Foxglove Excelsior Mix Seeds

Sow Excelsior Mix Foxglove seeds outdoors from late spring through midsummer. You can also start them indoors 10–12 weeks before the last frost and sometimes get first-year flowers when the warm season is long enough, however, don’t count on it. The seeds need light to germinate, so press them onto moist soil and do not cover them. Keep the surface damp at 65–70°F and seedlings show up in 14–21 days, which is slower than most flower seeds and easy to give up on too early. Transplant the young plants when they have three to four true leaves and space them 18–24 inches apart. 

Foxgloves want partial shade, especially in regions with hot summers, although they handle full sun in cooler climates as long as the soil stays moist. Give plants rich, well-drained ground with plenty of organic matter and a slightly acidic pH (5.5–6.5) and you will get the tallest spikes with the biggest flowers. Water deeply once a week during dry stretches, however, don’t wet the leaves, because wet foliage and crown rot are the main causes of plant failure with this species. Mulch around the base to hold moisture and keep the roots cool through summer. 

Stake the flower spikes once they pass three feet, particularly in exposed gardens, because the hollow stems with such heavy flowers can snap in a strong wind. Cut the main spike back to the base after it finishes blooming and the plant often pushes out a second flush of smaller side spikes the same season. Leave a few spent stalks standing in late summer if you want the patch to self-seed, then clear everything in autumn. Foxgloves are mostly trouble-free, but powdery mildew shows up on lower leaves in humid weather, so pull off the affected foliage as soon as you see it. For the vase, cut stems when about a third of the lower florets have opened and they hold a full week indoors.