Lobelia is a popular annual flower that adds vibrant color and texture to gardens borders hanging baskets, and containers. Its versatility and compact size make it an excellent choice for potted plantings. With proper care, lobelia will thrive and bloom prolifically in pots throughout the season.
Selecting the Right Pot
Lobelia does best in containers that provide good drainage. Pots made of plastic, terracotta, ceramic, or wood that have holes in them for drainage work best. Match the size of the pot to the size of the plant when it’s fully grown. Compact types only need small 4-6 inch pots. Lobelias that trail or cascade look great in hanging baskets or bigger pots that they can spill over the edges of.
Make sure your pot has at least one drainage hole so water can drain out. Before adding potting mix, line the bottom of the pot with pebbles, gravel, or broken pot pieces to help the water drain.
The Best Potting Mix
If you want to grow lobelia, you should use a good potting soil or mix made just for containers. Look for a lightweight, well-draining mix. Mix peat moss perlite, compost, and equal parts of water to make your own. As an added bonus, add a few slow-release fertilizer granules.
Before you plant, the potting mix should be damp but not drenched. About three quarters of the way to the top of the pots should be empty so that you can water the plants.
Planting Lobelia in Pots
Lobelia can be purchased as starter plants or grown from seed. If planting from seed start them indoors 6-8 weeks before your last expected spring frost. Harden off young plants and transplant them into pots after danger of frost has passed.
Very lightly cover the tiny lobelia seeds with soil or simply press them into the mix surface. Keep the soil moist until germination, which takes 14-20 days.
When transplanting seedlings or nursery plants, handle them gently. Carefully separate and plant them at the same level they were growing in the original pot or cell pack. Firm the soil gently and water well after planting.
Ideal Location
In most regions, your potted lobelias will thrive in a spot that receives full sun to partial shade. However, in hot southern climates, provide afternoon shade to prevent the leaves from scorching. Morning sun with dappled afternoon shade is ideal.
Situate hanging pots and elevated planters where the cascading flowers can be admired up close. Place containers on patios, decks, porches, or other spots where you’ll pass by and enjoy their beauty.
Watering Needs
Consistent moisture is key to keeping container lobelias happy. their small volume of soil dries out rapidly, especially with full sun exposure. Check pots daily and water whenever the top inch of soil becomes dry.
During hot, dry weather you may need to water hanging baskets even twice a day. Don’t let pots completely dry out. However, take care not to overwater, as soggy soil can lead to root rot.
Tip: Add water retaining crystals to the soil mix to help maintain hydration between waterings. Installing a drip irrigation system with timers simplifies watering.
Fertilizing Your Potted Lobelia
Like most flowering annuals, lobelia benefits from regular feeding. Use a water-soluble, bloom-boosting plant food every 2-3 weeks. Options include liquid fertilizers or slowly dissolving granules.
Alternate between a higher nitrogen formula to promote lush growth and one higher in phosphorus to encourage abundant blooms. Always follow label directions for correct dosage.
If using compost or organic potting mixes, you can fertilize less frequently. The initial nutrients in the soil should sustain plants for 4-6 weeks before needing supplementation.
Pruning and Deadheading
Lobelia self-cleans as spent blooms drop from the plant naturally. But clipping off old flowers with scissors promotes more buds. Trailing types that grow lanky can be trimmed back periodically to encourage fullness.
If plants get leggy or stressed by heat during mid-summer, cut them back substantially to rejuvenate growth and flowering. This will restore the compact, mounded form.
Overwintering Lobelia
Lobelia is typically grown as an annual in pots and discarded at the end of the season in colder climates. Once plants are spent after the first hard frost, pull them up and add to the compost pile.
The exception is in USDA zones 10-11. There, potted lobelia may survive winter if pots are brought into a greenhouse or sunny window. Keep just moist over winter and resume normal care when spring arrives.
Common Problems and Solutions
-
Wilting or browning leaves – Check soil moisture and water if needed. Move to partial shade if affected by too much hot sun.
-
Leggy, sparse growth – Pinch or clip plants to encourage bushier form. Fertilize to promote new growth.
-
Few or no flowers – Feed with a high phosphorous fertilizer to stimulate blooming. Ensure 6+ hours of sun.
-
White spots or stippling on leaves – Treat for pests like spider mites with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Wipe leaves.
-
Moldy soil – Allow pots to drain fully after watering. Repot in fresh mix if drainage is poor and soil stays soggy.
