How to Winterize Foxglove 'Primrose Carousel'

Overview

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) Primrose Carousel is a variety of the biennial plant, foxglove. It has tall stalks that grow up to 4 feet high in sun to partial shade. Unlike the common foxglove, which usually has pink or purple flowers, the Primrose Carousel boasts pale yellow flowers that bloom from late spring to mid summer. Foxglove is hardy and tends to do well in the winter, but it will benefit the plant if it is winterized.

Step 1

Get some cedar mulch from a nursery or garden store. Straw also will work to winterize and shield foxglove.

Step 2

Wait until it is cold outside to mulch. Early to mid-November is a good time to cover the plants. Ideally, you want an inch or two of frost in the ground before winterizing perennials like foxglove Primrose Carousel.

Step 3

Spread the mulch or straw over the planting bed so there is an inch or so on top of the plants. Concentrate most of it around the crowns of the plants to protect them from the alternate freezing and thawing.

Step 4

Feed plants in late winter with a balanced, dry fertilizer to ensure that the flowers grow robustly. Granular fertilizers are shaken onto the plants and must be watered. Quick-release fertilizers last for three to four weeks and slow-release formulas will last eight to 12 weeks.

Step 5

Purchase well-rotted manure or compost. Add four to six inches on top of the plants at the same time you fertilize them.