A plant on which flowers blossom before frost: lobelia

The genus Lobelia includes various species of plants (there are more than 300 of them, and cultural ones - about 20) - both single and perennial; Herbaceous, shrubs and semishrubs. In nature, they grow mainly in the subtropics. The plant literally covers small, irregularly shaped flowers: lobelia blooms for a long time and abundantly, forming lush blue, white, lilac, purple, purple, pink or blue "caps" on lawns or in pots.

The most common type of these plants in our country is the lobelia erinus (Lobelia erinus), also called the echinacea, which originates from South Africa. There are five of its forms: stitched, compact, sprawling, upright, dwarfish. Lobelia compact - a small, round dense bush, the height of its stems - no more than 15 cm. The shoots of the lobelia sprawling have a length of up to 35 cm, the lobelia erect - up to 25 cm: it is a small shrub shaped Columns. Finally, dwarf lobelia grows only 10-12 cm tall. It blooms most abundantly, and flowers on its stems are more numerous than leaves.

In lobelia, erinus has thin branching stems, and leaves are small, with jagged margins. Flowers of this species form on short pedicels, their diameter is about 1.5-2 cm. Just like some other garden flowers, lobelia erinus is cold-resistant and blooms until the frosts. This plant - a perennial, but more often grown as a summer. In the event that it is cultivated as perennial, it should be kept in winter in a greenhouse, at a temperature of +2 to +10 degrees Celsius.

Like many other flowers grown in the open ground, lobelia is quite unpretentious. It needs loose loamy or sandy loamy soil and a sufficient amount of sunlight. Lobelia ebony loves copious watering. It must necessarily be regular: when the soil dries, the flowering ceases.

Seeds of lobelia are planted in seedlings in early March. They are extremely small - 1 gram contains about 50 thousand seeds, so they should be mixed with sand and sow on the surface of the earth without covering. The container should be covered with a transparent film or glass and put in a well-lit place. Germinate the seeds of lobelia erinus at a temperature of +20 to +22 degrees in a half to two weeks. Seedlings grow slowly. Those of them that go faster than others can be cut with scissors - do not be afraid, it will only benefit the plants: after circumcision they begin to be bitten. A month after the germination of the seeds, with the appearance of two leaves, the seedlings are dived. Like many other flowers, lobelia can withstand temperatures of -2 degrees Celsius. However, its seedlings are best planted in the open ground in late May, after the end of frost.

Blossom lobelia erinus in average 2-2.5 months after sowing. The first wave of flowering is completed 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 lobelia will bloom again. The flowering period will be longer if the 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 of care for various species and varieties of lobelia may be somewhat different. Thus, ampel plants, like all hybrid forms, are propagated by cuttings. This is due to the fact that when multiplying by seeds they do not retain their varietal properties. Do this usually at the end of winter.

There are many varieties of lobelia. One of the most popular is the compact White Lady, Kaiser Wilhelm, the Sapphire amp. Grade. Great demand is used for the lobelia Crystal Palace - its small compact shrubs about 10 cm high are abundantly covered with flowers of dark blue or purple. Very beautiful and lobelia Blue breeze: her dark blue flowers - with a contrasting white eye. In general, lobelia is one of the most grateful and unpretentious plants that blossom from the beginning of summer to late autumn, and many of its forms and varieties allow you to choose plants that will please you.