Lupine

The lupine plant (Lupinus) is a member of the legume family. This genus includes both perennials and annuals. They can be both grasses and small shrubs.

The popular name of lupine - "wolf beans" is consonant with its Latin name - it also comes from the word "wolf". Such an unusual comparison was given to the plant for the bitter taste of its seeds, as well as its ability to survive even in harsh conditions.

Lupins are quite common in nature. Most of the plant species live on the American continents. Lupins are especially common in mountainous areas. More than ten types of flower live in the Mediterranean countries, as well as in Africa. Due to its high drought resistance, this plant can be seen even in deserts. In nature, this beautiful flower can even turn into a stubborn weed, displacing other plants from the territory.

Excellent external characteristics, benefits and unpretentiousness have made lupine an object of breeders' work. Back at the beginning of the 20th century, the Briton Russell created special hybrid forms of the flower, named after him. But today, the main works of geneticists are not aimed at improving the decorativeness of varieties, but at their resistance to diseases.

Description of lupine

The roots of lupine are characterized by a rod structure and are capable of reaching a depth of about 2 m. On the roots of the flower there are nodules capable of capturing nitrogen from the air and saturating the adjacent soil with it. This legume property makes lupine an excellent green manure plant. Some species of this flower are even considered fodder - in their parts there are no poisonous alkaloids that are dangerous to animals. Basically, they include annual species of lupine (narrow-leaved, yellow, white), as well as many-leaved lupine.

Lupine stems can be herbaceous or woody. The foliage on them is arranged alternately and has long petioles. The leaf blades themselves have a finger-like structure. Inflorescences are located at the tops of the shoots and are in the shape of a brush. Flowers in them can be arranged in whorls or alternately. Inflorescences of some species can reach a meter in size. They are formed by five-petal flowers typical for legumes. Their upper petal ("sail") is the largest, on either side of it there are two "wing" petals, and on the bottom there are two fused and bent petals, known as a "boat". The color palette of flowers includes shades of pink, white, lilac, red and yellow. Moreover, some varieties are able to change the color of flowers, depending on the acidity of the soil.

After drying, the pods-beans crack, spreading small grains-seeds.Often, different types of lupine have seeds that vary in size, shape, and color.

Brief rules for growing lupine

The table shows brief rules for growing lupine in the open field.

Growing lupine from seeds

Sowing seeds

At the very beginning of spring, flower seeds are sown for seedlings. Loose soil is suitable for this, including turf, peat and half of the sand. Before sowing, the seeds are recommended to be combined with a powder from the grated dry roots of lupins of past planting years. This procedure will help to improve the growth of nodules on the roots of the seedlings. Seedlings should appear within two weeks. To stimulate friendly germination, you can cover the container with crops with wet gauze and put in a warm place.

Seedling care

Due to the long taproot, lupines should not be kept in seedling for too long. The more time the seedling spends at home, the higher the risk of damaging its roots during transplantation. Plants are transferred to the ground as soon as they develop at least three full leaves.

Growing lupine from seeds does not guarantee the transfer of varietal traits. Most often, breeders resort to it. Therefore, do not be surprised if bushes with a different color of inflorescences grow from the seeds of white lupins. Shades of pink and purple are considered dominant, so they are most often inherited.

Planting lupine in open ground

When is the best time to plant

To avoid transplanting, traumatic for seedlings, you can plant lupine directly in the open ground. In this case, sowing is carried out in April, after the snow melts. Lupins tolerate frosts well down to -8 degrees, but do not like sudden temperature changes.

The sowing site must be prepared in advance - in the fall. At the same time (around the end of October), you can sow seeds before winter. Winter lupins will be able to stratify in natural conditions, and in spring their seedlings will be more friendly.

When sowing in the ground, the seeds should be buried about 2 cm. From above, the bed is mulched with peat. Blooming of such lupins will come towards the end of summer.

Landing features

An open and bright place is suitable for planting lupines. This flower is not too picky about the soil, but prefers sandy loam soils or loam. The reaction of the soil can be slightly acidic or slightly alkaline. Excessively acidic soil for spring planting in the fall is additionally limed by adding lime or dolomite flour to it (5 kg per 1 sq. M). Repeat the flour application 3-4 years after planting. If the soil is too alkaline, it can be acidified with peat, adding it in the same proportion.

In the spring, the seedlings are distributed on a prepared bed, maintaining a distance of about 40 cm between the bushes. The exact distance depends on the size of a particular species and variety.

In addition to growing from seeds, lupins can be propagated vegetatively. This method allows you to preserve the varietal characteristics of the flower. Cuttings from perennial species are taken in spring or summer. In the spring, root sockets are used for this. In summer, axillary lateral shoots are cut for reproduction. This is usually done before or after flowering. Slices should be powdered with charcoal.The cuttings are kept in a stimulant solution and then planted in light sandy soil. To accelerate growth, you can use a greenhouse (bag).

It is quite difficult to divide the bush because of the deep-lying root. Only plants older than 3 years are suitable for such reproduction. In the spring, the bushes are dug up and divided into parts.

Lupine care in the garden

Caring for lupins in the garden is not a big deal for flower growers. Such plants need abundant watering only in the spring - during budding. If the flower does not have enough water, the flowering will not be as lush, and the seeds will begin to shrink. In summer, the number of waterings can be slightly reduced.

Perennial species in the first year of development must be regularly loosened, and all weeds that appear near the plantings must be removed. At the same time, weeds hardly grow next to species containing alkaloids - such lupins fight them on their own.

Adult plants are periodically spud up - this helps the plants to form lateral roots. In addition, over time, their root collar begins to bare, and the side rosettes are separated. After 5-6 years after the first disembarkation, such plantings should be renewed. This is due to the fact that the middle of the lupine bushes dies off during this time and the flowerbed takes on a sloppy look.

