Since trailing lobelia (planting and care are quite easy with photos and videos) is often used to decorate gardens, gardeners also use it to create borders. This lobelia variety is also planted in small pots or boxes, making it a great way to decorate a veranda or balcony. Pots with such plants are often used. flowers They are hung on the street side of the windows to decorate the house with flowers.
This plant was brought to our country from South Africa, and today scientists have developed over three hundred varieties of this delicate and fragile flower. It thrives best in subtropical and temperate climates, as these zones have more humid weather and temperatures that are more tolerant of transplanting. However, to grow the plant properly, it's important to purchase the desired variety in advance. For example, you can plant lobelia outdoors in a front garden, or choose dwarf varieties for pots and small containers.
How to grow a plant from seeds?
The plant is best propagated by seed, so gardeners use this method to grow Lobelia hanging plant when planting and caring for it, using photos and videos. However, the seeds take a very long time to germinate, so it's recommended to start planting the first seeds not in spring, but in winter, for example, mid-February, or at the very beginning of March, to enjoy the flowering plants earlier. It's worth noting that working with seeds is quite difficult, as they are tiny—slightly larger than a speck of dust. Nevertheless, growing this plant at home will be a rewarding experience. To plant the seeds in prepared containers, it's best to use tweezers, as they'll be easier to grasp the tiny seeds with than your fingers.
If you don't buy the soil, but simply prepare it yourself, it must be very light and loose, only then will it be easier for the seeds to take root in it. Do not add humus to the soil.
Every seed lobelia Ampelous (planting and care with photos in our article) are sown on the surface of prepared soil. However, under no circumstances should the seeds be covered with soil, as they require sunlight to germinate, and the seeds' small size will prevent the first growth points from breaking through the thin layer of soil.
To moisten the soil, use only a spray bottle, and moisten it very carefully to avoid compacting it. Cover the container with plastic or glass. Air the container daily—five minutes is sufficient. Monitor the soil's moisture level and add moisture as needed. The room temperature should be maintained at 20 degrees Celsius or slightly above; this temperature is optimal for growing hanging lobelia. See photos of planting and caring for this plant. In just a couple of weeks, you'll see the first tiny shoots, although sometimes you might not even notice them because the sprouts are so small.
When the first shoots appear above the soil surface growing from seedsThe film can be removed, but it's important to monitor the soil's moisture level. The soil should be moderately moist; if it becomes too dry, it will inevitably affect the health of small plants. However, overwatering is also very dangerous, as plant roots are thin and fragile; if they are washed away by water, the plants will die.
Once the first shoots appear, you don't need to worry about high room temperatures, as the flowers will thrive at 15 degrees Celsius. However, repotting the seedlings should be done only three weeks after the first shoots appear; this is necessary to allow the plants to gain strength and grow larger.
Transplant into individual small pots using tweezers, which is much easier to grasp the small seedlings. Seven small seedlings are transplanted into each container, as they are small. This type of transplant also allows for a larger, more lush bush once the seedlings mature. If the gardener notices the seedlings are becoming too leggy, it's worth trimming off the tops with the leaves. This will also help encourage additional shoots, encouraging the plant to grow thicker and stronger.
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Planting and caring for flowers
To achieve truly beautiful flowers from the trailing lobelia "Sapphire," planting and care (photo below) must be done correctly and in a timely manner. Since trailing lobelia is best planted in containers or pots, it's best to hang them in a location that receives ample sunlight—a veranda, balcony, or window frame—as long as the plants receive adequate light. While these plants can thrive in shady corners of the home, it's in full sun that they will delight the gardener with beautiful, vibrant blooms.
For planting in pots, it's also preferable to use looser, lighter soil that allows for air circulation. You can skip the soil altogether and simply find loamy soil and use it for planting. Many gardeners prefer to immediately feed the plants with large amounts of organic fertilizer, but this approach is not suitable for lobelia. Adding organic matter to the soil releases nitrogen, which, while it allows the plant to develop lush, green foliage, prevents it from blooming. So, if you want bright, vibrant flowers, it's best to avoid organic fertilizer.
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If the plants will be growing on an open veranda, planting should take place at the very end of May, when frosty nights are a thing of the past. Each bush should be spaced 7-10 cm apart, but a single large bush is better in a pot. As mentioned earlier, the plant loves water, so it will require frequent watering. If lobelia lacks moisture, flowering will be affected immediately, so it's important to pay special attention to watering in hot weather. Trailing lobelias often require watering twice a day, as a small amount of soil dries out quickly in hot weather.
It's worth noting that these plants require additional pruning, which is done after the first bloom. This allows new shoots to grow. After this pruning, flowering begins with renewed vigor. Throughout the summer, it's worth fertilizing the soil at least twice a year to ensure that the trailing lobelia (easy to plant and care for) draws nutrients from the soil and blooms well. For this type of fertilization, it's preferable to use only mineral fertilizers, which are sold in flower shops.
Wintering of plants
Some lobelia varieties bloom for several years, so they need to survive the winter properly to bloom again in the new year. For example, the Erinus variety needs to be prepared for winter. However, this dwarf variety is most often grown in vases and pots. You can transplant the plant, roots included, into a regular indoor pot and let it overwinter indoors. Furthermore, in a warm environment, the plants will bloom beautifully for a while, just as they do in summer. You can prune the plant with Dima, so that within a few months the lobelia will produce new shoots that will bloom again in the summer.
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Self-propagation of flowers
This plant can also reproduce independently from seed, although flowering will be much later. Often, gardeners simply collect seeds in late autumn and then plant them in the ground to produce seedlings. These plants will germinate more quickly, but you can't expect the plant varieties to be unmixed, as pollination occurs from all flowers.
These flowers are perfect not only for decorating your home and veranda, but also for planting in flowerbeds. Although ampere lobelias are quite small, they still look very beautiful in a flowerbed. Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, they can be used to create borders by planting them along the sides of a garden path.
We've covered the trailing lobelia, including planting and care, with photos – we wish you beautiful blooms!
Lobelia ampelosa: planting and care