Lupins.

Hi, just posted a question about poppies but also just wondered whether my lupins can provide seed for next year ? If so, when and how ?
gazania

 

My lupins are already well podded up with seed for next year, just hope all this rain wont make them mould.

 

Moyra, are you leaving the seeds and hoping for self seeding ? Or are you going to harvest the seed ?
gazania

 

I shall harvest when they are ready. Why you want some?

 

I took seeds from mine last year, put them straight into a tray of MPC and put into a cold greenhouse over winter.
I potted them on on April and they now stand at 12"+. They aren't going to flower this year, but are strong plants and I will be planting out towards the end of Summer - unless I get other advice now that I've admitted where I'm at.
I hope that helps you a little.

 

Gcc if you are referring to lupins, I would be tempted to keep them in the cold greenhouse until next year, late spring. I bought some young root this spring from one of the big growers and was advised not to put them out until beginning of June, which I did and of course now they have bloomed and now seeding so it worked well.

 

I'll need to repot then. The roots are already coming out of the current pots.
I might try a couple out anyway. I have 8 to play with, and there are other self seeded already in the garden (but not as advanced as the ones that I took in.
Thanks for the advice Moyra

 

Hi, so if I take seed from my plants this year, dry them over winter, plant them next spring in greenhouse, that should be okay ?
gazania

 

gcc, yes if you can afford to lose a few it is worth experimenting. Several times I ummed and arrhed about putting my out but I didn't want to risk losing them.

 

I planted the fresh seeds into MPC and left in a cold greenhouse over winter.
You could hedge your bets and plant some fresh and dry out some to keep for Spring - you'll have plenty to play with.
If you have a heated greenhouse you may steal a march by getting growth started during the winter months.
Just give it a go. Try both methods and report back.

 

Thanks folks, hopefully I will get enough seed to try out a couple of different methods as you suggest.
I am on the lookout to buy some seeds this weekend that I can sow this June/July to get going for next spring.
Looking even further ahead, I am definately growing sweetpea seeds from around this october time as I did the year before in my cold greenhouse. They were so strong and long lasting when I did this rather than a spring sowing. I think the Kew Collection seeds are the ones I used.
gazania

 

I went into the greenhouse today and 2 have suddenly thrown upm a flower spike - I've put those out in the garden and potted on the remainder into bigger pots and taken out of the greenhouse.
Surprising things do happen!

 

That's cool news. It's gonna be warm today so I'm expecting some growth spurts in the greenhouse. Rock roses doing okay, sweet williams are growing quickly, zinnias are a nice size, and sowed some echinacea yesterday. All in 3" pots.
I have screwed together 4 small lengths of decking and filled with soil to make small nuseries for plants that I've grown from seed where they will stay until they are planted out next year to flower. Hope it works.
gazania