Foxglove – a biennial garden flower that requires little care. Anyone who gets to know and love them should rely on plants they have grown themselves. These are cheaper than purchased copies. But how can the foxglove be propagated without complications?
How can you successfully propagate foxgloves?
To propagate foxgloves, sow the dust-sized, brownish seeds directly outdoors or in seed pots in spring or summer. The seeds are light and cold germinators, so do not cover them with soil and allow them to germinate at 15-18°C. Self-sowing is usually problem-free.
Controlled sowing of foxglove
The seed packs (€9.00 on Amazon) in stores usually contain between 80 and 500 foxglove seeds. A single pack ensures wide sowing. Sowing foxgloves is usually uncomplicated. The procedure can be carried out in growing pots or trays at home.
What should you know about the seeds?
The following aspects are important to know about foxglove seeds. They are:
- small dust grain (difficult to sow individually)
- brownish
- lightly flying (are quickly blown away by the wind)
- Light germinator (do not cover with soil)
- Cold germinators (do not sow over the heater)
- good germination
When, where and how to start sowing?
The seeds are sown in spring or summer. It is enough to sow them in the summer between July and August, as foxgloves only bloom in the second year. The foxglove is planted no later than six weeks after sowing.
Whether in a seed tray, in a pot, in a bed or elsewhere, the seeds germinate well. They can be grown at home or sown directly outdoors. Ambient temperatures between 15 and 18 °C are best.
How to proceed:
- Mix seeds with sand
- Spread seeds or sow in container
- Either cover the seeds very thinly with soil or press them onto the soil
- moisten with a hose with a fine nozzle or hand sprayer
- Germination time: 2 weeks
- Prick out after 3 weeks
Self-sowing foxglove
If the seed pods are round and green, the seeds are still immature. When ripe, the seed pods open at the top. The seeds emerge from the opening and can easily be carried away by the wind.
This means that self-sowing happens without any problems. However, there is one thing you should keep in mind: If you do not want the plant to self-sow, cut off the flower stalks in early autumn.
Tips & Tricks
If you want to harvest and store the seeds, proceed with caution. Cut off all the fruit heads in autumn and shake out the seeds over newspaper. This way, not too many seeds are lost in the world.
