Lupine is a great plant for the late spring garden. The tall spikes of colorful flowers last for weeks and are wonderful for attracting many different pollinators to your garden. There are two methods to easily increase your stock of Lupine plants. Starting saved seeds and taking root cuttings (sometimes called basal cuttings) are easy for even the least experienced gardener. Both methods are best done in the late winter or early fall although root cuttings are guaranteed to bloom from the first year after transplanting.
Methods To Propagate Lupine
Even though seed starting and root cuttings produce Lupine plants easily, the genetic outcome for both is very different. Lupine varieties tend to be hybrid crosses that display the best attributes of each parent. Seeds that are produced from these hybrids are not guaranteed to have any of the same genes as the parent plant.
Flower color, growth habits, and pest and disease resistance could vary wildly making starting plants from saved seeds more of an experiment. Root cuttings produce plants that are identical copies of the parent plant and are far more successful than dividing the whole root as a traditional division does. Lupines produce a taproot deep into the soil when they are fully established and do not like to be disturbed.
What You Need To Propagate Lupine
For cuttings: A sharp garden knife to make clean cuts. Clean your knife between cuts to stop the spread of any soil-borne pathogens. An all-purpose potting mix, sharp sand, or 100% perlite are recommended for growing the cuttings in until roots appear. A watering can with a soft spray rose will help to gently water the cuttings from the top. Bottom watering of the pots is an even better way to water the cuttings with the least disruption. Rooting hormone is not necessary for basal cuttings. Use a one-gallon pot for 5-7 cuttings. Small pots around 3-4 inches are great for one or two cuttings.
For seeds: Lupine seeds do not require bottom heat to start but they do need soaking in water for 1-2 days to help break up the hard seed coat and speed up germination. An all-purpose potting mix is ideal. Use 3-4 inch pots to start up to 5 seeds in each container. Individual seed trays with cells for each seed are also good but will require watering more often than a pot. Dedicated grow lights are needed to promote sturdy, compact plants. Seeds can even be started directly in the garden from late summer through the fall where they will over winter and emerge when temperatures are ideal.
Best Time To Propagate Lupine
For cuttings: Take basal cuttings as soon as new shoots begin to show in the early spring. Cuttings will not be successful later when the shoots have started to bloom.
For seeds: Seeds are ready to harvest when their seed pod has dried fully in mid to late summer. The seeds can be planted directly in the garden to overwinter and grow in the spring or saved to start indoors under controlled conditions. Start Lupine seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the average last frost date.
Steps To Propagate Lupine by Basal Cuttings
Step 1 - Take cuttings of new shoots from the roots in spring. Look for strong shoots that grow around the outside edges of the plant base.
Step 2 - use a sharp, sterile knife to cut the shoot away from the plant, including as much root material as possible.
Step 3 - Prep the pot by filling it halfway with the premoistened potting mix.
Step 4 - Place the cutting in the pot so the top shoot is equal or just above the top of the container.
Step 5 - Fill in the pot with potting mix, gently firming it in the same way you do when repotting a houseplant.
Step 6 - Water the pot from the bottom to ensure that all of the potting medium is moist.
Step 7 - Place the pot in a protected outdoor location that has partial shade.
Step 8 - Keep the pot well watered and top growth should appear within 3-4 weeks to indicate the growth of more roots.
Caring For Young Lupine Plants
Cuttings: Cuttings can be planted into their final location when top growth appears. Do not grow Lupines in pots for too long as they form a taproot that does not tolerate replanting or disturbing. Keep your new Lupines well-watered for the first season to establish them successfully. Fertilizing is not needed in the first year and rarely as the plant matures.
Seeds: Seedlings that are started indoors need to be hardened off for 1-2 weeks before planting in the garden. Gradually move the pots from a completely sheltered location every few days to help them acclimatize to the world outdoors. Water the pots when the top ½ of the soil is dry. Do not let the soil dry completely as young Lupine roots are easily damaged by under-watering making for a weakened plant in the future.
Sources: “Growing and Propagating Lupines”, Elizabeth C. Miller Library. www.depts.washington.edu/hortlib
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Author Robbin Small - Published 12-27-2024 |