Foxglove - a biennial garden flower that requires little care. Anyone who gets to know and love them should rather count on self-grown plants. These are cheaper than purchased copies. But how can the foxglove be multiplied without complications?
Controlled sowing of Foxglove
Commercial seed packs usually contain between 80 and 500 Foxglove seeds. With a single pack, a wide sowing is guaranteed. Sowing foxgloves is usually uncomplicated. The procedure can be performed in seed pots or trays at home.
What should you know about the seeds?
There are the following aspects to know about the seeds of the foxglove. You are:
- as small as a grain of dust (difficult to sow individually)
- brownish
- light-flying (are quickly blown away by the wind)
- Light germinator (do not cover with soil)
- Cold germ (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 summer, between July and August, since foxgloves only bloom in the second year. Foxgloves are 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 indoors or sown directly outdoors. Ambient temperatures between 15 and 18 °C are best.
How to proceed:
- Mix seeds with sand
- Scatter seeds or sow in a container
- Either cover the seeds very thinly with soil or press them onto the soil
- moisten with hose with fine gland 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 immature. When ripe, the seed pods open at the top. The seeds come out of the opening and can easily be carried away by the wind.
As a result, self-sowing takes place without any problems. However, you should note one thing: If you do not want the plant to self-seed, cut off the flower stalks in early autumn.
tips and tricks
If you plan to harvest and store the seeds, proceed with care. Cut off the entire pods in the fall and shake out the seeds over a piece of newspaper. That way not too many seeds are lost in the world.