Lupine Staircase™

by | May 22, 2016 | ALL VARIETIES, FIRST LIGHT® PERENNIALS

LUPINE STAIRCASE™ VEGETATIVE CULTURE SHEET

Recommended Containers: 2 gallon containers or 6” to 10” pots

Crop Planning from cell pack:
Pot Size Plants per pot (pp) Finish Time (weeks)
6” pot (18 cm) 1 9 to 10

8” pot (20 cm) 1 10 to 12

10” pot (25 cm) 3 10 to 12

Temperature Requirement:
Day – 60° to 65°F (16° to 18°C)
Night – 57° to 62°F (14° to 17°C)
Cooler nights for finishing enhance the quality of plants.

Lupine Staircase™ is cold hardy to zone 4 and will perform into zone 8 regions. Lupine are cold beneficial plants so vernalization is not necessary for flowering but the flowering is more uniform when exposed to a cold for 6 weeks at 35° to 40°F (2° to 5°C).

Media and pH requirements: Use a well-drained soil mix, preferably with bark and a pH range of 5.8 to 6.4. Water well and allow soil to dry between irrigation. Avoid over watering, especially during cool and cloudy weather. EC 0.08 to 1.25 in a peat/bark mix.

Fertilizer requirements: Feed at 75 PPM Nitrogen every irrigation or 150 to 200 ppm Nitrogen with alternate clear water irrigation. Lupine are sensitive to high salt levels. Growers using controlled-release fertilizers get the best results by incorporating at a rate equivalent to 1.0 to 1.25 pounds of nitrogen per yard of growing medium.

Pinching requirements: We suggest pinching the dominant terminal shoot to develop basal branching and more flower stems. The removal of the dominant shoot will also lower the overall height of the flowering plant.

Growth Regulators: To reduce the height of the flower, apply plant growth regulators just as the flower stem is beginning to elongate above the foliage. Multiple spray applications of 2,500-ppm (B-Nine or Dazide), 3-ppm (Sumagic) at seven-day intervals are effective at controlling plant height of lupine.

Disease and insect pests:
Aphids, Thrip or Whitefly are the most problematic.

Downy and Powdery Mildew along with Rust are of most concern. Pythium/ Phytophthora – Rhizoctonia or Fusarium. Clear-water irrigation may be required to reduce salt levels to help prevent soil born diseases. Irrigate early in day to allow foliage to dry before dusk and proper air movement will help prevent foliage diseases.