Male faithful, Lobelia erinus, Blue Lobelia

The beautiful Männertreu is very suitable for filling gaps in the bed. More than that, this bluebell plant shines in fascinating blue flowers. Magical flowers open tirelessly throughout the summer and fill some corners that would otherwise remain bare. Known as Lobelia erinus, you should know that all parts of plants are poisonous to humans and animals.

Growth & flowers

Low-growing male faithfulness reaches a height of up to one meter in the original habitat. In our latitudes it reaches a maximum height of 20 cm. This makes the blue plant suitable in the flowerbed, in the balcony box or in the tub.

It opens up the splendor of colors for the gardening season between tulips and shrubs. Faithful to men loves sunny locations and should not be in the shade or completely overlooked by other plants. As soon as the frost begins, the handsome male loyal dies and does not require any care for wintering.

Even if the male loyal to the bees only offers moderate amounts of nectar, the conscious planting is worthwhile. Because in the sense of an insect garden that attracts bees and butterflies, the blue lobelia is always suitable. In the end, what counts is all the plants that insects enjoy.

care

Maintaining loyal men is very easy and even the novice gardener will succeed. There are only a few points that are important for the small ground cover.

Location

With their African origins, Männertreu loves a warm and extremely sunny location. Without enough light, it will wither and not make many of the beautiful blue flowers. So the sun is everything.

Soil condition

But it has no special demands on the floor. Because it is easy to care for, it is also very suitable for the balcony box. Commercially available potting soil is sufficient here to insert the small plants. You can add a slow release fertilizer here when planting. In the flowerbed, the soil should be permeable to water.

A drainage layer is ideal so that rainwater can run off and no waterlogging occurs. If possible, a mixture of garden soil and sand can also form the basis for good growth. Weak soils should get a layer of fresh humus, then the blue lobelia develops wonderfully during the summer months.

Sowing and growing

Sowing takes place from February or March. The windowsill or small greenhouse should be at least 15 degrees so that the seeds can develop. The lobelia is a light germ. This means that you do not cover the fine seeds with soil, but only press them lightly and spray the soil to keep them moist. As soon as the small plants have developed some leaves, they are pricked or isolated and placed in small plant pots.

Hardening of the plants

So that they can withstand the weather, place the plant pots in the cold frame or outside from mid-April. However, they should come back into the house during the night, as the plants cannot yet tolerate the cold nights. As soon as no more frost is expected, they are then planted out from mid-May.

plants

Find the right date for planting out

After the small plants have been grown, they can finally go into the flowerbed from May onwards. Since Männertreu is really very sensitive to frost, you should rather wait a few days longer before planting out. As a basic rule, you can note the ice saints in May. After that, there is very seldom ground frost.

Plant in the flower bed

Plant out in small groups. In this way, a beautiful closed carpet with a wonderful ceiling of flowers is actually formed. A distance of 20-30 cm or directly next to other plants is ideal.

On the balcony or in the bucket

The same applies to the balcony box. In particular, keep the planting date! Mix commercially available soil with a good portion of humus and plant the small plants you have bought or grown yourself close together.

Overview of transplanting:

• in the bed at a distance of approx. 30 cm
• close together in the balcony box
• alternatively close existing gaps in the flowerbed

The soil is pressed down well at both planting locations. Pour with soft rainwater or stale water and keep it moist.

to water

Unless natural rain does the job of watering the garden, you should water your flower bed regularly. Faithful men don't like waterlogging at all. The preparatory work of good drainage also pays off here for the other flowers. Then the plants develop many beautiful flowers as desired.

If a plastic pot is used for the balcony box or bucket, the earth dries out faster. At the touch of a finger, you can quickly see whether the soil is still damp. If at a depth of two to three centimeters the earth has dried up, you should slowly water it with stale water or rainwater.

Note: It is important that water is only poured when the liquid food is actually needed.

Fertilize

In order for you to be able to enjoy the splendid splendor of colors, Männertreu needs a fertilizer with a high concentration of potassium. This is done all summer long at a distance of approx. Added to the irrigation water for 14 days. The already flowering plants need a harmonious ratio of phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium, in the composition of NPK 5/7/7 or NPK 7/8/6.

If you already put slow-acting horn shavings into the soil when planting them out, the plants need less liquid fertilizer. In this case, you should check the phosphate content of your soil with appropriate products and, if necessary, re-fertilize a little.

Tip: Stop fertilizing at the end of summer in September.

Overwinter

As already mentioned, Männertreu only loves warm temperatures. As soon as the first frost comes, the plants inevitably die. With the annual culture, wintering is therefore out of the question. You can definitely try out whether the plants in the pot overwinter in the greenhouse.

This overwintering is particularly worthwhile with other varieties of Männertreu that are not always available in the garden center. Then cut the plants in autumn and protect the pot with a layer of fleece. Here in the greenhouse or the cellar entrance, temperatures of at least 5 ° C should prevail. Water rarely and little, under no circumstances fertilize during the resting phase.

Cut

Männertreu doesn’t really need a cut. A short cut after the first flowering is recommended. However, only the dried flowers are cut off, then the plants quickly form new shoots again. In this way, flowering can be extended into autumn. However, the green foliage remains untouched. After the flowering phase in October, the plants are torn out and provide a nutrient-rich basis for the compost.

Multiply

The commercially available plants are annual. These are sterile hybrids that are not intended for reproduction. As a hobby gardener, you can try your hand at pollination. However, since the plants cannot survive the frost, it will be easier to buy seeds or young plants in the spring.

Pests

It may be thanks to the harsh conditions in Africa that Männertreu is one of the very robust plants. They are bursting with health and bloom all summer long. Occasionally, too much moisture can lead to a slight fungal attack. These plants should simply be removed and possibly replaced. However, both diseases and pests are therefore not known.

sorts

Worldwide species

Within the bluebell family there are approx. 365 types of lobelia. Not all of them grow in a bright blue color, but appear in bright red tones or the beautiful purple. Most of them prefer the tropical and subtropical areas. Many of the species are often cultivated as eye-catchers in parks. Water lobelia or perennial lobelia are certainly of interest to experimental gardeners. Such new varieties are bred from different species and enliven the diversity of plants.

Faithful to men in biodiversity

Nevertheless, the blue Männertreu also produces some varieties. The different shades of blue in these species are particularly nice to look at. The “Compacta” grows particularly low and at the same time compact. In order to plant your garden in a variety of ways, you should choose the "Cambridge Blue" in beautiful sapphire blue.

The “Kaiser Wilhelm” appears in a brilliant royal blue or the “Kristallpalast” variety in deep dark blue. The "Swabian girl", on the other hand, appears in a deep blue with a white eye and the "Snowball", of course, in white. Hanging men's loyalty is offered as "Pendula Saphir" and is available in the colors deep blue, light blue, red, pink and white.

Extinct species

A related but unfortunately extinct species is the Lobelia remyi, also known in English as the Grayleaf Lobelia or Remy's Lobelia. It had its habitat on O'ahu of the Hawaiian archipelago. It was named after its discoverer Jules Remy, a naturalist and ethnologist.