Foxglove: planting and care in open ground, photos and nuances of cultivation

It’s not difficult to create a beautiful hedge, close an unattractive fence, or add bright colors to a flowerbed: you need to plant Foxglove. Tall and low plants with pyramidal inflorescences and multiple leaves look impressive in any corner of the garden and summer cottage.

Flower growers believe that there are few plants as unpretentious as Foxglove. Planting and care in open ground, methods of propagation, autumn care, popular varieties, photos, disease prevention, pest control - these and many other useful questions are covered in the article.

Foxglove: types and varieties for open ground

Features of the plant:

family Plantainaceae;
traditional and hybrid varieties;
perennial;
unpretentious plant: grows well both in the shade and in sunny areas;
honey plant with aromatic odor;
side shoots practically do not branch;
rigid erect stems, height – from 30 cm to 1.5 m;
leaves are lanceolate or oval in shape, forming a basal rosette in the lower part of the stem;
the upper part of the leaf blades is shiny, the lower part has a edge, the shade is bluish or silver;
the inflorescences have the shape of a brush, the flowers look like a bell. In some species, the lower petal is elongated, bent, similar to the “lip” of Snapdragon;
flowering begins with the opening of the lower buds, the upper ones bloom later, which gives the plant an original appearance against the background of contrasting shades of different parts of the inflorescence;
there are often dots of a contrasting shade on the throat. Base color: red, pink, lilac, white, light lemon, yellow;
the seeds are small, located in a box, the color is light brown;
highly decorative: Foxglove is often used to create hedges or tall flowers are planted along the fence to hide the shortcomings of homemade structures.

Popular varieties of Foxglove:

Purple.
Woolly.
Large-flowered.

Interesting varieties:

Merton.
Pam's Choice Split Corolla.
Tapsi.
Pam's Choice.
Alba.
Silver Fox.
Solwood summer.
Hybrids F1 Camelot.
Candy Mountain.
Apricot.
Primrose Carousel.

Description of the plant

The genus Digitalis or Digitalis, belonging to the plantain family (Scrophulariaceae), includes several dozen species living in temperate and tropical climate zones. From Latin digitus is translated as “thimble”; the corolla of the flower resembles it in shape. Found in the Mediterranean, North Africa, Europe, Western and Central Asia. The greatest species diversity is found in the Iberian Peninsula and Asia Minor. Plants are grown as ornamental and medicinal.

Foxglove is a biennial or short-lived perennial. In the first year of cultivation it forms a dense leaf rosette, and in the second year it blooms.

When the foxglove blooms, its beauty rewards our long wait.

The plant forms a dense green rosette of leaves and produces numerous, large, bell-shaped, pink flowers with a lighter, spotted neck, hanging along the entire length of the stem. Sometimes foxgloves repeat flowering in late summer, sometimes in autumn.

Morphology and biology:

Form . Biennial and perennial plants 30-200 cm high, bush width: 30-50 cm, depending on the type and variety. Species of the Isoplexis group are woody and bushy.
The leaves are alternate, located parallel to the stem, collected in a rosette, the lower leaves are petiolate, the upper ones are sessile.
Flowers – large, collected in spike-shaped brushes. There are usually 10-15 flowers on a peduncle. Buds and flowers develop from bottom to top along the shoot, with the lowest flowers blooming first. The smell is pleasant, unobtrusive: from very weak to delicate. The flower has a five-toothed or five-parted calyx, usually with fused sepals only at the base. The corolla is tubular, without a spur, with an open throat, flattened on top, white, pink, brown, yellow or red-orange. Four stamens. Flowers of different colors: white, peach, purple, cream, pink, multi-colored.
The fruit is an ovoid capsule with two valves, it contains a large number of seeds.

Attention! All parts of the foxglove, together with the seeds, contain toxic glycosides. These toxic substances can even lead to cardiac arrest. Poisoning is manifested by impaired vision and hearing, nausea, and shortness of breath. Consuming two or three leaves can cause fatal poisoning. Fortunately, all parts of digitalis are very bitter, and poisoning is rare. So be careful when there are children in the garden! Carry out any maintenance work with gloves. It is also dangerous to prepare medications yourself.

