Plant lupine(Lupinus) or " wolf beans"It has been known since ancient times. The name Lupinus is derived from the Latin word" lupus "-" wolf ".
In contrast to real beans, lupine seeds contain bitter poisonous substances.
Perennial lupine multifoliate(Lupinus polyphyllus) was introduced to Europe from North America at the beginning of the twentieth century. The plant has a powerful taproot, large palmate leaves and a long flower raceme with beautiful blue-violet flowers.
When crossing the perennial lupine with a yellow perennial (originally from North America), we managed to get very beautiful decorative forms lupine with flowers of various colors.
In 1935, the famous lupines of the English gardener Russell appeared, surprising visitors to exhibitions with their spectacular flowering.
The benefits of lupine for garden soil and plants
Lupine is not only a very beautiful but also extremely useful plant for gardeners.
In the first century AD Pliny wrote that from sowing 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 the planting of a white annual lupine between olive trees relieve olives from diseases.
Small globular swellings form on the roots of lupine, in which the Russian scientist M.S.Voronin in 1865 discovered bacteria capable of binding free nitrogen in the air and enriching the soil with it. The roots of lupine, penetrating to a depth of more than a meter, are, as it were, pumped into the arable layer nutrients extracted from deep soil layers.
The plowed green mass of lupine forms first-class humus, enriching the soil and improving its structure. When the green mass of lupine decomposes in the soil, its acidity decreases.
Growing lupine for green fertilizer, 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 the flowering stems, the plant forms new shoots, which can prolong the flowering of lupine until late autumn.
Some varieties of perennial lupins have a flower raceme up to one meter long. Others, on the contrary, are distinguished by many short and wide inflorescences.
The color of lupine flowers can be of all kinds: from white, yellow and orange to pink, red, crimson and purple.
Two-colored lupins have been bred, their flowers have an excellent combination of various colors, for example: white with blue, blue with yellow, orange with red, etc.
In the center of the lupine flower there is one pistil with a stigma and 10 stamens.
The lupine flower has five petals. The upper petal - the widest and largest, is 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 bases, are called "boat".
All plants of the legume family, to which lupine belongs, have such a peculiar structure of the flower.
Propagation of lupine by seeds and cuttings
The lupine beans formed after flowering dry unevenly during ripening, which causes their valves to twist into a spiral. Mechanical force arises, and then the seeds are scattered with a crash in all directions from the plant.
Lupine seeds are large. It is very easy to grow perennial lupins from seeds.
You can sow lupine in a flower garden. Or you can sow swollen lupine seeds in shaded beds in the spring (in April), and in May, plant the resulting seedlings on a permanent place in the garden.
To preserve and breed especially beautiful specimens, you can propagate them vegetatively. .
For this, the renewal buds, which form at the base of the stem, are cut out together with a piece of root and planted in a shaded place. This operation is best done after the plants have flowered.
A month after planting, the cuttings have roots, 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 in weeding and loosening.
In the second year, it is useful to feed the 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.
Lupines can be planted in groups on or in a flower garden along with other flowers. The distance between lupins and other plants must be at least 40 cm.
They go well with lupines in the garden
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Inexperienced gardeners often take the wild form of a plant called "wolf bean" for a weed, as it happens to densely fill the area. In Latin, the flower is called Lupinus. The plant brings considerable benefits to the soil, since there are nutrients on its roots for reproduction beneficial bacteria, substances. Relatively recently, perennial lupins, unpretentious when planting and leaving, have filled the gardens.
When to plant perennial lupins outdoors?
The plant can be planted on the soil after the snow melts and the onset of heat. April is the best match for these conditions. The site for planting must be processed even in the fall. With this option, flowering occurs the next year.
It is also possible to plant flower seeds in winter. With this option, gardening is best done in October. In spring, sprouts will sprout, and lupins will bloom in summer.
You can plant a plant in various ways:
- Seeds;
- Seedlings;
- Cuttings.
Plots for lupins are chosen light, spacious. Hills work well for them.
