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| Just planted a queen victoria lobelia in my "rain garden". The nursery had it in a very tiny pot and the plant was slumped over. I planted it and they said over time it will grow up right. I'm just curious as to why it's growing in a very curvy fashion. I tried staking it. Any advice? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by gardenweed_z6a N CT (My Page) on Thu, Jul 17, 14 at 18:33
| Pot-bound plants are suffering, often from lack of room for roots to develop naturally. Were the roots growing horizontally in the pot when you removed the plant? If they were, did you tease them loose before planting so they could begin growing vertically once in the ground? Most plants have an amazing capability to self-correct once they're in the ground if given sufficient time. It may take a season or two before yours starts looking like it has adjusted to growing where it's planted. |
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- Posted by SunnyBorders 5A (My Page) on Thu, Jul 17, 14 at 18:39
| Useful picture. Some perennials, once they've grown like that can't be straightened out, e.g. by staking, for that year. In my experience, that goes for many perennials, including common lobelias, veronicas and campanulas. Re your plants, true the currently upright portions of the stems, given the proper growing conditions, will grown more or less straight up, but I assume the "over time" means next year. Given good growing conditions, I don't tend to need to stake perennial lobelias at all. |
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| Agree...it's root bound. I would cut it back. That way it's energy can go towards forming new growth and roots, vs trying to keep the scraggly stems alive. It's chances of surviving will be greatly increased. You will see new growth sprouting much sooner this way. If your temps are high, be sure to keep it watered good. |
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- Posted by SVTterminator 5 (My Page) on Thu, Jul 17, 14 at 23:30
| Thanks for the replies everyone. Yes, I loosened the root ball before planting. It was quite easy since the nursery had the bottom of the pot submerged in water. How deep should I prune it from the ground? |
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- Posted by SVTterminator 5 (My Page) on Fri, Jul 18, 14 at 14:32
| Just pruned it so it's about 5 inches above ground. Just to confirm are they plants ok with standing water?? |
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- Posted by SunnyBorders 5A (My Page) on Sun, Jul 20, 14 at 15:55
| Have had no reason to try it in standing water (for any length of time), but I'd doubt it SVT. Our local wild Lobelia cardinalis is listed as a bog plant, but the parent of the garden cardinal plant (e.g. Lobelia fulgens 'Queen Victoria') is apparently central American L. fulgens. I do sometimes put some plants in pots in water in a bucket overnight; that is if I'd just let them wilt in hot weather. |
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- Posted by SVTterminator 5 (My Page) on Mon, Jul 21, 14 at 1:07
| Thanks Sunnyborders. I planted these in my rain garden which gets sump pump and gutter water. I have a high water table so the water is pretty excessive. Hope they survive. |
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- Posted by SVTterminator 5 Chicago (My Page) on Tue, Sep 23, 14 at 10:26
| As winter approaches does anyone have advice on what I should do to protect my Queen Victorias? Since pruning them they have been growing phenomenally. I've read online these plants don't do well in winter |
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