The perennial lupine is very beautiful and large.
Let's see what it is -
Botanical description
Lupin is perennial the legume family. The roots of the flower have a rod structure. They can go to a depth of up to two meters. Lupine roots contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria that absorb nitrogen from the atmosphere. Stems of lupine herbaceous structure. There are leaves on the stem. Branches grow up. The leaves are elongated, reminiscent of palm. The inflorescence is a multi-flowered raceme. The perennial lupine flower may have a different color, but most often of blue color, the flowers are arranged alternately. Bract solitary, usually falling off early.
The beans of the flower (the formations inside which the seeds are) do not ripen at the same time. Under mechanical action, lupine seeds are scattered in all directions. Seeds are rounded. The plant blooms in late spring - early summer. If the plant is cut before the seeds grow, it will bloom again. If you let the seeds grow, next year your flower garden will be replenished with new plants due to the seeds scattered last year (this is a self-seeding flower). Did you know? The second name of lupine is "Wolf Beans"
Popular Representatives
There are many varieties of perennial lupine. Let's consider some of them.
One of the popular varieties is the height of this plant is half a meter. The size of the flower is no more than 35 cm in length. Flower color is red. Blooms in early summer. If you cut the inflorescence, then "My Castel" will bloom again in August. 
"Faust" reaches a height of 0.8 m. The flower may have a different color. It blooms up to four weeks, re-flowering is possible (if the inflorescence is cut before the seeds ripen).
The leaves of this plant are located in basal rosettes. The leaves are matte, dark green. The inflorescence is a little more than 30 cm long, the color of the flower is most often blue-white. As with "My Castel", it may re-bloom in late summer. 
"Abendglut" reaches a meter in height. The flower winters beautifully in our latitudes. The length of the inflorescence reaches 40 cm, the color of the flower is dark red.
A variety with a plant height of 50 cm. The inflorescence can be different color: magenta, caramel, purple and so on. Blooms in early summer. 
Neue Spielarten- high beautiful plant which can reach over a meter in height. The flower brushes are large, up to 0.4 m. The flowers are orange-pink. Blooms for a month, in June.
"Princess Juliana"- very similar to "Neue Spielarten", but the flowers are very beautiful, pink white color.
Where do lupins grow?
For any gardener, planting and caring for a plant is important. Let's figure out what soil and lighting are needed for perennial lupine.
Location and lighting
The plant is best planted on in sunny or slightly shaded areas. Better flower grows in partial shade therefore, it is good if it grows nearby or In their shade, the plant will grow quickly and will please you for a long time.
Soil for perennial lupins
The flower grows in virtually any land, but loves loose, drained soils. This is very unpretentious flower. The plant can also grow on poor soils as a green manure crop. Lupines love neutral, slightly alkaline and slightly acidic soils. If you planted flowers on alkaline soil, you need to add 5 kg per 1 m2 of soil, otherwise the plant will turn yellow. If planted on acidic soil, it is necessary to lime the soil with lime flour with the calculation: take 5 kg of flour per 1 m2 of land. Liming must be done every four years.
Did you know? Americans eat pickled lupins.
Planting and reproduction
Yellow lupins get sick less than other brethren. 
Fusarium wilt
This disease affects the flower throughout its life. Lupine leaves can dry out and curl. Top part the flower becomes drooping. If the plant is cut in half, you can see the darkening of the vascular system. The root system becomes brown and dies. During flowering, the fungus forms macroconidia and microconidia: thanks to them, the mycelium increases its boundaries. Macroconidia have sizes from 25x3 microns to 50x3.5 microns. Microconidia are unicellular with several septa. If heavy rains begin after a drought, the mycelium begins to increase in size faster.
Mushrooms can remain in the ground for up to 6 years.
Phosphorus-potassium fertilizers help lupine cope with the disease. But the infected plant does not bear fruit. 
brown spot
The disease affects both leaves and beans, as well as seeds and stems. At the bottom of the stem are formed brown spots. Their size is up to two millimeters. Dirty brown spots with a light green border are formed on the sheet.