In the 18th century, the medicinal properties of foxglove were discovered. Digitalis is now grown commercially for its glycoside content, which is used in the pharmaceutical industry. For medicinal purposes, only woolly foxglove is used, as it has the weakest toxic properties.

Digitalis glycosides are included in many medications, mainly heart medications. They are also used as a diuretic for high blood pressure, bronchitis, liver diseases, skin diseases.

Growing from seeds to seedlings

In regions with a temperate climate, seeds are first sown in containers or wooden boxes, after which the grown seedlings are planted in the ground on the site. To speed up the germination of planting material, the “grains” are soaked in warm water; the procedure lasts three days. It is important to change the water several times during this period. Treatment with Kornevin is also useful. The growth stimulator not only activates the swelling process, but also has a positive effect on the condition of future plants.

Soil and container

Wooden boxes, peat pots or containers with compartments - each type of container has its own advantages. You should not take very deep containers.

Soil for seedlings is a mixture of fine-grained sand and peat. You cannot press the planting material deeply: you will have to wait a long time for the first shoots to appear. Be sure to cover the container with film or glass to create a small greenhouse to retain moisture. As soon as the seeds germinate, gradually (over 5–6 days) open the container with the seedlings, first for ventilation, then for free growth without shelter.

Seedling care

On a note:

The sprouts grow slowly.
It is useful to provide additional light to the seedlings if there is not enough natural light.
Watering is moderate, it is better to spray.
The temperature is maintained at +20..+22 degrees to avoid extreme heat.
Dampness in the room is harmful to seedlings: the sprouts begin to rot.
Do not keep a container with young foxgloves in a draft.

Transplanting

Transplantation of grown seedlings into the garden is carried out in the absence of frost, after the soil has been well warmed up. In most regions, the optimal period is the end of May. A distance of 15 cm is maintained between adjacent specimens: dense plantings are the cause of poor growth

Possible problems in growing

The graceful bell does not tolerate stagnation of water at the roots. Excess moisture has a detrimental effect on plant growth and flowering.

Pests

Pests include nematodes and aphids, but their mass invasion is extremely rare.

Diseases

The causes of fungal diseases in flowers are excessive soil moisture and improper care. At the first signs, spray with fungicides.

Important! If the root system is damaged, it is better to discard the plant.

Signs of improper care

Improper care affects the flower stalks. They grow small and inconspicuous. Stagnation of water leads to rotting of the roots.

Planting seeds in open ground

A suitable method for regions where spring is early and summer is warm. Light and loose soil is a prerequisite for good foxglove growth.

If the soil is loamy and dense, then add sand and peat to increase the nutritional value and looseness of the substrate. The components are added before digging the earth. It is important to break up the clods and loosen the substrate. It is useful to water the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection.

Sowing time

It is important that it is warm outside and there is no threat of frost. The right time is the end of May. Previously, it was not worth sowing “seeds” even in the southern regions.

Choice of location and lighting

Foxglove grows well in open, sunny or light shade areas. Plants with pyramidal inflorescences are not planted under fruit trees in the garden: under the dense crown it is too damp and dark, and in the fall fallen leaves will cover the plantings and rot.

The area should not be swampy: excess moisture leads to the development of mold on the leaves and soil. Powdery mildew is a dangerous disease that develops on a beautifully flowering plant with excessive humidity.

Landing rules

Important details:

the optimal distance between neighboring plants is 15 cm or more. Thickened plantings interfere with the development of decorative appearance and abundant flowering;
sow small seeds in calm weather, when there are clouds in the sky and the sun does not send scorching rays to the ground all day long;
rain or fog is a reason to postpone the planting of foxgloves to another day;
the seeds are placed on the surface of the soil; small depressions can be made (up to 1 cm). Next, the planting material is sprinkled with substrate, the area is sprayed, but not flooded;
After germination, the seedlings are cared for: weeding, watering, and destruction of weeds. In dry times, you can mulch the soil around young plants with straw or peat to retain moisture. Under a layer of natural mulch, weeds grow weaker: this fact is confirmed by many gardeners.

An important nuance is seed preparation:

A simple procedure improves germination - soaking the grains in lukewarm water for two to three days. During this period, be sure to change the water (three to four times). Add warm liquid: cold seeds swell worse;
You can soak the planting material in a solution of growth stimulants. The drugs Zircon and Kornevin received good reviews. You must strictly follow the instructions, prepare the base and working solution strictly according to the rules. You cannot keep seeds in the growth stimulator longer than permitted by the instructions.

