The genus Lobelia includes about 300 species, but only 20 are widespread as an ornamental plant. One of the most popular is the Erinus lobelia, a native of South Africa. It has many varieties of various shades: blue, light blue, purple, reddish and white.
Noteworthy is the variety - Emperor Willy, of the Bellflower family. It is appreciated for its unpretentiousness, rich flowering and safe coexistence with other flowers. Entering the number of perennials, it is also used as an annual.
Description of the lobelia variety Emperor Willie
The herbaceous plant is represented by small bushes having the shape of a ball. On thin stems branching from the very base, small, whole leaves are located. Blue flowers growing on a short peduncle are not covered by foliage and can reach a diameter of 2 cm with a total bush height of 10 cm.
Pros and cons of the lobelia variety
Pros:
- Continuous flowering from June to September;
- High variability of placement;
- Unpretentiousness in terms of lighting (tolerates partial shade);
- Pest insect attacks are excluded;
- Virtually unaffected by disease;
- Lush flowering on "poor" soil.
Minuses:
- The complicated process of diving due to the small size of the young plant and its fragility;
- Demanding on temperature conditions and humidity parameters.
Using Emperor William
Often lobelia planted areas along the track to form a dense border strip, while it is diluted with other perennials. It is important to consider the color combination. For example, with crops such as cloves, salvia, petunia, verbena and bell lobelia looks good. It is located in flowerbeds, containers and hanging flower pots. Emperor William is perfect for filling empty spaces between large shrubs, thereby forming a green “carpet” over large areas, which will be covered with bright blue flowers during flowering.
It is used together with decorative stones, especially for decorating an alpine hill. This composition looks most successful if it contains coarse, broken rocks of slate, granite, tuff or limestone. Boulders and hewn stones are less preferred. However, for a natural look, it is worth combining no more than 2 varieties. As an additional flora, it is worth planting miniature conifers, other perennials and shrubs will also successfully fit in. It is not advisable to make an alpine slide of more than 5 tiers; it is worth stopping at an odd number.
Features of growing varieties
Seedling is preferred. Seeds do not need to be planted - they will germinate themselves in the light.
Crops are covered with glass, previously moistened from the sprayer. Shoots do not appear earlier than 10 days after planting, they are characterized by slow growth. After 3 weeks, they dive in groups of 4 samples.
Seedlings are planted in late spring. The plant needs a high moisture content, soil with a neutral pH and low organic content. Both loamy and sandy loam are suitable.
Powdery mildew and black rot are the only diseases that Emperor Willy is exposed to. The reason for their appearance in plants of any age is an increased level of humidity. As a medicine at the initial stages of the development of these ailments, it is worth using phytosporin or a strong solution of potassium permanganate. When using the latter - it is necessary to water the soil and leave it to dry for a couple of days in a warm place.
Mr. Dachnik recommends: lobelia care tips Emperor Willy
Abundant top dressing will lead to excessive soil nutrition, lobelia will grow rapidly, foliage will gain excess mass and take over the full potential of the plant. In this case, flowering will occur with a delay and will be sparse.
On poor soil, on the contrary, perennial will delight the owner with lush and long flowering on time. To prepare such a soil, loose soil and river sand in a ratio of 3: 1 will be required. For preventive purposes, sand should be calcined in the oven for half an hour. Another necessary component is vermiculite, which will add looseness to the soil and saturate it with oxygen and minerals. The addition of wood ash will raise the required levels of phosphorus, potassium and calcium. Before applying the ash, it should be carefully sieved. The last component of the mixture is superphosphate in a small amount. When buying a ready-made mixture, it is worth giving preference to specialized soil for violets.
Before planting, it is necessary to allow the earth to settle in a tank. In order to prevent the development of infections, the soil on the eve of sowing (in about 2-3 days) is watered with a fungicidal solution. In open ground between the landing pits, depths up to 30 cm, a distance of at least 15 cm must be maintained. Do not destroy the lump of land, as this can cause significant damage to the fragile root system of lobelia. Watering after planting is carried out only by melt water.
The bottom of the pit is covered with broken brick or expanded clay, thereby providing drainage to Emperor Willy. The bush is placed on top, and its roots are covered with soil. Young seedlings in an amount of up to 5 bushes are safely planted in one hole.
The first top dressing is carried out two weeks after transplanting seedlings to a permanent place or after germination.
In the initial stages of plant development, it should not be watered from a watering can and containers similar to it, and also a spray bottle will not work. The best option would be to use a medical enema. There is no need to water the seedlings for the first time, since they have enough moisture that evaporates from the soil surface.
When growing seedlings in winter, it is worth using artificial lighting. LED, fluorescent, halogen lamps are great for this role. With insufficient lighting, the plants stretch. In the first weeks for lobelia, light from a phytolamp will be more useful than lighting from sunlight.
When the seedlings grow to 1 cm in height - the film or glass must be removed. The mistake will be a sharp removal of the coating, as the plant risks getting stress and die on the same day. Better to gradually open the surface.
For seedlings, it is worth maintaining a temperature in the region of +27 ºС in combination with high humidity. In order to avoid souring or the formation of mold, they should be aired 3 times a day.
Diving lobelia is a very delicate process. As a tool, it is recommended to use a wooden stick, a pointed pencil is also suitable. They need to gently pinch the root of a young plant, so that the root system branches and becomes more dense.
The duration and saturation of flowering directly depend on the correct care, in particular - on the timely removal of already managed to bloom stems. To prune is at the end of the first flowering, at a height of 5 cm from the ground.
Then begins the growth of new shoots and more saturated flowering. At the end of summer, the number of flowers on the bushes is significantly reduced, in order to maintain a magnificent appearance, it is recommended to plant new plants grown in flower pots.
