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Common Lobelia continues to be a great choice for blue blooms if you want to add color to your gardens and containers. Lobelia ( Lobelia erinus ) is a lovely annual (or tender perennial) that is well-behaved, low-growing, and nice for (somewhat) extensive beds or containers. It is easy to grow in cool to moderate temperatures, but struggles on 90ºF (32C) days. It is only a perennial for zones where winters are frost-free.
Steps
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Purchase seedlings or transplants from a local garden store. Look for high quality transplants in the spring.
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Prepare the soil . Lobelia can be grown in a container or in the garden. Use high quality commercial potting soil or good quality soil with compost added for garden planting.Advertisement
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Choose a location with full sun to part shade. If planting in containers or window boxes, you'll have the freedom to move these around if needed.
- Plant lobelia near the edges of containers so the plant will trail over the edge.
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Purchase seeds at a garden store or online. This is necessary if you wish to have a specific variety of lobelia.
- The best varieties of lobelia are grown from cuttings and sold with brand names.
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Follow the seed packet directions when planting seeds. Sow the seeds indoors, under lights, 8 to 10 weeks earlier in order to get the spring flowering.
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Plant. Plant the seedlings in sunny well drained spots after the last frosts have gone or in a frost-free environment. Space plants 12-15 inches (30-35 cm) apart. In a container, lobelia can be grown more closely together.
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Apply fertilizer regularly. A water soluble fertilizer is the easiest to use for fertilizing lobelia. Apply every 2-3 weeks for pots and window boxes and every 4-6 weeks in the garden.
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Remove the spent flowers regularly. This will tidy up the plant and encourage new blooms.
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The many colors of common lobelia are a great addition to any garden.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionAre lobelias perennials?Community AnswerThere is a perennial type, it's red. he blue ones with the tiny flowers are generally classed as annuals I live in California - a part where we seldom ever get frost - and some of them live for 2 or 3 years.
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QuestionLobelia seedlings are so tiny. How much thinning should be done?Community AnswerLet nature take it's course and they will thin themselves.It really is not necessary to thin them. The stronger faster growers will shade out many of the others. What you are left with will be abundantly beautiful.
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QuestionWhere do I plant lobelias -- sun or shade?Community AnswerThey like full sun, but will take some shade. Start indoors two months before the last expected frost in your area.
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Tips
- Lobelia can be grown as a border plant in the garden.Thanks
- Lobelia is best known for its vivid blue or purple colours, but it also comes in pink, white, and rose colours.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- Digging implement
- Lobelia seedlings
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