Phlox perennial: planting and care in the open ground

Perennial phloxes are ornamental plants with inflorescences of bright colors. They have a strong aroma. The first grade was bred in North America. Initially, the inflorescences were only scarlet, then hybrids appeared. There are many different varieties that have a blue, pink, raspberry, purple hue.

Brief description of the species and popular varieties

Plants grow in the form of a small bush from 10 cm to 1.5 m in height. The stems are straight and even. The leaves are oval bright green. The inflorescence has many flowers, up to 90 pcs. They are elongated in the form of a tube, have five petals.

Phlox perennial

The most popular varieties are below.

Subulate

The height of the bush reaches up to 40 cm. They have many shoots. Leaves have a narrow needle shape.

Flowering occurs in mid-spring, inflorescences abundantly cover bushes. They are white, purple, pink, purple.

The plant can be grown in gardens, flower beds, lawns. Bushes creeping along the tracks look good. In leaving, the view is undemanding. Problems can only occur when breeding. To do this, you must select a specific time of the year so that the flower survives.

Phlox awl

Splayed

Another name is Canadian, or loose phlox. The plant is stunted. It has lilac or blue flowers. Inflorescences form the scutellum. At the base, the petals are narrowed, widened at the edges. Flowering occurs in late spring, early summer. The maximum height of the bush reaches up to 40 cm.

Habitat - wet meadows. In the wild, it is found only in North America. In horticulture, low-growing phlox perennials are used for decorative purposes. The variety is unpretentious and hardy. It grows best in central Russia. It grows better in humid and shady places than in arid and sunny.

Phlox splayed

Canadian

It grows wild in forests with moderate humidity. When do phloxes begin to bloom? In late spring, early summer. Inflorescences have pink, blue, green.

The flower is unpretentious, but sufficient moisture is needed to grow it. It is used for decorative purposes on stone terraces, flower walls.

For the flower to survive, the soil must be sandy-loamy. The variety can be propagated by planting part of the bush or seeds. The plant will bloom until the first frost.

Phlox canadian

Paniculate

The maximum height of phlox is 1 m. It grows in natural conditions, unpretentious. Blossoms are white, orange, blue, purple, red. But there are varieties of interesting colors, for example, with strokes, pink-white stripes, yellow ends and pink bases. When flowers form, the aroma is strong but pleasant.

The shrub is low, so it can be grown both in pots on the balcony and in the garden. Flowering occurs in the middle of summer, lasts up to two months. If you cut part of the shoots in May, you can adjust the flowering period. This prolongs the decorative period.

Phlox paniculata

Douglas

Low-growing phloxes, which reach a height of up to 30 cm. The flower is unpretentious, survives well in winter. But, if it is moist and warm, it will begin to vomit. Flowering occurs within 1.5 months. If the soil is excessively wet, this period will decrease dramatically.

To grow perennial dwarf phlox with white flowers, average humidity is required, it is desirable that there is less direct sunlight. The inflorescences are notched. They have raspberry, pink, white color.

Phlox Douglas

Drummond

This is an annual species with branched shoots. The maximum height of the bush reaches up to half a meter. Flowering occurs in mid-summer, ends before the onset of frost.

The natural color is red, but with the help of hybridization, pink, purple, yellow, white, two-tone varieties were bred. The flowers are fragrant, collected in thick panicles. The buds are collected in tubes, when blooming, each petal has a lanceolate shape.

Phlox Drummond

When phlox perennial blooms

Many gardeners are interested in when phloxes bloom before planting them in their garden. This period depends on the variety:

• styloid, spread wide, Canadian, Douglas - end of April, beginning of May;
• panicled - the end of June, the beginning of July;
• Drummond - the beginning of flowering in late July, ending before the first frost.

Features of growing phlox as a perennial garden culture

There are several ways to propagate shrubs.

• Cuttings. This is the easiest breeding option that is used at home. Most gardeners use it. The greatest survival rates are those that are cut in professional nurseries. There is a risk in the market for the purchase of infected cuttings.
• Layering. Using the method, you can propagate the plant not only in spring, but also at other times of the year. To do this, bend a side shoot of the bush to the ground and cover it with earth. Roots gradually appear. After this, the process is separated from the mother bush and transplanted.
• Division of the bush. This is a difficult method, so not every gardener can handle it. But the results will be impressive. Landing is carried out in spring or early autumn. This requires an adult healthy bush. His age must be at least five years. Divide the plant roots into two parts, each of which should have a root.
• The seeds. This is the longest procedure that not everyone will choose. Seeds are bought at a store or procured by yourself. Sow them in the fall, but not in open ground, but in a container with a mixture of sand, humus. They are planted to a depth of 2 cm. The capacity is placed on the street, covered with snow and leaves. This allows you to grow a bush in a natural way. In the spring, the shoots are moved into the room so that they begin to germinate further.

