Growing lobelia from seeds

From this article you will learn how to grow lobelia from seeds, when it is better to plant it this year according to the Lunar Calendar and not only. But first, let's see what kind of plant it is - lobelia.

Lobelia is a lush flowering herbaceous, shrub or semi-shrub plant. South African guest took root in Russia. It blooms all summer. White, blue, pink, purple, blue caps of small flowers cover the foliage of the plant. The length and height of the stems depends on the variety of lobelia. An annual plant in a pot is brought for the winter to the house, where the lobelia is located before planting on the flower bed next year. Florists willingly decorate garden plots with this flower. To obtain strong and strong seedlings of lobelia, it is important to know its features, technology, rules for sowing and caring for it.

Dates of sowing lobelia for seedlings

Lobelia is propagated by seeds (their germination is preserved for 3 years), occasionally by cuttings. The plant sprouts and develops slowly. It is recommended to sow while there is still snow on the street. This ensures flowering in early summer. After sowing, after 5-10 days, the first seedlings will appear, and after 50-60 lobelia will bloom. Having sown seeds in April, the plant will please flowering only in June.

The difficulty lies in the fact that daylight hours are still short, and lobelia seedlings require 10 hours of full lighting. Therefore, planting material at home is illuminated with photolamps or grown in heated greenhouses.

It is believed that the March crops catch up with the February development. This can be verified by sowing two batches of seedlings at different times and choosing the optimal time for your region.

Lobelia sowing by region

Decide on the start of sowing, taking into account the climatic conditions of the region. In the south of the country, seeds are planted in February, and even January, to decorate flower beds, and draw up garden path borders before the onset of heat.

When sowing lobelia seeds, not only the region’s climate, but also the weather features are taken into account.

In the south of Russia, starting in February, one can start sowing seeds. Territories to the north are postponed to March. Residents of Siberia and the Urals begin work in late March. When the threat of night frost is over, you can transfer lobelia seedlings to clubs, and take out potted flowers to the street.

Lunar calendar sowing dates for 2019

For those who plan to work in the garden according to the lunar calendar, it is advised to choose the following dates for sowing lobelia:

Soil and tanks for lobelia

The soil for the plant is light, crumbly, with neutral or slightly alkaline pH readings. This is easily checked by litmus test or vinegar. Soil is placed on a piece of glass and watered with a solution. The desired reaction is a slight hiss.

Use prepared nutrient soil or prepare the soil mixture yourself. The following composition is recommended (2: 2: 2: 1):

• garden land;
• peat;
• humus;
• river sand.

Use more variants of the mixture: vermiculite, coarse river sand, garden soil or humus.

Apply a composition of such components, take 1 part:

• river sand;
• peat or leaf land;
• soddy soil;
• coconut substrate.

A large amount of organic matter in the soil stimulates the growth of greenery with sparse flowering. Vermiculite reduces soil acidity, increases permeability and accumulates water. This has a beneficial effect on the development of lobelia.

It is convenient to use ready-made peat tablets. They are sold in different sizes and in special plastic cells, 6, 50, 100 pieces each. Seeds are germinated, dive and transplanted to a permanent place along with the substrate.

The soil mixture before sowing is disinfected:

• calcined in the oven;
• spilled with boiling water;
• treated with 1% potassium permanganate solution;
• warm up for a couple;
• use the fungicides Previkur or Maxim.

For sowing lobelia seeds use:

• boxes of wood or plastic;
• used cups and jars for dairy products;
• eggshells and packaging;
• tea bags; plastic cassettes.

The container should be washed with soda or processed with potassium permanganate. To prevent root rotting, drainage holes are made in the bottom of the containers. Plastic is easily pierced with a nail or an awl preheated over a fire.

Mr. Dachnik recommends: various ways of sowing lobelia

45 thousand seeds are contained in one gram of planting material. It is packaged in paper packaging, ampoules, plastic zip bags. Given that the seeds are small, choose a planting method.

Traditionally, lobelia is sown in a box. Perform the following sequence of actions:

• pour 1 cm of drainage layer to the bottom of the tank;
• filled with soil mixture by three fourths;
• water the soil with solutions of potassium permanganate or fungicide;
• level the surface and compact;
• mix lobelia seeds with sand on a sheet of paper;
• sow evenly over the entire area of ​​soil;
• cover the box with film or glass;
• put in a bright place with air temperature + 23 ... +25 ° C.

