Perennial lobelia: 20 varieties with descriptions, planting and care in the open field

Cultivation of perennial lobelia is widely practiced by gardeners from the countries of the former USSR. This is a herbaceous plant, resembling a ball of bright, beautiful and delicate inflorescences of various tones during pollen, depending on the variety. The garden creates a fabulous atmosphere of natural grace. To successfully grow a crop, you should familiarize yourself with all its features.

Description

Lobelia belongs to the Bellflower family, it is an annual and perennial herbaceous plant. Its life span depends on the soil, growing conditions and care.The bush is low, grows up to 25 cm high. The rhizome is fibrous, spherical, with thin and branching stems. The bush is completely covered with small green foliage, densely localized small inflorescences.

In the axils of small leaves, 1 flower blooms. Their color is bright, they are blue, white, pinkish, purple, purple, pale bluish. The period of pollen occurs at the beginning of June, lasts until September. Lobelia blooms magnificently, elegantly, since all the buds bloom at the same time. After pollen, a fruit appears in place of the flowers - a seed box with a large number of small, weightless seeds. Their germination is maintained for 3 years.

Varieties

There are many varieties of lobelia, below is their detailed description. The planting pattern and care for them is the same, the difference lies only in the appearance, size of the bushes.

Beautiful

Lobelia has a large bush up to 90 cm high. The flowers are large, saturated, up to 3 cm in diameter. The variety endures frosts, it can be grown even in the North.

Red

Red lobelia or "brilliant", famous for fiery red inflorescences, sometimes with reddish foliage. The variety is used by gardeners to create spectacular garden compositions and flower beds. The variety is less frost-resistant than the Beautiful, so the bushes require shelter for the winter. They grow up to 80 cm high.

Purple

Purple Lobelia has erect stems, the bush grows up to 1 meter high. The variety is widely grown near ponds, reservoirs, on rocky coasts and even in water. The flowers are collected in an ear, purple color.

Gerardi

The variety is frost-resistant, without shelter it is able to overwinter even in the conditions of the North. Inflorescences are saturated, purple-violet. The shape resembles spike-shaped inflorescences.

Swallow's Nest

Lobelia is distinguished by blue or purple flowers, spike-shaped inflorescences. The variety is successfully used to create flower arrangements, it is planted in hanging planters, flowerpots.

Syphilitic

The view is a bush up to 1 meter high. The flowers are dark blue or purple, densely arranged on a bush. Previously, the variety was considered medicinal, it was used by patients with venereal pathologies. As medicine progressed, the judgment turned out to be false.

Dortman

Lobelia Dortman is the most rare species listed in the Red Book. Inflorescences of different tones, small sizes. The color of the flowers is pale white with a pinkish undertone. In nature, they grow on the sandy shores of water bodies.

Sapphire

Lobelia Sapphire is an ampelous plant, in the conditions of severe Russian winters, it is considered an annual. Its stem does not hold on its own, but needs a supporting structure or planting a flower in a flower pot.The plant is widely used to decorate household plots, garden paths, arbors, garden houses. The bush grows up to 20 cm high, covered with bright leaves. The flowers are blue-violet, spike-shaped.

Cascade

Cascade Lobelia is an annual, the bush grows up to 25 cm high. The leaves are lush, thin stems, flowers are white. Their diameter is 1 cm, they are located in the recess of the leaves.

When the lobelia blooms, it becomes like a snow-white waterfall falling down with thin branches.

Emperor Willy

The bushes grow up to 10 cm high, spherical in shape with a dense flowering bush. Stems thin, fragile, branched. The leaves are oblong, small, dark green. They are densely planted on the stems, due to which the bush seems thick. Inflorescences are small, two-lipped, cornflower blue. Their diameter is 2 cm. The variety is famous for its long flowering, which occurs at the beginning of June and ends at the end of September.

Rosamond

Shrubs grow up to 15 cm in height, spreading shoots. The leaves are light green, large, the stem is strong. Inflorescences are reddish with a light base in the middle. Their diameter is about 2 cm. The perennial forms a seemingly dense, cascading bush.

Red Volcano

Lobelia grows up to 80 cm high. Perennial branched, with strong stems that do not need a garter. The flower is fiery red, the inflorescences are dense. The leaves are bronze and orange. This is the most exotic variety of lobelia.

Erinus

Bush of small size, up to 15 cm high, covered with small flowers of various colors. They can be bluish, pinkish, white. Variegata is famous for its fragile stems, thin, small leaves of emerald color.

Crystal Palace

Spherical shrub, deep blue flowers, up to 2 cm in diameter. They close the stems, the leaves are almost invisible. Bushes grow up to 30 cm in height.

White Lady

The plant reaches 15 cm in height, the stems are covered with small white flowers 2 cm in diameter. The buds are compact, located in the axils of the leaves. During flowering, the bush lobelia looks like a white carpet.

String of pearls

Bushes grow up to 10 cm in height, leaves are green, lanceolate. Flowers are found in various colors, pollen falls in June-late September.

Marquise

Ampelous Lobelia Marquis is distinguished by the cascading shape of the shrub, its shoots hanging down. The inflorescences are rich red, up to 2 cm in diameter. The culture blooms all summer.

Riviera

An annual plant famous for its bright, small flowers of various colors. When flowering, the leaves are almost invisible. The stems are erect, the bushes grow up to 13 cm in height. This is an early flowering variety.

Cambridge blue ice

Lobelia is a dense, dense bush, up to 12 cm high. The inflorescences are rich white, reminiscent of a fluffy cloud when blooming. Emerald color leaves, dense.

Regatta

The plant is distinguished by dark green leaves, stem, growth is about 20 cm. Flowers are varied: white, cornflower blue, lavender. Inflorescences are formed a lot, during flowering, the bush looks densely covered with flowers.

