Who has not ever wondered how to grow lupine? These plants have one of the most striking flowers to have in the garden, or even in planters to decorate the balcony. Since it’s spring, what better way to celebrate than by getting our own lupines?
Let’s get to work!
Lupine cultivation
Step one: check the seeds
Before even preparing the seedbed, it is highly recommended that we check the viability of the seeds. If these have been collected from plants that we already haveor a friend of hers has given them to you, it is very likely that they are viable and that they do not have problems in germinating.
But, just in case, it doesn’t hurt to check it by putting them in a glass of water for twenty-four hours. If after that time they have all sunk, perfect; in case some are left floating, you can discard them or sow them in a separate seedbed (sometimes the seeds can surprise us).
Second step: prepare seedbed and sow
To ensure the survival of our future plants, They should be sown as soon as the minimum temperature is about 18 degrees.. If you live in an area where there is still a risk of late frosts, or if you see that the heat will take a long time to arrive, you can put the seedbed near a heat source.
But you have to bear in mind that when you see that they begin to germinate, you must pass them to a home greenhouse (For example, you can put the pot in a plastic box and close it with plastic wrap and place it outside)
Once we know this, it is time to sow. For this we will use a substrate that is composed of peat and perlite (or vermiculite, if we don’t have one) at 50%.
We fill the seedbed with this mixture, spread the seeds on the surface, cover them with a thin layer of substrate, and finally we water abundantly and place it in full sun. In a matter of 10 to 20 days our precious flowers will begin to germinate.
What do we need to grow lupine?
The main thing to consider before proceeding with the sowing of lupine is the choice of flowers of the species. To do this, you have to verify that the choice is based on perennial seeds, of course this will depend on whether your intention is to see the plant bloom every year without any failure.
When you have the seeds to plant, proceed to move the ground enough to make a 30 to 40 inch hole. This depth is sufficient to place the seeds.
Note that the lupine species is characterized by having deep roots. That is why it is necessary to emphasize the depth of the hole where it will be planted. The idea is to loosen the soil as much as possible and not leave it so compact.
You can use any gardening tool to make the hole. If you want you can use a ruler to make sure the hole has a depth of no more than 50 cm.
Once you’ve done the whole planting process, be sure to water the place every 15 days. OR you can well set a difference of 9 or 10 between each watering. The good news is that this particular species does not need much demand in terms of the soil they need to grow.
When should it be sown? Suitable dates or seasons
It is best to plant lupines once the freezing seasons are ending. So many recommend planting the lupine just after the last frost of the year. This is done with the intention that the plant can flower much faster and does not present problems with its flowering.
If you have no idea when these dates start and end, You can search Google for information about it depending on where you aresince it is not the same depending on the area. Otherwise, it is best to plant lupines that are not treated.
On the other hand, you can consider planting lupine once fall is over or plant them in winter timesas long as the temperatures are high (above average).
Flowers will most likely start to appear by next spring since the plant takes a few months to mature. The funny thing is that germination and flowering will depend a lot on the humidity levelas well as the temperature of the soil.
Where to plant?
You have two options for planting. The first one is plant them in a place where the sun hits the ground directly most of the day, and the other is to plant lupine in a place where the sun and shade surrounds the plant once it has grown. What you should avoid is planting them in places where there is no sunlight, that is, in the shade.
The safest thing is that the plant ends up growing but it will hardly flower, because these are plants that need sunlight to be able to generate flowers. Ideally, place them in a place where they receive approximately 7 hours of sunlight.
The terrain or type of land
While it is true that the plant needs between 6 and 7 hours of constant sunlight, it is essential to have them in a place where the humidity is not constant and that it has a drainage system. This in order to prevent the earth from turning to mud or being constantly wet from rains or irrigation.
The soil they need to grow preferably has a pH between 6.5 and 7.5. But as such, withstand a wide variety of soils. On the other hand, it is recommended to use compost in order to maintain good drainage and that the texture of the soil maintains a certain quality.
Well drained
The lupine can grow and support soil that is sandy, heavy, or has a very high humidity level. But if this is not well drained, the plant will die after a short time.
Air circulation
This plant is very prone to diseases that can be detected with the naked eye. In case you see a kind of white powder on its leaves, it is most likely powdery mildew.
On the other hand, this species also suffers from downy mildew. Identifying it is easy as it causes the leaves to have yellow spots and in a very short time they change to brown. This may be due to poor drainage since humidity causes these diseases to appear.
The lighting
Remember that it is a plant that needs the sun so that it can produce its flowers. Nevertheless, it doesn’t have to be in the continuous sun all day. One option would be to place it in a place where sunlight is partial and at a certain time of day, it is in the shade.
Another option would be to place them under taller plants and trim them so that sunlight can reach them. It is important to know that this plant can grow and adapt very well to hot environments, since it is in these places where it tends to grow more easilybut this does not mean that they do not need water.
Three centimeters of water per week is more than enough to keep the plant alive. In the case of the silver lupine it is very strange that this species needs water or be wateredso you could add water to them once a month and it will be enough.
Land cleaning
The lupine is a somewhat eccentric species when it comes to sharing space with other plants. In the case of the presence of weeds, This species will not or will grow, but after a very short time, they will disappear.
Therefore, a complete cleaning must be done before planting the seeds in order to give them the space and the necessary conditions to grow. And even though it is impossible to prevent weeds from appearingit is recommended to do constant cleaning to increase the life of the plant.
Image – Wikimedia / DenesFeri
As a curiosity, has become an efficient and effective alternative for livestock feeding. Not to mention that they are perfect to have in orchards and gardens thanks to their beautiful-looking flowers with striking colors. So here is a guide that you will really need if your intention is to grow lupine on your own.
