Planting lupines: how to plant seeds in open ground

Growing

Lupine grows well in soil with neutral acidity. Loam is best suited. In too acidic soil, the perennial does not bloom, its foliage becomes faded. To improve the quality of the soil, it is lime every 3 years. Excess alkali is also harmful to wolf beans and leads to the development of diseases. To improve the composition of the soil, peat is introduced into it for digging or spilled with a weak solution of citric acid. The flower is undemanding to the fertility of the soil. It is successfully grown even in sand.

Reproduction of lupine is possible in different ways. The fastest and easiest way to grow it is by dividing the bush. It is performed in the spring or at the very beginning of June, when a new rosette begins to form. In summer, the plant is often propagated by cuttings, using lateral processes as planting material.

Sowing seeds

Seeds for growing seedlings begin to be sown in late February. Use a soil mixture composed of the following components:

• 1 part sand;
• 1 part peat;
• 1 part of turf land.

Lupines are grown from seeds in deep individual containers so as not to damage the long root during transplantation. Before sowing, the seed is disinfected with a Fundazole solution. Lupine seeds are covered with a hard shell. To accelerate germination, it is violated by lightly rubbing against sandpaper. When sowing, the seeds are lowered into a hole made in the center of an individual container to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. A film is pulled from above or the container is covered with glass.

Seedling care

The boxes are left in a warm, well-lit room at temperatures from + 20 ° C to + 25 ° C. The first shoots hatch after 2 weeks. Then the shelter is removed, and the container is rearranged closer to the window. Water the seedlings with a moderate amount of water. This plant does not like waterlogged soil. The sprouts are transplanted to a permanent place when warm weather sets in and there is no threat of return frosts. By this time, 4-5 true leaves appear on the seedlings.

Before transplanting to a permanent place, the seedlings are hardened. First, the seedlings are taken outside for 15-20 minutes. They are left in partial shade, protecting them from drafts. Then the time is gradually increased up to several hours. Seedlings are transplanted into flower beds in mid-May. When there is a threat of cold snap, the film is pulled from above.

Advice! Experienced florists do not recommend growing seedlings indoors. A pampered plant develops worse, gives small, nondescript flowers. If necessary, a greenhouse or greenhouse is used to obtain seedlings.

Landing in the ground

In regions with warm climates, you can sow seeds directly into the ground. The soil temperature by the time of planting should reach + 5 ° С. Sowing is usually done in mid-April. The vegetative part of the bush develops when the air temperature exceeds + 12 ° C. At the same time, the plant successfully withstands a short-term cold snap up to + 4 ° С.

When grown by seed, flowering does not begin until the next season. The flower does not always retain varietal characteristics. Varieties with pink and purple flowers are often not reborn. White-flowered lupins usually change.

The chosen place for the flowerbed is dug up. At the same time, potassium-phosphorus preparations are introduced. For planting, holes are dug at a distance of 0.5 m. 2-3 seeds are dipped into them. After the emergence of shoots, the strongest of them is left, the rest are pulled out. You can plant lupines before winter. Then flowering begins in August next year. In this case, the planting site is mulched with peat 5 cm thick.

Planting lupine in open ground

Lupine can be grown using seeds or cuttings.

Seed propagation

Seeds are usually used for planting plants. They are germinated in March for strong seedlings, or sown directly into the ground in May or September. Before sowing, it is advisable to treat the material with fungicides.

To obtain seedlings, seeds are sown in pots or peat tablets, 1-2 pcs. The sown seeds are covered with a layer of vermiculite to maintain uniform moisture. Then cover the planting with a film to create a greenhouse effect. The temperature for successful germination should be between 17-24 ° C. Seedlings appear in 7-14 days. As it dries, the soil should be moistened with a spray bottle. After the appearance of 5 true leaves, it is time to transplant the seedlings into the ground.

Seedling lupine

Before planting, the place is cleared of weeds and loosened. Organic fertilizer can be added if desired.

