Content
- 1 What do lupine seeds look like?
- 2 When to plant lupine seeds for seedlings
- 3 How to grow lupine seedlings from seeds at home
- 4 How many days does it take for lupine seeds to sprout?
- 5 What does lupine seedling look like?
- 6 Caring for lupine seedlings
- 7 Transplanting seedlings into open ground
- 8 Why do lupine seedlings die?
- 9 Conclusion
Lupine seeds can also sprout naturally in the spring if you plant it immediately in open ground. But more often than not, gardeners will fail. Most owners are faced with the fact that the material does not sprout or quickly dies. It is possible to grow flower seedlings at home.
What do lupine seeds look like?
This culture surprises with its beauty and diversity. In its natural form, Lupine grows almost all over the world. Currently, there are about 200 varieties of it.
The characteristic features of Lupine are excellent drought resistance and ease of care in adulthood.
When the crop fades, it throws out its seeds. Their color, size and even shape may vary.
Mediterranean varieties have larger lupine beans than Western varieties
The seeds of the crop look like flat-round beige beans with smooth skin. But when they ripen, they crack and very small grains spill out.
When to plant lupine seeds for seedlings
It must be taken into account that for the full development of the culture it takes from 30 to 50 days after the appearance of the sprout. If you sow lupine seeds correctly for seedlings, the first leaves can be seen within 1-2 weeks. Based on the timing, it is recommended to calculate the start date for growing the flower, taking into account the region: 1.5 months before transferring it to open ground.
The generally accepted estimated time frame for the procedure is the end of March or the beginning of April. Taking into account regional characteristics, it is best to grow lupine seeds in the central zone in the first week of April. In Siberia and the Urals, this deadline is shifted: all work begins a week later. But in the southern regions, growing seedlings is allowed from mid-March.
How to grow lupine seedlings from seeds at home
And although an adult flower is easy to care for, the seedling is very picky. Despite the fact that growing perennial lupine from seeds seems like a simple task, you should know a number of nuances when working with the plant.
Selection of capacity
Preparing the container is necessary taking into account the peculiarities of the root system of the flower. It is of a rod type and is sensitive to damage. Based on this, transferring seedlings to open ground with further cultivation is possible only by transshipment.
It is best to plant lupine seeds as seedlings in spring in individual large glass pots or containers.The height of each container for growing a flower should be 10-12 cm, and the diameter should be at least 7-10 cm.
An alternative to individual containers is wooden or plastic boxes, but seeds must be placed in them at a great distance
Soil preparation
Choosing soil is not difficult: you can buy it in a store or prepare it yourself. Propagation of lupine by seeds and its subsequent cultivation should be carried out in light, loose and moisture-permeable soil.
When preparing soil for seedlings yourself, you need to mix peat, turf soil and sand in a ratio of 1:1:0.5. All ingredients must be combined evenly until a homogeneous consistency is obtained.
Seed selection and preparation
It is not recommended to plant lupins in spring without pre-treatment. The yield of seedlings and the quality of seedlings depend on the preparation of seeds.
Only whole beans without signs of rot or damage can be grown. It is advisable to reject very small and deformed samples.
All work is divided into two stages:
- The seeds need to be germinated. To do this, wrap them in cotton cloth and dip them in clean water. Place the workpiece in a plastic bag and tie it. Transfer the lupine to a room where the temperature is not lower than + 23-26 °C. Every day, the future seedlings are checked: as soon as they hatch, immediately move on to the next stage. If mold appears during germination, wash the beans and wrap them in new cloth.
- Treat the seeds with a special powder. To obtain it, it is necessary to thoroughly chop and dry the tubers of adult lupins, and place them in glass containers. If beans are treated with this powder before sowing, the nitrogen-fixing bacteria present on it will promote rapid germination.Such seedlings will be strong and healthy when grown.
Ready for sowing and further bean has a powerful sprout, without signs of rot and wilting
Stratification of lupine seeds at home
Some gardeners are of the opinion that without preliminary mechanical treatment, perennial lupine will not sprout. Growing a flower from seeds involves stratification as the first stage of sowing.
