Michigan Gardening: ? on trimming delphinium & foxglove, 0 by penth2o

penth2o wrote:
Thanks Girls,
I think I'm confusing myself or I am so tired that none of this is making sense.

Re: Foxglove.

Hi Brenda, I understand the brown stalks have to go but what about when they are brown and big green buds on the same stalk. Do you wait for them to turn all brown.

Hi Granny, When you say ripe do you mean like my pics. Is it better to lay the stalk and have a thick germination or collect seeds and put a few here & there. I was trying to collect seeds to put elsewhere as I don't have that many stalks.

I just don't want to cut these down if they are going to bloom again. If you look at the pics you will see what I'm talking about. I can't tell if these are trying to bloom again or if this is the norm after they bloom & you cut them down.

Can I keep the seeds I collect in a metal container over the winter or should I get them in the ground as the stalk turns brown & I collect them. Is there a better sucess rate when you get them in soil right away? I was hopeing to put them in soil and keep them in some boxes I just built.
I was reading about cold frames and just built two 4x8 boxes and have the coils to heat them through the winter.

I guess what I'm asking is how do you know when they are done blooming if they keep putting out fresh green buds. Some of my stalks have a few flowers left on them and it has bloomed but it is kicking out tiny buds.

Thanks again.

Joel.