeding methods for lobelia
• The subtleties of flower care
• Pests, diseases and their prevention

Features and characteristics of the plant

Lobelia Erinus is very much appreciated among professional florists and simply flower lovers for its abundant bloom, which continues until the very frost. If the plant before the onset of cold weather transplant in a pot, then it will continue to throw out flowers for a long time and delight you as a houseplant.

It is worth mentioning that this beautiful plant was named after the French de Lobel. It is a small, highly branching bush with a large number of leaves, which, during the flowering period, is covered with small flowers of a wide variety of colors - white, blue, blue, pink and their shades.

Lobelia can have a spherical bush or form long, drooping shoots.

They fit snugly to the ground and create a carpet effect. The peduncle period begins in June and ends with the onset of the first cold weather. There are several types of lobelia, which differ in the size of the bush. This is:

• Sprawling. It has long shoots and a small height of 15 centimeters.
• Compact. The bush is quite dense and has the shape of an almost perfect ball.
• Erect.
• Dwarf. It has small compact bushes eight centimeters high.
• Hanging. It is an ampelous form, the shoots of which are spread on the ground, take root and create a colorful path.

Thus, lobelia erinus is quite an attractive plant that will adorn any garden or flower bed. Having diluted it at home, you will not regret it in the least. And the flower, in turn, will delight the eye until the onset of the cold weather.

Optimal conditions for growing a flower

It is worth paying attention to the following characteristics of lobelia:

• Cold resistance
• Photophilousness
• Moisture-loving

Therefore, when growing this plant, you need to plant it in a place well-lit by the sun and water it regularly. Timely watering - this is the main condition for successful growth and abundant peduncle. During a period of drought, high temperatures and dry air, if you do not adhere to this condition, then the plant will simply grow poorly and even stop producing flowers.

An important condition for optimal cultivation is the selection of the soil.

It should be loose, nutritious and free from excess organic fertilizers... Do not feed her with fresh manure. The flower cannot bear it. It is best if the soil is fertilized before the plant is planted in the ground. Otherwise, it will actively grow, but not bloom at all. Knowing about these conditions, you can grow beautiful plants without much effort on your part.

Breeding methods for lobelia

Please note that the flower propagates using small seed... And it should be grown in the usual seedling way, if the seedlings have gone into growth, then it can be safely planted in open ground.

Reproduction by seeds:

• Seeds are usually sown from late February to the end of the first spring month. Keep in mind that the daylight hours are not yet that long, so the sprouts will have to be illuminated with a lamp.
• Sowing containers should be low and wide. They retain their similarity for up to 4 years.
• When sowing, they are not sprinkled with earth, but simply sown with their surface.
• Mix the seeds with sand or peat.
• If there is still snow on the street, you can pour a thin layer of snow over the ground and sow seeds from above.
• After the seeds have been sown, they must spray from a spray bottle with water and a light solution of potassium permanganate to avoid contamination of seedlings.
• Then watering should be carried out through the pot or continue to spray.
• The top of the pallet must be covered with glass or foil to create a greenhouse effect. After covering, it is advisable to wipe it every day and turn it over, while allowing the substrate to breathe.
• As a rule, the seeds are already sprouting in the second week. They are small at first and grow very slowly.

As soon as the first shoots have appeared, the glass or film is removed every day for half an hour, and then the airing time is increased to two hours. Then they remove it altogether. This will allow seedlings get used to dry air.

As soon as the seedling leaves appear, it is necessary to dive, that is, transplant into a separate vessel.

Dive need in loose and light soil. Since the seedlings are weak, then dive with plastic tweezers. Don't forget about lightening. Water gently so that fragile seedlings can break under the influence of the flow of water.

After the pick, the loberia will begin to grow actively, so it needs to be pinched every 3 weeks. As soon as the seedlings grow, plant their soil. Stick to these small rules for sowing seeds, your seedlings will grow quickly.

The subtleties of flower care

Lobelia care is not that difficult. It can be broken down into several points:

1. Landing place. We have already said that it is advisable to plant the plant in a well-lighted place, maximum in partial shade. If water stagnates there, then drainage needs to be installed.
2. Priming. For a flower, a garden cultivated soil would be ideal. It should not be overfed with organic matter and mineral fertilizers... A large amount of them will stimulate the growth of a plant that will not bloom.
3. Watering process and feeding... The flower must be watered as the earth dries out. She especially needs water during the hot season. Top dressing is carried out using a mixture of minerals with a small admixture of nitrogen or wood ash. It carries out it twice a year - at the end of spring and at the end of summer, in order to stimulate the green mass to grow and release new shoots for the peduncle.
4. A haircut. If you notice that the plant has begun to bloom weakly - cut off the ends of the stems. Do not be afraid for loberia - its bushes from such a procedure will become much more magnificent and will bloom longer.
5. The choice of planting material. Seeds harvested in the autumn. Make sure that the plant from which you collect the seeds does not hurt.

As you can see, everything is very simple and unpretentious. Feel free to plant the lobelia and watch the riot of colors on your site or windowsill.

Pests, diseases and their prevention

All plants are attacked pests and diseases... Lobelia Erinus is also no exception. Among the most common diseases are:

• Damage by root rot or fungal diseases. They lead to the fact that the deciduous cover darkens, the flower stalks are reduced. The plant may even die.External signs of damage can be seen even without close examination. And if fungi infect cells, then this will be more difficult. To avoid this, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures.
• Among the first signs of damage to such a common disease for loberia as rust, it can be noted that the foliage is covered with brown or orange spores. In this case, diseased leaves must be removed immediately, and the flower itself must be treated with a special antibacterial solution. It can be purchased at the store.

Also, spider mites can infect lobelia erinus. They appear when the water regime is not observed. At low air humidity, they multiply very quickly and cover the leaves with brown specks. This leads to the fact that the leaf part completely dies off.

As a preventive measure, treat the plant with a soapy composition.

Thus, lobelia erinus is not only an unusual name for a plant, but also a really unusual one. flower, which will give your site or windowsill some zest. The carpet runners that he is able to create will not leave anyone indifferent. In order for loberia to bring joy for a long time, you just need to give it your attention and the plants will inspire you to new deeds and deeds.

More information can be found in the video.