"Annual" Lobelia

Lobelia erinus, is actually a tender perennial. Does anyone keep them over the winter? And is there any advantage? Do they make bigger and better plants in the next year, or are they outshone by new seed grown plants.

I have just potted up a few, and put them in a cold frame. I wonder if I am wasting my time?

 

Pete,I have a self sown one in a stone planter that must have come from my wild bird seed holder.It is still in flower but is now looking a little jaded after tghe snow we had the other week.I thought that as annuals it was jsut a case of letting the winter finish it off,but I might dig it up and pot it up and keep it in the greenhouse to see if it survives the winter.

It will be interesting to see what other people think of the idea

 

I`ve never tried, as they are cheap enough to buy. But it would be interesting to see if they "improve with age".

 

Yes they are very cheap David - but they do take some time to get going and to reach a decent size. My objective was to get a bigger plant that was ready to flower earlier perhaps.

My neighbour left one in a pot next to her house two years ago, and it survived the winter outside. So it must have some frost tolerance.

 

Interesting, peter, look forward to see your trial.

 

They look so delicate I assumed they were annuals, but your thoughts are intriguing, Peter. I shall be interested in the result of your trial too, I didn't grow them this year otherwise I would have tried it also.

 

There are a lot of plants that are often sold as annuals, but are really tender perennials. Such as Salvia splendens (the red bedding salvia), Salvia farinacea (mealy sage), Verbenas, Petunias, Diascia (some are perennial and some true annuals), Antirrhinum (snap dragons), Argyranthemums (marguerites), Coleus, Felicia, Ipomea (morning glory) and a whole lot more.

I think garden centres and seed houses make more money if you buy new each year. :D

 

Just out of interest I bought a couple of the bedding lobelia plants last year, they were in those small net like pots that you get sold in Garden centres in early spring.
Obviously grown from cuttings as they were named plants, supposed to flower earlier and longer.
They did grow well, but I cant say they were really that much better.
I find lobelia of this type usually flowers like mad in early summer and is dead buy August.
Having said that, I still have one wall pot growing well, but its one that struggled all summer.

 

My own experience was buying something like 400+ seedlings for �£1.45 on March 25. So I thought the price was fair. :D I only used a few, but it wasn't till about August that they were flowering well, and they continued to do so until only two or three weeks ago. Perhaps the differance is just a function of our locations.

 

Do you prick out the seedlings into larger containers Peter, and grow them on it the greenhouse for a month or two?
When I plant up in late May early june many are already flowering a bit.

 

Yes I always prick out any seedlings into small containers - but not all 400!. But I don't have a greenhouse. I would put seedlings outside during the day then shut them up in my summerhouse over night for a while. But if they are hardy I will start leaving them outside after a bit. In fact it was so cold earlier in the year that some of my seedlings - like Cleome went into a sulk and never grew properly afterwards.

It sounds like the lack of greenhouse would account for the later flowering.

 

Peter, have you tried pricking them out in small bunches, you can get them in those very small plugs.
Much easier to transfer to larger single cell trays.
When I was young and could see pretty good I used to prick out the individual seedlings into trays.
It didn't take that long really, and its suprising how big a single plant can get grown on its own.
Maybe the lack of a greenhouse IS your reason for the late flowering.
I think you really should think about getting one. :D

 

I would love to have a greenhouse Pete - but its a matter of space. I have a summerhouse, which is has an entire glass front, which is a sort of semi-greenhouse, but its not the same. I think I'll have to have one in my dining room alongside my light box. :D