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Flopping Lupins

alexemmersonukalexemmersonuk Posts: 171
in Problem solving
Hi all. 
I have grown a few lupin plants (about 8) from seed last autumn (a bit late I'm aware). 
The lupins are on my windowsill and they seemed to be doing wonderfully until about 2 days ago, when a couple of the stems from the two tallest plants have started to droop considerably, almost as if the stem was not string enough to hold itself up, and are now laying almost horizontally with the soil....
I put it down to lack of water, so I gave them a nice helping and it seemed to make very little difference. 
The next morning I noticed the situation was worse, and because we've been having a couple of very sunny days here in Norwich, I thought perhaps it was too hot, so moved them to the dinner table to investigate. 
Again, no difference. 
The thing that's confusing is that plants from different windowsills (all south-facing) have been affected, but only some of them - not all, mostly the taller ones. 
I am a relative beginner at this and I love lupins and was hoping to plant them out soonish, so any advice much appreciated. 
Alex :)
Growing a pink garden, one plant at a time....
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Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    What are the stems?   Flower stems?  If they are, I would cut them off to the base.
    Can you take a photo of the plants? 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    In addition to @Lyn 's comments, unless they're a decent size [ie filling a five or six inch pot]  I'd forget planting them out any time soon. Too vulnerable.

    Any sun at this time of year through a window, can be far too hot for small, young plants. A window on a north facing sill would probably be better. Or a blind during the day to block the sun.
    Photos definitely help  :)

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    Yes, it is probably too much or too little water, plus heat. If there are signs of rot - mushy bits at the bottom of the stems - these plants may not make it, but otherwise, a cool, bright area is needed.

    Take one of the pots and look underneath. Are there lots of roots coming out? If there are, they need potting up into a larger pot, preferably in a mix of multi-purpose and John Innes 2 compost. Make sure the rootball is well soaked, not dry in the middle when you do this.

    If you live in the south you can probably begin to put them outside in a sheltered place, during the day, but bring them in at night for a week or two and if the weather turns cold, give them extra cover and shelter. It's impossible to predict our weather, now, but you should only plant them out when hard frost is unlikely. Once they have established, they will cope in the ground and take whatever the weather throws at them, but they are vulnerable as babies.
  • alexemmersonukalexemmersonuk Posts: 171
    Hi everyone, thank you for your help, sorry about the delay in replying, we had guests at the weekend. 

    @Lyn when you ask if they are flower stems.... What other type of stems are there? I mean I get that some of them could be just leaves, but I am not sure how to tell the difference when they are this young....? 

    @Fairygirl
    I thought seedlings needed direct sun.... Is that totally wrong then? That might explain a few things....

    @Posy
    How can I tell if it's too much or too little water? Any thoughts? I do water them daily, but I do skip the off day when the soilstill feels moist... I'm a bit of a beginner, so I am winging it a bit! 

    Photos coming up.... :)
    Growing a pink garden, one plant at a time....
  • alexemmersonukalexemmersonuk Posts: 171

    Growing a pink garden, one plant at a time....
  • alexemmersonukalexemmersonuk Posts: 171

    Growing a pink garden, one plant at a time....
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They look fine. The droopy stems can be removed if they die back more. There are loads of little new shoots at the base, so they'll keep coming  :)

    Hot sun can fry small plants, and even at this time of year it can be too much. My kitchen thermometer was reading 30 the other day just because it's south facing, and there was some sun. The problem then is the fluctuation between that and the temps when the sun moves away. It was 2 degrees outside.  :)

    Yours look ok though but you might just need to change where you put them now and again. For example, I've got some little pots of seedlings - lettuce etc, on that kitchen windowsill, and I just move them away from the window during the day when it's sunny :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    They look much better than I expected- they're fine! A flower shoot looks quite different from a leaf. You will be able to tell the difference easily.
    Sunshine through a window is much hotter than sunshine outside. Your lupins need bright light and will love a sunny spot when they go out, but behind glass they will be baked, as @Fairygirl says.
    Watering is a matter of sticking a finger in the compost. If the top inch feels dry, give them a drink. However  I see you have them in pots-within-pots. It's important that they don't stand in a puddle. I'd get them out, water them and leave them to drain for half an hour before putting them back in outer pots.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I've just been doing exactly that re the watering, while waiting for my lunch @Posy ;)
    It's always a balancing act with seedlings and young plants at this time of year, or any time over winter, when they're inside. 
    You're doing fine with those @alexemmersonuk :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    The long leaf stalks could be because they're reaching out for light. Plants tend to do that when it's too warm for the amount of light available. I think I'd be wanting to harden them off and get them outside as soon as possible. Last time I grew lupins from seed they were set in a pot outside in autumn, separated into individual pots in spring, then potted on a time or two and planted out the following spring. They never came indoors, or even into a cold frame, but yours will be a bit soft from having been inside. If you can, maybe move them to a bright windowsill in an unheated room, well ventilated on sunny days, as the first step, then outside in the daytime, then leave them out but cover on cold nights. If you have a cold frame that's a good halfway stage too.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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