Lupines are perennial, admirable, and easy to notice. They produce large and showy flowers in various colors with a shade of blue. The plants are cheap and easily reliable for garden growth more so when directly grown from seeds. Lupines grow one to five feet tall under full or part sunshine and well-drained, slightly acidic soil.
Varieties of lupine flowers
Lupines may shade your garden with shades of yellow, purple, white, pink, and red flowers resembling the different types of lupins. The most popular lupin is the rainbow hybrid lupine while the original blue stain lupin is the hardest. To grow and care for lupine flowers, you must first understand the variety that you have in your farm.
- Lupinus polyphylies: The species has blue flowers sold in a wildflower mixture.
- Gallery series: Has dense flower spikes and the plant grows up to 2 feet.
- Russell mixed colors: Known as the foundation of new cultivars, the lupine has mixed bicolor flowers and was first bred in 1937.
- Minarette: Works well in flowering containers and drifts along border edges. It grows 18-inches tall.
- Dwarf lulu: The variety features dense racemes, and it grows 2 feet tall.
How to provide the best conditions of growing lupines
- Planting lupine after the end of frost
- Choosing a location for planting
- Ensure your soil is acidic
- Availability of well-drained soils
- Loosening the soil
To ensure the flowers thrive, wait until the last frost of the year has passed before planting. You can check online for frost dates in your areas before preparing for planting.
Lupines prefer an area that is sunny with partial shade thus select an area with less shade so that you can allow your plant to blossom fully. Ensure your select location receives at least 7 hours of sunshine each day.
Using a soil pH testing kit check your soil and determine the soil pH since lupine flowers grow well in slightly acidic soils. Make sure you adjust the soil pH before planting. To increase the acidity of the ground, add sulfur to the soil.
Flowers of lupines need a well-drained soil that does not get waterlogged. Choose a location with loam to sand soil instead of clay soil.
Lupines grow deep root; thus, it is essential to loosen soil for up to 20 inches before planting. Using a 4550DF traditional stainless steel digging fork, loosen the soil depth to between 12 to 20 inches.
Planting of lupine flowers
After providing favorable conditions for the planting lupines, it is time for the actual planting. Below are steps that you should observe when planting.
- Choosing a variety to plant
- Purchase lupine seeds or small potted plants
- Soak seeds for 24 hours
- Sowing seeds directly to the soil
- Spacing of lupines
- Watering the plants after planting
Lupine varieties come in both annual and perennial varieties; thus, it is vital to choose the right type for your garden. If you want to see the flowers blossom year after year, then you need to plant the perennial variety.
You can easily collect seeds from your existing lupines or your friend’s garden. You should collect them in summer. Alternatively, purchasing 50 lupine russel - mixed colour perennial seeds or young plants is a better option since you will get the recommended options. For seeds, ensure they are secured in a sealed paper bag until the pods split open.
Soak the seeds in water for 24 hours to speed up the germination process. Place the seeds in a container, and add water, cover the bowl for 24 hours. Ensure you use warm water.
Dig one-centimeter holes in the soil and put the seeds in them. The holes should be enough to accommodate the number of seed available. Cover each hole for the seeds to germinate.
Lupine flowers require enough room to grow fully. Don’t plant them too together since this will inhibit the growth. Ensure the lupines grow 12 to 14 inches apart.
It is vital to keep the soil moist immediately after planting the lupine seeds. Water the plants thoroughly to ensure proper germination. Watering will ensure the plant take root. Avoid over-watering since this will kill the lupines.
Caring for Lupine flowers
Ensure proper flowering of the lupines, and there is a need to care for the plant appropriately by providing favorable conditions for the growth of the plant.
- Watering
- Feeding lupines
- Pests and diseases
- Light
- Temperature and humidity
- Pruning
Lupines being perennial plants, they are durable and capable of taking care of themselves as far as water is concerned. When well-established, their long roots allow them easy access to water unless in severe droughts. Too much watering can cause crowns to rot.
Lupine roots easily find nutrients; besides, they have nodes that produce nitrogen. Don’t feed lupines after the roots get established since too much feeding will make the plant prone to aphid attack.
Aphids and slugs mainly attack the plant.
Slugs: they pose a significant problem since they feed too much on lupines. You will need to find ways of eliminating slugs from your garden.
Aphids: causes distorted leaves and stunted growth. You can control aphids by spraying the plant with a smidge insect repellent. Encouraging birds to the garden will also eat up the aphids.
Lupine anthracnose: this is a fungal infection that is characterized by brown patches and orange spores on leaves and stems. You will need to dig up exposed plants or cut exposed leaves and burn them.
The plant should be able to receive full sun for about 7 hours a day for the better part of its years. Shades will inhibit the plant from flowering; thus, you should prune neighboring shrubs and trees.
In early summer, the sun is too much and may affect their flowering. Ensure the plants don’t grow in hot spots.
Removing spent blooms will benefit the plant. This will encourage additional blooming and prevent unwanted volunteers. Cutting of seed heads will also direct enough nutrients into foliage and root growth, leading to increased plant vigor.
Bottomline
Planting lupines along other butterfly favorites such as penstemon, alliums, and poppies will create a nectar store and make your garden attractive. The plant has stiff stems that allow flower spikes to remain erect, making them subject to few pests and diseases. The plant is deep root thus easy to take care.