Perennial phlox care and planting

Phloxes are ornamental plants that can give the flower garden a unique beauty. Caring for phlox is not difficult. The plants are not picky, they get along well with other flowers, which makes it possible to create unique compositions.

A variety of species, varieties and hybrids

In total, there are more than 60 species of this flower. According to the structure of the stem, they are classified into the following:

• creeping;
• ascending;
• upright.

The choice of species depends on the location on the site. If it is enough, then you can dwell on creeping varieties to create a magnificent carpet of flowers.

Phlox - garden decoration

Growing and caring for phlox does not cause much trouble. The plant adapts perfectly to environmental conditions. There are four groups in total:

• Tall shrubs - can reach a height of 170 cm, flowering begins in the summer and continues until the fall.
• Mid-sized bush flowers will please you in early spring, the plant grows to 70 cm.
• The undersized species is divided into bushy and creeping. Its flowering is observed in the second half of spring or at the very beginning of summer.
• Creeping phloxes rise no higher than 15 cm from the ground. They begin to bloom in early spring.

Type of flower - Drummond

How to plant phlox perennial tubers

Phlox planting is done in autumn and spring. Autumn procedure falls on August. Previously, the plant must form buds. Those flowers will already be ready for transplantation, at which flowering is already completed. Late species are planted in September.

Flowering will appear on plants only in the next season. Late species are suitable for spring planting, which are received in the autumn period and placed for the winter in a warm room. For the middle band, the time of events begins in late April and early May. The ground must be moist and cool.

The spring landing has its pros and cons. During this period, even the smallest roots will be able to take root well, if the necessary watering is provided. But spring plants are sick longer than those planted in the fall.

The plant survives well in any soil. Very deep grooves are not recommended for planting. You need such a hole to just place the roots there. The bulk of the rhizomes should be at a depth of not more than 30 cm.

Phlox planting

Caring for phlox involves good nutrition for the plant. It loves extra nutrition. Before digging, potash and phosphorus top dressing are added to the soil. If the earth is very clayey, you will need to mix it with sand.

Digging the site must be done several times. This is necessary in order to mix all fertilizers.

The combination of phlox in the flower bed with other plants

By planting this plant on your site, you can grow a magnificent garden. Flowers are perfectly combined in flower beds with peonies, lupins, oriental poppies, campanul.

If the flowers are planted in a stone garden, they will perfectly coexist with snowdrops, crocuses.

Phlox: The Secrets to Successful Gardening

Experienced gardeners have three rules on how to care for phlox in the country to get a chic garden. A good result can be achieved if the following conditions are met:

1. Choose soil for planting fertile and loose.
2. Land in a convenient place where you can easily irrigate and till the soil.
3. The plant is located in places where sunlight enters in sufficient quantities.

Perennial flowers attract with bright and varied colors. Experienced gardeners place phlox in partial shade, not far from shrubs. They will provide flowers with protection from the strong sun on hot days.

Best plant will bloom on an alpine hill. It loves the slopes. The flower beds should be located on the western or eastern part of the house.

Alpine hill with phlox

What is the life span of a plant

Phloxes are one of the few plants that allow you to create flowering compositions in the garden from early spring to late autumn. You can choose varieties with different periods and duration of flowering.

Depending on the period, phloxes are divided into the following:

• early, their flowers appear from May to mid-July;
• medium blooms from mid-June to August;
• later delight inflorescences until the first frosts.

With proper care, some varieties bloom several times a year.

Vegetative and seed reproduction of phlox

Perennial varieties can be grown using seeds and in a vegetative way.

Seed propagation

Seed planting is suitable only for annual varieties of phlox. Seeds are laid on top of the ground and covered with a film. It is important to provide good lighting at this moment. Peat tablets can be used for seed germination.

Sprout transplantation can be done in May. Between seedlings leave 15-20 cm. This place will be enough to ensure the formation of a lush inflorescence.

Seed growing

Bushes division

Perennial can multiply by root division. The procedure is carried out both in spring and in autumn. If the transplant is made in the spring, then fertilizer is laid in advance in the prepared hole.

Rhizomes are divided in plants that have reached the age of at least three years. They are carefully dug up, the stems are cut at a distance of 10 cm and the root is cut into pieces. During planting, the soil in the prepared hole should be moist. The roots are placed in it, then they are covered with earth from above.

Stem cuttings

Among gardeners, one of the most common ways is to plant phlox, using shoots. Cuttings break out at the base of the stem. In order to make them stronger, they are first planted in a greenhouse. In the open ground, they take root very slowly.

What is the best time to land phlox

Planting on a flower bed can be made both in spring, and in summer, and in autumn. The longest period is autumn. All work takes up to 35 days. The division begins to produce in August, and ends the landing in late September.

Varieties of phloxes that bloom late begin to be planted in the second half of September. But it is best to transfer work in such a situation to the spring.

Planting a plant in the spring is possible only after the snow has completely melted. The earth must have time to dry.

