Lupins

Hello all.

I have collected a small handful of lupin seeds today.
I am completly new to propagating. So I really need to know the basics of bringing these seeds on.

I've heard you soak the seeds for 24hrs before potting them.

What else do I need to do?

Thanks.

 

If you sow them now, they should overwinter quite happily and flower next year. Or you could wait till next spring - but they won't then flower till the following year.

Soak them for 24 or 48 hours then put them on top of damp compost in a pot or small seed tray. I would then cover them with a thin layer of compost and spray moisture on to wet this extra compost as well. Stick a transparent cover on to keep the moisture in and to stop the compost drying out - and wait.

They should come up pretty quickly, if they are pre-soaked. Once the seedlings start to appear, I would remove the cover. Give them a little bit of water to make sure the compost doesn't dry out. When the seedlings have got two pairs of leaves, its time to pot them up. After potting up you can put them outside. I would put them in a reasonably bright place but out of direct sunlight. After a while they can be moved into direct sunlight and I would then keep them in individual pots till the autumn, when you can plant them out into their final position.

But do keep slugs away from the young plants.

 

Thank you for your tips Peter.

If anyone else has any further advice this would be helpful. I will wait till my son comes back from the park and get him to help.

He loves planting new plants or seeds :D

 

Peter S has covered the subject very well -cannot think of anything to add....

 

I grew Lupins from "bought in" plants for several years. Each time they got to about 9-12" tall and the disappeared (ruddy Slugs).
This year I heeded advice left by my M-I-Law, who was Irish (no slur intended - she was!)
Surround the plant with Slug pellets on Valentines Day and keep the Slugs away.

For the first time I had Lupins, and from the 1 plant I had about 6 heads that are just now providing seeds for next year - and it was White.

So next year - Look out Slugs. Valentine Day is coming.

Incidently this year I have seen far less Slugs and Snails than previous years, even though it has been exceptionally wet.:yess::yess:

 

i got a pack of lupin seeds about five or six wk ago. all i done was get a seed tray. fill with compost just above half full in each section , empty pack of seeds into the tray and a light covering of compost again and water every day and leave them in the greenhouse.

Now i have lupins in every section and are about five inch tall now. ;-)

 

i found them extremely easy to germinate ,im still new to this and didn't use anything fancy in the way of compost ,just a normal compost mix. they came up like a treat . i filled them in trays just about full with soil pressed the seed in, and then covered with a very light covering of compost

 

Just a little update.

I now have 12 small seedlings growing nicely. They all have 2 leaves which look a bit like sunflower leaves. There are a couple which have extra leaves on them which look like lupin leaves.
So you say I should now pot them up into individual pots and put them outside in a sunny/shady spot? Keep them well watered now?

 

I've grown lupins from seed this spring, they were planted out in May and have been in full bloom this summer.

Pot them on into three inch pots with an ordinary compost. They will be okay outside until the frosts come when they will need protection. Perhaps a greenhouse or cold frame.