Topic: Foxgloves

[viv]

This may sound silly but i have grown them for the first time this year (and very nice they were too!)  I want them to self seed so have not cut any of them back - will they die down completely or should I cut them back?

[Mrs Ava]

I leave mine to seed and they come up everywhere, which isn't a complaint.  I just cut back the old flowering stem once they have done the business, just for tidy sake really.  I find that some do flower again the next year....whether they are good as new plants, I dunno, but I have started being a touch more lazy with plants, like sweet williams and scabious and find that they grow thicker and flower year after year.

[viv]

OK thanks EJ, I will cut them down a bit later on then.

[CotswoldLass]

Agree with E-J, although this year I cut mine down and I've got a few second spikes which is really good. I've also got a lot of self sown baby FG's which I relocate when I find them. Once I'd got FG's going about three years ago, they were definitely here to stay.

E-J I'm doing similar with Sweet Wills but check my 'offer' post on swaps if you're interested.

CL x

[Garden Manager]

I grew a variety called (i think) 'Primrose Carousel' from T&M. I beleived this to be a biennial, so left the flower stem on so it would set seed. This it has done but almost all the plants have put on new growth at the base as if they will live on another year. i am wondering if I should risk cuting some if not all back and se what happens?