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How do I go about starting lupine seeds?
Do I have to chill them?
Do I soak them in water, H2O2, bleach water?
Do I nick the seed coat?
I have read many ways to do it, but which way gets the best results?
I have never had any luck with them, but I would really like to try them again. Any help would be great!!!
Drsaul,
I started Lupine seeds back on 3/06 with just nicking the seeds and putting them in peat seed starters (I'll never use peat pots again - suck the water right out of the soil) and they are doing well. Germination period was about 6 or 7 days. Once they sprouted I moved them to larger pots.
Next time I will nick the seeds, soak in mixture of 50/50 Peroxide/warm water for 2 hours under a lamp, then put in damp coffee filter inside a ziploc baggie. Then put the ziploc baggie in a dark warm place for 24 - 36 hours and they will germinate much faster. I used this method recently with moonflower seeds and had great success.
-Greg
I always just soak them in warm water for 24 hours. Works great. In my zone 7a, they really aren't perennial, so I just treat them like biennials. I start them in late summer in peat wafers and transplant them directly to their permanent residence. I hadn't even considered treating them like annuals and starting them in early spring. Does anyone know if you can do this? Would they bloom the same year?
Ok...I nicked the seeds and then soaked them in a solution of H2O2 and water overnight.
They all sprouted. I will pot them up today and see what happens.
drsaul,
I wake this thread up for some follow up result. How did your Lupines turn out? Did they bloom within a year, or are they bi-ennual?
Several years ago, I had lucks with sowing Lupines, but it was pure lucks, since I sowed them in a pot of cannas. It must have been in the spring when I did so, and it bloomed for the season. I'd like to have some Lupines this year again, or perhaps next. I love all pea-like flowers lest it be Wisteria or lupines or what's not. Thanks.
I planted fresh seed I had put in a plastic container with sharp gravel and shook for 15 minutes in late mid-August, about covered 1/4" and they germinated in the yard under shade in about 3-4 days, like hair on a dog! I moved them to a spot sunny in the AM when they had a couple leaves. About Thanksgiving, I covered with plastic and 6 inches of mulch. I am in zone 4/5. I expect them to bloom mid-to-late June this year. I have tried other methods (not winter sowing) and often got poor germination.
Olivia, thanks for responding. Your methods reveals that perhaps it's a biennial. Please wish me lucks, I purchased some seeds packages from local box stores. I'll try to scarify them a bit, and put them out this spring for an experiment and will see how they do. I've missed seeing those lovely blooms in my garden.
I don't think they are a true biennial-- limited to a 2 year life span. Other gardeners with whom I have discussed lupine do think it is a short lived perenial though.
Ok, so I'm thinking about taking half the seeds (or so) that I have and trying the "shaking with gravel" trick, then soaking them in warm water for 24 hours, and then sowing them with a sprinkling of soil (1/4 inch) where they are going to be.
Any thoughts on that? If I only do half, then I still have some if I mess it up! lol