On older flowers, it appears as red spots that have irregular shape. The spot is about one centimeter wide. Sometimes the spots merge. In this case, the leaves become a solid red-brown color. Then they turn black and fly around.
On seeds, spots reach up to two centimeters in width. They have a black coating on them.
The causative agent is the fungus Ceratophorum setosum Kirch. This fungus can remain on the remains of vegetation. Transmitted with seeds. 
Lupins can get sick in damp, warm weather. Lupine yield loss due to brown spot can be up to 30%, and sometimes more.
Gray rot
The disease appears at the bottom of the stem. Then it "occupies" the flowers and fruits of the flower. The tissues of the infected flower soften, a gray coating appears. At high humidity the diseased plant is covered with rot.
During the dry period, the disease manifests itself in the form of ulcers.
The fungus that causes it is called Botritis cinerea Fr. The fungus spends wintering in the remains of vegetation on the soil surface. It can also winter in the ground at a depth of up to 5 centimeters, as well as on seeds. 
Important! Most of all, yellow lupine suffers from gray rot.
If the flowers are not treated, up to 30% of the crop will die.
Shrinking stems
The disease begins with oval dark spots on the stems. Further, the spots begin to increase in size. This is especially noticeable in high humidity. The entire stem is covered with spots with black dots. Then he dries up. 
Plant lupine(Lupinus) or " wolf beans"It has been known since ancient times. The name Lupinus is derived from the Latin word "lupus" - "wolf".
Unlike true beans, lupine seeds contain bitter toxic substances.
Perennial lupine multifolia(Lupinus polyphyllus) was introduced to Europe from North America in the early 20th century. The plant has a strong tap root, large palmate leaves and a long flower raceme with beautiful blue-violet flowers.
When crossing a multi-leaved lupine with a yellow perennial (originally from North America), it was possible to get very beautiful decorative forms lupine with flowers of various colors.
In 1935, the famous lupines of the English gardener Russell appeared, surprising exhibition visitors with their spectacular flowering.
Benefits of Lupine for Garden Soil and Plants
Lupine is not only a very beautiful plant, but also an extremely useful plant for gardeners.
In the first century of our era, Pliny wrote that from the sowing of lupine "fields and vineyards grow fat, and he himself does not need manure, because he can replace the best manure."
In ancient times, it was believed that planting a white annual lupine between olive trees save olives from diseases.
Small spherical swellings form on the roots of lupine, in which the Russian scientist M. S. Voronin in 1865 discovered bacteria that can bind free nitrogen in the air and enrich the soil with it. Lupine roots, penetrating to a depth of more than a meter, seem to be pumped into the arable layer nutrients extracted from deep layers of soil.
The plowed green mass of lupine forms a first-class humus that enriches the soil and improves its structure. With the decomposition of the green mass of lupine in the soil, its acidity decreases.
Growing lupine for green manure, it is mowed (in autumn or spring) and plowed to a depth of 15 cm.
lupine bloom
Lupine blooms in middle lane Russia in early June.
After cutting off flowering stems, the plant produces new shoots that can prolong the flowering of lupine until late autumn.
Some varieties of perennial lupins have a flower brush up to one meter long. Others, on the contrary, are distinguished by many short and wide inflorescences.
The color of lupine flowers is all kinds: from white, yellow and orange to pink, red, raspberry and purple.
Two-color lupins have been bred, their flowers have an excellent combination of different colors, for example: white with blue, blue with yellow, orange with red, etc.
In the center of a lupine flower there is one pistil with a stigma and 10 stamens.
Lupine flower consists of five petals. The upper petal is the widest and largest, called the "flag" or "sail". The two side lobes, which are much smaller in size, are called "wings". And the two lower petals, bent and fused at the base, are called the "boat".
All plants of the legume family, to which lupine belongs, have such a peculiar flower structure.
Propagation of lupine seeds and cuttings
The lupine beans formed after flowering dry out unevenly when ripe, which causes their valves to twist into a spiral. There is a mechanical force, and then the seeds are scattered with a crack in all directions from the plant.
Lupine seeds are large. Growing perennial lupins from seed is very easy.
