Re: Lupines
- Subject: Re: [SG] Lupines
- From: E*@AOL.COM
- Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 21:48:06 EDT
In a message dated 8/13/04 1:06:39 PM Eastern Daylight Time, akloski@JPS.NET
writes:
> We do have small native lupines which grow along the highway at various
> elevations. Guess I may have to be satisfied with those.
>
Anelle,
I saw a town that specialized in lupines in South America. It was the
southern tip of Patagonia and cold to cool most of the year. Lupines were grown
everywhere, every color and several species. We were there in February (early
summer here) and they were the best I have seen.
However, the Russell lupines or similar newer sorts can be grown if you will
treat them as biennials. Seed them in late spring after stratification and
keep the little plants watered in summer. They will increase in size in fall and
carefully transplant to the garden for bloom the following spring. Save the
seed, to repeat and discard the plant. They are short lived at best and grow
well as biennials. They will establish well in the cool fall and bloom in late
spring the following year. Transplant carefully as they are tap rooted, also
they are legumes not requiring rich soils. Whole fields of them bloom in New
England in the spring in poor soils.
We have a pink one that maintains itself here in zone 4 though after maturing
seed, I pull them out as a second year plant is inferior.
Claire Peplowski
NYS zone 4