Spring phlox planting

Features of growing phlox in the open field

Before planting phloxes, you need to take into account the characteristics of the roots of the plant. The root system should be located on the top layer of the earth. She does not tolerate neighborhoods with strong plants, such as trees and bushes. It is also important to avoid stagnation of water on the upper layer of soil.

Seedlings are planted in open ground in pre-dug holes.

Before planting seedlings in the hole, the pit is filled with water. Then you need to wait for it to soak into the ground. The seedling is deepened by 2.5 cm. The plant takes root on the 14th day. Between each seedling it is necessary to leave a distance of 35 cm.

Transplanting seedlings in the open ground

Choosing a place and soil for planting

Proper knowledge of how to plant phlox will help you enjoy magnificent inflorescences for a long time. First of all, it is necessary to determine the place of landing. It is important to consider what kind of soil phlox loves. There are several rules:

1. The flowerbed should be in a place protected from the wind.
2. There should be a shadow on the site during the sunniest hours. The sun reduces flowering time.

Land for planting is prepared in advance. If everything is done correctly in the fall, then there will be no problems with how to care for phlox.

The plant has shallow roots. To make them feel comfortable, it is enough from the top dressing in the autumn, during the time of digging, to demolish a glass of ash mixed with two buckets of humus and mineral fertilizers per 1 square meter during digging.

Phlox, planting and caring for them, imply an attentive attitude to the irrigation regime, the place of transplanting, fertilizer application. Both the duration of flowering and the health of the plant depend on this.

Dressing flowers

Feeding phlox is one of the most important aspects of care. Since the flower has been in the same place for many years, it is necessary to fertilize the soil. The timing of fertilizer application is as follows:

1. The first top dressing is carried out from May 10 to May 15 with liquid mullein. It is necessary at the rate of 1 liter per 15 square meters.
2. The second fertilizer should be made in early June. To do this, use chicken droppings, mullein with the addition of half a tablespoon of sulfate and 15 g of potassium salt.
3. In early July, the soil is fertilized for the third time.

Further feeding is carried out depending on how quickly phlox grows. Later varieties can be fertilized in early August. It is important to exclude nitrogen, only 20 g of potassium salt and half a tablespoon of phosphorus are introduced into the soil.

Phlox Fertilizer

Weeding and loosening the soil

Loosening the soil must be done after irrigation. But it should be shallow, since the root system is not shallow.

Cropping Methods

Before the start of winter, flowers need preparation. In perennial plants, pruning is necessary. The procedure is carried out in the fall after flowering, but not later than the end of October, until frost has come.

Watering plants

The soil around the plant must not be allowed to dry out. The soil should be moist throughout the growing season. Knowing how often to water phlox, it will be possible to achieve persistent flowering.

The roots of the plant are located close to the surface of the earth. Therefore, proper watering is very important for its condition. During the appearance of buds, flowers require an increased amount of moisture.

If the flower lacks water, its stems become thin, inflorescences are poorly formed. One square meter of soil requires two liters of water.

Watering a plant

Mulching after pruning and preparing for winter

To maintain moisture in the soil on hot days, mulching is used. Suitable straw, hay, peat or humus. Particular attention is paid to flowers with large roots. Mulching should also be done before winter to preserve the root.

Perennial phlox care in summer

Special care is necessary to the bushes in the summer. They need to be watered twice a day: morning and evening. After they get stronger, you need to pinch them over the fourth pair of leaves.

It is important during the period when phlox blooms to rid the plant of wilted inflorescences. During growth, top dressing is necessary so that proper seed formation occurs.

Winter flower care

Preparing the plant for wintering consists in feeding and shelter from the cold. The drying stems are cut, the roots are covered with mulch.

Shelter for the winter

Phloxes are cold-resistant crops, but in regions with a harsh climate, they must be insulated for the winter. Often a plant freezes completely not in winter when it is covered with snow, but in spring when the snow cover is melting, but the night temperature can drop to minus 15 degrees.

To insulate the bush, the roots from above are mulched with peat, compost, then covered with fir branches.

Winter preparations

Why the flower does not bloom

There are many reasons why phloxes may not bloom:

1. The plant is in the shade and does not receive enough sunlight.
2. The soil is poorly fertilized.
3. The gardener does not regularly mulch.
4. The root system is very moist or, conversely, lacks moisture.

The lack of inflorescences can be triggered by an excess of nitrogen. In this situation, the leaves will grow more actively, taking all the nutrients from the flowers. You can fix the problem if you fertilize the bush in autumn using a large amount of phosphorus and potassium.

Proper plant care

Pest and Phlox Disease Control

A perennial flower is very rarely ill. The main problem gardeners may encounter is rust. It appears if the bush is constantly in the shade.

The flower may be affected by stem dumbness. This is a dangerous disease that quickly spreads to other plants. Signs of its manifestation are the twisting of leaves on the flowers and yellowness of the apex. In order to prevent the spread of pathology throughout the garden, you must immediately remove the damaged parts, then treat the flower with special preparations purchased in the store.

Knowing the simple rules will help create a unique flower garden in the garden.