You can sow lupine in the flower garden. And you can sow swollen lupine seeds in shaded beds in the spring (in April), and in May, plant the resulting seedlings in a permanent place in the garden.
To preserve and breed especially beautiful specimens, you can propagate them vegetatively .
To do this, the renewal buds that form at the base of the stem are cut out along with a piece of root and planted in a shaded place. This operation is best done after flowering plants.
A month after planting, roots appear in the cuttings, and then young lupins can be planted in a flower garden.
Growing lupine
Lupine is unpretentious, but grows best on loamy, slightly acidic soils.
Lupine planting care consists of weeding and loosening.
In the second year, it is useful to feed lupins with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.
Lupine develops well and blooms for 3-4 years, after which it is recommended to replace old plants with young seedlings.
Lupins can be planted in groups on or in a flower garden along with other flowers. The distance between lupins and other plants should be at least 40 cm.
Pairs well with lupins in the garden.
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Multi-colored lupine, planting and care in open ground behind which even inexperienced gardeners can do it, it is completely unpretentious. It reproduces easily, winters well in the ground, and is drought-resistant. This is ornamental plant is a popular decoration for gardens and flower beds. Its seeds and stems are used not only for making crafts, but also in medicine.
Lupine species
The lupine plant attracts with colorful inflorescence brushes, which can reach one meter in size. The colors of the corollas are very different - white, yellow, red, cream, pink, purple, blue and all shades of purple. In lupine varieties, one-, two-, perennial, garden or fodder varieties are bred. You can see both low 10 cm and large plants up to 1.5 m. Their serrate leaves are collected in a basal rosette.
Lupine annual
If you want to have a colorful flower garden of unpretentious plants in the garden, you can use one-year-old lupine, planting and caring for it in the open field is not a hassle. It looks decorative and is a useful green manure for the soil. What does an annual lupine look like:
- stems erect, branched, bush up to 1.5 m high;
- leaves are elongated, covered with villi, collected in a rosette;
- high inflorescence has the form of a long candle or cob, consists of moth corollas.
Popular types of annual lupine:
perennial lupine flower
The plant is winter-hardy, self-pollinating and unpretentious, lives for about 8-10 years. It reaches a height of 50-150 cm, the flowers are collected in carpal rosettes. At the lupine perennial cultivation from seed begins in April, the first flowers will bloom the following year. The most popular decorative look:
Seeding lupine
The lupine plant is light-loving, planting and care in the open field should be carried out in a sunny, calm place. In this area, its flowering will be longer and more colorful. The plant needs slightly acidic or neutral soil. For lupins, when planting in an alkaline substrate, it is desirable to add peat, in an acidic one - dolomite flour, 5 kg per 1 m 2. 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, so the culture is green manure and improves the condition of the soil.
How to plant lupine?
The flower is propagated by seeds immediately in open ground or seedlings. The first method attracts with simplicity, and the second one is more reliable. But for garden lupins growing from seed is the most popular cultivation method. After flowering, pubescent pods form on the legs, which eventually turn brown, the seed, the beans, ripens in them. Depending on the variety, they are found different sizes and colors.
Before sowing, grains are often scarified - they specially damage the peel. This greatly improves seed germination. They are then mixed with the powdered roots of an 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, shoots break through so that there is no thickening of the planting.
Also, grains can be germinated as seedlings in small containers or boxes. For planting, a mixture of soddy soil, peat and sand is taken in a combination of 2: 2: 1, the containers are covered with a film after sowing. Seedlings are cultivated without picking. Seedlings should be watered moderately, kept at + 20 ° C. After the first 2-3 leaves appear on the sprouts, they can be rooted in a permanent place. It is not advised to linger with a transplant - older plants tolerate the “move” worse.
When to sow lupins?
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 used seedling method reproduction, then planting seeds in containers is carried out in early March.
