The genus Lobelia includes various plant species (more than 300 in total, about 20 cultivated ones) - both single and perennial; grassy, shrubs and shrubs. In nature, they grow mainly in the subtropics. The plant is literally covered with small, irregularly shaped flowers: lobelia blooms for a long time and is plentiful, forming lush blue, white, lilac, violet, purple, pink or blue "caps" on the lawns or in pots.
The most common species of these plants in our country is lobelia erinus (Lobelia erinus), also called black-headed, which comes from South Africa. There are five of its forms: climbing, compact, sprawling, erect, dwarf. The braided lobelia has hanging shoots up to 50 cm long. The compact lobelia is a small, round dense bush, the height of its stems is no more than 15 cm.The shoots of the spreading lobelia are up to 35 cm long, the lobelia erect - up to 25 cm: this is a small bush that has the form the columns. Finally, dwarf lobelia grows in height by only 10-12 cm. It blooms most abundantly, and there are more flowers on its stems than leaves.
Lobelia erinus has thin branching stems, and leaflets are small, with serrated edges. The flowers of this species are formed on short pedicels, their diameter is about 1.5–2 cm. Just like some other garden flowers, lobelia erinus is cold-resistant and blooms to the very frosts. This plant is perennial, but more often grown as an annual. In the event that it is cultivated as a perennial, it should be kept in the winter in the greenhouse, at a temperature of +2 to +10 degrees Celsius.
Like many other flowers grown in open ground, lobelia is quite unpretentious. She needs loose loamy or sandy loamy soil and a sufficient amount of sunny color. Black lobelia loves plentiful watering. It must be regular: when the soil dries, flowering stops.
Lobelia seeds are sown for seedlings in early March. They are extremely small - about 50 thousand seeds are contained in 1 gram, therefore they should be mixed with sand and sown on the surface of the earth, without closing. The container must be covered with a transparent film or glass and put in a well-lit place. Erinus lobelia seeds germinate at a temperature of +20 to +22 degrees in one and a half to two weeks. Shoots grow slowly. Those that grow faster than others can be trimmed with scissors - do not be afraid, this will only benefit plants: after circumcision, they begin to scrub. A month after seed germination, with the appearance of two leaves, seedlings dive. Like many other flowers, lobelia can withstand temperatures up to –2 degrees Celsius. However, its seedlings are best planted in open ground at the end of May, after the end of the frost.
Lobelia erinus blooms on average 2–2.5 months after sowing. The first wave of flowering ends in August. With its end, the plants should be cut to a height of about 5-10 cm. This will give impetus to the development of young shoots, and the lobelia will bloom again. The flowering period will be longer if faded stems are removed in a timely manner. The fruit of lobelia is a capsule, the seeds retain their germination for three years.
The rules for caring for different types and varieties of lobelia may vary slightly. So, ampelous plants, like all hybrid forms, are propagated by cuttings. This is due to the fact that when propagated by seeds, they do not retain their varietal properties. This is usually done at the end of winter.
There are many varieties of lobelia. Some of the most popular are compact White Lady, Kaiser Wilhelm, ampel grade Sapphire. The Crystal Palace lobelia is in great demand - its small compact bushes about 10 cm high are abundantly covered with dark blue or purple flowers. The lobelia is also very beautiful. Blue breeze: its dark blue flowers - with a contrasting eye of white color. In general, lobelia is one of the most grateful and unpretentious plants that bloom from early summer to late autumn, and the many forms and varieties of it allow you to choose plants that you like.