Should Lobelia Be Deadheaded?

Should Lobelia Be Deadheaded?

Once established, the lobelia plant requires little maintenance. ... Lobelia should delight your garden with beautiful blooms about mid-summer, continuing on up to the first frost. Although not necessary, you can deadhead lobelia plants to maintain a neat appearance.

How do you deadhead lobelia?

If deadheading the flowers on the individual stems, head them back toward the base, so they aren't sticking up above the foliage. Snip at an angle, so water will run off the cut if it rains. Alternatively, shear back the entire plant by half once the flowers have finished blooming and begun to dry out in midsummer.

Will lobelia rebloom if cut back?

Cutting back a lobelia plant will increase the blooming season and increase the number of new blossoms. Pinch back the tips of the young lobelia plants when you purchase them from the nursery. Without this initial pinching, the stems can grow long and make the plant look leggy and unkempt.

James H. Sterling
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James H. Sterling

James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.