Lupins - cultivation
Bright lupine, planting and care in the open field, which is done correctly, will please with flowering in the first season. Colorful cob buds appear on it in June-August. Lupins - proper cultivation and care:
- adult plants must be hilled to protect the root collar, which rises above the ground every year;
- after 4-5 years, bushes - centenarians are removed, new specimens sit down;
- tall specimens must be tied up so that the stems do not break from the wind;
- to prolong flowering, wilted rosettes can be cut before seeds appear;
- for the prevention of diseases, wood ash is introduced into the open ground;
- if it is necessary to collect grains, the fruit must be plucked as soon as it begins to dry so that the seed does not scatter to the sides spontaneously;
- perennial bushes are sprinkled with sawdust for the winter, otherwise the plant may not endure frosts below -8 ° C.
Lupine - transplant
The root system of the plant acquires a pivotal, powerful and deep - leaving up to 2 m into the ground. Therefore, it is better to move young specimens, since it is more difficult to transplant lupine at an older age - it can hurt for a long time after the procedure. This is because long tap roots break off easily and are poorly restored. If you still need to move the bush to another place, then it is better to do this in the fall after flowering. It is better to renew such perennials every 5-6 years by sowing seeds, because old plants bloom not so luxuriantly.
Lupine in the garden - breeding
Garden lupine, planting and care in the open field, which is carried out according to the rules of agricultural technology, is propagated by dividing the bush. In the spring, small rosettes of 5-7 leaves appear from the buds located near the root collar. They can be used for cuttings. The sprouts are cut off together with a piece of the root collar. You can plant them in a shady place in sandy soil. After 25 days, a root forms on them and the flower can be planted in a permanent place.
Basal rosettes develop by the middle of summer, they can also be used to expand the plantation bright colors. 3-4 year old plants are ideal for dividing. Vegetative reproduction lupine rhizome allows you to fully preserve the color of the flowers. When planting cuttings in the summer (after flowering) for germination, you can take side shoots formed in the axils of the leaves.
Lupine diseases
Sometimes lupine, planting and caring for which in the open field was carried out in violation of agricultural technology, may be subject to diseases or attack by pests. At the stage of budding, the plant is damaged by aphids, later - larvae of the sprout fly or nodule weevils. Spraying the Actellik, Apollo bush will help to quickly get rid of them.
Of the diseases, rot (root and gray), mosaics, spotting, rust, phomopsis are dangerous for the flower. As a result, brownish spots appear on the foliage, fruits, damage in the basal part. In this case, it is advisable to treat the bushes with fungicides, cut off the diseased bush completely or remove the affected parts of the plant. New shoots quickly emerge from the root remaining in the open field and are healthy. Sometimes you need autumn digging and liming of the substrate.
Knowing how to grow lupine, observing the rules of crop rotation and care, you can ensure that the plant practically does not hurt. It is important to know: you can place the plant repeatedly in one area after five years, otherwise the soil under it begins to overgrow with weeds more intensively, accumulates phytotoxic microorganisms, leading to various diseases.
Lupine - care
Garden lupine - unpretentious plant. It is provided with moderate watering, complex mineral top dressings are introduced into the soil. In the first year of life near the plant, you need to loosen the soil, remove weeds. For the winter, the stems are cut, get rid of yellowed leaves, they can be used as mulch when hilling the plant before the onset of cold weather.
Lupine in the garden - watering
The amount of moisture that a plant needs depends on the planting period and the composition of the open ground. Lupine flower - planting and competent care in terms of watering:
- abundant moisture is required for the culture in the spring, after the seeds have just been planted. The lack of moisture will lead to low productivity of the green mass, the leaves droop, even lie on the ground;
- the plant also needs generous watering after buds are tied on it. With a lack of water, the rosettes of the culture are not as lush as always, and the fruits form small in size;
- the rest of the time the bush is watered moderately;
- old plants need less moisture - their long roots absorb water from the lower layers of the earth.
What to feed lupins in spring?
After wintering in the second year of life, you can begin to feed the plant mineral fertilizers, which do not have nitrogen in their composition (its culture produces independently on root growths): 10-20 g plus 5 g of potassium chloride are added per 1 m 2 of area. Feeding lupins in the spring is carried out regularly every year until the time comes to cultivate new flowers.