When grown outdoors, do not worry if short-term frosts appear in May. In most cases, lupine can safely tolerate a short drop in temperature below 0 ° C. Pits are made in the ground with a depth of 2-4 cm with an interval of 30-40 cm. The planting depth depends on the type of soil: if the soil is heavy, make a small hole; if sandy, then deep. After the emergence of shoots with one real leaf, it is advisable to feed the plant with a multicomponent fertilizer with a frequency of 1 time per week.

After planting, the plant will bloom in 10 weeks. But it often happens that lupine does not form flowers in the first year of life. But the culture planted in the fall will definitely bloom next year.

Propagation by cuttings

Propagation by cuttings allows you to preserve the color range of the plant. For this, lupins at the age of 3-4 years are suitable. Older plants have too long roots that no longer form young buds. In the spring, a basal rosette appears at the base of the stem, which is cut off and used to grow the bush. In summer, young shoots that form in the leaf axils are suitable for propagation by cuttings. Twigs planted in sandy soil will have roots at the end of the first month. After that, the cutting is transplanted to a permanent place. With a vegetative propagation method, there is a possibility that the lupine will bloom in the same year.

Plant species

Some of the most common plant species include:

• Arboreal lupine. A perennial that came to us from North America. It reaches a height of about two meters, has straight branchy shoots and white, yellow or red flowers;

• White lupine. An annual native to the Mediterranean. It is the most common self-pollinating species that can grow up to two meters. Its stem is straight, pubescent, inflorescences are thin, with white flowers. Resistant to extreme heat and drought;

• Yellow lupine. An annual thermophilic plant with sparse, hairy leaves. The yellow flowers that grow on short stalks have a strong but pleasant scent. Seeds are slightly flattened at the sides;

• Dwarf lupine. The plant is a small bushy shrub with deep blue flowers and bright yellow spots. It takes root well after planting, and if you collect the seeds immediately after flowering and sow them in an open place with the onset of heat, the flower will bloom almost all summer;

• Multifoliate lupine. The main habitat is North America. It grows up to 100-150 cm, has complex leaves, pubescent on one side. It blooms in the second half of summer with bright blue, intense purple, white or two-color flowers that slightly resemble moths in shape, and are collected in large brushes. Differs in good frost resistance, and can grow without problems in harsh climatic conditions;

• Silver lupine. A highly variable plant that mainly grows in the West. It has several low stems, compound palmate leaves and flowers with dark cobalt petals and a white or red center;

• Narrow-leaved lupine.Herbaceous plant growing up to 80-150 cm with finger-like, separate, slightly pubescent leaves at the bottom. The flowers are large enough, white, pink or lilac, odorless.

Lupine: planting, variety selection

The word "lupine" means "wolf", this plant belonging to the legume family is often called wolf bean. According to legends, lupine was added to a magic potion that could turn a person into a wolf. There are a huge number of its varieties; in some regions, lupine is even considered to be wild-growing - due to its increased endurance and self-seeding. In some regions, lupine fruits are used as a fodder crop, but it is not suitable as a main food due to the content of poisons.

• Description of lupine

In the wild, lupins grow freely in the Mediterranean region, there are more than 50 varieties of flowers. You can also find it in the southern latitudes of North America, in Chile, Mexico, and it grows in central Russia. The wild variety, however, is very different from the cultivated one; nondescript white flowers on a low stem, as a rule, do not attract attention and are inferior in beauty to other forest flowers.

The height of the cultivated lupine can vary from 50-60 cm to 120-130 cm, the leaves of the bush are large, finger-like, matte green. Inflorescences have a pyramidal shape up to 50 cm in length, the color can be almost any - from bright yellow to muted pink.

• Varieties of varieties

In nature, you can find both giant lupins, reaching about 2 meters, and miniature plants no more than 10 cm high. Among all the variety, there are annual, biennial and perennial plants. All of them are united by a characteristic leaf shape, appearance and a unique ability to accumulate nitrogen in the soil.

Among gardeners, the following types are most popular:

• White yellow;
• minaret;
• Russell (lulu);
• tree-like;
• decorated;
• changeable, etc.

White, yellow and lupine Russell are the most demanded in Russia. They have good cold resistance, ripen quickly, having time to bloom with bright inflorescences at the beginning of summer.

