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| I've had terrible luck growing these plants. I winter sow and have poor germination rates. Last year I had some sprouts that got big enough to plant out. They grew for a while, but then got pale spots on the leaves that looked like sun scald and dwindled and died. I was hoping they were just going dormant because of the horrible heat last summer. I kept them watered. But, they didn't return this year. They are in a spot that is almost totally shade. In the morning they are shaded by the house. Just before mid-day they get brief direct sun until the sun is high enough for the evergreens to shade them. That sun lasts about one hour. Is that enough to have killed them? I've also tried direct sowing in various spots from year to year and have no luck. Can anyone help me get this flower in my world? Any suggestions welcome. FYI I live in zone 5 Michigan. The area I'm working in has trillium, Solomon's Seal, Bleeding Hearts, and Virginia Creeper growing very happily. The trillium has even produced multiple seedling volunteers. Is it too shady? TIA Martha |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by susanzone5 z5NY (My Page) on Sun, May 26, 13 at 11:39
| I have foxgloves seeding all over my property. Here's how I do it. First of all, they are biennial and make their leafy "buns" at the end of summer when they naturally drop their seeds, and flower the next spring. So summer is when I take the ripe seed pods and spread the seeds all over the place. The places they seem to be happiest and do their own self-seeding are places that face north into a sunny area, with something shading them on their south side...edge of woods, against the house, in my gravel driveway under a retaining wall, under a tree. Do not cover the seed because they are very small. They will work their way into the soil. There must be consistent water till the leaves appear. |
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- Posted by gardenweed_z6a N CT (My Page) on Sun, May 26, 13 at 12:51
| Martha - I winter sowed foxgloves my first year, got excellent germination, planted out on the north side of my house in part sun (2-3 hours at mid-day) and watched them grow. They looked healthy and happy the first year but didn't return in year two. I gave up on them because anything that doesn't return--reliably--is a waste of time (IMO) since I don't baby anything in my garden. My goal in growing perennials has been to plant it, enjoy it and forget/neglect it. Regrettably, foxgloves (along with very few others) apparently don't meet those requirements so I've let them go by the wayside. Just FYI--I live in a neighborhood of gardeners and have observed I'm not alone in foregoing these as short-lived despite their recommendations in perennial guidebooks I've seen. It may be due to the fact I mulch heavily over corrugated cardboard but since other things manage to proliferate in these conditions it begs the question of whether they're as good at reseeding as they're reputed to be. I would certainly not plant them in full sun but in partial sun conditions + good soil, chances are you'd have better luck. One other note - I called to ask my daughter (12 miles east of here) if she'd had better luck and she basically reiterated what I just said about them--they weren't reliable in her garden either. She, my neighbor and I all garden with bees, birds & butterflies in mind but, given the plant's iffy performance, the critters aren't going to get nectar from foxgloves unless there are other gardeners nearby who've had better success. |
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| My foxgloves seem to grow best in morning sun. They self-seed there, but not in full sun or full shade. Mine have grown from seedlings of the common pink/white type given me by a neighbor many years ago. I mulch fairly heavily, but they seem to find spots I've missed or where the mulch has broken down. |
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- Posted by mistascott 7A VA (My Page) on Sun, May 26, 13 at 22:50
| Mine are in pretty heavy sun -- probably 4 hours or so midday. The flower color is a little washed out from this, but the plant looks great. The Michigan Spring sun is probably soft enough that you can err a bit on the side of sun. Not sure lack of sun would kill them though -- more likely it would diminish their flowering performance. |
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