when you water.. and it runs out the bottom.. does the weight of the pot change at all ...??

in other words.. is any water actually staying in the media ...

or is the media so clogged with roots.. that there is no media left ... and there just isnt enough media to HOLD the water it needs, in between waterings ??

when you have a plant that is water stressed [or lack thereof] .. fertilizer is NEVER the answer ....

you wouldnt feed a poor soul lost in the dessert .... you would figure out how to solve the water issue .... perhaps by increasing his media.. lol ...

ken

That's a really good answer. Take a tub of water and soak that basket in it until the whole rootball sinks. Then see if it perks up. If it does then you have verified what Ken said.

BTW even though breeders are working toward heat resistant lobelia, they are typically pretty sad in summer. And, they do prefer a partial shade. Do they perk up in evening or do they stay wilty looking all the time?

Thanks everyone. I'm going to give all the above some attention. It is in an eastern exposure but gets a lot of sun so maybe I'll move it and consider a bigger pot.

Sparkle, this is one finicky plant but some may disagree. It's the only one I have issues with. "Proven Winners" suggests 6 hours direct sun, at least. Drainage is a big issue, and I thought I was covered when in fact, I have one of the worst pots for the plant; I have to turn it on its side to drain. IMO these do not do well when the soil dries out between waterings. I ended up shearing the entire plant which is recommended once or twice during the entire blooming season. She is doing much better now :)

velamina
Proven winners may suggest 6 hours of direct sun at least, but my 30+ years of gardening suggests otherwize. I have tried it in all sorts of light from full sun to full shade. The place it does best is on my north facing front deck. It gets sun in the morning until about 10 and in the evening from 4 until dark. That is maybe a little more than 6 hours but it is not strong sun.

Perhaps we are talking about two different versions of lobelia? I grow the "old-fashioned" type--dark jewel-toned blue--and it needs some protection from direct sun. And for me, it never survives into the hot July month. Never have figured out what I'm doing wrong with it, but it just peters out by July, whether I plant it in shade or part-shade. Gorgeous until then, however.

I also plant the "Proven Winners" lobelia which is a lovely bright blue with a white "eye" at the center. It is in full sun from noon til supper time, and thrives in that location--until July comes along. Then I start losing a plant here or there. Most of the plants (I have a long row of about 15-20 plants) will flower most of the summer, but I have never had any of them survive August. In other words, they grow in the sun and last longer than the "old-fashioned" kind, but before the summer is over, they all give up.

I'm ignorant enough on the subject of lobelias that I don't know how to help them survive longer, but moving them would not be the solution since where they are planted is where I want the blue. They are wonderful for at least half the summer or so.

Kate

Kate, I have "sky blue", which I think is different. I agree, the heat does this plant in which is considered normal. What is recommended, especially for lobelia is the shearing back which helps the plant come back full force. It takes 2 to 3 weeks for it to bloom from there.

I purchase my soil from a nursery that prepares their own and my plants love it. I think next year though, I will go with a soil that drains much faster and requires more frequent watering, just for the lobelia.

What I'm more interested in understanding is how watering affects the temperature of the plants. Normally, I would think it cools them down (like taking a shower, for us), but we had a strong dip in temperature (in may), and it was recommended to water (to increase temp) a few days in advance. However, this is only recommended if you know in ahead of time what is going on with the weather. I need to read more about this to understand the process.

Is there any hope for lobelia after it's dried out? I have mine in a hanging basket on the south side of the house, where it maybe got too much sun. Now it's filled with dried-up brown flowers and stems.

I also have the problem of the water running through the basket when I water it, as I planted it with one of those coconut liners in a basket made of open bars. And how do you cut them back?

Sorry for all the questions. I am new at this, would love the help!

Here is a link that might be useful: plantkiller

OMG, Paysha, I loved reading bits of your blog. I'm really tired right now, but reading it woke me up and made me laugh...I'll have to read more of it later. But for now, I'm guessing that the plant you talked about on your entry for July 22 might be in the Orobanchaceae family. I'm only familiar with Boschniakia rossica, but your description immediately made me think of it, except B. rossica is brown, not green.

Here is a link that might be useful: Boschniakia genus

Oh, I forgot to answer your question...it depends on how long it has been dried out. But it never hurts to try, does it? Soak it well, move it to a shady place, and see what happens. To cut it back, just cut off 1/4 of it's length.

Thank you! I cut it back today. We'll see what happens...
I figured, you're right, can't hurt to try, right?
Since some people here are saying their lobelia is finished in July, I figure the alternative to trying and failing is just DEATH anyway.
Can't lose!
Glad you like my blog. I'm new to all this, but having a blast with it. Thanks SO much!

Here is a link that might be useful: plantkiller

So, I just have to give you all an update, so you can know your advice worked! I watered this plant a ton and fed it with Miracle Grow and cut it way back (a bit too aggressively, I worried) and it is BLOOMING again. Both the white and blue flowers. Shocking!

It still looks pretty rough, from being cut back so hard, but I am just so impressed it's not dead. I did leave it in the partial shade/sun spot, though, as I was worried about it not getting enough sun.

And that's that. Thanks to everyone who posted advice on this thread!

Here is a link that might be useful: plantkiller

So glad it worked for you! Now, did you ID the plant in your 7/22 post on your blog?

For the white flowers, I checked the tag from the nursery and it says "Techno Heat White" Lobelia.

The blue flowers I got from a flea market, so have no idea what variety they are.

They are looking good though now... so amazing! They weathered out the NE "hurricane" on my sheltered sun porch but tomorrow they'll go right back where they were blooming. Yay!