Lupine in landscape design
If you need to decorate the garden with a bright flower, you can use lupine, planting and caring for it in the open field will not cause trouble, and using it in landscape design find him easy. It looks beautiful in combination with perennials - lilies, gladioli, irises, in tapeworms and mixed groups. A lush composition is formed by lupine in the garden in combination with peonies.
use bright flower, both in numerous plantings and in single compositions. In mixborders, lupine looks better next to fast-growing, low, lush crops - by the middle of summer they cover the stems that have lost their appearance with their foliage. And in the background, a stately tall lupine in numerous combinations will help create a charming landscape.
In addition, the plant is an excellent fertilizer for the garden. Thanks to nodule bacteria that accumulate on its roots, green manure saturates the soil with nitrogen. The same microorganisms convert sparingly soluble phosphates into an easily digestible form. The green fertilizer lupine is equal in nutritional parameters to manure. It is one of the best green manure for increasing soil productivity.
Lupine is a herbaceous plant belonging to the legume genus. This can be seen both in the seeds and in the flowers, which look so much like pea flowers. Lupins can be bright lilac, reddish, white and even tricolor.
They are absolutely not demanding in care, for which gardeners are so fond of. You can enjoy the flowering of lupins at the very beginning of summer. Flowers can be either annual or perennial. 
More about each type
annual lupins favorably decorate flower beds. Their cultivation does not require any special efforts from a grower, plus everything, growing this plant is extremely beneficial for the soils in which it grows. Annual lupins are presented in a large selection of colors.
The growth of all types of lupine occurs only on fertile soils. In addition to timely watering and periodic weeding of the earth, plants do not require any care, however, if desired, you can fertilize the earth in spring period. To prolong the flowering of lupine, it is necessary to cut off faded flowers in time. When planting a plant in an open area, it is recommended to tie up the plants to protect them from the winds.
Among the pests of annual lupine, only aphids and nodule weevils can be named.
Lupins are grown as a green manure, but, in addition, it cleans the soil from various pests and pathogens.
Annual lupins are propagated by seeds.
Pictured is a multi-leaf lupine ‘Russell Hybrids Chandelier’
Perennial lupins are presented in an amount of about 200 various kinds. Gardeners are very fond of using it in various flower arrangements because of the variety color palette. The most popular perennial lupins for growing are lupine tree and lupine multifolia.
Of the almost 200 species of perennial lupine in our gardens, only about 10 kinds.
The most common colors are:
- yellow lupine, the length of which can reach 1 m. As the name implies, the flowers of this plant have a yellowish tint.
- Lupine tree. It can grow up to 2 m high and the flowers can be white, yellowish or purple.
- Lupine white. This plant is the most popular in Russia. It can grow up to 1.5-2 m.
- Lupine multifolia. This is the longest-lived plant when compared with other varieties of lupins. It is able to live in the garden for 8-10 years, and is the most frost-resistant and unpretentious in care.
When to plant seeds
When planting lupins seedling way, it is necessary to sow the seeds in the spring, in early March. If it is decided to plant the seeds directly into the ground, then, initially, it is necessary to wait for the snow to melt from the land, and only then plant the seeds.
At the same time, the soil for planting lupine should be prepared in the fall. Some gardeners prefer to seed their gardens on winter period, that is, in the fall. Thus, flower sprouts will not have time to sprout and will ripen in the ground before the snow melts in conditions that are quite comfortable for them.
It is necessary to plant seeds in the ground two centimeters deep, after which the soil is covered with peat on top. The flower will rise in spring, and flowering can be expected as early as August. If plants are used for planting in the form of seedlings, then lupine should be planted in the ground when 2-3 leaves have already sprouted.
How long can lupine seeds be stored, what do they look like
Lupine seeds
Lupine seeds ripen unevenly. While the seeds are already ripe on the stem of the plant, they may still be green at the tips of the leaves. All this makes it difficult to collect seeds, however, if you drag out the procedure in the hope of collecting all the seeds at the same time, you can lose those that ripened earlier. In this connection, seed harvesting, as a rule, begins with the maturation of the bulk of the seeds. Their quality characteristics also depend on the timely collection of seeds.