Cuttings are best replanted in late spring. The most desirable period is May. The conditions are selected depending on the climate where the flower will grow. Another time for planting perennial phlox is September. In this case, flowering is formed in the spring. But during planting in the autumn there should not be frosts, otherwise the plant will die before it takes root.

When planting a plant in open ground, it is necessary to maintain a distance of at least 30 cm from each other. This is due to the fact that the roots will expand in breadth underground, they should not be intertwined. If the plant is tall, the distance should be increased to 60 cm. After replanting, a piece of land should be watered, since the plant loves moisture.

The soil for transplantation should be moderately moist, contain chernozem and sand. It should not be arid, otherwise you will have to constantly water the phlox so that they do not dry out.

If the gardener chose reproduction by planting seeds, they can be bought on the market, ordered online. The cost ranges from 15 to 50 rubles. * For one bag.

Care in the garden from the moment of planting in the open ground

Planting and care of perennial phlox is carried out according to the rules.

• Watering. Immediately after planting, the plant is watered abundantly. The flow rate must be at least 15 liters of water per 1 m² of plantings. After the soil has dried, it must be loosened around the seedling. Peat is added on top with a layer of up to 50 cm. You can not often water or loosen the ground, this will lead to the death of the bush. The use of peat provides oxygen access to the flower.
• Top dressing, cultivation. Many varieties of phlox respond well to fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. They can be bought at any store. This accelerates the growth and development of the vegetative mass, the root system. When loosening the ground, they try not to damage the young roots, since they have a fine structure. In May, they begin to give liquid mineral fertilizing (mullein, chicken droppings, ammonium nitrate, phosphorus fertilizers). In dry weather, the soil is watered abundantly.
• Thinning. To the bush was not excessively large, excess stems and leaves are removed. Do it in the spring. The driest and weakened peripheral shoots are removed if they are longer than 7 cm. Pinching part of the shoots in May will ensure continuous flowering.

If all conditions are met, the gardener takes care of the phlox correctly, the perennial will bloom every year.

What problems do gardeners with phlox cultivation have

Most often, gardeners may experience the following problems when growing phlox:

• insufficient growth of the stem and flowers, lethargy. The arid climate, dry land and lack of humidity are to blame;
• the appearance of diseases of phomosis, powdery mildew, spotting, which can completely destroy the flower. In the fight against ailments fungicides will help;
• abundant growth of vegetative mass with slight flowering. It happens because extra shoots were not removed in the spring;
• poor seed germination or the grafting of cuttings if they were taken from a mother bush infected with diseases or infected by pests;
• poor survival after transplantation. Perhaps the wrong place was chosen or the wrong time of the year was chosen.

Why phlox perennial does not bloom

There are the following problems that lead to a lack of flowering:

• lack of abundant watering, arid land when in open ground;
• insufficient lighting, which is necessary for almost every plant in order to gain strength for the release of flowers;
• Excessive lighting, which dries the plant, does not allow it to bloom;
• planting in soil, which has a small amount of minerals and nutrients necessary for flower growth;
• lack of mulching, which is a necessary condition for the normal growth of cuttings, shoots, seeds;
• excessive amounts of nitrogen used for fertilizer, which promotes the growth of stems and shoots, but prevents the formation of flowers.

How to feed phlox for abundant flowering

To get a sufficient amount of inflorescences, it is necessary to reduce the nitrogen content in the soil. To do this, eliminate all fertilizers that include this substance. Fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium are added. These minerals contribute to abundant flowering. But they need to be applied in the spring and summer periods.

Diseases and Pests

The most common diseases and pests that attack phlox perennial are described below.

• Phomosis. With the disease, the leaves curl and begin to turn yellow, the stems turn red, crack. To eliminate the disease, Bordeaux fluid must be used. It is used four times a day. The course of treatment is up to 10 days.
• Caterpillars of butterflies. They eat leaves and flowers. They can be controlled with chemical insecticides.
• Powdery Mildew This is a fungal disease that forms as a white coating on the leaves. To eliminate use Bordeaux liquid or other antifungal drugs. For the prevention of the disease, it is recommended to use a weak solution of potassium permanganate, which is sprayed with plants in the spring.
• Drooling pennies. It is a parasite that feeds on plant juice, leaving a discharge on the underside of the leaves. Intavir helps.
• Spotting. With a disease, brown or yellow spots form on the leaves. For treatment, Bordeaux fluid is used at a concentration of 1%.

Alternative methods of treatment are applicable that will allow you to grow a plant without the use of chemicals harmful to the environment and humans:

• sprinkling of soil and shoots with ash;
• spraying with a soap solution (15 g of copper sulfate per 10 l of water, add half a piece of laundry soap dissolved in 8 l of hot water, mix everything);
• spraying with diluted 1% soda ash mixed with a solution of laundry soap;
• spraying with hydrogen peroxide. The vial is diluted in a bucket of water and the resulting solution is poured into the soil to prevent the appearance of a nematode.

* Prices are for July 2019.

Watch the video: Phlox seed Germination- Grow Phlox Flowering Plant Easily - Part 1 (May 2024).