[spottymint]

Hi

Who thinks it may be a good idea to sow some foxglove seeds now, outside in a tray with it covered over ?

I ask as I have been searching for "Shirley" foxgloves & after sourcing seeds from 1 UK company, the rest being in America, I'd like to get some growing, sooner rather than later, but being hard to source & the UK supplier being pricey, I don't to waste the seeds.

Thanks, spotty. 

[sunshineband]

They should be OK, bearing in mind that they would have scattered from late flowering plants a week or two ago.

[spottymint]

Well, that's what I was thinking. A lot of foxgloves are self sown & survive the winter alright.

[Spana]

I dont think you'll gain a lot by sowing now. The self sown seeds from this year wont germinate until next year for flowering the following year.
If you sow now you might lose them over winter if its wet and cold, so i'd wait until next spring.

Or you could sow a few now as an experiment then you'll know what to do in other years

[allotmentann]

Why not try two or three methods of sowing if the seeds are hard to get? I have just germinated some in my propagator (different variety), they came up really fast and also have some sown in a pot outside, just experimenting really to see which way is best. The self sown ones outdoors germinated a while back. I hope you are successful whichever way you try

[solway cropper]

Keep in mind that once you have them growing they can become a bit of a nuisance. I sowed some because I like wild flowers but the self-seeded ones are starting to dominate the border and grew to over 2 metres high this year.

[allotmentann]

  Yes mine self seed everywhere! I don't mind though as any I don't want (and there are literally hundreds!) pull  out very easily. The only things that I mind self seeding are things that are difficult to remove

[mumofstig]

I sowed the apricot coloured ones in seed trays and planted them out.....they were beautiful for 2 years, but I've had none since

Perhaps I should try the 'ordinary' ones instead

[spottymint]

I would love it if they self seeded, but my garden is one where nothing seems to self seed.

Not even poppies like self seeding or even growing here, yet they self seed in the pavement cracks around the corner ? 

The one's I'm trying to grow (foxgloves)  are a very large flowered form, grown in the 1800's by a Vicar in Shirley, Surrey. Now apart from Chiltern seeds, all suppliers seem  to be American, very odd for what appears to be an English form (Shirley Foxglove).

[mumofstig]

The Shirley strain was replaced in the catalogues by the Excelsior strain of foxgloves, that's probably why you can only find them at Chiltern seeds 

[spottymint]

Thanks mum, nice to know.

Trouble is I get bored of all the same plants everywhere.

Large chain garden centres being the worst.

[allotmentann]

Thanks mum, nice to know.

Trouble is I get bored of all the same plants everywhere.

Large chain garden centres being the worst.

Couldn''t agree more. Same few plants offered by most of the garden centres.One of the reasons that it is so nice to grow your own. I am wondering though with the new varities of foxglove that I am growing if they will cross pollinate and I will end up with all the same type in the end anyway?
Poppies self seed everywhere in my garden too. I suspect you have better soil than me. My soil is a quite sandy loam. Actually I have a foxglove blooming now which is a bit odd!

[spottymint]

I have just looked at the 3 packs ordered from Chilterns, lots of seed & I have some winging their way from America, so will risk sowing some under cover to over winter.

Experiment & see how it goes, sowed some Viola Odorata seeds, see how they fare too.

[allotmentann]

Do let us know how you get on. Hope that you have lots of lovely foxgloves next year

[sion01]

I sowed sowed some foxgloves late last year and germination was really poor.I put it down to the decreasing light levels .What did germinate was weak and prone to die at the first little excuse.I made a mental note never to sow any latter then August.