Growing lobelia from seeds at home

Airy, delicate and colorful lobelias are ideal plants for a summer cottage and garden. They are distinguished by abundant and bright flowering practically throughout the entire warm season, up to frost, are perfectly combined with other vegetation and do not need constant housekeeping. Many gardeners are concerned about the seed reproduction of these wonderful flowers, since not everyone can get their high-quality seedlings.

Knowledge of all the subtleties and nuances of agricultural technology for growing lobelia from seed will help avoid unnecessary trouble and allow you to enjoy their beauty all summer and autumn.

Lobelia is a flowering herbaceous perennial from the genus of the same name Lobelia, which is part of the large bellflower family. Natural area - the southern part of the African continent and subtropical climatic zones in the southern hemisphere. In nature, wild relatives of lobelia prefer moist or stony soils. In a climate of temperate latitudes and regions of the northeastern part of Eurasia, this perennial crop is grown as an annual. The species diversity of the genus Lobelia has more than 350 names, but only about two dozen of the most decorative species are grown in culture.

All lobelias are characterized by thin, flexible, highly branching shoots with abundant leaf mass. They grow in the form of compact spherical or columnar bushes up to 15 and 40 cm high, respectively. And also there are many creeping ground cover forms, the length of their stems, depending on the variety, can vary from 10 to 40 cm. Generally, representatives of the genus Lobelia are plants with a spiral arrangement of small sessile lanceolate leaves with serrated edges and single axillary flowers.

The leaf blades are solid and colored in light or intense green. Shoots and leaves have a noticeable silver and dark gray pubescence with a bluish tinge.

During flowering, the tops of the stems are covered with miniature splicing, two-lipped flowers with a maximum diameter of 2 cm. The color of the petals in the main and most common variety of black lobelia includes various shades of blue - from pastel to the most saturated. Garden and varietal specimens impress with a variety of colors - from snow-white, pale blue and purple to pink, raspberry and blue of varying degrees of intensity. There are several multi-colored forms and varieties in which the eyelet contrasts in color with the color of the petals. The flowering period of the culture is long and begins in summer in June, and ends in September or late autumn, in October, when the first frosts hit.

Lobelias are the favorites of landscape designers who actively use their wide decorative possibilities to solve a variety of tasks for the beautification of personal plots. From these colorful plants, they create all kinds of compositions on flower beds and flower beds in a regular and landscape style, form various variations of ridges that serve as decoration for hedges, a living border of garden paths or an element of functional zoning of the local area and garden.

Since lobelias are among those colors that look perfect against the background of stones, the design of artificial reservoirs and alpine slides rarely does without their participation.

Sowing seeds is recommended between February and April, which is considered the optimal time for growing lobelia seedlings. For those who want this culture to bloom early, flower growers are advised to plan sowing for January-February. True, in such cases, winter seedlings will need to be provided with additional lighting by organizing illumination with phyto-lamps. If this is not done, the development of seedlings will be too slow and due to a lack of light, they will stretch upward, which is why lobelia bushes will not grow luxuriantly in the future, which means they will immediately lose the lion's share of their charm.

When growing seedlings in open ground, sowing is carried out from March to April, however, the flowering of such plants occurs later than those that were sown in the winter. In general, flowers planted during March or April and grown only with natural light are highly resilient and disease-resistant, especially against dangerous fungal diseases such as black leg. In addition, they are more decorative as they form compact shrubs.

The timing of sowing lobelia largely depends on the climatic characteristics of a particular area.

• In regions with short, cool summers, such as the Urals or Siberia, it is recommended to start sowing from late January to mid-February.
• For Moscow, the Moscow region and other regions of the Central Federal District and the European part of Russia, the optimal sowing time is at the beginning of spring. You can sow any day in March.
• In the south of the European part of our country, sowing is practiced at a slightly earlier date, starting from the last week of winter.

When calculating the sowing time, it is important to take into account the biology of certain varieties of lobelia. So for ampelous (curly) forms slower development is characteristic in comparison with other varieties. Plants of the same species, but with different flower colors, grow at different rates.

Lobelia is propagated vegetatively in two ways - by cuttings and seeds. As a rule, highly decorative varieties are bred in the first way in order to transfer and preserve varietal characteristics. There is nothing difficult in growing lobelias from seeds, but it is important to consider one point. The use of self-collected seed increases the likelihood of producing flowers with a different color from the previous color. It should be noted that the shelf life of such seeds is limited to 3 years, after which they lose their viability.

