Neither do I Dave. They flower forever if you keep on top of it. Even if they had seeded surely the spikes wouldn't all be a consistant colour. The parent plant is still there.
Just another mystery and the cynic in me is remembering blue food dye in white daisies at primary school!!!.
I thought about that too eric's mum but my reading came up with nothing. Apparently it's not the case with lupins.
Must be something like that aym, or the light maybe. It's been very hot and sunny for about a week now.
It is from one plant. There was a little tree there before which was a sight so I dug it out and replaced it with the lupin last year. It's a Gallery Red which is a dwarf type (read the label PP ) but it still gets to about 60cm so not too tiny. The bees love it. I can see a couple on it now.
I have three others in a raised bed, two left by the previous owner and the yellow one I planted last year. They seem to like the relatively poor soil.
I planted a red one this year , it's just starting to come out.
Can I ask a quick question on removing the flower heads ...when do you do this? Is it when the first flowers at the bottom start to die or do you wait until all the flower head has died back? How do you cut it back? Down to where the spike started?
I have one that'sstarted to die off and I would like to try to get it to keep flowering. Please see pic.
That red is gorgeous Fay. Which one is it? I'm never sure when to dead head. I think it's a shame to chop off a lovely bit of colour because the bottom bit has gone over. Thankfully I have lots of spikes so it covers the gaps. I would give the purple one another couple of days and then have another look at it. Once it starts to look tatty then get the secateurs out.
I usually give it till the little pods are starting to form and then I harden my heart knowing it will prolong the flowering. I cut it off at the bottom of the flower head but as it's a tube, we then have the problem of hidden earwigs. Are you starting to detect an amount of guesswork here? I seem to have been quite successful so far so I'll keep doing what I'm doing.
The subsequent flower spikes will be smaller but still lovely.
Cheers Plant Pauper. Maybe if I take the dead seedy thingies from the bottom and work my way up as the go off bit by bit... Can you tell my gardening is totally guess work - you only need to guess about a bit, I really dont have a clue. Must admit that reading this forum has helped , the plants section where people ask for IDs is great - I am learning the names of my 'grows' as they are called in my house and I have even guessed a few correctly - I will be getting a contract from BBC to present a programme on BBC2 next ... The Pathetic Gardener sounds like a catchy title.
the thing in the pot is a 'Holidayiuos Kalkanious Turkious Pretty Florabundas ' I don't what it is but i go to a beautiful wee hotel in Kalkan Turkey each year ( we went the first time 4 years ago and totally fell in love with the place and the little hotel so we now have two holidays - one to explore new places and one back to FIDANKA Houses in Kalkan) . Anyway, I digress, the hotel has the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen - the lady who owns the hotel loves gardening and each year ther are more and more beautiful plants. It's like an oasis. The hotel itself has been built entirely out of reclaimed timber and stone - wardrobes are made out of ancient door as well ... Look at me digressing once again.
the plant was taken as a sneaky cutting from one of theirs last September . I cut it put it in some soil, in a sandwich back, gave it a good soaking ans stuck it in a fold up cool box in my case. Didnt hold out much hope but it was still alive when we got home So I stuck it in a milk bottle of water until I figured out what it was and how to grow it. While waiting it sprouted roots so I planted it in a wee pot and this is the result this summer - well chuffed. I assume it will need to live inside in winter.
i love the way the colours change as the flower heads mature. I would love to know what it's really called but in the meantime it's my reminder of my favourite place. Maybe a plant ID is needed ?
Oh sorry I forgotten to say, I have know idea which kind of lupin it is - it was in Harlow Carr a couple,of years ago seeding away so I borrowed a few and planted them last year.
Posts
Well I never let a lupin even get to the point of setting a seed. I've found they're far less prone to attack if you remove the heads promptly.
Neither do I Dave. They flower forever if you keep on top of it. Even if they had seeded surely the spikes wouldn't all be a consistant colour. The parent plant is still there.
