Lupin Maintenance

mandyroberts99

I'm at the point of removing my lupins as they look such a mess at this time of year. I am still getting new flowers and I do dead head but they look so scruffy when they are past their best. I get a great show in the spring and early summer.
Part of the problem is they are in a bed which slopes upwards and you get a good view of the underside of the plant, if it was a top view it wouldn't be so bad. Last year I had a run in with aphids.

Am I doing something wrong? Could I cut them to the ground now? Could I dig up, split the plants and keep some, either in the ground, or pots for planting out next year?

Advice please?

Bilje

I’ve quite often cut them right back, then given them plenty of water and a feed, and had a fresh flush of growth but I don’t get more flowers. I’ve never split them, I think they have a strong central root rather than a clump of fibrous ones. To propagate them I’d take cuttings in the Spring.