Question for all my fellow #cosogardening peeps: I have 4 packages of Lupins, all of them have 4 different sets of instructions. 🤣 I have had little success with growing them from seed so I'd like to know if any of you feel like sharing your personal tips for success. I have both wild lupine and hybrid. Little success with either.
Bonus for anyone who also has Delphinium experience. I have 2 different instructions for those too! 🙄
@Halcyon Three things to ensure: firm well drained soil, direct sun at least 6 hours a day, and soaking the seeds before planting may help germination (seeds can be tough.) Sort of anecdotal, I'm in the NW US and the wild varieties are like weeds when on volcanic soil. Like roses the seem to do better with a slightly acidic PH.Good luck!
@Halcyon Dampness. Too much water may rot their roots if the water can't drain away. One place I've never seen them grow well is around ponds and other saturated areas. Hillsides all over the place, but not near the creek beds so much. Not sure what you should do about blood mites. Don't think we have those here in the pacific NW. Aphids sure, but not those. Our humidity is pretty low too except when it rains. 😂
@NihilVidere spider mites are normally a dry area thing, but it seems despite our summers, I'm high enough elevation (& on 6th floor) they just seem to explode. I use insecticidal soap if I catch them. I'm growing on a balcony south southwest facing so I get plenty of sun. Aphids I can see them l, these mites are so bloody tiny you need a hand lens to see em, and they destroy both indoor and outdoor plants! It seems the beginning to mid summer it's fine, but by august they're everywhere! 🤬
@NihilVidere my problem is getting the seedlings to take. I'm going to try keeping them on their own and much drier. The planters they're in will have good drainage, so once they're started they should survive, as long as the mites don't get them.
@NihilVidere Thank you!
Yeah, I'm used to the soaking because of their hard coats, much like a lot of legumes. Where I grew up they grew like weeds but here I just can't get them to take before either they die off or the bloody mites get them. I'm in Southern Ontario and we get those hot, muggy summers. It may be I need to adjust for the dampness here. Maybe Im just not meant to grow them! 🤣 I'll give the acidic spil a try though. I Have lowbush blueberry that needs acidic soil too..