Lobelia needs light, well-aerated, medium-fertile soil with a neutral alkaline reaction. For growing seedlings, you can use ready-made flower soil or homemade soil mixture: garden soil + sand + vermiculite. The resulting substrate is poured into a planting container, at the bottom of which a drainage layer is preliminarily formed. Then the earth is leveled, slightly compacted and moistened.

The main difficulty in sowing this flower crop is the too small size of the seed, resembling dust particles. The florist is faced with the task of achieving uniformity in their planting. There are several sowing methods that ensure uniform distribution of the seed over the soil and a high germination rate.

• Sowing with snow. This method is used to sow those crops that have "uncomfortable" small dusty seeds. To do this, a thin layer of snow is spread on the prepared soil, and then seeds are poured onto it. As the snow melts, they will gradually deepen into the moist soil. Another plus of this method is the natural stratification of seeds during the time that the "snowdrift" melts.

• Adding sand... This is the simplest and most common method of sowing fine, dusty seed. In this case, it is thoroughly mixed with sand, a thick textured paper is taken and the resulting mixture is poured onto it. Then the sheet is bent in half like a boat and, lightly tapping the edge of the paper with your finger, the prepared substrate is sown, trying to distribute the mixture as evenly as possible.

• Using toothpicks (matches). This seeding method is especially convenient when working with granular seed. Plastic ampoules are picked up with a wet toothpick and laid out on a prepared substrate in a planting container. Although it is also suitable for ordinary packaged seeds.

• Hydrogen peroxide. The seed is poured from the packaging into a saucer, a little hydrogen peroxide is poured in and left to soak for a maximum of 10 minutes. Next, it remains to add plain water, take a teaspoon and distribute the seeds along with an aqueous solution of peroxide over the surface of the soil.

• The use of peat tablets. The seeds are picked up with a wet toothpick, successively moving them into the depressions on the swollen lumps of peat. The main advantages of peat "circles" are the most useful composition with growth and immunity stimulants, rooting agents, antiseptic substances against pathogenic fungi and bacteria, which greatly increases the chances of getting friendly and healthy seedlings.

It is important that in this case you will not have to dive the seedlings, since the seeds sprout in bunches. Cons - high cost and the need to constantly control the moisture content of peat due to its rapid drying.

Separately, it must be said about sowing seeds in a hydrogel. This eco-friendly polymer in the form of granules has the unique property of retaining large volumes of moisture: 1 g of the substance can absorb up to 400 g of liquid.

This material is used in two ways:

• mix granules with ready-made or home-made soil in a ratio of 1: 4;
• the capsules are placed at the bottom of the planting tank as a drainage layer 1-1.5 cm thick, and then filled with a substrate to the edges.

The main advantages of growing seedlings in hydrogel capsules:

• maintaining the optimal water balance of the soil during the entire period of growing seedlings;
• no problems with an excess or lack of moisture in the ground, since the plants themselves will take it from the granules in the right amount;
• seeds in "jelly" germinate much more actively than when sown in the ground, due to the full nutrition of the roots of seedlings;
• picking without damaging the root system of the sprouts - since the seedlings are easily removed from the jelly-like mass, in this case it is possible to avoid injury or breakage of small roots, in the future this guarantees the receipt of developed and powerful roots;
• early flowering, since seedlings grown on hydrogel are better transplanted to a permanent place.

To facilitate the germination of small seeds on the hydrogel, they are sown using additional devices. The hydrogel layer in the planting container is covered with a piece of gauze, a sheet of filtered paper, or covered with a light coconut substrate, after which the seeds are poured. This prevents the seed from getting stuck between the hydrogel beads. They are engaged in picking seedlings when they have cotyledons or the first true leaves, as it is more familiar to whom.

At t 17-21 ° C, the appearance of the first shoots can be expected after 1-2 weeks from the moment of sowing. During this entire period, it is necessary to promptly get rid of the condensate accumulating under the greenhouse. Otherwise, under the pressure of large drops of moisture falling from above, the seeds will sink into the soil.

In order to grow healthy seedlings that can please with abundant flowering in the future, it is important to create conditions for seedlings for full growth and development.

The appearance of the first shoots is a signal to place the seedling container in a well-lit place. To avoid strong pulling of the hatched sprouts in the daytime, seedling containers can be placed on a glazed loggia (balcony).

Such "walks" have a double benefit, since sufficient natural light on the balcony, combined with a low temperature, not only ensures the optimal development of the seedlings, but also contributes to their hardening. With the onset of evening, it is advisable to bring the senses into the apartment, where, if necessary, arrange artificial lighting, as well as in rainy or cloudy weather.

