Lupin Help Please

Hello, only me again,
I have grown some Lupins, gourgous when they were out but now the petals look like pea pods lol, which I presume is the seeds in there, my question is please, can I keep these and use them? They look quite fresh still, not "crunchy" lol If I can keep them would you suggest a dry and dark place till whenever.

 

Hi, pp. I think you're best bet would be leave them until the pods go brown, then harvest the seed. Keep them in an envelope over winter and plant them in the Spring. Technically they're biennial/perrenial which means they won't flower the 1st season but having said that, I did that and my "this years" sowings have all flowered, Good luck

 

Thankyou cajary, I didn't want to pick them only to ruin them all. I will do as you advised and keep fingers crossed, just hope I remember where I have put them when spring comes lol

 

My pleasure. I have actually taught myself (thro' hard experience) to write on the envelope what they are. Everything goes in my "seed" drawer, which is on top of the display cabinet, then I can't lose them because my MBH keeps complainig about it. Then I'm constantly reminded :D

 

Hi PP. I would agree with cajary about waiting till the pods go brown or black. I would then cut off the stems with seeds on and put them in a paper bag (they always say paper not plastic as damp seeds can rot in plastic). Actually if the material is dry I put them in a plastic shopping bag, which is open at the top. You can then wait till the seeds fall out by themselves, or extract them at your leisure. Mature Lupin seeds are generally black in colour.

When it comes to sowing them you need to get through the tough coating of the seed. There are three possible ways. 1) soak them in water - they will swell up and many will germinate in the water at which point I remove them and place them in a small pot. Even so not every one will manage to burst out. 2) You can 'chit' them (ie nick the seed coating with a knife or with sand paper). This creates a weakspot which allows the moisture to get in. or 3) You could prick them with a pin either dry or, more easily, after soaking.

 

Hi PeterS. How long do you soak them for? 24hrs, the same as Sweet Peas?

 

I would say 2 or 3 days. The seeds are normally black. You can see the ones affected by the water as they go pale brown and swell to double size. Within this period the ones that swell usually burst and a tint bud appears. I remove these, with tweezers, and put them on the surface of moist compost in a pot (or bury by a tiny amount). If the swollen ones don't germinate within say 4 days - they may not ever germinate. I often leave them in the water till enough have germinated then chuck the rest away. Some have coats so thick that they don't swell. These are the ones I prick with a pin to get them started.

You could always soak them for 24 hours then sow them in damp compost. Probably works just as well.