Lobelia Queen Victoria

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Life Cycle:Perennial

Familiy, Origin:Lobeliaceae, Mexico

Sitelocation:Full sun - partial shade

Garden Height:75 cm,29,53 inch

Natural flowertime:June - September

Crop Time:Plug crop: 8 weeks; Green pots: 12 weeks; Flowerings pots: 20-28 weeks, annual production is possible; Flowering pots: 10-12 months, including wintering; Cut flower production: 2-3 year

Sell Period:May-September

Seed Form:Raw Seed

Seed Count:27027 K/g

Sowing Method:1 seed per plug for short day conditions 3-5 seeds per plug for long day condition, because at long day the plants do not form a leaf rosette.

Germination:10-14 days at 18-22 °C, in media with very low soluble salt levels and pH: 6.0-7.0. Requires light for germination. Do not cover seeds. Keep soil slightly moist but not wet. Avoid direct sunlight by shading seeds after sowing.

Plug Culture:From Stage II* reduce the soil moisture, the plug should not dry out and reduce the temperature to 15-18 °C. Do not let soluble salt level rise above 0,5 EC. Start fertilization at 50 ppm nitrogen in a well balanced formula. During Stage III and Stage IV fertilization levels can be increased up to 150-200 ppm.

Growing On:8-10 weeks after sowing transplant 1 plant into a pot (13-16 cm), 2-3 plants into a container (5-10 l). After sowing at long day condition transplant 3 plants into a pot (13-15 cm), because in long day the plants do not form a leaf rosette and the flowering of plants without a leaf rosette is limited. Plant cut flower (frost free) in 25-30 x 25-30 cm space. Use nets to keep the stems upright.

Media:Use a well-drained, growing substrate with 15-30 % clay, 1-1,5 kg/m3 complete balanced fertilizer, 0-3 kg/m3 slow release fertilizer (3-9 months), iron-chelate, micronutrients, pH: 6.0-7.0. Field: humus, sandy humus soils with a good drainage. Standard fertilization: 60-80 g/m2 of a slow release fertilizer.

Photoperiod / Light:Long day plant. Keep light levels high. The long day (14-16 h) supports the flower initiation while the short day support the vegetative growth. At short day condition the plant form a leaf rosette with a good basal branching. After development of the leaf rosette cultivate at long day conditions for the flowering. If the cultivation is carried out at long day conditions only, the plant will develop flowering stems immediately without any branching and without a leaf rosette.

Temperature:Grow at 15-18 °C, later decrease the temperature to 10-15 °C, when the root development in pots is very good. Cultivation outdoors is possible, too. In winter indoors frost free at 3-5 °C or outdoors. Outdoors fleece cover needed. L. fulgens are very sensitive to very strong frost temperatures. In spring the plants start to grow at 15-18 °C. Cold temperatures at 10-12 °C will increase the cultivation time. A chilling period (vernalization) for flower initiation is not required.

Fertilization:Moderate-high fertilization levels are required. Fertilize the crop weekly with 150-200 ppm nitrogen (at 0 kg/m3 slow release fertilizer in substrate), using a complete balanced fertilizer. Avoid high ammonium and high nitrogen levels. Don't fertilize after mid September. In spring fertilize with 100-150 ppm nitrogen of a complete balanced fertilizer. Prevent magnesium deficiency by applying magnesium sulphate (0,05 %) 1-2 times and in case of iron deficiency apply iron-chelate for 1-2 times. Field: If necessary according to analysis, improve the soil with 60-80 g/m2 of a slow release fertilizer per year, applied in several portions.

Cut Flowers:Cut flower stems can be harvested, when 70 % of the flowers per spikes are open. Avoid to harvest stems with only buds, because these stems have not a long shel-life. Vase life: 12-15 days. Cold storage is not necessary.

Cultural Hints:Keep short day until transplantation for a better plant quality. For cultivation at long day condition only, cut the main shoots after transplanting, so that the lateral shoots can develop and the plant habit becomes more compact. Avoid absolute drought stress and keep constant water supply. A result of drought stress is that the stems bent and are not upright anymore.