Lupins are not only beautiful flowers, they are also a great source of protein. So read here how you can plant lupins.
The easy-care lupines ignite a bright firework display in the flower beds from mid-May until partly into August. Which is why they used to be very popular in cottage gardens and natural gardens.
Today they are available in flower colors of blue-purple, white, yellow, red, pink and orange as well as multicolored hybrid varieties.
If you would like to get these wonderful flowers in your garden, then here are a few important tips that you should consider when growing and caring for lupins.
Plant Lupins
Location:
Lupins prefer a sunny location. However, they also thrive in minimal half-shade places. No matter where you plant the flowers, it is best to treat the soil with compost in autumn beforehand.
Sowing:
You should sow the approx. 120 centimeters high lupins in the beds in spring. It is best to choose winter-hardy lupine varieties from the trade.
Propagating lupins:
You can easily divide existing lupine shrubs with a spade and plant them in another location. However, lupins also reproduce all by themselves through their ripe seeds. The throwing distance of their seeds can be up to 6 meters.
Caring for Lupins
Fertilize:
In principle, the robust lupins do not require any fertilizer. They should just incorporate a little compost throughout the season as this will further encourage their growth.
» Tip:
The lupine acts as a nitrogen collector in the flower bed and its long roots loosen the soil again. Which is why moving the plants from time to time is highly recommended.
Pruning:
Plucking off faded petals immediately can encourage rapid reblooming! However, after the lupins have completely faded, you should cut them back.
If a single perennial has finished flowering early in the season, you can even stimulate a second flowering by pruning. You will have to do this again after the flowers have fadedCut back.
Use of Lupins
Recently, researchers found out that lupine is one of the most important suppliers of protein and can therefore be of particular help to people who are allergic to milk. However, the sweet lupine, which only has minimal amounts of bitter substances, is primarily used to obtain protein.
You always have to harvest the lupine beans (lupines are legumes), which you can then process in a similar way to soybeans, e.g. into lupine flour, lupine milk, lupine quark, etc. Lupine beans are also used to feed animals. The candle-shaped lupine is also ideal as a cut flower for the flower vase.