Just another mystery and the cynic in me is remembering blue food dye in white daisies at primary school!!!.
I thought about that too eric's mum but my reading came up with nothing. Apparently it's not the case with lupins.
Update:-
Still not as red as it was but a definite improvement! Weird!
Must be something like that aym, or the light maybe. It's been very hot and sunny for about a week now.
It is from one plant. There was a little tree there before which was a sight so I dug it out and replaced it with the lupin last year. It's a Gallery Red which is a dwarf type (read the label PP
) but it still gets to about 60cm so not too tiny. The bees love it. I can see a couple on it now.
Last edited: 06 June 2016 11:39:14
I have three others in a raised bed, two left by the previous owner and the yellow one I planted last year. They seem to like the relatively poor soil.
Last edited: 06 June 2016 11:43:27
I planted a red one this year , it's just starting to come out.
Can I ask a quick question on removing the flower heads ...when do you do this? Is it when the first flowers at the bottom start to die or do you wait until all the flower head has died back? How do you cut it back? Down to where the spike started?
I have one that'sstarted to die off and I would like to try to get it to keep flowering. Please see pic.
the other is my red one ?
That red is gorgeous Fay. Which one is it? I'm never sure when to dead head. I think it's a shame to chop off a lovely bit of colour because the bottom bit has gone over. Thankfully I have lots of spikes so it covers the gaps. I would give the purple one another couple of days and then have another look at it. Once it starts to look tatty then get the secateurs out.
I usually give it till the little pods are starting to form and then I harden my heart knowing it will prolong the flowering. I cut it off at the bottom of the flower head but as it's a tube, we then have the problem of hidden earwigs.
Are you starting to detect an amount of guesswork here? I seem to have been quite successful so far so I'll keep doing what I'm doing.
The subsequent flower spikes will be smaller but still lovely.
what's that plant in the pot? It's great colours.
Last edited: 06 June 2016 12:48:35
Cheers Plant Pauper. Maybe if I take the dead seedy thingies from the bottom and work my way up as the go off bit by bit... Can you tell my gardening is totally guess work - you only need to guess about a bit, I really dont have a clue. Must admit that reading this forum has helped , the plants section where people ask for IDs is great - I am learning the names of my 'grows' as they are called in my house and I have even guessed a few correctly - I will be getting a contract from BBC to present a programme on BBC2 next ... The Pathetic Gardener sounds like a catchy title.
the thing in the pot is a 'Holidayiuos Kalkanious Turkious Pretty Florabundas ' I don't what it is but i go to a beautiful wee hotel in Kalkan Turkey each year ( we went the first time 4 years ago and totally fell in love with the place and the little hotel so we now have two holidays - one to explore new places and one back to FIDANKA Houses in Kalkan) . Anyway, I digress, the hotel has the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen - the lady who owns the hotel loves gardening and each year ther are more and more beautiful plants. It's like an oasis. The hotel itself has been built entirely out of reclaimed timber and stone - wardrobes are made out of ancient door as well ... Look at me digressing once again.
the plant was taken as a sneaky cutting from one of theirs last September . I cut it put it in some soil, in a sandwich back, gave it a good soaking ans stuck it in a fold up cool box in my case. Didnt hold out much hope but it was still alive when we got home So I stuck it in a milk bottle of water until I figured out what it was and how to grow it. While waiting it sprouted roots so I planted it in a wee pot and this is the result this summer - well chuffed. I assume it will need to live inside in winter.
i love the way the colours change as the flower heads mature. I would love to know what it's really called but in the meantime it's my reminder of my favourite place. Maybe a plant ID is needed ?
Oh sorry I forgotten to say, I have know idea which kind of lupin it is - it was in Harlow Carr a couple,of years ago seeding away so I borrowed a few and planted them last year.
Flippin' tea leaf!!!!
We'll need to get nut onto that one in the pot. I love it!
Last edited: 06 June 2016 16:40:30