Does anyone know what could be wrong with some of those lupins. They look like they are either diseased leaves and flowers. Not seen this before.
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/lowrieT/IMG_1699.jpg)
This is an adjacent clump of Lupins....
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/lowrieT/IMG_1702.jpg)
Sorry Carol, do not really grow lupins so no experience of them to draw on. That kind of growth on other plants is often as a result of insect damage early on. Have you seen any of those large grey American lupin aphids?
I will have a look through the books afterwards and see if there is anything mentioned.
Looks like aphid damage to me Carol. I have had a similar experience with my lupins and if you don't catch the blighters early they can destroy your lupins. The aphids I get on mine are like greenfly but about 6 times bigger :o
Such a shame, your lupins are beautiful :)
Had a look through the books and apart from various viruses which usually manifest themselves in leaf discolouration, ie. yellow leaf veins, there is nothing described like this.
Maybe I exaggerated a bit on the size Eric, but they are definitely alot larger than the average greenfly.
Lovely display Carol nevertheless! Slugs got the centres out of mine >:(
Have been wondering would any one have a "Saltwood" ?
http://www.crocus.co.uk/?ContentType=Plant_Card&ClassID=2000003653&affiliate=td
... one that I could have some seed from possibly
Gardengirl, do the aphids have a slight pinkish tinge to them? If they do, I think they may be (I'm not sure of the exact name) something like American lupin aphids. I read an article about them in the RHS Garden magazine some time ago. Perhaps the RHS site, would be a good place to look.
valmarg
I don't recall them being that colour val, they are just much fatter than the average greenfly. What a cheek, the American aphids attacking our plants ;) ;D Will look on the RHS site, thanks :)
i've just discovered that my new white lupin ( couple of weeks old) has been totally decimated by pinkish grey aphids ( on steroids) so i'm not a happy bunny >:( >:(
http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0401/lupin_aphid.asp (http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0401/lupin_aphid.asp)
found this ....it fits the bill for me
My lupins got infested with the same aphids this year. The flower spikes are stumpy if not completely ruined >:( :( Thousands of the little critters there were.
Just thinking...surely Carol would have noticed these aphids because they are so much bigger than your normal green aphid ? So maybe something else is up with Carol's Lupins? Old age? The leaves look like they've had a lack of energy to form properly. Maybe something in the soil?
Certainly very odd looking Carol. Beautiful colour as well sadly. Love the other ones too.
Ladies ... if I were to move my lupins ...
[ think they are totally in the wron place they keep getting blitzed by slugs abd snails >:(, and surrounding foliage ::)]
... how soon can I do that?
I had just started a new thread about my poor tree lupin being decimated by something like greenfly when I noticed this thread- I have my answer! This plant has been one of the best in my garden for the last 3 years but the flowers dropped much more quickly this year & I just noticed today that it is covered in those darn greenfly-like things. :'( Will keep a look-out next year. What with that and the weevils decimating my phygelius, there'll be nothing left soon!