Characteristics of foxglove purpurea

Foxglove purpurea is cultivated in our conditions as a tall-growing biennial plant. Its stem is straight and heavily pubescent. At the roots, the leaves are collected in a rosette, and on the stem they sit on long petioles, large, oval in shape. They are velvety above and pubescent below.

The flowers are white, pink, cream or purple, they are also pubescent, painted in darker colors inside, large (up to 5 cm), collected in the form of long, lush racemes. Bell flowers appear from June to September in the second year after sowing.

There are several dozen hybrids. Moreover, the selection of this plant is constantly ongoing. The following varieties are popular among them:

Shirley - with pink, purple, cream flowers.
Excelsior is the tallest, with flowers arranged in a spiral.
Pelorik - with multi-colored, large flowers.
Pink champagne is a single-color variety with exquisite flowers.
A selection novelty is Fooxy, which blooms already in the year of planting with flowers of different shades - from white to carmine.
Carousel is a very showy, medium-sized flower, dotted with white or yellowish flowers with red dots
Candy Montagne is a new plant with pink or purple flowers, an amazingly beautiful plant about a meter tall.

Outdoor care

Foxglove is a species that does not require significant investment of money and effort to grow, but some rules still have to be followed. The unpretentiousness of the plant is not a reason to forget about basic agrotechnical measures, even if the plant with pyramidal inflorescences is located near an old barn or a fence that is not aesthetically pleasing.

Watering

Swampiness and excessive soil moisture are a direct path to root rot and the development of fungal diseases.
The plant is unpretentious, grows well even with a lack of moisture, but you should not forget about watering. Foxglove likes moderate moisture in the substrate. During the flowering period, the soil should not dry out, otherwise the release of buds will be weak. Important! The water is left to settle for one to two days, slightly heated if the liquid is cool. You should not use water straight from the tap: increased hardness negatively affects the development of plants.

Feeding and fertilizer

The best option is to apply liquid products at the root of each plant. It is important to follow the concentration indicated on the bottle or prepare the working solution according to the norm for a specific drug. Foxglove is an unpretentious species, but without fertilizing 2-3 times per season, flowering may not be so abundant.

You should not spray fertilizers on the leaves and inflorescences: synthetic compounds can lead to stains, a negative state of the green mass and delicate petals.

Foxglove Care

You need to grow foxglove in the garden in the same way as many garden plants. Such a flower needs systematic weeding and loosening of the surface of the area; it also needs to be watered in a timely manner, fed and treated against pests and diseases as necessary.

It is necessary to water such flowers only during a fairly long dry period. If it rains regularly in the summer, then such a plant will do without watering at all. When it rains or the plant is watered, it is necessary to very carefully loosen the surface of the area to a small depth. The digitalis root system is horizontal and located very close to the surface of the site, so it is very easy to injure it during loosening.

Throughout the entire growing season, such a flower needs to be fed only 1 or 2 times, using a complex mineral fertilizer in liquid form (the mineral solution must be mixed with water for irrigation). In order for the flowering to last longer and the bushes to retain their spectacular appearance until autumn, it is necessary to promptly pick off fading flowers and inflorescences.

Transfer

Transplanting digitalis to a new location is not at all difficult, because its root system is horizontal and is quite easy to remove from the soil. The dug bush must be placed in a previously prepared hole, and its size should be slightly larger than the size of the plant’s root system, taken together with the lump of earth. Transplanted bushes need watering.

Diseases and pests

Digitalis most often suffers from spotting, viral mosaic, rot or powdery mildew. If the bush is very badly affected by spotting or powdery mildew, then it is recommended to remove it from the soil and destroy it; the remaining plants should be sprayed with a solution of a fungicidal preparation. It should be remembered that viral diseases (for example, mosaic), rotting of peduncles and root rot cannot be treated, and therefore infected bushes must be removed from the soil and destroyed.

Various types of aphids can live on foxgloves. To get rid of such pests, plants must be sprayed with Antitlin, Biotlin and Iskra. Remember that sucking insects such as aphids are considered the main carrier of dangerous viral diseases, so the fight against this pest begins at the first sign of damage to the plant.

