Lupin Planting Tips

How Lupin Thrives

• Lupin likes sandy dry soil. If where you live goes over 90 degrees, don't consider trying to grow lupin. It thrives in cooler areas. April or mid-spring is the best planting time. Make sure the area is well aerated; you could lose the entire crop if the water pools. Plant the seeds in narrow rows, digging an inch deep for the seeds. Lupin needs to be planted so closely together to avoid weeds taking over. Watch closely and if weeds start to make their way in, consider your favorite methodology for stopping weed growth.

What Lupin Needs

• The pod itself will change colors; when this happens it allows for indicators of maturity. Keep a close look out for growth health. Lupins use their root nodules to catch nitrogen, which is needed for plant survival. This adaption also allows for soil fertilization. It is not recommended to add extra nitrogen. Manganese, if inserted before the seed was planted, shows a higher yield. Lupin needs to be harvested almost immediately at maturity or within the first couple of weeks, otherwise you will lose the crop to pods dropping.

More About Lupin

• Lupin loves water: Daily watering for up to twenty minutes will do the trick, making sure that the water drains wells. Harvesting takes place late summer until the middle of September. As with growing anything, the care of tending will show results. Lupin needs to be protected from fungus or viruses. Some methods used to avert this are the use of pesticides or herbicides, changing the seed variety and rotation.

  Lupin has many uses for consumption from livestock to human needs. It grows from Europe to South Africa to Australia. In Australia it is a major crop because of the acidity of the soil and the Mediterranean climate. In New York there has been a problem with corn seed maggots. Apparently organic matter is nectar for adult insects and maggots, while chemicals do indeed, keep the maggots away.

Solving the Dilemma of Bitter Compounds

• As stated earlier, Lupin although growing well, was not fit for consumption because of the toxicity and bitterness. Breeders in Germany in the early 1900s were the first to produce sweet lupin. This is the product that is now used for consumption throughout the world.