Grow Foxglove

Foxglove are showy, bell-shaped wildflowers native to the woods of northern Europe. Foxglove grow {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} tall and produce robust pink, purple, red, white and yellow blossoms. If you have trouble keeping flowers safe from deer in your yard, plant foxglove - it contains small amounts of a toxic chemical, making it deer resistant. If you want to learn how to grow this gorgeous flower, keep reading.

Steps

Preparing to Plant

  1. Purchase Save Seeds or seedlings from a garden store. Foxglove seed is readily available in seed packets on most flower seed stands. If you decide to start foxglove from seed, you'll need to be ready to plant it in early summer. If you're planting seedlings, you may plant in spring or fall.[1]
    • If you're starting from seed, use 4-inch seed trays with seed compost. Lightly press the seeds into the compost. Do not cover the seeds with more compost once they are sown, since they require light to germinate.[2] Plan to plant the seedlings when they are a few inches tall.
  2. Find a good place to plant foxglove. Foxglove prefer full sun or light shade.[1] Find a place that isn't too windy and gets plenty of sun for most of the day. They should be protected from wind as they are easily buffeted about and can change their growth shape if assaulted by wind too frequently.If your climate is very hot, semi-shade is acceptable.
  3. Look for suitable soil. Foxglove like soil that is deep, moist, and acidic. Look for a spot that drains well, rather than holding too much water. If you see puddles in an area after a heavy rain, it probably doesn't drain well enough to be a good home for foxglove.
  4. Prepare the planting site. Use a garden rake or hoe to loosen the soil and rake in compost to a depth of about a foot. This will make sure the soil is suitably rich and ready for the foxglove to take root.
    • You can use fertilizer instead of compost, but be sure to use a light application. Too much fertilizer will harm the foxglove.[1]
  5. Dig holes spaced {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} apart. They should be twice as wide as the root balls of the seedlings, and deep enough so that you can fit the entire rootball underground.
  6. Plant the foxglove. Set the root balls into the holes and lightly pat soil around the bases of the stems. Water the area thoroughly.

Caring for Foxglove

  1. Apply compost each spring. This will help nourish the foxglove and so they produce big, healthy blossoms. Cover the compost with a 2-inch layer of mulch to prevent weeds from taking over.
  2. Water foxglove during the summer. This is especially important if there hasn't been much rainfall, or if you live in an area that gets very hot.
  3. Stake tall foxglove. If you have a plant that grows several feet tall, you may want to stake it to keep it from breaking. Use a wooden stake and some twine to gently tie the plant upright. This is especially important if you live in a windy area.
  4. Remove the central stalk to promote the growth of side shoots. The central stalk requires the most water and energy, so removing it will allow nutrients to flow to smaller stalks, making the plant look more even. Cut the spike at its base.
  5. Harvest the seeds. It's easy to harvest the seeds of foxglove so you can plant them the following spring. Allow the flowers to wither and remove seeds from the tall central stalk. Store them in a cool, dry place and sow them in the spring.
    • If you removed the central stalk to promote side shoots, you won't be able to harvest seeds.



Tips

  • If you are growing white foxgloves, keep them apart from coloured ones, as they will cross and the white flowers will disappear.
  • Hardiness of foxglove varies with the species.
  • Foxgloves like nitrogen rich soil and cool humid climates.
  • Perennials can be propagated by division or from basal offsets. Reset the clumps in early spring or autumn/fall. These clumps need to be divided every three to four years to prevent over-crowding.

Warnings

  • Foxglove is poisonous to pets; don't grow it if you have curious chewing pets, or grow it out of their reach.
  • All parts of foxgloves contain dangerous alkaloids. It is not to be consumed.
  • Dry shade can cause disease and pest problems for foxgloves.[3]

Things You'll Need

  • Foxglove seeds or seedlings
  • Suitable garden spot
  • Digging tools
  • Stakes for taller foxglove plants

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://www.garden.org/plantguide/?q=show&id=2049
  2. ↑ http://www.thompson-morgan.com/growing-foxgloves-from-seed
  3. ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/6043378/How-to-grow-foxgloves.html

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