• Growing from seeds

Growing seedlings is suitable for the northern latitudes of Russia, where the length of summer does not allow lupine to fully complete the entire growth cycle on its own. To ensure good germination, it is necessary to prepare the soil - it must contain a mixture of peat, sand and soil from the site in equal proportions. Old lupine tubers can be used as fertilizer - they are rich in nitrogen and make an excellent organic supplement.

Lupins sprout quickly enough at home, they gain foliage well.

They do not like stagnant water in the roots, so it is better to equip a good drainage system in the planting container. On average, the preparation time for lupine seedlings for planting in open ground is about 3 weeks. Seeds should be sown about a month before the onset of consistently warm days with a positive temperature.

• Lupine: planting in open ground

In southern latitudes, lupins can be sown in early April when the snow melts. But, as a rule, in this case, the plants will begin to bloom only the next year. To achieve spring bloom, it is recommended to plant lupins in mid-fall.

Lupins, the care of which will not be difficult in the future, prefer soil with sand and clay, pre-fertilized with superphosphate and ash. There is no need to apply nitrogen fertilizers - lupine independently maintains the necessary nitrogen balance in the soil. Seeds are planted to a depth of no more than 2 cm, then they are sprinkled with earth and peat. After a couple of weeks, the first shoots appear. Lupine bushes grow rapidly, and therefore they are usually planted at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other.

Growing a plant from seeds and cuttings

Perennial lupine is successfully propagated by cuttings, but the most commonly used method of growing crops using seeds. Lupine seeds are harvested as the beans mature and left until spring. Further, 2 planting methods can be used:

• sowing in the ground;
• getting seedlings.

It is necessary to sow lupines in the spring, immediately after the snow melts (in temperate latitudes this happens by the beginning of April) and the soil warms up. Can also be planted in autumn. A place for a spring planting must be prepared in the fall. As a rule, plants do not require fertilization of the soil with manure and nitrogen. But in order for lupine seeds to take root better and actively grow, it is necessary to cultivate the soil with a cultivator or flat cutter.

The seeds are laid out in pre-prepared pits with a step of 5 to 15 cm, depending on the size of adult plants, and added dropwise to a depth of 3 cm.The distance between the rows should be from 15 to 30 cm.Before sowing, lupine seeds must be scarified, that is, to violate their integrity shell.

The rich crimson color of lupine makes it a contrasting, bright element of any landscape composition.

Properly groomed lupine in the courtyard of a country house.

There are 2 main methods that can be used for this:

1. Rubbing the planting material between sheets of sandpaper.
2. Exposure to temperature differences. The planting material is placed in a gauze bag, momentarily dipped into boiling water, then quickly into cold water. The procedure is repeated 1-2 more times.

Properly prepared seeds do not hatch for a long time, but they sprout quite amicably.

Here you need to use cuttings growing.

Whatever species lupins belong to, the cuttings are planted only after they have rooted. To preserve varietal characteristics, cuttings are cut from mature bushes immediately after the first flowering. They represent basal rosettes with 5-6 leaves, developed on the root collar or stem.

The resulting cuttings are planted in a specially prepared rooting bed. After 30 days (this period is enough for the appearance of roots), the plants are transferred to a permanent place.

Wild lupine grows in a sprawling field in a dense, bright carpet.

Delicate pink lupine is the most fashionable flower shade among modern summer residents.

Pests

At the beginning of the spring season, the conditions do not allow the plant to develop fully, the pests of young shoots are lupine, striped, bristly weevils, the mowers immediately begin to act. During the growing season, significant harm can be caused by sucking dangerous insects: aphids, bugs, thrips.

Interesting!

Of the vast number of 53 harmful species that have been noted around the world, an incredibly large number of coleopteran insects are observed in our country. The indicator of these pests is equal to 37.7%. Lepidoptera come after the list, their number is 26.4%. There are many more different types of harmful insects whose origins are hidden from view, but scientists hope that they are not as striking as the ones listed above.