The shelf life of seeds depends on the conditions. Seed storage facilities should be well ventilated, with minimal humidity and cool enough. This will protect the seeds from germinating or rotting.
Dry plant seeds are best stored in tight wooden boxes or canvas bags. All seed care consists in periodically checking the seeds for moisture in their storage conditions. And, in addition, it is important to store the seeds in hard-to-reach places, because otherwise they will become easy prey for rodents.
Subject to all storage requirements, lupine seeds can be stored up to 4 years.
The lupine seed is round in shape and may vary in size and color, but is usually no larger than a pumpkin seed.
Instructions for growing a plant at home
Plant seeds can be planted in two ways:
- Sowing a seed in order to obtain seedlings;
- Sowing the seed directly into the ground.
Sowing for seedlings
In areas where cold weather conditions prevail, it is best to use this method of growing the plant. Getting seedlings involves the use of home conditions. It is necessary to plant pots with soil with seeds in early spring. Thus, it will be possible to obtain seedlings when warm weather conditions set in outside the window.
To get lupine sprouts at home, deep boxes with small holes are used. The soil mixture is poured into these boxes, which in its composition has peat, earth and sand, in a ratio of 2 to 2 to 1.
After the seeds are placed in the mixture, the boxes are covered with cling film or polyethylene to create the maximum comfortable conditions sprouts. The appearance of the first sprouts may occur already after 2.5 weeks after planting seeds.
Sprouted sprouts are planted in living earth in April, and for less warm places- no later than May.
Planting lupine seeds in the ground
Planting seeds directly in garden soil is much easier than preparing seedlings at home. Seed plants are mainly planted in the spring, but it is possible to sow the ground in the autumn.
Planting seeds in garden soil in spring
To plant seeds in land plot, it is necessary to prepare it before the onset of winter. The land needs to be dug up and fertilized. In the spring, after the snow cover melts, when the weather conditions become warmer, the land can be sown with seeds. To do this, small holes are created in the soil where the seed is placed. The planted seed is sprinkled with earth and watered. The first watering should not be plentiful. Seedlings with such a landing can be expected after a month.
Planting seeds in garden soil in autumn
When planting lupine in autumn period it is necessary to make holes to a depth of two centimeters. Thus, the seeds will receive the most comfortable conditions and in winter time will not die, however, for greater safety, the ground on top of the seed must be covered with a layer of peat.
How to collect seeds at home and is it worth it
Collecting lupine seeds is not a complicated procedure, but it requires special care. It is important not to overexpose the lupine, otherwise the seeds will overripe and become unsuitable for further propagation.
After ripening, the fruit of the plant cracks, and all the seeds scatter, so the seeds must be collected before the fruit is fully ripe. You can understand this by the beans - they should turn slightly yellow and begin to dry out. The collection of seeds itself will have to be carried out in several stages, since the ripening of lupine flowers occurs at different times.
About planting lupins on video
Today lupine is a well-known and favorite plant, which grows in many gardens and is a real decoration of the site. The name of the plant in translation means wolf, so lupine began to be called for its ability to actively draw nutrients necessary for life from the soil.
This beautiful and unusual flower was first grown in the 7th century BC. The ancient Incas actively used beneficial features flower for medical and domestic purposes. With decorative purpose Lupine cultivation began in 1826. Today, more than 200 varieties and types of lupine are known, each of which is unique, individual and exotic, but at the same time very unpretentious in care.
Homeland and appearance of lupine
Lupine grows in various parts of the world. It can be found both in hot Africa and on the Mediterranean coast. Lupins also grow in North America, Chile, Canada and Mexico. There are some types of lupins in central Russia. However, on the territory of our country, predominantly annual species of a white flower grow. In comparison with foreign representatives, domestic lupine is inconspicuous and does not have such a decorative effect. The shrub is low, the inflorescences are small, which is why many people often confuse this flower with milkweed.
