Familiar annuals with intensely coloured flowers. Sometimes listed as Edging Lobelia.
Latin
Lobelia erinus
Family: Campanulaceae
Difficulty
Easy
Season & Zone
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Zone: 1-10
Timing
Sow indoors 6-8 weeks before planting out, and do not plant out until nighttime temperatures are reliably 10°C (60°F) or warmer. On the coast this means sowing indoors around in early April, and planting out in late May. You may have some germination by direct sowing outdoors, but starting indoors is highly recommended.
Starting
Sow on the surface of a bagged seed starting mix. Do not cover the dust-like seeds. Do what you can to sow them evenly on the soil. Provide bright light and a soil temperature of 18-25°C (65-75°F). Germination takes 15-21 days. Water with a mist sprayer. Consider starting your Lobelia in 12- or 24-cell plug inserts. It is nice to be able to pull apart clumps of Lobelia for later transplanting. Smaller cell inserts work alright too, but the seedlings tend to grow together in mats, so pulling them apart will cause some loss.