To do this, you need to rub each bean with sandpaper to break the integrity of the peel. Only after this treatment can you wrap the seeds in a damp cloth and wait for germination.
Rules for sowing lupine seedlings
To successfully grow a flower, it is recommended to adhere to the following algorithm:
- Place perlite on the bottom of the container, 2 cm thick. It will serve as drainage.
- Fill the container for future seedlings with soil so that 2-2.5 cm remains to the edge of the top.
- If the container is individual, then place the material in the center of the glass. If the box is shared, then the distance between the seeds should be at least 5 cm.
- Cover the lupine beans with soil. Layer thickness no more than 5 mm.
- Moisten the soil generously with a spray bottle.
- Cover the container with cling film or glass until the shoots appear.
How many days does it take for lupine seeds to sprout?
The timing is individual and depends on the temperature in the room and the beans. On average, shoots appear on the seventh day. The latest specimens hatch out after 14-17 days.
What does lupine seedling look like?
Initially, a green sprout appears with false leaves, and then full-fledged plates appear.Depending on the variety, most often their shade varies in different tones of green.
In seedlings, lupine leaves are alternate, with long petioles, palmately complex in shape
Caring for lupine seedlings
The principles of agricultural technology are simple: watering, lighting, fertilizing and ensuring optimal temperature. When planting perennial lupine with seeds, you need to take into account that in the first months of growing the flower you need to make efforts.
Temperature
Favorable conditions for bean germination are lighting and temperature. The temperature in the room should be +20 °C. This indicator is optimal when the first shoots have appeared and the shelter has already been removed. If the room is cold, the process of growing annual lupine from seeds will slow down.
Lighting
The containers should be placed on the windowsill on the south side of the house. If the weather is cloudy, then installing a phytolamp is necessary. It is not necessary to use the device around the clock, but providing the seedlings with light for an additional 3-4 hours will not hurt.
Watering
The soil must be moistened, but moisture stagnation is not allowed. It is best to use a spray bottle in the first stages of cultivation. In the future, watering should be carried out 1-2 times a week, monitoring the condition of the soil.
Top dressing
When growing lupine seedlings, it is not recommended to use fertilizing: there is a risk of disrupting the formation of the root system. And if the seeds grow excessively, it will be difficult to transfer the flower to open ground in the future.
Picking lupine seedlings
The procedure should be carried out when 2-3 true leaves appear. Before picking the seedlings, it should be watered abundantly to make it easier to remove the lupine from the container.
Work algorithm:
- Fill the glasses with nutritious soil.
- Make indentations in them.
- Transfer the seedlings into glasses along with a lump of earth, sprinkle the roots with soil.
- Water the lupine seedlings generously.
To successfully grow a crop during picking, the plant can be dusted with ash as a top dressing
Transplanting seedlings into open ground
The optimal time for the procedure is mid or late May. Each lupine should have 5-6 leaves and a strong stem. Before transferring seedlings to open ground, they need to be hardened off. To do this, you need to provide her with fresh air for ten days.
The bed for lupine seedlings should be in a sunny, open place. Dig up the soil in it and fertilize it with organic matter and complex minerals.
Work algorithm:
- Form holes in the flowerbed. There should be a distance of 30-50 cm between them.
- Water the seedlings and remove them from the container.
- Transfer the lupine into the hole along with the earthen lump.
- Cover the roots with soil and compact the soil around the trunk.
Why do lupine seedlings die?
When growing crops, gardeners are faced with withering of sprouts. Most often the reasons are the following:
- lack of light: seedlings stretch out, weaken and lie down;
- overmoistening: the crop begins to rot, the soil becomes moldy;
- temperature changes: drafts from a window or door lead to the fact that fragile seedlings die or significantly slow down growth.
Conclusion
Lupine will be propagated by seeds in the spring by a gardener who is willing to put in the work.It is necessary to treat the seeds and soil and provide all conditions for the plant. But if everything is done correctly, then in the future, with further cultivation, you can admire beautiful flowers with minimal effort.
