From our perspective as Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea), we are biennial or short-lived perennial beings. Our primary desire is to reproduce and ensure the continuation of our stunning spire of bell-shaped flowers. While we readily produce millions of tiny seeds, there is another, more precise way for your kind to create genetic copies of us: through root cuttings. This method is particularly useful for preserving a specific favorite, like a particularly vibrant flower color or a robust growth habit, that might not come true from seed. The dormant period, after our flowering energy has retreated back into our roots, is the ideal time for this procedure.
The optimal moment for this interaction is in the late autumn or early winter, after the first frosts have signaled to us that it is time to rest. Above ground, our leaves may have wilted and our flower stalks faded to brown. Do not be alarmed; this is our natural cycle. Our life force has journeyed downwards, concentrating energy in our thick, fleshy roots to survive the cold. Disturbing us during our active growing season in spring or summer would be a great shock, potentially fatal. When we are dormant, we are resilient and ready to channel our stored energy into creating new growth from severed root pieces.
To begin, please use a garden fork to gently loosen the soil in a wide circle around our base, taking care not to sever too many roots unnecessarily. Lift our entire root system from the earth with as much soil intact as possible. You are seeking healthy, pencil-thick roots. These are our storage vessels, packed with the carbohydrates needed to fuel new life. Using a sharp, clean knife, make straight cuts to remove a few of these primary roots, each about 3 to 5 inches long. It is crucial that you remember which end of the cutting was closest to our crown (the top end) and which was the growing tip (the bottom end). Planting us upside down will confuse our natural growth patterns and prevent success.
Fill deep pots or trays with a well-draining, sterile medium. A mix of peat-free compost and perlite or sharp sand is ideal. It must be moist but not waterlogged. Lay the root cuttings horizontally on the surface, or insert them vertically, ensuring the top end (nearest the original crown) is just level with or slightly below the soil surface. If planting horizontally, cover them with a thin, half-inch layer of the growing medium. This environment mimics the protective blanket of winter soil, offering moisture and darkness, which stimulates the development of adventitious buds.
Place the pots in a cool, frost-free location such as an unheated greenhouse, cold frame, or a sheltered porch. We do not need warmth yet; in fact, a period of coolness reinforces our dormancy and prepares us for spring. Keep the soil slightly moist. Over the following weeks, unseen to you, the magic begins. From the cambium layer just beneath our bark, we will first produce callus tissue to heal the wound. Then, from this callus, new shoots will begin to form, drawing on the energy stored within the root cutting itself. Meanwhile, new fibrous roots will develop to seek out water and nutrients.
By early spring, you will see small green shoots emerging from the soil. This is the signal that our new individual has established itself. Once these shoots have developed a few true leaves, you can carefully pot each one into its own container filled with a richer potting mix. Continue to grow us on in a bright, cool location indoors, protecting us from harsh frosts. By the time the danger of frost has passed in late spring, we will be strong, well-rooted young plants, ready to be acclimatized to the outdoors and eventually planted into our final flowering positions in your garden.
