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Where to dead head Lupins?

EricsGardenEricsGarden Posts: 151
in Plants
When a Lupin flower is past it's best and starts to grow seeds, should I cut it off just below the flower, or cut off the entire stem all the way down at the bottom?

Many thanks.
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Posts

  • Dirty HarryDirty Harry Posts: 1,048
    I do it down to where a new leaf is.
  • EricsGardenEricsGarden Posts: 151
    Dirty Harry said:
    I do it down to where a new leaf is.
    Thanks!
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    So do I.🙂
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • EricsGardenEricsGarden Posts: 151
    Dirty Harry said:
    I do it down to where a new leaf is.
    Lyn said:
    So do I.🙂
    I just watched this weeks episode of Gardeners World and right at the end of the episode he said to cut the Lupin flowers down to the ground.
  • Papi JoPapi Jo Posts: 4,254
    EricsGarden said:
    Dirty Harry said:
    I do it down to where a new leaf is.
    Lyn said:
    So do I.🙂
    I just watched this weeks episode of Gardeners World and right at the end of the episode he said to cut the Lupin flowers down to the ground.

    Down to the ground? This does not make sense. If you cut one Lupin spike down to the ground it will mean cutting the whole plant down to the ground, including the spikes still in flower or about to flower. :p
  • EricsGardenEricsGarden Posts: 151
    Papi Jo said:
    EricsGarden said:
    Dirty Harry said:
    I do it down to where a new leaf is.
    Lyn said:
    So do I.🙂
    I just watched this weeks episode of Gardeners World and right at the end of the episode he said to cut the Lupin flowers down to the ground.

    Down to the ground? This does not make sense. If you cut one Lupin spike down to the ground it will mean cutting the whole plant down to the ground, including the spikes still in flower or about to flower. :p
    Not sure I follow you. This flower spike has one flower on it. The plant has other spikes with other flowers and a lot of other leaves. 



    Actually when I was a a garden center a couple of weeks ago I noticed that on their Lupins they had cut away all foliage that wasn't a flower stem, so maybe in that case it would be the whole plant, but not for me.
  • Dirty HarryDirty Harry Posts: 1,048
    I clocked that comment as well and did wonder.

    Pretty sure you could end up cutting off newly forming flowers side-shooting off the main stem if you cut it all the way down.
  • EricsGardenEricsGarden Posts: 151
    Dirty Harry said:
    I clocked that comment as well and did wonder.

    Pretty sure you could end up cutting off newly forming flowers side-shooting off the main stem if you cut it all the way down.
    I had no idea that a Lupin can grow another flower from the main stem.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I don't watch it [G'sW] any more, but it's the same as deadheading any plant which produces multiple flower heads. Take off the one which is finished, down to a joint. If it's not already producing new flower carrying stems, it will. Once those are done, you'd take the whole stem back to near the base.  :)
    You'd only take all the foliage off if the plant's tatty, or you were moving it etc. Like hardy geraniums, they can produce another set of fresh foliage and the odd flower if your growing season's long enough.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    I saw GW and was surprised when Monty cut down the whole stem. I do as Lyn, cut down to a joint, there is often a new flower bud there already.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
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