Perennial foxglove after flowering

Since the root system of such a flower is located very close to the surface of the soil, in some cases it is exposed. In this regard, in the autumn, the plant’s root system should be sprinkled with fertile soil so that the plant does not suffer during wintering.

Perennial species and varieties are characterized by fairly high frost resistance, but if there is little snow in winter, such a flower may freeze. When the flower stalks turn yellow and wither, they must be cut off, and the rosette must be covered with sawdust, dried leaves or spruce branches. While the bushes are young, they must be covered for the winter.

Care during and after flowering

The plant should receive liquid fertilizers with a high percentage of potassium, a lower percentage of phosphorus, and almost no nitrogen is used. Excess nitrogen mixtures interfere with the formation of bell buds and impair flowering.

Useful activities:

loosening and timely watering;
removing wilted buds;
tying gauze around the inflorescences from which you want to collect seeds;
feeding with liquid formulations.

Other agricultural activities

For good growth and abundant flowering, it is useful to:

loosening the soil (not very deep);
weed control (harmful herbs are removed by the roots);
mulching if the summer is very dry. Mulch: peat, sawdust, layer – 1 cm;
covering the roots. At the end of summer, individual sections of underground elements appear on top of the substrate and be sure to sprinkle them with soil;
thinning out overgrown specimens. With thickened plantings, not only the decorative appearance suffers, diseases develop more often, but the quality of flowering also deteriorates due to the intertwining of roots and a deficiency of nutrients, which are not enough for all plants.

Features of flowering

The flowering of foxglove has a number of features. Many people are interested in when foxglove blooms. Most often, flowering begins in summer and ends in August or September. The flowers of the plant have an irregular shape. They come in different types, but the most common flowers are white, pink, yellow and purple.

After the flowers appear, foxgloves must be carefully cared for. It needs increased watering and mineral fertilizers.

Important! If the flower lacks moisture or nutrition, it will begin to look sickly. The leaves will begin to dry and the petals will fall off.

Protection from pests and diseases

One of the advantages of growing foxgloves in a summer cottage, near a private house, in flower beds, or when creating hedges is the species’ resistance to various diseases. An unpretentious plant rarely gets sick if the grower follows the growing rules, of which there are not many. Even in poor soil, problems rarely arise.

One of the troubles is fungal infection of the stem and leaves, the development of powdery mildew. The reasons for the development of the disease are a combination of high temperature with excess humidity, excessive application of fertilizers with a high percentage of nitrogen, the plant is weakened, and sharp temperature fluctuations.

Signs:

powdery white coating on leaves (both sides), flowers, stems;
Over time, the mass becomes yellowish-brown;
the leaves wither, the plant weakens, grows worse;
Brown spots appear on the plant, leaf blades turn yellow and fall off;
if left untreated, small tubercles form on the stem, containing fungal spores;
the flower dies if the owner does not start fighting the fungus in a timely manner.

What to do:

in case of severe infection, dig up the infected specimen so that powdery mildew does not spread to neighboring plants;
If the fungal infection develops moderately, when the first signs of the disease appear, spray the foxglove with fungicides. The drugs effectively suppress the growth of mycelium and save plants from death;
effective fungicides for open ground: Topaz, Fundazol, Vermitek, Skor, Bordeaux mixture;
the procedure is carried out wearing medical gloves and a mask, protecting eyes and hands from contact with biological and chemical agents;
when applying the composition, there should be no rain or dampness outside; the appropriate time is evening or early morning, while there is no scorching sun;
re-treatment is carried out according to the instructions for the specific drug.

Sometimes Foxglove is attacked by pests that migrate to flowers and leaves from other plants in the area. Nematodes, aphids, various moths are parasitic insects and worms that feed on greens, juices, and gnawing plant roots.

How to deal with pests? Insecticides used: Vitaros, Inta-Vir, Actellik, Fitoverm, Aktara. It is useful for prevention to periodically spray the plantings with natural remedies: a decoction based on pyrethrum (a special type of chamomile), onion peels, tobacco leaves, and garlic tincture. It is important to adhere to the rules of agricultural technology, not to flood the plantings, but also not to allow the substrate to become excessively dry.