• Among all the listed insects, the alfalfa aphid stands out. Insect pests initially damage the leaves and flowers. Often the plant undergoes the same action when leaf-eating scoops appear, usually cabbage, alfalfa, gamma scoops. Leaf rollers also do a lot of harm. On rare occasions, lupine exposes bean moths, caterpillars that prefer to eat grains inside mature beans.
• In addition, in the stalks of lupine, the development of caterpillars of the stalked moth is quite often observed, after its appearance, the stalk of the plant breaks.

To maintain the health of the flower, it is recommended to often look after the condition of the plant. After all, it is thanks to this that gardeners can save the life of their garden, and not just one culture.

Possible problems

When growing lupins, some problems can be encountered, such as pest infestations and infectious diseases.

• Among the insects that most often annoy lupins, aphids can be noted. It is especially dangerous during the budding period, during which the aphid begins to drink the juice of the flower, which leads to drying out and premature withering of buds and leaves. To destroy aphids, lupine bushes are recommended to be sprayed with preparations such as "Fufanon" and "Bi-58 New".
• The plant often suffers from the larvae of the sprout fly and the nodule weevil. The latter eats with pleasure the foliage and growth points of lupins, and its larvae devour the root system of the flower. To destroy adult beetles, the bushes are treated with a solution of any insecticide, for example, "Kemifos", and "Pochin" helps to cope with the larvae.

As for infectious diseases, the most dangerous for lupins are rust, root and gray rot, spotting of various etiologies, fusarium wilting and phomopsis. In case of detection of such infections, the plants are immediately treated with fungicides and the method of growing flowers is revised. For example, most fungal and bacterial diseases occur as a result of excessive moisture in the soil or untimely removal of weeds. In this case, a drier place should be chosen for the plant, or watering should be excluded.

After them, lupins often fall ill with fusarium, ceratophorosis, phomopsis and all kinds of rot. The symptoms of all diseases are different and only an experienced gardener can determine what kind of ailment the flower has struck. But if the inflorescences began to wither, brown spots appeared on the leaves, or they began to curl, the ground parts of the plant began to dry out, and the fruits ceased to set - this should be a cause for concern and serve as a signal to start decisive measures to combat the disease. If all the growing rules are followed, and the plants are well cared for, then most of them look great up to 5-6 years of age. Further, the lupins degenerate and require replacement.

The next video will tell you about the intricacies of sowing and growing lupins.

Sowing lupine

The lupine plant is photophilous, planting and care in the open field should be carried out in a sunny, windless place. On such a site, its flowering will be longer and more colorful. The plant needs a slightly acidic or neutral soil. For lupins, when planting in an alkaline substrate, it is advisable to add peat, in an acidic one - dolomite flour, 5 kg per 1 m2. This is done in the spring before digging the site, the fertilizer will last for 3-4 years. Nitrogen-containing bacteria are formed on the roots of the plant, therefore the culture is a green manure and improves the condition of the soil.

How to plant lupines?

The flower is propagated by seeds directly in the open field or by seedlings. The first method attracts with its simplicity, and the second is more reliable. But for garden lupins, seed cultivation is the most popular cultivation method. After flowering, pubescent pods are formed on the legs, which eventually turn brown, in them seed material - beans - ripens. Depending on the variety, they are found in different sizes and colors.

Before sowing, the grains are often scarified - they deliberately damage the peel. This greatly improves seed germination. Then they are mixed with the powdered roots of the old plant to stimulate the growth of nitrogen-containing bacteria. Seeds are planted in moist grooves to a depth of 2 cm, randomly or in rows at a distance of 30-50 cm between plants. Seedlings will hatch after a week. Seed propagation does not guarantee the preservation of the maternal color of plants (especially white). In the spring of next year, the seedlings break through so that there is no thickening of the planting.

Also, the seeds can be germinated as seedlings in small containers or boxes. For planting, a mixture of sod land, peat and sand is taken in a 2: 2: 1 combination, the containers are covered with foil after sowing.Saplings are cultivated without picking. Watering the seedlings should be moderate, keep at + 20 ° C. After the first 2-3 leaves appear on the sprouts, they can be rooted to a permanent place. It is not advised to delay the transplant - older plants tolerate the "move" worse.