Planting in open ground with seeds
Planting flowers are traditionally carried out in autumn or spring.
In October or April, sowing is carried out in open ground. The distance between future plants should be from 30 to 50 cm. The holes are made at a depth of 3-4 cm if the soil is sandy, or 2-3 cm if it is heavy. Seed sprouts appear as soon as the soil warms up to 3 degrees. Plant seedlings are able to withstand short frosts up to -4 ° C. With this method of planting, lupins will bloom next year.
When sowing in autumn, the plants will show themselves in all their glory in the summer. The seeds will not have time to germinate before winter, but they will ripen perfectly in the cold season. In autumn, plant lupins to a depth of 2 cm and sprinkle (mulch) with peat on top. Watering them is not worth it.
Growing seedlings
The seedling method requires preparation. It is necessary to make a mixture of soil from one share of peat, one share of sod land and half of a share of sand. Before sowing, the seeds can be mixed with the crushed root of old flowers to help the nitrogen-absorbing bacteria grow faster. After a couple of weeks, seedlings appear.
Please note that when planting lupins with seedlings or when sowing seeds, mainly flowers grow in a predominantly purple or pink range, and White color most likely will not show itself.
As soon as the plant has 5-6 leaves, it needs to be moved into the open ground, since it has a pivotal root system and, at more late landing takes root worse. The soil is loosened before planting, if desired, fertilized with organic matter. The distance between the bushes of seedlings is 30-50 cm.
One of the most famous representatives of the moth family is lupins or wolf grass, as it is popularly called. The plant belongs to the ancient species and has been known for more than 4 millennia. Herbaceous perennial can reach 110 cm in height. Finger-shaped leaves are located on powerful, strong erect stems. The color of the leaves is rich and bright: coral, pink, blue, purple. The inflorescence contains many flowers, racemose form. The flowering period is long: from May to August.
Flowering begins from the bottom of the crop, gradually moving upward. The garden planting is actively used in Japanese and English gardens. Among the numerous varieties, one and two-year representatives are also found. It has a powerful root system reaching up to 150 cm. The root rosette of leaves is always turned towards the sun. Their special decorativeness, which has a similarity to the leaves on a palm tree, has long been noted by gardeners and is used to create exoticism in the garden.
Use in landscape design
The unusual shape of the inflorescences, reminiscent of candles, has become a real boon for designers and owners of personal plots. If you want to decorate your garden with a bright and incredibly spectacular flower bed, then there is no better plant than wolf grass. Absolutely unpretentious plant, strewn with its flowering free area land, will make the landscape colorful and juicy in summer. Universal lupins can be planted both in single and in group plantings.
You can use several varieties to create a multi-colored carpet. Tall "candles" are suitable for creating a bright background, they are able to emphasize other, more calm colors of the culture. With their help, traces of communications and other unsightly phenomena are masked. Garden paths and the borders are decorated with low-growing varieties.
Combination with other plants
Mixed group plantings present wolf grass in the most favorable light. If you plant it in the center of the flower arrangement, then the neighboring plants will effectively complement it and reveal all the facets of the color.
By planting a plant in the middle of a mixborder, you can not only create an original planting, but also protect the lupins from drafts. The most successful combination with:
Plant propagation
Seeds
Seedlings are sown for seedlings in March. Before planting, they are soaked in warm water for a day, wrapped in gauze. During this time, they will break through the shell. A special mixture should be poured into the container for planting: turf soil, sand and peat in equal parts. It should be light and loose, so loosening should be done before planting.
Experienced gardeners advise the shift to mix dried bushes with tubers. They contain special bacteria - nitrogen fixing, which stimulate active growth and development of seeds. It is not worth deepening the planting material into holes that are too large. Optimal depth- 1 cm. After sowing with a spray bottle, the soil is watered and covered with foil or glass to create a greenhouse effect and maintain the necessary moisture in the container. The first shoots appear in 14-16 days.
They are transferred to open ground after the appearance of 5-6 leaves on the seedling. This takes up to 28 days. You should not overexpose young plants in containers. Otherwise, you can seriously damage the root system during transplantation.
