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Lobelia Crystal Palace Problems

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I planted "Lobelia Crystal Palace" seeds bought a year ago, in a very large window box attached to a wall in my west-facing garden in Brighton, with good sunshine half the day and no shade.  I used good quality compost & they came up in abundance, but they are mostly thick foliage with sparse, tiny lavender flowers rather than the thick deep purple-blue mass of flowers shown on the packet.  What did I do wrong?

Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618

    Nice crop of weeds. They are not lobelia. Lobelia generally need some heat to get them going, sprinkling in a windowbox outside is unlikely to work.  Usually, sow indoors in some gentle heat in February or March, prick out into boxes or  small pots . the seedlings are tiny, so putting a small patch of seedlings in a small pot is often easier. Harden off and plant out in final position end of May.

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    the weeds are one of the willowherbs



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • Cara5Cara5 Posts: 6

    So these are not Lobelia?

  • Mark56Mark56 Posts: 1,653

    No, 100% not Lobelia 

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190

    You may want to remove those Willow Herb weeds because if they set seed they will blow everywhere and you will get another load next year. 

    Last edited: 03 August 2017 23:35:01

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Definitely a willowherb. Thousands of seed on one flower, ready to infiltrate....

    They can also be perennial. Easy to pull out though. image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053

    And don't despair. It's not the first time we have lavished care on something that turns out to be a weed!

    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
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