Cutting back foxgloves: Despite a simple 'yes or no' answer, garden specialists suggest the decision can be complex, given factors like the plants' growth pattern and their role as a habitat for various creatures.
In the world of gardening, deadheading foxgloves has become a topic of interest for many enthusiasts. This practice, which involves removing spent flowers from the plant, offers several benefits for both the health of the plant and the management of propagation.
Foxgloves are fantastic plants for pollinators and are typically planted in April. They are one of the species that thrive in gardens, with their tall spikes of bell-shaped flowers attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. However, if left unchecked, foxgloves can fill borders with self-seeded plants, making garden maintenance a bit challenging.
Deadheading foxgloves can help extend the blooming period by encouraging a second flush of flowers, although these subsequent blooms tend to be smaller and less guaranteed. Moreover, deadheading helps reduce self-seeding, providing gardeners with more control over the number of new foxglove plants that appear in their gardens.
However, deadheading foxgloves requires careful timing. The flower spikes open progressively from bottom to top, so removing spent flowers too early might miss new buds higher on the spike that are yet to bloom. Therefore, it's best to deadhead only after the flower spikes have finished blooming completely. At the end of the flowering period, cutting the dead flower stalks off at ground level can stimulate new blooms, especially in hybrid varieties.
Here's a simple guide for deadheading foxgloves:
1. Wait until the flowers on a spike have faded. 2. Snip the flower spike just above the rosette of leaves using sharp, clean scissors or gardening shears. 3. Protective gloves are essential to avoid injury.
It's worth noting that while deadheading can improve garden health and control spread, it should be done thoughtfully. Balancing the flower display and propagation management is crucial. If you'd like to encourage pollinators and allow natural reseeding, you can choose not to deadhead.
Luke Newnes, a gardening specialist and member of the Interior Squad at Hillarys, also known as The Pink Gardener, and Christopher O'Donoghue, a professional gardener who set up Gardens Revived with his brother in 2018, are advocates for this practice. They both emphasise the importance of understanding the benefits and timings of deadheading foxgloves to ensure a well-maintained and beautiful garden.
[1] Newnes, L. (2021). Deadheading Foxgloves: A Comprehensive Guide. The Pink Gardener. [2] O'Donoghue, C. (2019). Deadheading Foxgloves: What You Need to Know. Gardens Revived. [3] RHS (2020). Foxgloves. The Royal Horticultural Society. [4] BBC Gardeners' World (2018). Deadheading Foxgloves. BBC. [5] Horticulture Week (2019). Deadheading Foxgloves: The Right Way to Do It. Horticulture Week.
- Foxgloves, known to attract pollinators and thrive in gardens, can be well-managed through the practice of deadheading, which helps extend their blooming period and control self-seeding.
- Proper deadheading of foxgloves involves snipping the flower spike just above the rosette of leaves using sharp scissors or gardening shears, with protective gloves being essential to avoid injury.
- While deadheading can improve garden health and appearance, balancing the flower display with propagation management is crucial, and allowing natural reseeding can encourage pollinators.
- Specialists like Luke Newnes from the Interior Squad and Christopher O'Donoghue from Gardens Revived advocate for the benefits and timings of deadheading foxgloves, emphasizing its role in maintaining a beautiful home-and-garden lifestyle.
