Forum home› Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

When can I divide Lupins?

EmerionEmerion Posts: 599
in Plants
I have 2 lupins in pots that I want to divide and plant out. I would like to get on with it now, but seem to remember hearing that you should only divide them in spring, not autumn. Have I imagined that?
Carmarthenshire (mild, wet, windy). Loam over shale, very slightly sloping, so free draining. Mildly acidic or neutral.


Posts

  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Lupins can be difficult to divide, they have long tap roots.
    IMO the best way to propagate is seed, or basal cutting.
    If you do want to try dividing, Spring is probably best.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • EmerionEmerion Posts: 599
    Does the tap root issue apply as they are in pots @punkdoc ? I have successfully divided potted ones before, presumably in spring though. 
    Carmarthenshire (mild, wet, windy). Loam over shale, very slightly sloping, so free draining. Mildly acidic or neutral.


  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Basal cuttings when they start to grow in spring is the best way to propagate them if you want more of the same variety. If you have a close look, you might be able to take some that have a bit of root attached (used to be called irishman's cuttings but that might be considered inappropriate these days) which I suppose is more akin to division. Seedlings will be variable. I once grew seed from Lupin "Masterpiece" which is dark purple with orange keels, and the resulting plants included lighter purple with and without orange keels, and a few with all-orange flowers.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Masterpiece is known to be very genetically unstable, but some of the older varieties do come largely true from seed.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • EmerionEmerion Posts: 599
    Thanks @JennyJ. So would it be OK to try that now? I’m not sure what varieties I have, but they are only 5-10 years old, so maybe seedlings are not a good plan. 
    Carmarthenshire (mild, wet, windy). Loam over shale, very slightly sloping, so free draining. Mildly acidic or neutral.


  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    edited October 2023
    No, springtime when there are new basal shoots. Unless yours has some now. Mine don't, they're dying back for the winter (and the stems are hollow so no good for cuttings).
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    edited October 2023

    And there's a video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glSvg3mtbz8 . They are taking basal cuttings that don't have any roots but if your plants have multiple crowns with roots you might be able to split them similarly.

    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • AstroAstro Posts: 433
    I have divided them and they were ok. As I remember I made sure to dig out the roots intact and washed off the soil so I could see them properly. I seem to recall leaving each division with taproot , so I'm thinking there must have been multiple on the clump 🤔. Sorry I couldn't remember in more specific detail 🙂
  • EmerionEmerion Posts: 599
    Thanks @JennyJ & @Astro, that's clear now. Spring it is then.
    Carmarthenshire (mild, wet, windy). Loam over shale, very slightly sloping, so free draining. Mildly acidic or neutral.


Sign In or Register to comment.