Seeds are sown in open ground after the risk of repeated frost has passed. The optimal time is the end of April. The soil is prepared long before planting - in the fall. It is dug up, getting rid of the roots of weeds, for the purpose of prophylaxis, they are treated with special chemical agents for various kinds of diseases. The hole is 2-2.5 cm deep. A representative of the flora will begin to please with its flowering only in a year.
For the winter, seeds are planted in early November. The plot is covered with peat from frost.
Cuttings
A significant advantage of this method over the previous one is the ability to have rare and unusual varieties in your garden. By the seed method, such representatives of the flora never reproduce. For blank planting material plants that have reached 4 years of age are suitable. Are used side shoots formed from the sockets.
In March, cuttings are cut from the basal rosettes, and in June from the leaf sinuses. Cuttings are cut when the garden planting is dormant (after flowering). Use a sharp knife. The place of the cut on the adult wolf grass is treated wood ash... Renewal bud is also cut out with nearby heels of the root collar. Delenki are planted in a container with sandy soil. Root system able to develop within 3 weeks. Then young seedlings can already be planted in a permanent place.
Planting and leaving
Site selection and soil preparation
Choosing the right site, you can achieve a special decorative effect of the plant, bright and long-lasting flowering. A sunny area with a little shade is best. A place in complete shade encourages greenery to the detriment of flowering.
Every year, in the fall, the land for planting lupins is carefully dug up, removing weeds and treating them from diseases. For active growth and development of wolf grass is suitable slightly alkaline or slightly acidic soil, sandy loam and loamy when using fertilizers are also suitable. The acidity level of the soil is measured special device... If the soil is acidic, then the pH level is lowered by adding dolomite flour... The addition of peat will make the alkaline earth suitable for planting lupines. It is imperative to make a drainage layer in the hole. Stagnant moisture contributes to rotting of the root system.
When landing is observed optimal distance- 45-50 cm between holes. The process ends with abundant watering. The plant pits dig up much more than the seedlings.
Loosening is very important for the first 2 years of the plant's life, when it is too weak to fight off weeds. For older representatives, hilling is necessary to hide bare roots.
Watering and feeding
Potassium chloride is suitable as a fertilizer for lupins
Watering is necessary sparse and moderate... The culture belongs to the drought-resistant group. Waterlogging and stagnation of soil, and melt water does not tolerate well. Most of all, a garden planting needs watering in spring, when it is actively growing and developing, and on hot summer days. Drying of the upper layers of the soil serves as a guideline between watering. The average frequency is once every 10-14 days.
Frequent fertilization is not necessary. A representative of the flora is able to fertilize itself. The first year of life, a young seedling does not need feeding. It is brought in after a year (mineral, potassium chloride or superphosphate).
Diseases and pests
Wolf grass is extremely resistant to insects and diseases. But improper care, especially over-watering and feeding, can make the bush weak. Then he can be attacked aphids and gray rot ... To combat them, use special chemical agents... As a prophylaxis, they treat soapy water... Each well must be provided with a good drainage layer.
Pruning
It is important to remove faded inflorescences during the flowering period. This will help extend the life span of a bright perennial. Thanks to this, the bush can bloom again. Lupins that are over 5 years old are best removed. By this time, they already lose their decorative effect and turn into a weed.
In 2014, the Japanese company "Takii seed" presented a petunia with an amazing color of petals - salmon orange. Associated with bright colors southern sunset sky, a unique hybrid was named African Sunset ("African sunset"). Needless to say, this petunia instantly won the hearts of gardeners and was in great demand. But in the past two years, the curiosity has suddenly disappeared from the shop windows. Where has the orange petunia disappeared?
In our family Bell pepper love, therefore we plant it every year. Most of the varieties that I grow have been tested by me for more than one season, I cultivate them constantly. And every year I try to try something new. Pepper is a thermophilic plant and quite whimsical. The varietal and hybrid varieties of tasty and fruitful sweet pepper, which grows well with me, will be discussed further. I live in central Russia.
