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Staking Foxgloves

LucidLucid Posts: 387
in Plants

Hi everyone,

I've got some Foxglove Excelsiors that I bought at the start of April as 2 litre pots. The flower spikes have started to increase in height recently and are beginning to flop over. I've tried researching the best method of staking but so far have found advice saying they don't need staking. I thought I'd heard before though that some plants do require supports, otherwise they will flop over and not grow as strong.

I'm guessing the best support would be something like a bamboo cane with the flower spike tied on to it, but thought I should check first as I don't want to cause any damage to the plants.

Thanks for any help and advice,

Lucid image

Posts

  • LucidLucid Posts: 387

    Sorry, I forgot to also check whether I should get tall stakes as the plant should eventually be quite tall?

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,888

    I've never had to stake foxgloves , even those which have hit 8ft tall.

    As my dear late Mother would have said " never trouble trouble, until trouble troubles you"

    Devon.
  • LucidLucid Posts: 387

    Thanks for the very quick reply Hostafan1.

    So is the flopping over of the flower spikes normal while the plant it growing then? I've not grown them before, and am new to gardening anyway, so not sure what to expect.

    Lucid image

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,888

    could they be on the dry side? That'd certainly make them flop. Wind is an obvious issue, but I'd leave them . 

    If you stake them they'll not have any movement and look like soldiers on parade.

    Devon.
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    I suppose you'll be fine as long as you shore up the flower spikes from the base, assuming they are growing fairly rigid but flopping a bit under their own weight. I'd stake them about a third of the way up the flower spike.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • LucidLucid Posts: 387

    Thanks for the replies Hostafan1 and WillDB.

    I don't think they're drying out as I've been keeping them watered, and they seem to be growing well. Their leaves are getting eaten by something, as there's lots of holes in them, but they seem to be growing larger regardless. I assume they are flopping under their own weight, either that or the wind we've had recently has affected them.

    Perhaps I'll give them a few more days and see if there's any sign of the spike returning upwards, before doing anything further with them.

    Lucid image

  • LucidLucid Posts: 387

    Thanks Verdun - it's always useful to know what you have to watch out for.

    Funnily enough when I went out to the garden today they were pretty much standing up again, so it looks like they don't need help for now.

    Lucid image

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