Garden lupine is a plant up to 120 cm high with straight, strong stems. The leaf plate is palmate, attached to the stem with a petiole. inflorescences different shades, have the shape of a candle, up to 45 cm long. The flowering period begins in the second half of summer and lasts until autumn.
At the end of the flowering period, a fruit is formed - a bean, in which there are irregularly shaped seeds.
Germination of seeds is maintained for three years, but on condition that the planting material was collected and dried in the right way.
Lupine is completely unpretentious and does not require special care.
The main thing is to know a few basic rules:
- Avoid temperature differences, despite the fact that lupine can withstand frosts down to -8 degrees, a sharp change in climate is detrimental to it. Therefore, for successful cultivation the flower must be excluded from factors such as temperature fluctuations from high to low and excess moisture;
- It is important to maintain cleanliness in the area with lupins: loosen the soil and remove weeds;
- Protect the plant from drafts or provide support.
Watering mode
Lupine should be watered sparingly, as excess moisture can lead to rotting of the root system and the development of fungal diseases. In hot weather, it is enough to water the shrub several times a week.
Light requirements
Best of all, lupine grows and blooms in sunny areas, reliably protected from drafts. If you plant a plant in the shade, it is quite possible that it will stop blooming.
Fertilizers and top dressing
Lupine is not picky about fertilizers. On its root system, nodules develop, containing special bacteria that can accumulate and retain nitrogen. Thus, if fertilizers are applied to the soil, then nitrogen-containing ones should be avoided.
Thanks to the nodules with nitrogen, lupine is used in agriculture to improve soil quality.
More Care Information
Lupine needs a clean and well-groomed area to grow, so it is important to remove weeds in a timely manner and loosen the soil after each watering. If you find that the basal neck is bare, you need to add soil and apply mineral fertilizers.
From two years old, plants must be hilled, this contributes good development lateral roots necessary for the growth of the bush and its further division.
After five years, as a rule, lupins lose their decorative appearance, they are dug up, divided, and thereby rejuvenate the bush.
If the lupine grows in a windy area, it must be tied to a support so that the inflorescences do not break under a gust of wind.
As for the soil, any soil is suitable for lupine, even sandy, but the flower grows best on loamy substrates with a slightly alkaline or slightly acidic reaction. If you plant lupine in alkaline soil, the leaves will begin to turn yellow. Peat should be added to such soil in the amount of 5 kg for each square meter. If the soil is too acidic, it is necessary to artificially increase the alkali content by adding lime to the soil. An indicator of the high acidity of the earth on the site are plants such as horsetail and coltsfoot. Suitable liming agents are lime or dolomite flour. It is necessary to make flour at the rate of 5 kg per square meter. The procedure should be carried out once every three years, the best time- autumn, at the end of the period of flowering and harvesting on the site. Liming can also be done in the spring before digging the soil, or in the winter by sprinkling flour directly on the snow.
There are several ways to propagate lupine:
- seeds;
- Vegetatively.
Reproduction by seeds
You can sow seeds for seedlings in the spring. For this in wooden boxes pour the classic earthen mixture for flowering plants:
- Sod land - one part;
- Peat - one part;
- Sand - half of the part.
In order to exclude the possibility of root rot due to stagnant water, experts recommend using a loose substrate and watering the lupine moderately. Immediately before sowing, you need to crush the tubers of the old lupine bush and mix the resulting mixture with planting material. Thus, you will accelerate the development of bacteria that contribute to the accumulation of nitrogen in the root system.
The first shoots appear after a few weeks, however, it should be borne in mind that lupine seeds germinate and sprout unfriendly.
If you want the seeds to sprout together, you need to cover with damp gauze and keep in a warm room until they hatch.
A month later, the seedlings already have 5-6 leaves, now the plants can be planted in a permanent place in the garden at a distance of half a meter from each other. You should not delay the moment of transplanting lupins, because what mature flower, the more difficult it is to endure a sharp change in the environment and growing conditions.
You can plant seeds in the ground immediately after frost, approximately in April. The place for planting must be prepared in the fall - freed from weeds, dug up. The first flowers will appear on next year in the middle of summer.