Mr. Summer resident informs: harm and benefits of foxglove

Previously, doctors used digitalis to treat various diseases, used it as an anesthetic for skin diseases, and also to cleanse the body during constipation. However, if a certain concentration of digitalis was exceeded, the medicine caused nausea, diarrhea and was often fatal.

In the 18th century, the flower began to be used in traditional medicine, mainly for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Currently, foxglove is used to:

Strengthen the walls of blood vessels;
Normalize blood supply to muscles and tissues;
Improvement of hemodynamic characteristics;
Fight against cardiosclerosis, hypertension, tachycardia;
Normalize heart rate.

I use woolly foxglove more often than others as a raw material for medicines. Organic acids and glycosides are isolated from it. The leaves are ground to a powder, which is included in medicines. Alternative medicine includes many types of digitalis tinctures.

All types of foxglove contain poison, which is dangerous to health, so it is not recommended to self-medicate with this plant. It is especially contraindicated for people with chronic lung and heart problems, those suffering from gastric tachycardia, as well as young children and pregnant women.

Use may cause rash, itching, vomiting, many signs of food poisoning, breathing problems, cramps throughout the body and other similar symptoms. With prolonged use, anorexia, loss of appetite and hallucinations may develop.

Reproduction

A beautifully flowering species is grown on the site both by seeds and with the help of basal shoots. Each method has advantages and disadvantages. Vegetative propagation is simpler, flowers appear faster, there is no such hassle as when growing seedlings (seedlings).

Seeds

There are two types of method:

sowing in open ground. The method is suitable for warm, southern regions. At the beginning of May, planting material is sown in holes about 1 cm deep, the interval between deepenings is from 15 to 20 cm. Do not rush and plant seeds in the ground earlier, for example, in April, if there is a risk of cold weather. When the temperature drops, be sure to cover the area with special agrotechnical material, which can be easily removed when warming;
growing seedlings. First, the seeds are soaked in warm water, then the “seeds” are sown in a wooden box. The soil is nutritious, peat-based. Fine-grained sand gives the substrate looseness. After planting, the container is covered with glass and placed in a warm place for seed germination. Diffused light rather than direct sunlight is useful to retain moisture. Sprouts appear in 10–14 days. Picking is done when the seedlings have 2 true leaves.

Basal shoots

A simpler method that is often practiced by flower growers, especially in the first stages of mastering the wisdom of growing ornamental crops. After cutting off the wilted inflorescence, lateral shoots are formed. When the young shoot has seven or eight leaves and its own root, you can carefully dig up the shoots and transplant them to another area.

The composition of the soil and growing conditions are the same as for adult plants, but more attention should be paid to the new specimen. After the end of the adaptation period, when the plant gets stronger, problems practically do not arise. In September, foxgloves grown from side shoots are ready for wintering. The first bell buds on the pyramidal inflorescence are formed next spring.

Recommendations and common mistakes

When planting and growing ornamental crops from seeds, you need to adhere to certain rules and avoid mistakes:

do not use cold water for irrigation;
do not spray the flowerbed with the plant on the leaves at the height of a sunny day;
It is mandatory to treat the seeds with potassium permanganate or Fitosporin before planting;
when growing, avoid waterlogging the crop;
When signs of fungi appear, spray the foxglove with copper sulfate or any fungicidal agent.

During flowering, it is recommended to remove dried buds of the plant. This will extend the decorative period until late autumn.

Attention! Foxglove from seedlings has high frost resistance. But in the middle zone and Siberia in the fall, the crop is hilled up, covered with dry leaves and insulated with spruce branches.

Once every few years, it is recommended to plant foxgloves in a new location.

Autumn care, collection and storage of seeds, wintering

The perennial tolerates cold quite well; there is no need to dig plants out of the ground, like some beautifully flowering species. With the onset of autumn, the stems are shortened almost to the rosette, the rhizomes are sprinkled with a layer of soil, and a layer of spruce branches or fallen leaves is spread over the shoots. With good shelter, the ornamental plant does not freeze.

Experienced flower growers advise collecting seeds from the lower bolls: in this zone the planting material is of higher quality and “stronger”. The fruit should be brown or yellowish-brown and not bursting. After collection, the seeds must be dried on a sheet of paper. Store seeds in a cool place where there is no dampness. Planting material collected in the fall can be planted on the site in the spring.

