Red Book Plants - Dortman's Lobelia: Description of the Flower, and Planting and Care Rules

Lobelia Dortman was listed in the Red Book at the end of the 20th century. This species is protected by many reserves as a natural monument.

She is bred in botanical gardens and state reserves. Refers to relict and rare varieties of lobelia. The main reason for the disappearance of plants is pollution and drainage of lakes.

This article describes in detail not only about Dortman’s lobelia itself, but also gives tips on its cultivation, reproduction and transplantation.

Plant description

Lobelia Dortman is classified as a herbaceous plant of the genus lobelia of the bellflower family. It grows in nature in the coastal areas of ponds and fresh ponds, in shallow water, is considered a water flower. The variety is widely distributed in the East of Russia, in the Baltic states, in Karelia.

Prefers silty, sandy, rocky - gravelly soils. Flowers grow mainly one at a time or in small, rare groups. At home, in Western Europe, the flower is known as the lobelia aquatic.

reference: a rare, endangered variety, listed in the Red Book of Russia and Belarus.

The stem is flowering, upright, grows without leaves, long, 60 - 80 cm. Some subspecies of lobelia have a scaly stem. The flowers are bell-shaped in shape, gently - blue in color, there are white with a pinkish tint and purple colors. Inflorescences are loose brushes. The flowers are located on the top of the stem or in the axils of the leaves. Pedicels are short, small.

Lobelia Dortman begins flowering in mid-summer. The stems rise above the water in mid-July and throw out small flowers. Fruits - an elongated capsule - ripen in August - early September. Seeds are small, oblong, carried by the wind.

The leaves are medium, linear, grow at the basal rosette, are always under water, 4-5 cm long, up to 1 cm wide. The leaves are dull in shape, fleshy in structure, dense. The root is well developed, fibrous. The plant propagates by seeds and cuttings.

Photo

Below you can see a photo of the plant.

Landing Features

Lobelia Dortman loves renewal, which gives this variety the ability to reproduce. For example, large populations of this variety are known in the lakes of the Babayevsky district. In late July, sprouts may appear in shallow water.

Soil preparation

The soil for Lobelia Dortman should be loose, fine-grained, but not too silty. This type of lobelia is very whimsical and demanding on the conditions of detention. When the substrate is oversaturated with phosphorus and nitrogen, hypertrophization of water bodies and lakes occurs, which leads to the death of flowers. The flower can grow in coastal areas, near rivers in sandy and loamy moist soils.

Important: The root system of Dortman's lobelia is powerful, well developed, has many main processes, consuming a large amount of moisture.

For good rooting, the soil must always be saturated with moisture. The composition of the soil mixture for sowing seeds must be special:

• River sand - 1 hour
• Coconut fiber - 1h.
• Drainage layer made of expanded clay, bark or small gravel.

Seeds

For an amateur grower, this method of propagating Dortman's lobelia is rarely used. Exotic flower in natural natural conditions spontaneously distributes seeds, the wind carries them over the surface of the water in late summer. Growing seedlings through sowing is a painstaking and lengthy process that requires special conditions for keeping seedlings. Sprouts develop slowly, additional lighting is required, especially in the early stages of growth.

Dortman lobelia seeds are sown in reserves and wet greenhouses in late spring - early summer.

How to choose them?

Dortman lobelia seeds are formed in small elongated capsules, ripen in late summer. The structure of the seeds is small, shiny, dark brown.

Until the box opens on its own, the seeds must be collected. At the time of maturation, the seed box acquires a light brown hue.

Seeds are harvested in August - early September, preferably in dry weather.

There are certain rules for collecting and preparing seeds for planting Dortman lobelia:

1. Boxes are cut along with shoots up to 6 cm long.
2. Harvested seeds are laid out on paper for ripening and drying.
3. The box is kneading with fingers, the seeds are cleared of excess debris.
4. Dry seeds are stored in paper bags, plastic bags with a clasp or glass jars.

Attention: seeds retain their qualities for 3 to 4 years, it is recommended to store seeds in a cool, dry place.

For the convenience of sowing procedures in the soil, it is better to mix the seeds with sand or peat, "salting" the soil surface with such a mixture. It can be sown on a thin layer of snow, having previously spread it on a substrate. Seeds are not sown during planting.

Sowing procedure

Dortman lobelia seeds are usually sown in early spring or late February.

When winter sowing, seedlings must be highlightedextending daylight hours by 2 - 3 hours.

For planting seeds, use shallow, spacious boxes, flowerpots, peat tablets can be used.

The following are seed planting patterns for Dortman lobelia seedlings.

Option number 1.

1. At the bottom of the landing container, a drainage layer of pebbles or expanded clay is laid.
2. The container is filled with a layer of 3-4 cm with a ready-made special substrate.
3. In any convenient way, you need to evenly distribute the seeds on the surface of the soil.
4. Top sowing should not be covered with a layer of substrate for better germination.
5. Sowing is moistened by spraying water.
6. Several potassium permanganate crystals are added to the water to disinfect the substrate.
7. The container is closed on top with a glass shelter, can be covered with a transparent film.
8. The temperature of seed germination should be 18 - 22 ° C.
9. Daily crops are aired.
10. Condensation is wiped off.
11. Seedlings sprout simultaneously in a week.
12. When the seedlings grow up to 3-4 cm, the first leaves appear in them.
13. Seedlings are dived with a special spatula or teaspoon in separate pots for growth.
    Important: it is necessary to do everything carefully so as not to damage the roots, save an earthen lump.
14. The tops of the seedlings should be pinched so that they are better rooted.
15. Shelter is removed.
16. The temperature of growing seedlings is reduced to 15 - 16 ° C.
17. Daily hardening of seedlings is required.
18. It is necessary to increase the adaptation time of sprouts in the fresh air.