It is necessary to moisten the crops of lobelia with extreme caution, since excessive moisture provokes the development of mold and rotting of sprouts. In order not to harm thin and fragile seedlings, watering should be carried out in moderate doses in the most gentle and safe mode. Therefore, it is advisable to resort to bottom watering, leaving the water in the pan for half an hour and not forgetting to drain it. You can also use a disposable syringe, fine spray, or pour water from a spoon to moisten the soil.

If mold is found from the surface of the soil, it is necessary to remove all traces of the fungus, and then spill it with a manganese solution or sprinkle it with crushed activated carbon or sand. Before use, the sand must be rinsed and properly calcined. As a prevention of fungal diseases, it is necessary to control the condition of the soil - it should be loose and moderately moist.

The grown lobelia seedlings need to be transplanted from a common seedling container in individual cups. They are engaged in picking a month after the seeds ripen, when small sprouts managed to acquire real leaves in the amount of 2-4 pieces.

Transfer work procedure:

• prepare nutritious soil and fill separate containers for seedlings with it;
• lightly tamp the soil mixture, form miniature holes for planting and water;
• moisten the soil in a common container to facilitate the separation of densely grown seedlings into bunches;
• using a tea (coffee) spoon, fork or narrow construction spatula, take out the sprouts in bundles of 3-5 pieces and, while preserving the earthen clod, place them sequentially in the planting holes;
• gently sprinkle the seedlings with soil, slightly compacting it with your hand, and at the end spray it with a spray bottle.

Planting seedlings from temporary containers into open ground is permissible only if there is firm confidence that the spring frosts will definitely not return. The approximate dates for planting are in the second decade of May and, as a rule, by this time the seedlings often bloom.

Correct placement of lobelia in a permanent place assumes the same planting method as when picking, that is, several plants in one hole with a step between adjacent pits of 10 cm.After planting this culture in bunches, its bushes will have a particularly decorative and lush appearance.

Light-loving lobelias grow best in open areas with good lighting. But being at the same time also shade-tolerant plants, they do well in penumbra places, where the soil is moist and contains rich reserves of humus.

Staying in a land oversaturated with organic matter provokes intensive vegetation. The plant begins to actively grow the green mass, forming flowers at half strength. In summer in July, it is recommended to trim the bushes to a height of 5-6 cm in order to stimulate flowering. At the same time, foliar feeding is carried out for lobelia using water-soluble mineral complexes.

Although lobelia is a disease-resistant crop, non-compliance with the rules of care reduces the immunity of seedlings, which become vulnerable to representatives of pathogenic microflora and harmful insects. The most common reason for the development of infections of fungal etiology is a violation of the watering regime.

With excessive waterlogging of the soil, moisture begins to stagnate in it, as a result of which favorable conditions are created for the appearance and reproduction of fungi. Their presence is evidenced by the characteristic dark spots covering the shoots and leaves of the senets. Treatment consists in removing the affected parts of the seedlings and subsequent treatment of all sprouts with biofungicides.

Among pests, the greatest threat to lobelia is represented by phytophagous spider mites. To get to the cell sap, these small sucking insects damage the green parts of the plants, as a result of which they begin to wither and shed their leaves. Arid conditions favor the appearance of phytophages. If the seedlings are slightly damaged, it is necessary to increase the frequency of watering and spray it using a solution of soap shavings.

Experienced gardeners know a lot of tricks and secrets that help to get high-quality lobelia seedlings.

• It is important to disinfect the soil for sowing seeds as a prevention of diseases and attacks of harmful insects. To do this, the soil mixture is spilled with hot water at 90-100 ° C, and after drying it is compacted and leveled with a bar.
• The use of growth stimulants - "Heteroauxin" (indoleacetic acid), "Epin", "Etamon", "Kornevin" significantly increases the germination of the seed. A solution of any of them is used to shed soil for seedlings, and if peat tablets are used for its cultivation, then all the depressions are first dug into them with a stimulator, and then the seeds are placed. These preparations also stimulate root formation, increase stress resistance and the immune defense of seedlings.
• When the seedlings reach a height of 3.5-4 cm, it is advisable to pinch or trim them for the best tillering in the future. Formative pruning is of particular relevance when the seedlings are pulled out.
• When transplanting seedlings, it is important to act with extreme caution to avoid damage to their thin stems, while minor root injuries pass for lobelia without negative consequences. Cutting the soil in a common seedling container with a knife provides the convenience of separating the entire root mass of seedlings and greatly simplifies the florist's task of separating uniform bunches of young plants from it.
• Although lobelias are photophilous, their seedlings are contraindicated in direct sunlight. For this reason, in sunny weather, the seedling container is shaded by shading windows or constructing a protection from newspapers.

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