Lupine belongs to the family of legumes, it is annual and perennial. Flowering of lupines begins in early summer. High, bright inflorescences, consist of numerous flowers, very similar to pea flowers. They come in a variety of colors: pink, dark red, white, blue, purple and even tri-color. Lupine grows to 50 - 90 cm. This is a fast growing plant, which exudes the shade and gas contamination of the air. Its shortcoming is considered fragility, as the bushes need to be updated every 4-5 years. The fruits of lupine are beans, which are then used for reproduction.
Lupine perennial: planting and care
To plant a perennial lupine suitable for any soil, even sand, but if it is fertilized and quality, it will grow much better. If planted in acid soil, then it will be necessary to make lime to deactivate it.
To bloom lupine was more durable and plentiful, it should be planted in a sunny place, but in the penumbra the flower will bloom.
Summer requires a rare, but abundant watering, especially in a dry summer.
In the first year after planting, a long-term lupine needs very simple maintenance: periodic weeding, removal of weeds and application of phosphorus-potassium fertilizer in late summer. Lupine does not give inflorescence in this year, it forms powerful foliage.
In the spring of the second year, mineral fertilizers are added to 1 m2 of 10-20 grams of superphosphate and 5 g of potassium chloride. Already grown plants should be hilled to prolong the life of the bush, as the root neck rises and the middle part of the bush begins to die.
Every four years, in order to preserve the decorativeness of flowers, it is necessary to replace old plants with young ones.
For the tree form of lupines, shelter is required for the winter.
Lupine annual: care and planting
One-year-old lupine well tolerates growing on light, fertile soils. Watering it requires moderate. In obligatory top dressing does not need, but it is possible to feed in spring mineral fertilizers. Special requirements, how to care for lupine there: timely watering, weeding, garter as necessary and cutting off the faded inflorescence to continue flowering.
Lupine: Reproduction
There are several ways of multiplying lupins: by seeds, by dividing rhizome and cuttings.
Cultivation of seeds from both perennial and annual lupins goes well, but you should know that this way of reproduction does not preserve the color of flowers.
How to grow lupins from seeds:
Long-term lupine
- early in the spring prepare a mixture of turf, peat and sand (1: 1: 0.5), this substrate must be loose;
- seeds mixed with mashed tubers that grew on the roots of old plants;
- watering seedlings should be moderate;
- the first shoots will appear on the 8th - 15th day;
- seedlings with 5 - 6 sheets for 20 - 30 days, planted in open ground to a permanent place, at a distance of 30 - 50 cm from each other.
One-year lupine
- Sow the seeds immediately to a permanent place;
- 2-3 seeds per one well at a distance of 5-7 cm;
- If the shoots are thick, then they must be thinned.
To determine when to sow seeds you need to know:
- if seeds are sown in the soil at the end of October or beginning of November and peat is added, then the lupine will begin to blossom in August;
- If in the spring or summer - then blossom lupines will only be the next year.
For reproduction by rhizomes divide three or four-year-old bushes of lupine, tk. they are quickly formed lateral rosettes.
Cuttings for reproduction are harvested in spring from the root rosette, and in summer - from the side shoots with a piece of root. They are planted in sandy land in a shaded place. In 20-30 days, when the cuttings have roots, they make a lupine transplant
Lupine: diseases and pests
The main disease for lupine, is anthracnose, for the treatment should use such fungicides: mikal, ridomil and arceride.
The main pests of annual and perennial lupines are aphids and nodule weevils. If an infection is found, special preparations should be used to kill these pests or garlic water.
Lupine is interesting for gardeners not only for unpretentious care and beautiful flowering, but also for the enrichment of the soil with nitrogen and purification from the causative agents of diseases and pests.