Germination Time for Foxglove

Germination Time

• Soil temperature affects foxglove seed's germination time. Seeds sown in soil kept at 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit take 20 to 30 days to sprout, whereas seeds sown in 70- to 80-degree soil will germinate in 14 to 21 days.

Other Factors Affecting Germination

• Foxglove seeds need light to germinate, so place them on top of the soil and just press them gently into the soil. Mist them with a sprayer to settle them but don't cover the seeds with additional soil. Also, foxgloves grow best in slightly acidic soil with a pH between 5.5 and 7.0. Before direct-sowing foxglove seeds outdoors, test your garden soil and amend with peat moss if the pH is above 7.0. Peat moss is acidic and is a natural method of lowering soil's pH.

Indoor Starting Tips

• To start foxglove seeds indoors, use a commercial seed-starting mix. All pots must be clean and free of germs to avoid damping-off disease. To use your existing containers, hand wash them and then either run them through the dishwasher or dip them in a solution of one part household bleach to nine parts water to sterilize them. Placing them on top of a refrigerator or not-too-warm radiator gives them a little extra bottom heat that encourages rapid germination.

Other Types of Foxgloves

• While common foxgloves are the most common -- no pun intended -- there are many other lovely foxgloves you can grow once you're comfortable starting your own plants from seed. Grecian foxglove (D. lanata) is a short-lived perennial with 12-to 24-inch spikes of white flowers with lavender mottling inside. Rusty foxglove (D. ferruginea) is a biennial with 4- to 5-foot spikes of reddish-brown flowers in early summer. Yellow foxgloves (D. grandiflora, also labeled D. ambigua) have 2- to 3-foot spikes of large yellow flowers in midsummer; this species is perennial.