Raising
Digitalis From Seed
Foxglove seed is fine, uniformly sized and easy to handle. Where
possible best collected as soon as the capsule splits. When
ripe the good and most viable seed will fall easily into a paper
envelope. Any that remain my not be of such good quality and
attempting to dislodge it may well cause good seed to be polluted
with capsule debris.
Once collected, there is much to be said for sowing some as
soon as possible. The seed is generally ready by August/September
and sowing at this time allows young plants to become established
before any hard winter weather.
Such sowings may be over wintered in a well ventilated cold
frame, or glasshouse for planting out in early April. Alternatively
sowing any time in the early part of the year, January/April
will give young plants that may flower later the same year.
These sowings may require very slight warmth to maintain germination.
(Later sowings require no heat)
Depending on the quantity required, 4" half pots or seed
trays could be used. A seed tray will easily accommodate several
hundred plants far more than the average gardener requires,
even to support your local NCCPG sale, so do not sow too thickly.
Ideally the young plants should not touch, a good quality seed
compost should be used Arthur Bowers being ideal.
This should be levelled and gently firmed in the usual way.
Once sown, do not cover the seed as Digitalis require light
to germinate. The seed should be lightly pressed into the compost.
I prefer to water in overhead with a fine rose on the watering
can into which a little copper fungicide has been added. If
you would prefer not to use a can then the pots may be stood
in a shallow container of water and taken out when the surface
darkens over. The compost must not be allowed to become sodden.
Also should the compost subsequently dry excessively then the
seed will germinate erratically or not at all. When the seed
comes up a good time to transplant into trays or plug cells
is when they are showing their first true leaves about 1/2 a
centimetre in size. Use a potting on compost for this. They
can be put out into the garden when they obtain a good enough
size or transplanted on into pots for over wintering.
Some species are sound perennials these do not hybridise freely.
They are best grown from seed as division can be tricky. To
divide cut down the foliage by half, lift the plant and cut
the roots into reasonable sized divisions and replant firmly,
either into the ground or into pots. They must be watered until
re-established, around 3-4 weeks. This is best done in the Spring
or after flowering.
Only two species are biennial and like many biennials are best
considered monocarpic. That is to say they die after flowering
and setting seed. Therefore, with the exception of sterile hybrids
Foxgloves are best propagated by seed. All species of foxglove
come true from seed when grown in isolation however Digitalis
purpurea forms hybridise freely and a percentage of reversions
to the dominant purple colour cannot be helped. These can be
rogued out by simply removing individuals showing a purple suffusion
to the back rib of the lower leaves.
Alternatively seed might be scattered around the garden in March.
However perhaps a better idea would be to put aside a small
area of ground say 2' x 1' where the seed can be scattered on
the surface and covered with small pea sticks to deter cats
and gently watered the rest is up to nature, when young plants
are seen they can then be planted out in the position required
in the garden or thinned out to grow on. |
