There are so many benefits to planting foxglove. It is beautiful and it can have medicinal effects. Of course, you need to plant it properly and take good care of it so that it will thrive in your garden.
When is the best time to plant foxglove seeds? Read on to find out.
When is the Best Time to Plant Foxglove Seeds
The best time to plant foxglove is in the late summer. This gives the plant the right climate to thrive and grow strong and healthy. By the time the following summer comes around you should be presented with the most amazing bloom of flowers.
What Is a Foxglove?
Foxglove is the most popular species in the digitalis genus. It is a herbaceous biennial plant. Many people grow foxglove because it is beautiful.
Not only that, the plant is quite beneficial, too. But more on that later.
Let’s talk more about the plant
It’s a really tall plant. It could grow between 3.3 feet to 6.6 feet tall. The broadness is between two to five inches.
The leaves are arranged in a spiral with a tight foliage at the bottom. The flowers are arranged in a vertical manner.
Now
The flowers are usually purple. However, there are already variations like flowers that are pink, red, white, and yellow. The inside of the flower is spotted.
The flowers bloom in the summer.
You should know
The plant only enjoys partial sunlight. This means that if you want them to thrive in the garden, make sure they have a little bit of shade.
Perhaps you can grow it beside a large tree, or sow it under a shed.
Plus
Its best growth is on acidic soil.
Caveat
The flower is poisonous and should not be ingested by humans and animals–it could be fatal.
Foxglove contains cardiac glycoside, which is an organic compound that prompts the heightened force into the heart and consequently reduces the rate of organ contractions.
This same compound is used in medicine to treat heart failure.
Ironic?
Yep! But if you are just tending to the foxglove plant in the garden, you should be safe.
However, if you are experiencing foxglove poisoning, check out these common symptoms:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Low pulse rate
- Heart contractions (this may lead to cardiac arrest)
Benefits of Planting Foxglove Seeds
Should you still plant foxglove seeds? ABSOLUTELY!
When you plant foxglove seeds, you are not eating them. You are planting them mostly to beautify your garden and your home.
Here are some benefits of the foxglove plant:
Ornamental
They are gorgeous! As earlier mentioned, they are mostly purple. But over the decades, many cultivars have been introduced, hence, various colors also emerged.
They can certainly brighten up your garden and the entire home.
Sustainable
The great thing about this plant is that it is sustainable, in the sense that it has the capacity to continue growing.
Let me explain
While it is a biennial, a foxglove leaves behind a lot of seeds when it dies sometime before the third year. These seeds can be used for growing another set of foxgloves in the garden.
They actually self-sow.
For better result
You can gather the seeds from mature plants and plant them in pots or other areas of your garden.
Medicinal
Foxglove was the original component of digoxin, which is a popular heart medication. Digoxin is often used to alleviate abnormal heart rhythm and heart failure.
You see, this plant may contain toxins but it also has some essential compounds that could be used in modern medicine.
Food for bees
In order for bees to have the energy to make honey, they should have sustenance. They get their sustenance from flowers.
And bees surely love them some foxgloves. They penetrate the inside of the flower because of its succulent nectar.
Best Time to Plant Foxglove Seeds – More Details
Foxglove is at its best in late spring and early summer. These times are when it is at its most vibrant. This is also a good time for the foxglove to reach the height it is known for.
But in order for the plant to reach that height, the seeds have to be planted at the right time.
So, when is the right time?
It has to be late summer. Although, if you just happened to miss the perfect summer planting season, you can always do so in the fall.
Spring is also a good-enough option.
But late summer just gives foxglove the right climate to really thrive and grow strong and healthy. This would also ensure that you will have the most amazing set of flowers when the time comes for it to bloom.
It’s like this:
When you plant it late summer, expect it to grow its stalk and foliage the next summer. Flowers come the second summer.
That’s how biennials work. Then in the third year: Goodbye, plant!
But, here’s some good news:
When the flowering season ends, which is around the middle to late summer, the seeds form in pods, and are found at the base of the wilting flowers.
When you look at the pods, they should be brown and very dry.
Wait for it
The pods will eventually crack. That would be the best time to harvest the seeds.
Make sure they are dry, so do the harvesting in the afternoon when the morning dew has since evaporated.
Remember we said:
They are self-sowing.
Collect them as soon as possible when you see the pods cracking. If you don’t, they will fall on the ground.
In a way
They won’t be lost since they will bloom again. But you might have an idea about how and where to plant them.
Here’s another interesting part: you can simply hold an envelope or other dry container under the pods and just shake them.
Shake it off, shake it off
You read that right! It’s very simple and quite fun, too.
The planting is just as fun. You could simply spread out the seeds over your soil. You don’t actually need to plant them deep into the soil.
That’s precisely why:
They can self-sow! When the seeds fall on the soil, they can just grow with minimal supervision.
Just make sure you leave an inch or so of space in between seeds.
Don’t be discouraged
You might be dismayed by the growing characteristics of the foxglove. Who wants to wait two years to see beautiful flowers bloom?
The thing is, the foxglove is quite worth it.
It is beautiful and really low-maintenance. Also, once you have them for years, they can be sown in a way that you will always have blooming flowers every year.
Summary
Do you want something beautiful but really low maintenance in the garden? Then you ought to have some foxglove plants! They are beautiful and quite easy to grow.
What is the best time to plant foxglove seeds? That would be late summer! When you do, you have to wait until the next summer to see it grow its stalk and foliage. The next year, you will start seeing beautiful flowers by early summer.
Foxglove is biennial, which means its lifespan is only a couple of years. However, it’s very easy to plant and maintain. It’s self-sowing, too.
Useful Resources
- Foxglove Seed Harvesting: How to Save Foxglove Seeds for Next Season – Gardening Know How
- Growing Foxglove Flowers – Flower Magazine
- Shade-Loving Plants: Which Plants Are Best Planted in Shade? – Daily Express
