Lupin seedling development

I'm growing lupin for the first time - they germinated quickly and seem to be doing well. They've put out a healthy third true leaf but the first two true leaves are withering/dying. I'm just wondering if this is normal. I would have assumed they'd keep all the true leaves for photosynthesis, as all my other types of seedlings have. I'm not too worried as the third leaf is fine but I'm intrigued as to why this would happen. Thanks and merry Christmas!

 

Welcome to GC. The only thing I can think of is, either they're cold or it's low light levels. I don't normally start my lupins off until February at least and they still bloom the first year.

If you think it's neither of these then leave them for a while and see if they continue to grow well from that one good leaf. If not, I suggest you abandon them and start again early spring.

Merry Christmas to you too. :treex:

 

Thanks for your welcome and advice. I think you're on to something about the low light level. I knew it was probably too early to plant the lupin but over the last year I've become slightly addicted to raising seed and couldn't wait!! I was considering getting a light for my greenhouse so I'll tap your knowledge once again - is a standard strip light okay or do you need a specialist bulb? Thanks!

 

Ah! you've got me on that one! Sorry, I don't light or heat my greenhouse, perhaps it would be better for you to post this question in the Greenhouse section. Someone there will give you an answer.

 

I would personnelly use a waterproof one as you never know when the roof may start to leak. Play it safe.

I do lupins from seed and they are fine in my coldframe from pot to ground. I just pot them on and then out they go.

Some people have difficulty growing them from seed, but if you can spread them around to people who cannot.

Best of luck.

 

Hi Watko, and welcome to the forum.

With regard to the light - yes an ordinary striplight will work well. I use several. As Landimad says beware of rain and condensation. Use it on a time clock - so you get a natural day and night. And put it as close to the plants as you can, as the level of light falls away fast with distance. I keep mine only 3 or 4 inches from the top of the plants.

 

I've been growing Lupins from seed since last october using a propagator and grow light to extend the days by six hours. The light switches on via a light level switch so I don't have to worry about adjusting a timer every few days. I used a selection of seeds from the band of nobels collection (not sure if I'm allowed to name suppliers on the forum) and every one of them has germinated ok. I lightly scarified them on some sand paper and soaked them over night. Sowed them in a mix of 60% compost, 30% grit and 10% perilite with a covering of vermiculite. It took a few goes to get the amount of watering right and I've found that the plants with slightly less watering than the batch before them have done better and seem stronger. I also use a fungicide to help with damping off and I've found I only need to use it once in the process. I water it in when all of the seeds have germinated and it seems to do the trick. I move them out of the propagator when they have two sets of leafs but I don't seem to have a problem with the early leafs dying off as mentioned. That's about it I think. Mind you.....all of that and I still haven't got to the stage of planting one out yet. Knowing my luck every one of the little band will revolt at being taken out of the greenhouse and into the garden where they take their chances with the rest

 

Matt, don't you treat your Lupin seeds well! I don't do anything to my seeds, just put them in pots of multi-purpose compost, water them and away they go. I've not had any failures either.

 

You probably know this, but you need to "harden them off" before planting them out. Doubly so if they were grown with artificial light, as the leaves will need to acclimatise to sun light as well as the plants acclimatising to wind & cold ...

 

Thanks Kristen, I was thinking of putting them into the cold frame for a bit before they get planted out. Hey Sheal, you've got an unfair advantage on the I.O.M. My wife was born there and we lived in Peel for some years; along with the palm trees and other tropicals in the garden

 

I'm in Kirk Michael Matt.

I start my seeds off later than most in a propagator but harden them off just the same as everyone else. As you know, the island has a cold damp air most of the time, so it doesn't pay to get them going, or out too early.

I grew cucumbers last year for the first time and they really suffered when I put them in my cold greenhouse. This year I will start the seeds off in April.

 

A newbie here so please go easy on me , got some lupin seeds from a plant that i had in the garden last year only kept them by chance as i had to dig it up for fence renewal, what is the best way to set them away for germination,unfortunately i aint got a cold frame or greenhouse the nearest being a windowsill in the garage or a heated propogator which is in the garage .....many thanks

 

Robbo, even though you have a window/sill in your garage I suspect it is still quite dark in there. Most seeds/seedlings will suffer from lack of light. If you can start them off indoors that would be better and the propagator would get them going a lot quicker too.

 

Regarding the plant i took the seed from it was cut right back to accommadate a fence panel, had a look this morning and it lookns like theres new growthn thee now, would that be the lupin or something else.

 

Robbo - its probably the same plant coming back, as they are perennial. Every winter the top growth dies back naturally and then it regrows from the roots below ground. So the fact that you could see nothing for a while is totally normal.

Matt - I don't know what the official view is but my personal view is that there is no problem in naming suppliers if its a genuine comment. But we don't want commercial companies using this forum as free advertising. I feel that naming suppliers of more unusual plants or seeds that people have difficulty in finding is very helpful to members.