Help! My Lupines are growing too tall

They are growing too fast and I'm not quite sure what to do with them? Should I re-pot them and move them further from the light? I'm worried because it's 2 months until I can plant them outside. The one grew so tall that it flopped over! I'd appreciate any advice. Thank you.

Almost all my seedlings are doing the same thing. I have them on racks under fluorescent lights. My husband is installing some metal halide spots for the basement. I think it's the blue spectrums that aid in vegatation growth to promote stockier plants. This is all new for us so I may not know what I'm talking about! But with over 3500 seedlings now I want to know too. Thanks for all advice!

In my past experience leggy seedlings will usually beef up once they're outside. Believe me. I've planted some pathetic looking seedlings in my gardens and they've always turned out fine.

Don't move them away from they light because they'll stretch all the more to reach it. It may be too warm for them. If you can keep em a little cooler the growth will slow down. If they're growing up into your lights a minor trimming will shorten them.

I will help also to hold the fertilizing for a while and put a fan on to blow them just slightly. It also makes plants stronger if you let them go dry and nearly wilt, but if yours are really tall, it might be hard for them to pick up again if they are allowed to wilt.

I think you may as someone said have it too warm where your lupine are. Keep track of when you planted the seed and next year plant a little later. I just planted my seed as i know I can't put outside until May. If you clip the center of the plant out it would of course shorten and i think they would branch, but I've never tried that. Hope works out for you. Donna

Yes, keep them as close to the lights as possible to make them stockier!

Alas................lupines don't fair well in Texas, but I think I agree with John.

"eyes"

When I start seeds under lights, I always keep the lights very close to the plastic dome lids, and consequently the seedlings don't get leggy. Lupines are not one of the plants I start very early here, since they grow fast. They quickly outgrow the domed lids and require raising the lights.

Eyes, aren't Blue Bonnet's lupines? Texas has wonderful roadways filled with them.

I have some lupine Russell hybrids that I put out in the yard in the fall as seedlings started in peat pots. Some are still really tiny but I have 2 that are about 6" tall now and are looking very robust. The 7degree freeze we had here in Atlanta a month ago didn't even phase 'em. I'm wondering why ya'll are worried about putting them out in the yard so early? Maybe they'd be shell-shocked from the change. *shrug*

If these seedlings were started in the house, I wouldn't suggest just setting them outdoors. Plants that have been hardened off and left out over the winter have a much better chance of survival than the ones that have never seen out in the big wide world and set out in a chilly spring world. If they have to be set out, I'd poke holes in a tall clear plastic cup and set it over the lupine start to create a mini greenhouse.

Too late for this year, of course, but lupines are a perfect candidate for winter sowing outdoors. No need to use flourescent lights, and no leggy seedlings, which will also need hardening off.

"eyes", lupines are not ideal even here in zone 7 NJ. I have seen the best stands of them up in New England. They seem to be very short lived perennials here, much as delphiniums. The hot summers do them in.

By the way, I started some special pink delphinium from New Zealand, winter sown in pots, and they are just now sprouting. Tiny seedlings.

Besides keeping your seedling close to the grow lights, "pinching" them back slightly to encorage bushiness, I also run the palm of my hand across the tops of the plants. This also helps to strengthen them, plus they will then get use to windy conditions.

Yes, bluebonnets are lupionus texensis, but for some strange reason, lupines other than boubonnets, dont do well anywhere here.
A friend once told me that it gets too hot here and for too long a season.

Lavanda, we can't grow Blue Bonnets in Iowa. The others grow very well. I've had Blue Bonnets in my flower bed one time out of many tries. It wasn't even pretty.

Brugie - that is what I have heard. And frankly, for anything other than volunteers, it is not that easy to start from seed and keep in one's garden. At least in my humble experience. Other common wildflowers for this region are
much easier. I guess they are just finicky particular little thangs!

do you think if you put a fan on your seedlings at full blast they would get used to hurrican force winds?
just kidding ;o]