Meat cutlets with broccoli in béchamel sauce is a great idea for a quick lunch or dinner. Start by cooking the minced meat, and at the same time heat 2 liters of water to a boil to blanch the broccoli. By the time the cutlets are fried, the cabbage will be ready. It remains to collect the products in a pan, season with sauce and bring to readiness. Broccoli needs to be cooked quickly to keep it bright green color, which, with long boiling, either fades, or the cabbage becomes brown.
Home floriculture is not only an exciting process, but also a very troublesome hobby. And, as a rule, the more experience a grower has, the healthier his plants look. And what to do for those who have no experience, but want to have at home houseplants- not elongated stunted specimens, but beautiful and healthy, not causing a feeling of guilt by their extinction? For beginners and flower growers who are not burdened with long experience, I will tell you about the main mistakes that are easy to avoid.
Lush pancakes in a frying pan with banana and apple confiture is another recipe for everyone's favorite dish. So that the cheesecakes do not fall off after cooking, remember a few simple rules... Firstly, only fresh and dry cottage cheese, secondly, no baking powder and soda, and thirdly, the thickness of the dough - you can mold it from it, it is not tight, but pliable. A good dough with a small amount of flour will only come from good cottage cheese, but here again see the point "first".
It is no secret that many drugs from pharmacies migrated to summer cottages... Their use, at first glance, seems so exotic that some summer residents are perceived almost with hostility. At the same time, potassium permanganate is a long-known antiseptic, which is used both in medicine and in veterinary medicine. In plant growing, potassium permanganate solution is used both as an antiseptic and as a fertilizer. In this article, we will tell you how to properly use potassium permanganate in the garden and vegetable garden.
Pork meat salad with mushrooms is a rural dish that can often be found on a festive table in the village. This recipe with champignons, but if there is an opportunity to use Forest mushrooms, then be sure to cook like this, it will be even tastier. You don't need to spend a lot of time on preparing this salad - put the meat in a saucepan for 5 minutes and another 5 minutes for slicing. Everything else happens almost without the participation of the cook - meat and mushrooms are boiled, cooled, pickled.
Cucumbers grow well not only in a greenhouse or greenhouse, but also in open ground... Cucumbers are usually sown from mid-April to mid-May. Harvesting in this case is possible from mid-July to late summer. Cucumbers do not tolerate frost. This is why we don't sow them too early. However, there is a way to bring their harvest closer and taste juicy handsome men from your garden in early summer or even in May. It is only necessary to take into account some of the features of this plant.
Polisias is a great alternative to the classic variegated shrubs and woody ones. The elegant round or feathery leaves of this plant create a strikingly festive curly crown, and the elegant silhouettes and rather modest character make it an excellent candidate for the role of himself big plant in the House. Larger leaves do not prevent him from successfully replacing the ficuses of Benjamin and Co. Moreover, the policeman offers much more variety.
Pumpkin casserole with cinnamon - juicy and incredibly tasty, a bit like pumpkin pie, but, unlike pie, it is more tender and just melts in your mouth! This is the perfect sweet pastry recipe for a family with children. As a rule, kids do not really like pumpkin, but they never mind eating sweets. Sweet pumpkin casserole is a delicious and healthy dessert, which, moreover, is very simple and quick to prepare. Try it! You'll like it!
A hedge is not only one of essential elements landscape design. It also performs various protective functions. If, for example, the garden borders on a carriageway, or there is a highway nearby, then hedge is simply necessary. "Green walls" will protect the garden from dust, noise, wind and create a special comfort and microclimate. In this article, we will consider the optimal plants for creating a hedge that can reliably protect the site from dust.
Many cultures in the first weeks of development need a pick (and even more than one), while others - a transplant is "contraindicated". To "please" both, you can use not quite standard containers for seedlings. Another good reason to try them is cost savings. In this article, we'll show you how to do without the usual boxes, pots, cassettes and tablets. And let's pay attention to not traditional, but very effective and interesting containers for seedlings.