The best way to sow lupine seeds: in the fall, around October-November, when the first frosts come. The planting depth does not exceed 2 cm. From above, the seeds are sprinkled with a layer of peat. The seeds planted in this way germinate very amicably in the spring, when the snow melts, and bloom in the middle of summer of the same year.
At seed propagation young lupins do not always retain decorative properties mother plant.
Vegetative reproduction (bush division)
As cuttings use:
- In spring - basal rosettes that develop from buds located at the base of the stem;
- In summer - side shoots that develop in the axils of the leaves. A sharp, disinfected knife is used to separate the cuttings. You need to cut off not only the kidney, but also part of the root collar.
First, a young plant is planted in the shade in sandy soil. Roots are formed after a month, after which the lupine is transplanted to a permanent place. With such actions, the shrub may bloom in the same year.
lupine bloom
In Russia, the predominant majority of varieties and species bloom in the second half of summer. In order to prolong the flowering period, gardeners recommend cutting off dry inflorescences in a timely manner until seeds are formed on the shrub. This simple method will extend the enjoyment of bright inflorescences until autumn.
Depending on the variety of lupine, the inflorescences differ in length, shape and palette. On some shrubs, the buds grow up to a meter in length, while on others, the inflorescences are short and long. As for the shade, the flowers are yellow, white, red, pink, raspberry, however, the flowers of the blue palette are considered dominant. Today, varieties with two-color inflorescences are also bred. The structure of the lupine flower is quite peculiar and fully corresponds to the structure of the flowers of the legume family, which is why lupine also belongs to this species.
wintering lupine
The flower belongs to hardy plants that easily overwinter in the garden. Cold temperatures are dangerous for old shrubs, which every year rise higher above ground level, as a result, lupine can die from the cold. Young plants easily tolerate frosts down to -8 degrees. To protect the plant from frost, in the fall, after pruning dry leaves and inflorescences, it is carefully spudded and covered with spruce branches.
Note to florist
Why doesn't the lupine sprout?
First of all, you should pay attention to the expiration date of the seeds. The fact is that a high percentage of germination is preserved exclusively in freshly harvested seed. The older the seeds, the more difficult it will be to grow a full-fledged, flowering plant from them. In addition, seeds may not germinate due to improper collection and storage. If the seeds are harvested prematurely, not ripe, they will most likely be dry by the time they are planted.
As gardeners note, lupine is one of the plants that germinate quite difficult, so those who are just trying their hand at growing lupins should be patient and be prepared for the fact that the first attempt may be unsuccessful.
If adult lupins planted on the site several years ago did not sprout in the spring, it is quite possible that root system frozen or the plant is too old and it needs to be urgently rejuvenated, that is, divide the bush into several and seat it.
Why doesn't lupine bloom?
After sowing seeds in the first year, the plant will not bloom, inflorescences are formed only the next year and will bloom from July to September.
Buds may not form on bushes that are too old, and also if the lupine is planted in a too shady area where there are drafts.
Pests and diseases of lupine
During the period of bud formation, aphids quite often attack lupine, and closer to autumn, larvae of the sprout fly and weevils may appear. Insects can be killed with insecticides.
As for diseases, if the rules for growing lupine are not followed, it is affected by gray and root rot, rust, spotted mosaic and fusarium. As a rule, waterlogging of the soil becomes the cause of diseases. If the cause of the disease is eliminated, the plant can be saved, however, in case large area lupine infestations will have to be dug up and destroyed. If you strictly adhere to all the recommendations of experts, lupine long time stay healthy and beautiful. As a preventive measure, gardeners recommend periodically watering plants with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Re-planting lupine in the same area is possible only after three years.
Lupine care video
Lupine belongs to the most hardy and strong decorative flowering plants. Many flower growers appreciate the shrub not only for its amazing inflorescences, reaching a length of 45 cm, but also for its unpretentiousness in care. Lupine grows well on any soil and in light partial shade. Watering the flower needs moderate. The plant needs to be spudded, loosened, protected from weeds. It is important to remember that lupine is quite difficult to tolerate a transplant. Lupine is able to independently fight many diseases.