Seedlings should be protected from drafts and gusts of wind. It is not recommended to plant seedlings in the open sun. Humidification is regular; watering should only be from a spray gun.

Option number 2.

You can sow seeds in peat tablets - an economical and practical way:

1. Peat tablets are placed in special landing cassettes or use improvised material with cells, can be placed on a wide pallet.
2. The tablets are poured with warm water to swell.
3. Seeds are placed on each tablet; you can use a toothpick dipped in water.
4. Using a spray gun, carefully spray the seed.
5. The tray with seedlings is closed with a transparent lid or a glass shelter.
6. Care and maintenance are the same as with simple sowing.
7. 1 peat tablet gives a good fluffy bush, which is then divided into 4 parts when diving.

To prevent the disease of seedlings with fungal infections, the substrate should be treated 2 to 3 times with a weak solution of foundationazole.

Another way to plant lobelia seeds is described in this video:

Cuttings

Lobelia Dortman propagated by cuttings in the spring, in March - April. Rooting seedlings is fast enough. The substrate for grafting requires loose, sandy, well-drained. You can also use the method of dividing an adult overgrown flower.

Which are the best to choose?

To divide the bush, you need to dig an adult bush, divide it into parts, each of which should contain a part of the root and several stem leaves. Each part is transplanted into separate wells by transshipment method.

To propagate Dortman lobelia, a strong healthy stem is selected by cuttings, it is cut out at the base of the bush. In autumn, the bushes are dug up, the stems are trimmed to the base.

Updated bushes are transplanted into separate pots. For the winter period, pots are installed in cool greenhouses or a cellar.

Attention: In order to maintain the planting bush, it requires maintenance - regular watering, lighting and airing.

Cherenkovka procedure

Dortman lobelia grafting scheme. The procedure is performed in the spring.

1. Cuttings are cut with a length of 7 - 9 cm.
2. For 3 to 4 hours, the cuttings are lowered into a container with a rooting solution.
3. Cuttings are planted in a sandy substrate, deepened by 1 - 2 cm.
4. Planting is recommended in special peat cups.
5. Daily hydration required.

The top layer of the substrate should not dry out, seedlings may not let the roots.

Outdoor cultivation

Seedlings are planted in May or early June, depending on climatic conditions. Shady areas should be avoided - the stems can stretch up, flowering slows down or even disappears.

Landing procedure:

1. The site is dug up, weed roots are removed.
2. Sand, peat, and sheet soil are applied to the substrate in equal proportions.
3. They dig a shallow -5 - 7 cm deep into the hole at a distance of 20 - 25 cm.
4. Crushed stone or pebbles are poured at the bottom of each hole.
5. Landing holes are watered well.
6. 4 to 5 seedlings are planted in each hole.
7. The soil is moistened from above, slightly tamped.

reference: Under natural conditions, Dortman's lobelia grows in shallow water, also along the banks of rivers and lakes with a silty sandy bottom.

Landing requires special well-moistened places near water. The composition of the substrate should include a drainage layer of crushed stone or pebbles for better breathability and friability of the soil.

Preparation for winter

Lobelia Dortman is considered a frost-resistant variety, but for the winter it is required to shelter flowers from frost. After flowering, in September, the stems should be cut to the base, leaving 4 cm. The trimmed flower is covered with dry leaves, up to 20 cm tall.

You can cover the bushes with old baskets, coniferous spruce branches, the main thing is the condition - shelter should not restrict fresh air. In the substrate, it is necessary to make bends for the outflow of melt water.

If in the winter region more severe ones or bushes are planned to be kept for cuttings, then flowers are dug up for the winter. They, along with an earthen lump, should be transplanted into separate pots and sent for wintering to the cellar or greenhouse. Even at rest, flowers need care - moderate watering, adequate lighting, flowers should not be fed during this period.

General care

• Temperature. Well tolerated air temperature - up to 17 - 20 ° С. For seed germination, the temperature should be raised to 22 ° C. So that the seedlings grow well, the air temperature is reduced by 3-4 degrees.
• Watering. Lobelia Dortman is very demanding on the state of water in the lake and pond. Water should be clean and transparent, with water pollution and siltation of the soil, the flower dies.

  In summer, watering should be plentiful, regular, when the soil dries, the flower will die. At rest, watering is reduced, the substrate only moistens when it dries.

• Shine. This variety grows in diffused shade or in the sun, but the flower does not tolerate direct rays. Northern landing sites should be avoided; Dortman lobelia may not bloom in such conditions.
• Pruning. A pinch of the tops is required at the seedling growth stage, so that the seedlings do not unnecessarily stretch up. Also pruning is used to use stalks for cuttings.
• Top dressing. Fertilize the substrate with liquid mineral fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium.

  Oversaturation of the substrate with nitrogen leads to inhibition of flowering.

• Pot. For sowing seeds, plastic transparent containers, wide cups and shallow pallets are used. For a dive, you can use small pots, at the bottom of which you should definitely make holes to drain excess water.

The task of scientists is to preserve the endangered species of Lobelia Dortman and many other representatives of the aquatic flora. This variety requires a sufficient level, purity and transparency of lakes and reservoirs, which is an environmental problem of endangered plant species. It is no coincidence that this species is protected by the state and is listed in the Red Book.