Healthy Red Cabbage Vegetable Soup with Celery, Red Onions, and Beets is a vegetarian soup recipe that can also be cooked in fast days... For those who decide to lose a few extra pounds, I would advise you not to add potatoes, and slightly reduce the amount olive oil(1 tablespoon is enough). The soup turns out to be very fragrant and thick, and during fasting you can serve a portion of soup with lean bread - then it will turn out satisfying and healthy.
Surely everyone has already heard about the popular term "hygge", which came to us from Denmark. This word is not translated into other languages of the world in any way. Because it means a lot of everything at once: comfort, happiness, harmony, spiritual atmosphere ... In this northern country, by the way, most of time of the year - cloudy weather and little sun. The summer is also short. At the same time, the level of happiness is one of the highest (the country regularly ranks first in the UN global ranking).
Handsome, unpretentious, and even useful. An almost perfect flower, isn't it? This is lupine. Mysterious plant with ancient history... But, unfortunately, now it is not so often used in our area to decorate the garden, as it deserves. But it is one of the favorites of the Japanese and British. See how gorgeous lupine can be, the photos vividly confirm this.
Lupinus is a herbaceous plant of the legume family that can be annual, biennial, and perennial. Its taproot grows up to 2 m deep. And the palmate, slightly pubescent leaves form a rosette at the root and are always turned towards the sun. In their appearance, they are somewhat reminiscent of the leaves of a fan palm and therefore are decorative in themselves.
The peduncle grows up to 150 cm.And the dense inflorescence-spike, consisting of moth flowers, resembles colorful candles... This beauty blooms twice (at proper care) at the beginning and at the end of summer. First, the lower flowers bloom, and then gradually the middle and upper ones. The flower opening process begins at sunrise and continues until sunset.
The variegated and shiny seeds are enclosed in a leathery, pubescent bean. This bean is poisonous, and even in translation from Latin "lupus" - wolf, therefore lupine is popularly called "wolf beans".
In nature, it is widespread enough. And its history is more than 4 thousand years old. It was then that on the territory of the ancient states of Greece, Egypt and Rome, white lupine began to be cultivated as a food, fodder and medicinal culture. Later, the Americans domesticated the volatile lupine.
There are many different types lupines (up to 300). Annuals are mostly used for practical purposes in agriculture... For decorative use perennial species are of greater interest.
Annual species:
- Lupine white(Lupinus albus) is a self-pollinating, very unpretentious annual species, just like in ancient times, it is actively used in agriculture as green manure and fodder.
- Lupine yellow(Lupinus luteus) is an annual cross-pollinating species, less frost-hardy, also used as an agricultural crop.
- Lupine angustifolia or blue (Lupinus angustifolius) - self-pollinating early maturing species. Differs in high frost resistance. The flowers are most often blue, but there are pale purple, pink and white. A very popular forage crop and excellent green manure.
- Lupine hybrid(Lupinus hybridus) is an unpretentious decorative annual, diverse in its forms and varieties.
- Lupine dwarf(Lupinus nanus) is a short decorative annual with cobalt blue flowers, the beauty of which is emphasized by yellow and white spots.
- Lupine is fickle(Lupinus mutabilis) is an ornamental annual, its pale yellow flowers have a blue or lilac upper petal that gradually turns red.
- Lupine Hartweg(Lupinus hartwegii) is an ornamental annual, its variegated flowers tend to change color during the flowering process. Very decorative.
Make sure that it can be beautiful and annual lupine: Photo decorative species.
Lupine yellow 
Lupine angustifolia or blue 
Lupine dwarf 
Lupine Hartweg
Perennial species:
- Lupine multifoliate(Lupinus polyphyllus) - this species is very unpretentious and decorative. It has many garden forms and hybrid varieties of monochromatic and bicolor various colors. For example, pink-flowered "Roseus" (Roseus), "Rubinkonig" (Rubinkonig) with ruby-violet flowers, orange "Apricot" (Apricot), snow-white "Albus" and others.
