If the spot you chose for your lupins isn’t quite right then you will be thinking of moving them. but is this possible? Can lupins be moved without killing the plant? Let’s have a look and find out.
Can you move lupins?
Yes, you can move lupins. You need to do it at the right time of year and follow a few simple steps but it can easily be done.
Like I said you need to move them at the right time of year. As with most perennial flowers autumn is a good time to move lupins. You can learn more about this in my article When to move lupins.
How to move lupins
If your lupin still has lots of green leafy growth on it then you will want to remove lots of this before transplanting it. This growth will be hard for the plant to maintain once moved and will end up hindering it rather than helping it.
before digging your lupins give them a good soak, a nice rainy day is actually the perfect time to move a lupin as the rain will keep everything nice and wet for you.
Dig a large area around the base of the lupin and gently pull it up, aiming to keep as much of the root structure intact as possible.
Then dig a large hole wherever you are planning on moving the lupin to. Once dug give the hole a really good soaking before planting your lupin. After that fill the hole around the lupin with compost and gently press down the soil around the plant with your feet.
Why move lupins?
There are a few reasons why you might want to move your lupins. Maybe they are too close together and you want to move them further apart to increase the size of blooms on your plant. You can find out more about how far apart to plant lupins here.
Maybe your lupins have self-seeded but are not quite in the right spot and now you need to move the plant. Or maybe you just fancy a change, that’s good enough reason to move them all on its own.
More on Lupins
Lupins are a beautiful flower that you will find in many British gardens. Lupins are a staple of British cottage gardens, famed for both their height and colour. Originally hailing from the Mediterranean they are a perennial that will greet you with a gorgeous display year after year.
They produce a large flowering spike that is full of colour and each plant can have lots of these spikes leading to a fabulous display. They will begin to flower around may and can last well into June. The flowers do go to seed quite quickly but your lupin will continue to produce more and more new spikes.
To get the best out of these spikes though it is essential to deadhead the old spikes to give the new ones a chance to flourish. Also cutting your lupins back in autumn can help them the following spring. The seeds are edible but if not treated properly first they can be poisonous to animals and humans. Greenfly can be a common problem for lupins here in the UK.