Foxglove plugs

I don't transplant ANY seedlings in this weather! Far too dry and won't damage or delay anything in my opinion! Those already transplanted just need careful watering and taking care of! Your experience shows one way to grow foxgloves, and that's to put trays /plug trays under seeding foxgloves!! Good luck!

 

Also forgot to mention that initially I had 3 different types of foxglove plugs , but did not take a note of which ones I planted where.
So it could possibly be that one particular type is not as hardy as others, and possibly attracted whatever ate them more than others?

 

This morning's steady rain has wet the surface but that's all! As long as the sun doesn't come out and boil it all off we'll be OK to scatter some foxglove seed, so I'm filling a seedtray giving it a good soak and then cutting a seedhead down to scatter some seed! I shall label the tray with the variety name even though they'll be hybrids anyway! Hopefully many may come true!? I cover my seeds with vermiculite which allows some light to aid germination.
Got some plug trays of other digitalis to pick out later now that it's cooler. I'm so late with my planting this year so I'm hoping we get a long Autumn!

 

About what stage of growing should the foxgloves stop "drooping" their leaves to the side in the plant pot?

What I mean is that at the moment they do not seem to be growing upwards much with a strong enough stem to hold up . . .

 

Secondly, does anyone know what this leaf damage is? The brown spots and the yellowing, and on the other one there are those white mark things.
Is this some kind of disease?

 

@Weedstoo ,..most of the self seeded plants i gathered did droop but within a day or two they stood upright,..those that failed to stop drooping i cut off quite a few droopy leaves,..that gave the plants more energy to grow where as if the droopy leaves remained it was wasting energy.

The image with the white colouring looks like an attack of Mites,..i would cut off that leaf and burn it,..spray the remainder of plants with some washing up liquid,..say approx a tablespoon of it in a Litre of water,..i have often sprayed my roses like this,..on a dull day if possible,..this will kill of the mites,..it works wonders on rose leaves

Many years ago i came across Neem Oil,..if you can get it,..i get mine from Amazon,..its the pure product and fit to spray on everything in the gardn,..no harm to Ladybirds/Lacewings or Bee's,..no harm to pets or humans,..only that which eats your foliage.

 

Oh dear as there are several leaves on the plant (the one that looks to be doing the best) with those white things on them. So I take it the plant is doomed?

Speaking of Ladybirds. Strange that I have not seen one this year, not even one . . . .

 

What did you try to get rid of slugs? I went outside after dark last night when it was raining lightly and was horrified to see how many there were (plus some snails for good measure) - I knew they were out there, but not that many. . . .too many to count.
It seems they have no night time predators . . . . I swear Hedgehogs do not eat slugs (as I so often read) or the one that visits the garden would have a nightly feast. . .

 

If slugs worry you then you be their predator! If you are nocturnal take a torch, go out when it's damp and collect them in a jar/tin of water until they're dead, then put them in your compost heap! get some benefit for your plants, you can't hope to be perfect all the time IMO Don't take them away somewhere otherwise they'll be back!!
Regarding drooping leaves on transplanted seedlings. Essentially when you did up a plant you can't avoid damaging roots which will cause water loss and DROOPING LEAVES! Cutting some outside ones will help (as you do when taking cuttings) but the plant will maintain roots it can particularly if you remember to water them regularly! You try to cut out root damage by sowing in plug trays as when you transplant from them it's difficult to damage roots if your careful!! However plants like foxgloves can stand a lot of damage particularly if you plant them in a shady spot as they won't lose a lot of water in such places. They can also stand a certain amount of fungal and insect damage because they are hardy plants. (I think hardiness concerns general growth not just annual temperature) Frankly the only Digitalis or foxgloves that need 'kid gloves' are some of the rarer varieties. Otherwise treat them carefully but not as if they've just been discovered in Nepal or Brazil!! Plant the numerous seed, transplant the seedlings, water them and then forget them for a while! Then sometime in the future, perhaps next Spring, you'll see them becoming much bigger plants or even throwing up a flowering shoot. Aren't you clever you'll say! You won't hear the plant shouting for its growth or the bumble bees thanking the plants!!

 

@Weedstoo ,..the Droopy Foxglove before and after the outer leaves were cut off.






Like most gardeners suffer from Slugs and Snails so did i,..then many years ago i discovered Neem Oil,..see below,..i only get the odd Slug or Snail wandering in from outside my garden,..last year i sprayed 1 Litre of water with added Tablespoon of neem Oil,..and Tablespoon of Washing Up Liquid,..every two weeks,..this year not a sign of any critter eating my plants.







Approx 4 years ago there was a competition for the tallest Foxgloves,..mine were 3 Meters and 10 cm high =6ft 4inches,..i never had them appear in the garden in that size since.

 

Excellent stuff! Yes I've discovered Neem oil on this site, as something against Whitefly, and it works! Wondered about slugs? Mind you the recipe I read involved a TEASPOON full of the two ingredients in a LITRE of water !
Great stuff about tall foxgloves. I found Excelsior tall but Shirley was the tallest! Never measured any but they weren't considered tall until they were 6' !! I kept bees here and they obviously loved foxgloves!! I remember how, after a few years, I got a type which had upward opening florets, and very tall! Should perhaps of done something with them, but beekeeping more important then!!! Eventually gave it up and took up golf!! Can hardly walk now so seedsowing back in fashion! None of those foxgloves about now though lots of mixed hybrids about!!

 

Neem oil is very popular in America and has a number of uses in the garden.

 

@Glynne Williams ,..delighted you are another gardener who discovered Neem Oil ,..excellent stuff is right,..you have also saved me using so much Neem Oil,..i will reduce my measures for both,..no wonder i got rid of my critters so quick but also used a lot of Oil ,..sorry to read your walking is restricted,..keep well

 

Sheal it is so good its beyond belief,..

 

Yes, I know from another forum that it's good @glengarry23. I don't need to use it as the only garden pests I've got here are deer and I don't think it'll work on those.