Want to grow some gorgeous lupins but only have pot space available to grow new plants in? Can you grow lupins in pots or are they too large? Let’s have a look!
Can Lupins Be Grown in Pots
The simple answer is yes they can, and they commonly are. You can grow lupins from seed and then transplant the seedlings into a 10cm pot to establish themselves before potting them onto something larger.
Once your Lupin’s roots are starting to show at the bottom of their seedling pot it is time to move it on into its final pot. Lupins will adapt to any size pot really, but for bigger flower spikes you need bigger pots.
The size of the pot will partly depend on whether the potted lupin is to be an indoor or outdoor lupin. Obviously, you can use bigger pots outside, I would recommend at least a 45cm pot or above. If growing inside then lupins will be happy in anything above a 30cm pot.
Remember that Lupins grow a large tap root so it is not just the width that you need to worry about, but also the depth.
I’m going to use the same image above to demonstrate something else but it also works really well for this point too. look at the size difference between the two plants, the one in the little pot is tiny compared to the big pot.
These lupins were sown at the exact same time. This really shows how the size of the pot determines the size of the plant.
It is also advised as with a lot of plants to add a little grit to the bottom of your pot to aid with drainage. Again like most potted plants, they will require feeding, a tomato feed is a good idea applied fortnightly.
Another thing to think about when growing potted Lupins is that they like slightly acidic conditions. This can be provided by rainwater so either leave them in an exposed position or use water from a water butt.
What pot to use?
You can use any pot really, as my earlier photo shows. Lupins will survive in any size pot but the size of the pot will determine the size of the plant and therefore the size and number of flowers.
If you are looking for something easy and relatively cheap then I like to recommend these pots before. They are made of recycled plastic so are nice and lightweight but look like they are ceramic.
Because they are plastic they are also hardy and can be left out all winter with no concerns.