Do I need to pinch lobelia and when is it better to do it

Tell me if you need to pinch the lobelia? I sowed seeds for seedlings, they sprouted well, but the bushes are very thin and fragile. They began to stretch and stubbornly do not want to give side branches, only one frail stalk. Maybe cut off the top so that they stop reaching up?

The abundant and long-lasting flowering of lobelia made this plant popular even with urban growers. Lush bushes are planted in open ground, pots, hanging pots and containers on balconies. Most often, the culture is grown through seedlings, so the question often arises whether it is necessary to pinch the lobelia. It is no secret that the seedlings will not please with a powerful stem, and the flower suffers any intervention extremely painfully. On the other hand, what to do if the bush does not want to become round and thick? In this case, the pinching procedure will help. It consists in removing the growth point, which is located at the top of the shoot.

Thus, the stalk ceases to drive in height and lateral buds begin to actively awaken on it. As a result of the pinching in the axils of the leaves, new, lateral, shoots soon appear. Due to them, the lobelia turns into a lush spherical bush.

When to pinch seedlings and adult bushes

Of two dozen plant species, bush and ampelous forms are used in gardening. With regard to bush varieties, the issue of pinching should be decided depending on the condition of the plant. Whether it's a seedling or a bush growing outdoors, you need to watch how it develops. If the lobelia branches itself, you can do without this technique. In the case when she reluctantly lets out the lateral branches, the removal of the growth point is necessary, otherwise the bush will grow "liquid".

There are guidelines for when to pinch plants:

1. The first pinching on the seedlings should be done when the seedlings grow up to 5 cm in height.
2. Any subsequent pinching is carried out no earlier than a month later. During this time, the bush will move away from the previous intervention in its development.

Do I need to pinch ampelous lobelia

As for the ampelous varieties lobelia, their peculiarity lies in the long branches, more than 0.5 m. They gracefully hang from the pots and "shape" themselves. It will not work to achieve a more lush flowering of ampelous lobelia. Her buds are tied less frequently than bush varieties, but they can be larger. If you shorten the shoots, they will no longer be able to "lie down", so such species do not need to be pinched.

How to form a lush lobelia bush - video