Multifoliate lupins 
I would especially like to note the lupins bred by the talented English breeder George Russell. Lupine multi-leaved pink, blue and white forms was taken by him as a basis. And since 1911 Russell has created many beautiful hybrid varieties such as "Main Schloss", "Castellan", "Splendid", "Minaret" (undersized), "Lulu" (early maturing) and others.
Reproduction methods
Annual lupine always propagates by seeds, and perennial - seeds and vegetatively.
Seeds can be sown directly into the ground both in autumn (late October) and spring (in April). Autumn sowing is most suitable for varieties that can multiply by self-sowing and are frost-resistant enough. In this case, flowering will begin in August. And the seeds sown in early April will bloom the next year at the end of May.
And after about 20-40 days, when the first strong leaves appear, they are transplanted directly to the flower bed.
The core structure of the lupine root system makes it intolerant to transplantation. Therefore, it cannot be propagated by dividing the bush.
Vegetative propagation of perennial species involves cuttings. New root rosettes with growth buds are taken as cuttings in the spring (they are carefully cut from the root collar), and in the summer, young lateral shoots are used for this, which have time to form in the leaf axils. They are rooted in a shaded place by adding sand to the soil. After about a month, the young plants will take root and can be transplanted to the chosen location.
Lupine seeds
It should also be noted that seed reproduction may split, and young plants may turn out to be different from the parent. Hybrid varieties perennial lupins are therefore best propagated vegetatively.
After flowering, wilted inflorescences must be cut off. This spoils the appearance, inhibits further flowering and takes away extra forces from the plant for the formation of seeds. Therefore, to collect the seeds, leave only a few dry buds for ripening. The darkening and dryness of the pod is an indicator of its maturity.
Seed collection is best done dry and sunny weather... Remove them from the pod, dry (but not in the sun!) And store in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, in a cloth or paper bag.
Necessary care
Lupine leaves and its flowers, even in cloudy weather, turn to the sun, so you should choose a sunny place for planting. In addition, this plant is thermophilic. It is especially undemanding to soils, grows well on loamy and slightly acidic ones. Due to the characteristics of the roots, it is resistant to drought and can grow on sandy soil. The long and powerful taproot goes deep into the soil and finds water there, and it also has a specific feature of accumulating nitrogen in the root nodules and fertilizing itself.
Within the first year after planting perennial lupine growing and strengthening. Caring for it comes down to moderate watering, removing weeds and loosening the soil.
In subsequent years, he will need top dressing with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. If necessary, adjust the acidity of the soil to prevent strong alkalization or acidification.
With age, the root collar of the plant is exposed, in which case you need to add earth, as if to huddle it. After 4-6 years, perennial lupine should be removed and new plants should be planted.
Tall lupins, especially if they grow in windy places, require a garter to a support. Since under the weight of large inflorescences they can break. Dried flowers should be cut off constantly to prevent them from forming. This will allow the plant to bloom again in late summer. In addition, it protects against unwanted self-seeding.
To prepare perennial lupine for winter, dry and damaged leaves should be removed. Mulch the root circle with some material that does not change the acidity of the soil. Treelike and other species with low frost resistance need to be additionally covered.
Diseases and pests
Lupine is a strong and resistant plant, however, excessive watering and marshy soil can provoke such fungal diseases, like root and gray rot, fusarium wilting, various spots and others. In the fight against them, preventive treatment of seeds before sowing, adherence to the rules of care is important. For prevention, you can occasionally water the lupins with a weak solution of manganese. If you notice symptoms of one of these diseases, then immediately remove the damaged part of the plant and treat it and the soil around it with some kind of fungicide.
Pests such as May beetle larvae, sprout flies and wireworms can attack seeds immediately after planting. And during the formation of buds, damage to the inflorescences of aphids can be observed. Insecticides are used to control pests.
Lupine narrow-leaved and other agricultural uses can be affected by anthracnose. This disease is insidious in that it can acquire a latent form. Etching is recommended for prophylaxis. seed material special chemicals, and at the first signs of illness - double spraying with fungicides.
