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How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Lupine (also called Bluebonnet)
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What am I missing? I'm just a little confused, how do you soak the seeds in WARM water for 1 to 2 days? The water will cool down after a few minutes unless there's some sort of heat source, won't it?
Hi Denise,
You want to start soaking lupine seeds in warm water. The key is to make sure you are not starting with cold water. The water will cool down over the soaking time, so keep it in a location that is warm. If you feel that the water has cooled down significantly you can certainly freshen with warm water during the soaking time.
In VT after the Lupine have gone to seed along the roadways, I collect the seeds take them to my fields and scatter mimicking what goes on naturally. Some tale, many don't. In several places I didn't scatter, suddenly the plant grows. Must have been either bird or animal was the culprit doing natures thing. Trying to plant the seeds hasn't worked well. Mother Nature to the rescue. In Northern VT Newark, they grow wild greatly. Family has a field full of them. Seeds get scattered by the mowing of the fields. Didn't know the seeds were eatable.
During the spring bloom Lupines grow along the roads and stretch for many miles along Hwy 28 and junction with Hwy 2 in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and well into Wisconsin following the Lake Superior shore to Minnesota. The drive is a pleasure and the Lupine bloom makes it worth planning travel ahead and bring your camera.
I my lupin seeds germinated after 6 days and I didn't soak them or fiddle with sand paper.
Seems like a bizarre piece of advice not sure if originates from ancient times and no one ever questioned its validity.
Lupins self seed naturally and seeds need no help from a sand paper ! I suggest you probably should remove that as it sounds a bit silly.
In self-seeding Lupines the seed spends fall and winter on the ground. That usually includes a few feet of snow for 4 months in northern lower Michigan. I collect and save seeds properly and with care. A little soak to get the winter off is light duty compared to the wild thing.
Actually it is not silly at all. Stratification and scarification are recommended for many plant seeds since those processes greatly improve germination rates.
Many seeds require following special instructions prior to planting. Most sources (cooperative extensions, seed companies) recommend soaking/scarifying lupine seeds prior to planting. While there will be instances when seeds successfully germinate without following specific instructions for soaking/scarifying, doing so will increate the chance that your lupine seeds will germinate.
Aren’t these plants poisonous?
Where Do you recommend we purchase plants from?.