How to grow foxgloves (video)

There are many known species of this beautiful plant:

The most famous and famous for its species diversity among them is foxglove purple . It will be discussed in detail below.
A variety of purple that is rare in beauty is dwarf. Its height is just over half a meter, the flowers are pale yellow with reddish spots.
White-flowered - with snow-white flowers, very unpretentious.
Rusty , its flowers are golden brown, pinkish, with purple or brick veins, up to 4 cm in size. The height of the stem is more than a meter, sometimes up to two. The two-lipped flowers are shaped like an orchid.
Large-flowered . It has shiny leaves and large six-centimeter pale yellow flowers with brown splashes and a light edge. Its height is up to 120 cm.
Woolly - the most inconspicuous of all, the flowers are small, yellowish or brownish-purple, densely pubescent. They have a medicinal purpose.
Yellow. Its bright flowers are 2-3 cm in size. The leaves and stems are smooth, the height of the plant is almost a meter.
Merton's foxglove is a hybrid of grandiflora and purple with shiny leaves and pink flowers with dark spots.

Foxglove in landscape design

Suitable decoration options:

tall plants are planted in flower beds: they create a background in the background for low-growing, beautifully flowering species;
strip plantings are an excellent option for forming hedges and zoning a site;
group and single plantings in the middle of the lawn look impressive against the backdrop of bright, neatly trimmed greenery;
dwarf varieties are used to decorate loggias and balconies, terraces and verandas. Plants are planted in decorative containers;
low varieties of foxgloves are an interesting option for border design;
many species are grown for cutting. Pyramidal inflorescences with interesting petal colors and a pleasant smell last a long time in a vase: about a week.

Foxgloves (tall plants) make a wonderful backdrop for other beautifully flowering smaller species. Landscape designers get interesting combinations when planting roses, peonies, and valerian nearby.

Foxglove is an excellent decorative option for a garden plot, lawn or flower bed. Low-growing varieties often decorate loggias and terraces. A hedge not only decorates the garden, but hides not very beautiful low buildings and fences behind tall stems and spectacular “pyramid” inflorescences. When growing foxgloves, it is useful to take into account the advice of experienced gardeners.

From the following video you can learn more useful information about planting and caring for Foxglove:

Choosing a place to plant foxgloves

An open and well-lit place is best suited, but an area with slight partial shade can also be allocated for planting. It must be taken into account that this should not be shade from deciduous trees, since digitalis does not tolerate moisture retention, which, as a rule, occurs in the tree trunk space of large garden trees. Falling foliage is also an undesirable factor for the flower.

The requirements for the soil boil down to ensuring excellent water permeability, in addition, the soil must be nutritious and humus. If poor soil is allocated for planting foxgloves, it will have to be dug up with the addition of compost or mature humus.

Planting scheme

Depending on the height of the bushes, 15-30 cm are left between seedlings. Bushes are usually planted without division into rows, in a chaotic order.

In the first year of life, the plant will not bloom, but will only form a leaf rosette. Flowering can only be expected in the next season.

How to grow digitalis at home

At home, digitalis can be grown in pots. In this case, it germinates already in early spring. To do this, at the end of summer, the plants are placed in a room with a temperature no higher than 12 degrees. Next year flowering will begin in April.

Dwarf bells can be grown on balconies. Ready seedlings grown on the windowsill since March are planted in containers.

Seed germination occurs in small containers covered with film or glass. Warmth and additional lighting are highly desirable. For the first 2 weeks, the soil needs to be moistened and ventilated. Grown bushes are planted in large containers on the balcony in warm soil. This is usually done at the end of spring.

Why is foxglove dangerous?

Foxglove is a poisonous plant

. That is why you should not try to cure diseases with its help on your own. If poisoning occurs, the patient will experience nausea or vomiting, rashes will appear on the skin, stomach pain, and possibly convulsions. Abnormalities in heart rhythm and breathing may also be present.

In addition, for people suffering from pericarditis, angina pectoris, myocarditis, gastric tachycardia or who have had a myocardial infarction, its use is also unacceptable.

The ban applies to products obtained from digitalis powder, including women, pregnant women and children.