In addition to beautiful flowers, perennial lobelia has decorative leaves used to decorate colorful compositions and landscaping garden borders. Plants can be grown in special garden vases and on balconies. Lobelia perennial is successful with many gardeners because of the abundant and prolonged flowering. Flowering bushes should be pruned regularly, after which they bloom until late autumn. In gardening, mainly hybrid forms of lobelia are used. Cardinal or purple lobelia has bright red flowers collected in spike-shaped inflorescences, noticeable in the area from afar. The height of its inflorescences can reach a height of one meter, it grows well in wetlands. The climbing lobelia blooms in blue-violet color, beginning in mid-summer. Lobelia perennial prefers sunny areas and bright lighting. It is desirable to grow plants on loose loamy and sandy loamy soils. When the soil is oversaturated with organic substances, lobelia blooms poorly, but has a lush cover of leaves. A regular plentiful watering is necessary, since when the soil dries up, flowering stops.
Perennial lobelia propagates by seeds that are sown, starting in February in seedlings. Varieties of plants with double flowers propagated by cuttings. It is advisable to add sand and peat to the land for seedlings. Very small seeds are sown without sprinkling on top of the ground. Planted seeds need to be poured from a spray bottle and cover the boxes with a greenhouse film or glass.
Seedlings form better in warm conditions. Optimum seedling cultivation
lobelia on the windowsill, and in May you can plant it directly in the flower garden.
Plant shoots dive twice. During the first dive between shoots make a distance of about 2 centimeters. The second dive is done when the bushes of flowers grow a little. The distance between the bushes is 6 cm. Plants are planted in the ground in early June, after the air is good.
warms up. When planting between the bushes, lobelia leave 15 cm. Plants love
transplantation and for good growth requires constant rejuvenation at least one
every two years. Long shoots need to be pinched, and bushes regularly prune. For better tillering, pinch the tops of the plants. Perennial species can be propagated by division and root cuttings. When growing lobelia, you need to remember that this plant is poisonous, some varieties are used as medicines. After the first flowering period, the lobelia is cut 5 cm in height, after which new flowering shoots are formed.
Lobelias look great on their own and pick them “neighbors” so that the garden composition looks harmonious, rather difficult. In order not to disturb the balance of the flower garden, they can be grown in separate groups or in containers. Ampel lobelia looks beautiful in hanging beds and baskets. Her partner plants are ageratum, balsam, verbena, cloves and rudbeckia. Cascading lobelia looks charmingly separate from other plants. This is a delicate plant with long drooping shoots forming a bush in the shape of a ball. Frequent small flowers cover the entire plant completely. The color of the flowers can be lilac pink, purple, blue, white or bright blue. Cascading lobelia is unpretentious to growing conditions, compact, looks great in suspended structures and blooms profusely until the first frost, after which it must be transferred to an enclosed space. Hanging baskets with cascading lobelia can decorate a balcony, a loggia or a terrace of a country house. The plant is resistant to wind, needs regular watering and is very photophilous. Blooming lobelia can be transplanted; it tolerates transplants quite easily.