Why Grow Lobelia From Seed?
A perfect plant for edging, bedding or border displays, creating a colourful distinctive edge that sets off the plants behind it. Layer it through the sides of a hanging basket to engulf it in colour or round the lip of a container.
There are so many seeds in a Suttons seed packet that the colour of Lobelia will be sprayed around your growing space. Suttons, as always have a great range. Try ‘Cascade mix’ for pinks and whites in a hanging basket. ‘Crystal Palace’ for a real dark blue, quite unusual in plants will make great edging for a cottage border. For something more subtle try ‘Cascade white’.
When Should I Plant Lobelia Seeds?
Best grown as a half-hardy annual, Lobelia seeds need to be sown under glass between January and April for flowering between August and September. Alternatively, the seeds can be sown outdoors during April and June for flowering the following year.
How To Grow Lobelia Plants From Seed
- Start Lobelia seeds in a propagator from February to March, using a peat-free seed compost. The seeds are tiny so mix with silver sand so you can see what your sowing
- Firm the soil lightly with a tamper and label. When watering in seeds use a watering can with a rose attachment, turn the rose upwards and tip away then over the plants, this way you won’t wash the newly fresh seeds out of position
- Pricking out can be fiddly, so use a dibber to handle, move lobelia seedlings into trays or cells, two or three to a cell and grow on until May and start hardening off before planting into final position at the end of May.
- Lobelia likes a rich moist soil or peat free compost if planting into containers, add an organic slow release fertiliser. If in open ground fork in buckets of compost or well-rotted manure. Lobelia like sunshine but will also take partial shade which gives the gardener more options
- It’s important to keep Lobelias watered, so get into a daily routine checking to see if irrigation is required, they will droop if not watered. They will love a liquid feed, try a Bocking 14 Comfrey, sprayed on little and often
- Keep Lobelia weed-free it's a low growing plant and will easily get swamped if the competition is not removed. Pick over plants of any dead material and an keep an eye out for slugs.
A plant for all aspects of summer bedding, used in a basket, container, edging, bed or paths . They're self-dead heading so no need about perpetuating flower production
Germinating Lobelia Seeds
Lobelia seeds should germinate within 10 and 21 days. When the seedlings are large enough to handle transplant them into trays 5cm apart. Lobelia plants need to be acclimatised to outside condition before planting out (when all danger of frost has passed) at 15cm apart, in an open sunny position.