Florists are experimenting with new ways of sowing lobelia seeds.

Toothpick

The ground in the box is covered with a layer of snow. Scattered seeds are clearly visible on a white surface. With the help of a toothpick, they are evenly spread across the soil.

Hydrogen peroxide

Lobelia seeds are placed in a glass and poured for 5-10 minutes with hydrogen peroxide. Water is added, mixed and a teaspoon spread the mixture over the prepared surface of the soil.

Tea bags

Cut the place of gluing and thread, straighten the bag. Welding remains as drainage and fertilizer. In a package, top up the earth and put in a plastic container. One seed is spread on the poured, compacted earth in bags.

Toilet paper

Stack 2-3 layers of toilet paper on a strip of plastic film. Wet with water. The seeds are laid out with tweezers after 2-4 cm. 1.5 cm recede from the edge of the strip. The spread seeds are covered with another layer of paper and rolled up. Fasten with an elastic band and attach a label with the name of the variety and the date. Put the roll in a glass and add 3-4 cm of water, cover. Sprouted seeds are dived and planted in separate containers along with paper.

Peat pills

The practical way. Tablets are poured with boiling water for 10 minutes, and after swelling of peat, lobelia is sown. The grown seedlings, together with peat, are transferred to a pot or planted on a flower bed, a border.

Laminate flooring

This method is called "snail". Meter strips 10 cm wide are cut from a substrate 2 mm thick. On the moistened surface of the material, 20-30 cm are laid from one edge of the soil and carefully rolled into a "cochlea". The roll is secured with elastic bands, placed vertically and added to the ground. Seeds of 10 pieces are distributed with a wet toothpick through 5 cm in a spiral, moisturize. They put the roll in a light-transmitting container and traditionally cover it with glass or film.

Lobelia seedling care

Shoots appear after 5-10 days. The roots of the plant grow near the surface, so when the soil dries, the sprouts die in a couple of hours. Ventilate the seedlings daily and remove condensation on the lid. This reduces the risk of root rot and black leg development. The first days do this for 10 minutes, then half an hour. Tempered by adding 20 every day.

Lighting

Seedlings are placed under ambient light or oblique rays of the sun for 12-14 hours. Use photolamps with a lack of natural light. In bright sunshine, the sprouts are covered with paper or boxes of seedlings are placed on the western windows.

Advise the temperature for Lobelia sprouts + 13 ... +17 ° C.

Watering

Drying of the soil sprouts lobelia tolerate worse than excess moisture. The leaves curl and the plant dies. Early seedlings are watered around the perimeter of the tank, subsequently under the roots of plants. Make sure that there is no excess water in the pallets. This can lead to seedling diseases. For irrigation use settled water at room temperature.

Top dressing

Apply universal fertilizers. For monthly seedlings, the concentration of the solution decreases by 2-3 times.

Pick

The procedure time is determined by the number of leaves - 2-3 and the height of the plant 4 cm. Dig a group of plants 4-10 pieces, pinch the roots and transplanted with a lump of earth into containers with a diameter of 8-9 cm. Use a teaspoon as tools. Picked seedlings are sprayed with Epin solution for adaptation. 3 drops of the drug are dissolved in 1 liter of water.

Pinch

The tops of the sprouts with 5-6 leaves, 5-7 cm high are removed. This protects the seedlings from overgrowing. So, form a lush bush and prepare the future abundant flowering. Lobelia begins to bloom before transplantation, while still in small pots or containers.

Quenching

Indications on a street thermometer reach + 10 ... +15 ° C - we prepare seedlings for planting in open ground. Boxes with planting material are taken out onto the street or balcony for 5-10 minutes two weeks before the intended transplant. The duration of hardening is increased gradually. Then they leave in the open air full daylight, then at night.

Watch the weather forecast to avoid the death of seedlings due to night frost.

Transfer

Lobelia is planted in open ground in May, early June. Loamy soils or sandy loams are chosen. The flowerbed should be well lit. The location of the beds should be chosen so that the plants get the morning slanting sun's rays, but during the midday heat there was a partial shade. Seedlings are planted in groups of 5-10 plants. The distance between the bushes is 10-15 cm. The formed bushes create multi-colored flower borders and create a finished look of flower beds.

Watch the video: how to grow lobelia from seed, how to sow lobelia seeds, how to germinate lobelia seeds (April 2024).