Pruning

You can extend the flowering of lupins until the first frost by regularly pruning wilted inflorescences. They should not dry out directly on the peduncles. Such a procedure will help perennial species to bloom a second time. Tall lupins will need a garter - despite the strength of their stems, they can lie down or break under strong gusts of wind. To avoid this, use supports.

Top dressing

In the first year of development, the bushes are not fed, the first feeding is carried out only in the spring of the year following planting. For lupines, a mineral composition that does not include nitrogen is suitable. For example, you can add calcium chloride (5 g per 1 sq. M) and superphosphate (20 g per 1 sq. M) to the beds. This feeding is repeated every spring. After flowering, you can pour some ash under the bushes.

Lupine after flowering

Seed collection

Ripe lupine beans crack and scatter seeds around the bush. So that the seed is not lost, it is necessary to cut the fruit of the flower in advance. This is done when the beans turn yellow and dry. Usually, the procedure is repeated until the required number of seeds is collected.

Care of faded plants

After the end of flowering, in early October, the foliage and flower stalks of the lupins are cut off. During the same period, you can collect the seeds of the plant. Perennial bushes spud, trying to cover the root collar visible on the surface with earth. After that, the bed is abundantly covered with sawdust. They will serve as a winter shelter for planting.

Pests and diseases

During the budding period, plantings are often harmed by aphids. Later, lupins can suffer from root weevil or larvae of sprout flies. Insecticide treatment will help to cope with a large number of pests.

In a too damp area, lupine can be affected by bacterial infections. If a fungus was found on the plantings, the affected parts of the plants should be cut off. To prevent further infection, as well as to prevent planting, you can periodically water it with potassium permanganate diluted in water (10: 1).

To prevent the weakening of plants and the development of diseases, one should properly care for flowers, as well as observe the technique of crop rotation. After lupines, the garden bed should rest from these plants for about 3 years. Flowers can be moved to the place where the cereals grew.

Types and varieties of lupins with photos and names

Of the many types of lupine in floriculture, the following are most often found:

Lupine angustifolia (Lupinus angustifolius)

Or blue lupine. Herbaceous species up to 1.5 m high. Lupinus angustifolius forms slightly pubescent shoots. The leaf blades are also slightly pubescent from the inside. The flowers are usually white, pink or purple in color. They don't smell.

Lupine multifoliate (Lupinus polyphyllus)

The species lives in the northwest of the North American continent. Lupinus polyphyllus is cold hardy and is often grown in mid-latitudes. The size of the bushes reaches 1.2 m. The shoots are straight, bare. Pubescence is present only on the reverse side of the leaf blades. They have long petioles. The sizes of the inflorescences reach 35 cm, they are formed by numerous blue flowers. Flowering begins in June and lasts approximately 3 weeks. With the timely removal of dead inflorescences, the bushes bloom again by the end of summer.

Lupine yellow (Lupinus luteus)

There are few leaf plates on the stem of this species, and its surface is pubescent. The foliage of Lupinus luteus is also pubescent. It is on long petioles, and the number of its blades reaches nine. The raceme inflorescence consists of whorls formed by yellow flowers. Their aroma resembles the smell of mignonette. The species is considered an annual, but in nature it can sometimes develop up to 4 years.

White lupine (Lupinus albus)

An annual Mediterranean species, forms bushes up to 1.5 m tall. The upright stems begin to branch at the top. The foliage is densely pubescent from the inside out so that the downy forms a thin light border around the plate. The front side of the sheet is smooth. Lupinus albus flowers are odorless and are arranged in a spiral in the inflorescence. Their color, despite the name of the species, includes not only white, but also pink and light blue.

Other types of lupine found in horticulture include:

• Tree-like - high (up to 2 m) North American species. It blooms in white, yellow or purple.
• Volatile - an annual with lush bushes. The color of the flowers changes as it unfolds. Their buds are yellowish, then the upper petal turns blue or purple, and turns red as it grows.
• Dwarf - the maximum height of the bushes is half a meter. The foliage is gray-green, the flowers are deep blue interspersed with white. The aroma resembles sweet peas.
• Small-leaved - a short annual up to 30 cm in size. Flowers combine white and lilac colors.
• Perennial - forms large bushes up to 1.2 m high. The flowers are colored blue.
• Nutkansky - bushes up to 1 m tall. The flowers combine blue and white colors.

There are many hybrid forms of lupins that are also often used to decorate garden plots. Some of the most popular are hybrid varieties of multifoliate lupine. Among them:

• Princess Juliana - bushes up to 1.1 m high. Inflorescences are 40 cm in size, they are made up of white-pink flowers. The variety blooms in June, flowering lasts a little over a month.
• Apricot - bushes reach 90 cm in height. Orange flowers form 40-cm inflorescences. Flowering begins in the second half of June and lasts about a month.

Hybrid varieties obtained by the Briton D. Russell also retain their popularity.

• Burg Fraulen - with snow-white flowers;
• Mine Schloss - with terracotta red flowers;
• Minaret and Splendid - groups of varieties of miniature size and monochromatic color, while their "sail" has a white or other color.

Lupine properties and applications

In culture, lupins have been used for several millennia, and not only as ornamental plants. The fruits of some varieties of lupine are considered edible, and are still used in food in different countries of the world. The seeds of these flowers contain a lot of protein, fiber, vitamins and healthy oils. The beans of the plant can replace soybeans.

The flower has also found application in medicine. The alkaloids contained in most species give it a number of healing properties, but due to the toxicity of these substances, self-medication is not worth it. Lupine oil is extracted from the plant, which is used in the cosmetic industry. There is an opinion that the flower is useful for people suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system.