I live in the mts of south carolina and have had great luck with my lupines this year!!! They have given me seeds but I don't know when and how to plant them in other places in my yard for next year. Got any sugguestions? Thanks ahead of time.

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2002

Answers

In terms of how to plant your seeds, you have two choices. One is to sow them directly in the ground, probably in the spring after danger of frost is past. Cover them with about 1/4 inch of soil and water. They should sprout quickly. The only problem with this is that you may end up with a bunch that germinate in one area and need thinning, and another area without many at all. Lupine seedlings cannot be transplanted easily (if you break the tap root, they usually die), so I usually start them indoors (in the spring). I use the large round peat pots so that I can plant them in the ground later without damaging them. Fill the peat pots with soil and plant two seeds in each pot. If they both germinate, cut one off at the soil level. When the seedlings get two or three adult leaves and/or the roots start coming throught the bottom of the pots alot, transplant the whole pot outside. Start the seeds as early as possible, in Chicago, I start them in late march or early april, and plant them outside when ready. Starting them indoors takes a lot of space, but more seem to survive when they get nurtured indoors before having to face the elements. Let me know if you have any other questions.

-- Anonymous, June 19, 2003