I sowed seeds from my blue lupine (species) inside last summer, planted them in the fall, and they bloomed this year. If there is enough growth this year, I expect they'll bloom next.

Take an emory board or a piece of sandpaper and knick the lupine seed. I did this and put the seeds in a jiffy pellet and about 1/3 of them germinated in 2 days under the grow lights. My experience has been that the first yr. you get leaves and the second yr. you get flowers. At least that's how it is here in upstate NY.

About 4 years ago I planted blue lupine (species) indoors and the resulting seedlings were small and quite pathetic. I planted these outdoors anyway and the following year had lush plants with beautiful blooms. They are in full sun and continue to grow and seed about. :)

Mine bloomed the year after I planted the seedlings outdoors.

I have done same as Celeste 75, starting the "sanded" seeds in Jiffy pellets under the grow light in mid-March, for planting out end of May-ish. SOME flowered the first year and all the second year. Sanding individual lupine seeds may seem like the ultimate in "make work" but it's a great job for a winter Sunday afternoon and yields amazing results - the little plants truly leap out of the pots! As you sand, pick up the seed and look at it every few passes, the minute you can see the outer coat has been broken, stop.
This year, I am trying leaving some lupine seeds on the ground near the parent plant. Perhaps the winter freezes and thaws will crack the seed coat.

All should bloom by the second year - some the first. It takes a good 4 years to get really big plants.

Instead of sanding, just soak in water. I'll post a separate posting to describe my method.

Zone 5 here...I sprinkled a box mix last spring (05) and had lupin foliage this year. There was no sign of them last year. I 'expect' that there will be bloom next year. Technically, I suppose that would be season 3, and year 2...

I am going to use the method of soaking them over night don't want to lose any nails or skin with the emory board method. The seeds are on the small size. I have a lot too.
thanks

I have winter sown them (in a milkjug)a few times. No sanding or soaking needed. Only once have I gotten a bloom the first year from seed.

Hi! Three years ago, in the spring, I planted some Lupine seeds from a mix. They came up good, considering they didnt recive alot of sun (larger perennials shaded them). It took a year for them to mature enought to bloom, and another year to reach their mature size. But their worth the wait; they are much more healthier than the Lupine plants I bought!
CMK

Hi I started my lupins a few days ago, and have sprouts many many sprouts! I was shoked when all the seeds germinated.(I read on a few posts that some folks had difficulty with them)So I wasn't expecting much to happen. What I did was rub the seeds between two sheets of sand paper 10 or so at a time. Then soaked them for 24 hours. Threw them into a container with a bit of dirt then into a bread bag. These were seeds from last falls plants, that I planted in my parents garden around 15 years ago. They were actualy my first perenial, and really hardy plants. Where they are planted is full sun, wind and clay soil, no fertilizer or amendments to the soil and they just keep ona going year after year. No clue as to the variey,(pink and purple flowers. probably russels?) The original plant was bought late season when the garden centers knock down the prices, to get rid of the left overs, so no tags. Amazing I can remember when and where I bought that plant over 15 years ago, but can remember where I put my key's half the time!
Im hoping that my newbies will do as well,as their parent plants.!Frogged

I soak them overnight, then nick them with an exacto knife. I usually get 80% or better germination. Some of them will bloom toward the end of summer the first year, but second year will be in full bloom here.

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