When to sow lupines?

The seeds of this plant retain their germination for 5 years, they can be sown in April, after the snow has completely melted from the site. Planting in winter is also acceptable for lupine flowers - in October or early November they are placed in open ground and sprinkled with peat. In the spring the seeds will begin to grow, in August the buds will appear. If the seedling propagation method is used, then planting seeds in containers is carried out at the beginning of March.

Sowing sunflower in open ground

What time to plant

Sowing sunflower seeds in open soil is carried out in the last days of April or the first - in May, while the soil should warm up to 8-12 degrees. This plant is distinguished by its unpretentiousness to growing conditions, for example, seedlings are able to withstand frosts up to minus 5 degrees, and they are also not afraid of drought.

But there are several rules that you must pay attention to:

• sunflower cannot be grown on the same plot for several years in a row, it is imperative to take breaks of 3-4 years;
• poor predecessors of such a crop are beets, tomatoes and legumes;
• the best predecessors of sunflower: cereals and corn;
• when planting such a culture, it must be borne in mind that not a single plant can grow and develop normally in the diameter of its root system.

Suitable soil

Such a crop grows best in nutritious soil, while there must be some clay in the root system, and moisture must be under it. Such a plant is distinguished by its ability to adapt to other types of soil, both heavy and light. However, it must be remembered that swampy, acidic or saline soils should not be chosen for growing sunflower.

Before proceeding with sowing, the site must be prepared. For this, all weeds are removed from it and dug up, while introducing a complex mineral fertilizer into the soil. Some gardeners are sure that it is not necessary to apply fertilizer to the soil immediately before sowing this crop, they believe that if other plants grow well in this soil, then sunflower can also be successfully grown in it.

Sowing rules

Before proceeding with sowing, the seed must be calibrated, and then it is pickled, for this it is immersed in a solution of potassium manganese (1%) for 14 hours, or it is immersed in an onion-garlic infusion overnight. To prepare it, you need to combine onion husks with 100 grams of chopped garlic and a couple of liters of freshly boiled water. After 24 hours, strain the infusion through cheesecloth. Such an infusion will be able not only to exterminate all pathogenic microorganisms, but at first it will scare away rodents and harmful insects from the seed.

Sowing seeds is carried out in moistened soil, deepening them into it by 80 mm, while 2 or 3 pieces must be placed in one nest. When planting tall varieties between bushes, a distance of about 100 centimeters must be observed, and between medium-sized varieties, the distance should be about 60 centimeters. The smaller the distance between the bushes, the smaller the seeds of the new crop will be and vice versa.

What are the decorative varieties of lupine

Decorative varieties of lupine are designed to decorate a flower garden, ennoble the site and create beautiful garden compositions. Unlike forage varieties, they look brighter and more impressive.

Below are the names of those varieties of lupine and their photos that are most often grown in flower beds and serve as a real decoration of the garden plot.

Hybrid varieties are distinguished by the height and density of the inflorescence, which opens to the very top, as well as a variety of bright colors.

There are very beautiful varieties of crimson color "Carmineus", "Countess", various pink ones, for example, "Roseus", "Albus", "Geyser", "White Knight" - white, "Candlestick" - yellow, "Rubinkenig" - ruby purple.

Lupine "Fireworks", a mixture of colors. Favorite showy flowers of many gardeners. The plant is 100–120 cm high. The leaves are beautiful, palmate-compound, on long petioles. Racemose inflorescences of red, white and yellow. Abundant flowering in June. Used for curbs, ridges, mixborders.

The photo above will help you find out what the Fireworks lupine looks like, which proves how beautiful this variety is.

Lulu Russell variety. New, miniature lupins up to 50 cm high, the leaves are beautiful. The flowers are collected in racemose inflorescences of different colors: white, yellow, blue, pink, red. Blooms in June, July. Very good for curbs, discounts.

Variety "Minaret" - a low bush, reaching 50 cm, 30 cm of which is the length of the plant brush. The flowers are tightly pressed against each other.