Tips for Success with Potted Lobelia
- Deadhead spent blooms to prolong flowering
- Water early in the day to avoid leaf diseases
- Move pots to a sheltered spot if high winds or heavy rain is forecast
- Rotate pots occasionally so all sides receive equal sun exposure
- Cover with frost fabric or bring pots indoors if cold nights are predicted
- Group pots together for visual impact and easier care
- Interplant lobelia with other sun-loving annuals like petunias or marigolds
With proper selection, planting, and care, lobelia is one of the best choices for adding waves of color to patio pots, window boxes, hanging baskets, and other container plantings. Follow these tips and you’ll be rewarded with vivid blooms and a low-maintenance display all season long.
Growing Lobelia in Containers
Annual lobelia plants come in a wide range of types, including those which are often seen trailing from containers. These petite pink, white, or blue flowers create a dramatic impact in planters. The profusion of blooms makes growing lobelia in a pot an excellent choice.
Deciding to grow lobelia in planters is a great way to ensure the success of this flower. Although these flowering plants are beautiful, they do require some specific growing conditions to truly thrive. When it comes to the needs of potted lobelia, care of the container will directly impact the overall health and bloom time of the plant.
Like many flowers, container grown lobelia do best when given ample sunlight. In cooler growing zones, this means that the planter should receive at least six hours of sunlight each day. If you want to grow lobelia in a place where it gets warmer during the day, the plant might need a spot that is shaded during the hottest parts of the day.
Lobelia plants are also very sensitive to heat and moisture levels within the soil. As lobelia flowers are native to marshes, it is very important that the soil around plants grown in pots does not dry out completely. These plants require consistent moisture, but they do not grow well when overwatered or when containers have become waterlogged.
While lobelia in planters can look quite lovely throughout the spring and early summer, it is very common to see the plants begin to struggle once temperatures begin to rise. As a result, lobelia may cease to bloom or die back throughout this time period. Lobelia plants that have stopping blooming will likely resume their flowering again in the fall, once temperatures have started to cool.
Planting Lobelia in Pots
This plant grows best in pots when planted in early spring, after the last chance of frost. Lobelias prefer a full sun or part shade location. Keep in mind that the more full sun exposure, the higher the water needs of the container. Lobelias are versatile and can be a nice spiller addition to mixed containers of various sizes. Containers with drainage holes made of plastic, terra cotta, or ceramic are the best choices for lobelia.
Lobelia Earinus – garden lobelia/growing/seeding/planting/blue flowers
FAQ
How to keep lobelia blooming?
Lobelia should be kept moist and fertilized every two weeks. If you do these things, it will produce lots of small purple, blue, and pink flowers.
Should you deadhead lobelia?
How to grow lobelia. All lobelias need a spot in full sun or part shade, and reliably moist soil. The annual types don’t need to be deadheaded, but they can be trimmed back in the middle of summer to keep them bushy and flowering well. Deadhead perennial varieties once they’ve finished flowering and cut foliage back in autumn.
Do lobelias like sun or shade in pots?
Planting Lobelia in Pots Lobelias prefer a full sun or part shade location. Keep in mind that the more full sun exposure, the higher the water needs of the container. Lobelias are versatile and can be a nice spiller addition to mixed containers of various sizes.
Does Lobelia like lots of water?
Many Lobelias need lots of water, but not this lovely red Mexican lobelia.
How do you care for a Lobelia plant?
Firm the plant down and water well. As said early annual Lobelias do better in partial shade, whilst perennial may do better in full sun. As the plant loves moisture then you will need to water regularly, otherwise, the plant will die back.
Can Lobelia grow in pots?
Lobelia can only bloom once a year and needs long days of full sun to keep blooming, which most houseplants don’t get. Explore tips for successfully growing lobelia in pots, including choosing the right container, soil, and location, and providing proper care to keep them thriving and blooming.
Do Lobelia need to be watered?
Check the soil in your pot to see if your plant needs to be watered. Lobelia is considered a heavy feeder and greatly benefits from regular fertilizer, especially in containers. You want to fertilize container plants more often than plants in the ground because the fertilizer is leached out of the soil more quickly when pots are watered.
What do potted Lobelia need to thrive?
Potted Lobelia need specific growing conditions to truly thrive. When it comes to the needs of potted lobelia, care of the container will directly impact the overall health and bloom time of the plant. Like many flowers, container grown lobelia do best when given ample sunlight.
When should you plant Lobelia in pots?
The best time of year to plant annual lobelia in pots is in the early spring after the last risk of frost. Lobelias prefer a full sun or part shade location. Keep in mind that the more full sun exposure, the higher the water needs of the container. Lobelias are versatile and can be a nice spiller addition to mixed containers of various sizes.
How do I choose a Lobelia plant?
• Choosing the right Lobelia for your pot involves considering factors like the plant’s mature size, bloom color, and growth habit. • Planting Lobelia in pots requires a well-draining soil mix, ideally with coco coir and perlite, and the use of a slow-release fertilizer.