Anybody Plant Lupines?

[atash]

Oct 3, 2012 8:02:12 GMT -5 oxbowfarm said:

Rob, do you inoculate your sweet lupine? And if so where do you get your inoculant? A quick Google search done last time the lupine discussion occurred resulted in zero practical results, the only source was for astronomically expensive 50 lb bags of the stuff.

To tel you the truth, I have not checked to make sure that the Lupines actually have nodules. Next time we grow them, I will check.

I have the same problem with Ahipa. No native bacteria will innoculate it. I need some dirt from Bolivia! Without nodulation, it is a hopeless crop here.

That said, I live in Lupine country, and I bet the same bacteria that innoculate the native ones will take care of the exotic Lupines. For that reason, I didn't even think about it before you asked. We have probably a dozen native Lupines here, plus L. arboreus from California is naturalized on our coast (it was used for stabilizing the shores back around the 1920s before that was declared ecologically incorrect), and down where 12540dumont lives the species density is even higher.

I don't think any of the native Lupines are capable of interbreeding with European varieties so I think it's safe to grow them without concern of contaminating sweet lupine with bitter genes.

I have a batch of "tree" lupine seedlings to plant out. They're not really "trees", just big bushy things that only live about 2 or 3 years; maybe longer in habitat.

I'm going to use native Lupines as a companion crop to fix nitrogen for other crops, and hold down weeds. Their toxicity could be a benefit; clover turned out to be a catastrophe as it was attracting deer that gobbled up our other crops!! I'll use annual Lupines for underplanting other crops, and perennials to help build up soil in other spots. Hmm...better keep them out of my renter's pasture. I'm trying to deter deer not poison cattle! That's probably why the natives are all gone: farmers probably got rid of them. I saw a few on my property when I bought it but haven't seen any this year.

[oxbowfarm]

So...

I planted the Lupini seed Holly gave me three weeks ago. The snap peas I planted at the same time are up and doing. I figured the Lupini was all dead, only 3 or 4 germinated. Now I go out and there are many more poking up. Is lupine always very slow to germinate?

The seedlings are very interesting. Epigeal germination with some of the chubbiest cotyledons I've ever seen.

[blueadzuki]

I have 1 functional L. Mutabilis left in my backyard from the 3 non-pure white seeded ones I transplanted out there about 2-3 weeks ago (one snapped during transplant. The other is still out there, but the stem has died at ground level, so I have to assume the leaves will follow soon). That one looks OK, though it may need staking (I kept it growing inside a bit too long and it got a little etiolated.) There are also a handful of L. albus in one of the compost piles, but volunteer plants in those areas have become rather sparse in recent years (actually now that I think of it, I haven't seen all that many volunteer lupines period, maybe they aren't so inclined to germinate around here without intentional intervention.)

[hortusbrambonii]

I did plant some Lupini (I suppose L. albus) seeds today, I found a bag of them in a small Iranian supermarket called 'Babylon market' here in Antwerp. Bought me some fine fenugreek seed there as well (guaranteed without coloring, preservatives and genetically modified elements, in Both English and some Arabic language)

It will be my first time so I'll see what it does over here... And I have a bag of dry lupini beans to experiment with too in the kitchen....

I also have planted some seeds of 'sweet blue lupin' (L. angustifolius), which has smaller and round seeds. I also had some seeds of a sweet L. luteus, but I have no idea whether they are, so I couldn't plant those...

I suppose even if they don't give much seed of any interest, they'll at least have pretty flowers...