Lupins
I've had a lovely display of lupins in a large pot this year (despite lupin aphids), but they are now on the turn. My question is, should I cut down the flowering stems now that the flowers are finished to perhaps promote further blooms this year, or should I let the seed heads develop so that I can collect seeds to plant on elsewhere (either into small pots to plant on into bigger pots later, or to plant into the ground)?
Another question - have the lupin aphids been especially bad for other lupin growers this year? (I'm in Yorkshire). I've been on a daily lupin aphid hunt this year, and kept them at bay, but not got rid of them completely - do the eggs over-winter in the soil does anyone know? They don't seem to have any predators except me!!
Another question - have the lupin aphids been especially bad for other lupin growers this year? (I'm in Yorkshire). I've been on a daily lupin aphid hunt this year, and kept them at bay, but not got rid of them completely - do the eggs over-winter in the soil does anyone know? They don't seem to have any predators except me!!
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Can’t advise re aphids, I just leave them to the blue tits, lacewings etc here Touch wood we haven’t had any aphids yet on the lupins, just the roses here
East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
The aphids seem particular to the lupins - they are huge compared to the usual aphids on roses, etc, and the birds and insects seem to ignore them for some reason. Perhaps they have an unpleasant taste so are left alone.