Use as a siderat
Even in antiquity, lupine was used as a food and forage crop. Its fruits contain up to 50% protein and 5 to 20% oil, which is very close to olive in its properties. Due to this, fodder lupine is highly valued in animal husbandry and fisheries. In addition, it is widely used in medicine, cosmetology, pharmacology, and even cooking.
Lupine is also popular all over the world as green manure - a green, environmentally friendly fertilizer that enriches the soil with nitrogen and inhibits the growth of weeds. Due to its long root, lupine can extract useful substances from the depths and process hard-to-reach soil elements.
In our country, varieties of three such types are used: yellow lupine, white lupine and narrow-leaved lupine. In agriculture, all their varieties are divided into two groups: alkaloid (bitter) - completely used for fertilizers and alkaloid (sweet) - the green part of which is used for livestock feed, and the underground part - for fertilizers.
Lupine yellow 
Lupine white
One of the best siderates is the narrow-leaved lupine. It enriches the soil not only with nitrogen, but also with calcium, potassium, phosphorus and other elements. It also improves their structure and soil fertility.
However, this flower also has a drawback. The presence of a large amount of alkaloids in its green mass can affect taste qualities products grown on fertilized land. The smallest number alkaloids are yellow and white species... And the most alkaloid is narrow-leaved.
Lupine is sown as green manure in different terms(depends on the variety). So, yellow and narrow-leaved - they are sown in spring and at the very beginning of summer, and white can be sown right up to autumn. Before planting, the soil must be loosened and sowed in rows, deepening by about 3 cm. Between rows, the distance is 15-20 cm, and 5-15 cm between the plants It is important to ensure the crops are well watered.
Cut the plant with a flat cutter about 56 days after sowing. It is very important to cut at the right time: when there are already buds, but before they take on color.
It should be noted that the humification process occurs with a large amount of moisture.
In order to choose the right one, which siderate lupine is better to use on your site, consider some of their features. The most tolerant of sandy soil is yellow lupine. White lupine is the only species that grows on calcareous soils. And narrow-leaved lupine does not like strong soil compaction and crust formation on the surface.
Please note that when grown, it is the annual species that is used as a green manure.
Place in landscape design
V landscape design prefer to use perennial lupine. Since it does not require sowing every year and has large quantity the most beautiful hybrid varieties.
Group plantings of this plant are very effective. They are incredibly beautiful in a group during flowering, and after that a large number of the original leaves retains a further decorative planting.
You can often find perennial lupine in mixborders, so it goes well with other perennials. This is a wonderful plant for the middle layer. When the lupine fades, then flowering plants the lower tier is supported by the decorativeness of its leaves. It looks interesting and original on narrow ridges.
Perennial lupine leads a special friendship with peonies. Neighborhood with plants with large roots is undesirable for peonies. However, with lupine, they complement each other wonderfully aesthetically and biologically. Lupine kind of feeds the peonies, and they look great side by side in a flower bed. In the early years, the bushes of young peonies look modest, so the multi-leaved lupine planted side by side will add decorative compositions and cover empty spaces.
It is very important that after peonies, other flowers grow exceptionally poorly in this place. This is due to the fact that peonies drain the earth, and they also release a specific substance into the soil that inhibits other flowering plants. In order not to have to change the soil in the flower bed, it is enough to sow one-year lupine there for one or two years, and the toxins will be neutralized.
In addition to peonies, multifoliate lupine goes well with astilbe and hosts, as well as such beloved flowering perennials like irises, garden chamomile, delphiniums, lilies. Large flower spikes of lupine and small inflorescences of Veronica spica complement each other in an original way. A delightful contrasting composition is formed by large orange escholzias with a cobalt blue undersized lupine.
Admire the lupines, photos of beautiful landscape compositions with his participation.
Lupine is very diverse and beautiful, planting and caring for it is quite simple. And the combination in one person of a delightful flower and environmentally friendly fertilizer makes it simply irreplaceable for the garden. By planting this flower on your site, you will receive great aesthetic pleasure, as well as a reliable assistant.