Blue Fountain

Climbing lobelia with falling shoots, grows up to 35 cm high. The flowers are purple with a raspberry tinge. The stems and leaves are rich green, strong.

Reproduction

Lobelia is bred by seeds, cuttings and dividing the bush. Each of the methods involves a certain scheme, differs in the time of landing in open ground.

Growing seeds for seedlings

Lobelia seeds are small in size, when sown in the soil, they must be mixed with sand. After planting, they are not rammed, but watered by spraying so that the seeds are not washed away. They can be sown from a specially prepared container, on the bottom of which a drainage layer is laid out. In order for germination to be high, do not sprinkle the seeds with earth. Future seedlings need to create greenhouse conditions by identifying them in an illuminated place. Seedlings should develop within 7 days. You can use peat tablets. To plant small lobelia seeds, use a toothpick. When the first leaves appear, they pick.

Timing

To obtain seedling material, seeds are planted in February. Early planting requires illumination of seedlings with a phytolamp, since natural lighting in winter is not enough. If seed planting takes place in early spring, flowering will occur in June.

Gardeners advise preparing seedlings from March. From seedlings to the beginning of pollen, 3 months should be counted.

Picking

When the seedlings germinate up to 3 cm up, they form the first leaves, carry out a pick. 3-4 seedlings are moved to a new place so as not to damage the rhizome. Experienced summer residents use a dessert spoon for this. When caring for young plants, they should be moistened regularly, avoiding moisture stagnation.

2 weeks before planting seedlings should be hardened, accustomed to the street. Capacities with seedlings are taken out for 2 hours in the open air, every day, increasing the amount of stay. Before planting in open ground, they should be outside all day.

Cuttings and dividing the bush

For cuttings, an adult bush is required, which is dug up in the fall. Together with an earthy clod, it is transplanted for wintering into a spacious container for keeping indoors. When roots appear in the lower part of a young plant, it can be considered ready for planting in open ground.Pinching cuttings 5 cm tall.

The division of the mother plant is carried out with a shovel or a sharp pruner.

You will need another bag or box. The plant should be watered before digging. To preserve the rhizomes, the bushes are dug up, capturing most of the root system. The earth should not be shaken off, so as not to injure them. Together with a soil clod, lobelia is placed in a box or bag. After, they take it to the room, with a temperature of 0 degrees. Usually this is a balcony, loggia, cellar or pantry. Before sending the plant for storage, all shoots are cut off, leaving no more than 7 cm. The flower requires regular moisture.

Landing in open ground

Lobelia should be planted in open soil after the air temperature has stabilized, when it is stable from 10 degrees Celsius. It is important to meet the deadlines, choose the right place. Land preparation is carried out a couple of days before planting. There should be a distance of 10-15 cm between the bushes.Disembarkation is carried out by transshipment, the contents of the cups are planted.

Timing

In early May, planting work is carried out in open ground. In the North, it is better to plant lobelia in the second half of the month. Seedlings are afraid of night frosts, they may not survive.

Choosing a seat

Gardeners recommend planting lobelia in a sunny area with loose soil, sandy loam or loam. First you need to add nitrogen substances to the soil, the procedure stimulates a lush, beautiful pollen. You should not abuse the composition, it will harm the plant.

You can plant flowers in pots, vertical beds, pots or just in the garden.

Plant pattern

If you plant lobelia at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other, a continuous carpet is formed. When planting after 25 cm, separate bushes will be obtained.

Care

Caring for lobelia is simple, you just need to moisten it in time, loosen the soil, feed the plant, pinch the bushes.

Irrigation

The soil must always be kept moist, especially in hot weather. About 1.5 buckets of water go under one bush. Pour the liquid under the rhizome, it should be warm, not icy. During the dry period, irrigation is carried out 2 times a day. When it rains periodically, watering is carried out 3 times a week.

Feeding

Top dressing has a positive effect on lobelia, they should be applied 2 weeks after planting the plant in a permanent place. Give preference to organics, with the calculation of 1:10 mullein and nettle infusion. The above mixture fertilizes the bushes again in August, after cutting.

Preparing for winter

It is not necessary to cover the lobelia for the winter, the bushes are cut under the rhizome, covered with mulch from the leaves. In regions where harsh winters prevail, the bushes survive them in a pot, which is indoors like a greenhouse or basement.

Difficulties in leaving

Lobelia has a strong immunity to diseases and harmful beetles, but rotting is possible if the soil is waterlogged. Sometimes the bushes are exposed to powdery mildew, blackleg, rust, rot and mold.

To prevent infection, it is important to observe the moderation of irrigation, do not overmoisten the ground. Destroy fungi by removing shoots, bushes are treated with fungicides.

Mosaic-type virus diseases also attack lobelia. They are extremely dangerous, transmitted through contaminated land or water.

It is impossible to save a diseased bush, they dig it up and burn it. The first symptoms of the virus include the appearance on the leaves of yellow, brown spots with angular edges. Among beetles, aphids, slugs, and spider mites sometimes attack the flower.

1. Aphids are destroyed by spraying with a solution of laundry soap.
2. Slugs and snails are excreted with bleach. Containers with this substance are placed around the lobelia.
3. Spider mites can be removed by using a tincture of garlic or tobacco. If unconventional methods do not help, they resort to chemical acaricides.

Inexperienced gardeners are still faced with waterlogging of the soil. This is fraught with rotting of the rhizome, death of the flower.

As a site decoration

Bright bushes are widely used for garden decoration. They can be combined with undersized perennials like iberis, alyssum, viola, carnation. Lobelia looks gorgeous on a green lawn, among rockeries.

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