There are interesting bicolor varieties. But the most incredible colors appear from seeds when hybrid lupins are cross-pollinated with each other.

To understand how lupine looks in the garden, you can take a look at the photo below and make sure that this plant is able to transform and revitalize even a modest area:

Reproduction of lupine - different options

If you are going to plant these flowers in the country, then know that annual lupine can be propagated only with the help of seeds. Perennial species are available for propagation by seeds and cuttings.

Reproduction of perennial lupine by cuttings

A stalk is a growth bud that is located on a rosette of leaves at the base of the plant.

With the arrival of spring, these buds are carefully cut off and then rooted in the open ground (choose a shaded area). At the planting site, it is very desirable to dilute the soil with sand, to make it light

Another option is the selection of young shoots from the leaf sinuses, after the plant has already bloomed.

This planting source is rooted in the soil in a similar way, the process of adaptation and plant survival in a new place lasts about 35-40 days. After this time, the rooted seedlings can be transferred to flower beds, alpine slides, flower beds. The main thing is not to exceed the recommended period so that the plant does not have time to thoroughly take root and take root. Lupine roots react extremely negatively to any intervention, so transplanting will not lead to anything good. For the same reason, this flower is not propagated by dividing the bush.

Lupins from seeds - cultivation

First of all, you need to decide on the sowing dates: it can be autumn or spring. It is preferable to plant frost-resistant, self-sown representatives of this culture in the fall. Around November, when there were already the first frosts, the seeds are slightly (about 2-3 cm) buried in the ground, covered with a thin layer of peat. The distance between the future bushes should be about 15 cm. Thus, with the arrival of spring, you will see young growth, and by the end of summer it will give color. If you decide to plant plants in the spring, then choose the first weeks of April. Then, with the coming of next spring, you will be able to admire the many colors of these beautiful flowers.

SeedlingsYoung bushes

Lupins, photo:

Tip - for best results, hard lupine seeds should be pre-scarified (slightly damage the top layer). To do this, experienced gardeners use one of the following techniques:

1. Scratch the bean shell mechanically - rub with sandpaper or lightly cut with a sharp object. During these steps, make sure that the inside of the seed is not damaged. After scarification, the seed should be soaked for several hours (so that it swells).
2. Submerge the seeds in a temperature shock (sudden temperature change) - fold the beans into a clean, thin cloth, then freeze them in the freezer.After removing them from the freezer compartment, they should immediately be immersed in boiling water, for a short time. From such a temperature contrast, the shell of the beans will crack, the desired effect will be achieved.
3. A bath of a chemical solution - ten-hour soaking of seeds in a solution of bleach (10%) or potassium permanganate for 15-20 minutes. Chlorine solution should be taken 2 or 3 drops per glass of water. After exposure, the seed should be thoroughly rinsed with cold water. This method of scarification has an additional antibacterial effect if there is a threat of damage to plants by fungi or other diseases.

Next, we proceed to the next stage - lupins from seeds, growing in containers. To do this, we pour soil into pre-prepared cassettes, disposable cups or separate plastic containers. Do not forget about the presence of drainage holes at the bottom!

The soil for these plants should include peat, turf, clean river sand. It will not be superfluous to pre-disinfect it by frying it in the oven or microwave, scalding with boiling water is also suitable. Be that as it may, the seedling soil should be light.

We fill the pots with this soil, press it down a little, pour water at room temperature. After that, put the beans on top, deepen it a little, water it again (it is better to use a spray bottle). Next, we cover the containers with plastic wrap, take them to where it is warm and light.

We vigilantly monitor the soil moisture level, water if necessary, remove condensate in a timely manner. The first shoots should appear after about 2 weeks. At this stage, the film should not be removed yet, you can only water it daily, ventilate the sprouts (not for long). It will be possible to remove the "greenhouse" when the seedlings get stronger.

When spring comes into its own, it will get warmer on the street, and your seedlings will have 5 or 6 leaves, you can transplant young lupins for permanent residence. When planting, keep the distance between the bushes - 30-40 cm. Do not waste time, remember about the sensitive roots of the plant, transplant them in open ground in a timely manner.

Dark red variety, photo: