- Appearance: cyanosis
- Flowering Period: May, June, July, August, September, October
- Height: 10-150cm
- Color: White, Pink, Red, Blue, Raspberry, Purple
- Perennial
- Winters
- Sun loving
- Loving
Phlox is a genus of flowers that includes more than 70 species, of which about 30 species are wild-growing, 40 are cultivated. Varieties and hybrids, there are up to 400. Certain types of phlox during the flowering period resemble high tongues of bright scarlet flame. That is why Karl Linney gave the plant genus a name, which in Greek means "fire." Homeland Phlox - North America. Of all the plants of this genus, only one wild-growing species grows in Russia. Phlox is hygrophilous and quite demanding on soils. They need special growing conditions. What are phlox, landing and care for them?
A variety of species, varieties and hybrids
Almost all types of phloxes are perennial. Of all the species diversity, only Drummond phlox is an annual. In plants of this genus, erect or creeping stems. The height can reach 10-150 cm.
Five-petalled flowers are collected in inflorescences at the ends of the shoots. The number reaches 90. The color of the petals is extremely diverse: white, raspberry, dark red, purple, with stains and dots. Fruit - a box with seeds, the number of which varies from 70 to 550, depending on the species.
In addition to the annual Phlox Drummond, all plants of this genus are perennial
Ground phlox - flower garden decoration
These are creeping plants, the first to bloom in the garden. Flowers on them appear in mid-May. The awl-shaped phlox is very popular. It is named for small oblong leaves, resembling an awl in appearance. The plant loves the sun. When planting it, it is important to choose a place that is not too waterlogged so that the root system does not rot. When the awl-shaped phlox fades, it should be cut by a third. This stimulates growth and more abundant flowering for the next year. In winter, the awl-shaped phlox needs to be covered. Dry foliage is well suited for this. The awl-shaped phlox is ideal for decorating rocky slides.
Other varieties of groundcover phloxes, such as charming, forked, Douglas, Rugelli, also enjoy the love of gardeners. They bloom in late May and are great for decorating flower beds. Very interesting is the color of the phlox flowers of Rugelli - purplish blue. The peculiarity of the lovely phlox is undemanding to soils. They can draw retaining walls, the foot of the stairs. The best time to plant ground cover phlox is spring.
The awl-shaped phlox can have any color of flowers - from white with various shades to purple
Loose varieties - beautiful and unpretentious
They bloom after the ground cover. Among the loose-graded varieties, the most popular is the widespread (Canadian). Gardeners love him for his unpretentiousness. A wild-growing species blooms lushly with blue flowers with a stupefying aroma similar to violet. Under favorable weather conditions, the phlox spread is covered with flowers at the end of May and blooms for about a month. If the season is dry, then the plants bloom much faster. The color of flowers of cultivated varieties varies from white to purple and lilac. When planting phlox spread, you need to constantly monitor so that it does not overgrow with weeds.
Of the loose-bearing varieties, stolonon-phlox is also very beautiful. It is widely used in landscape design, since this species quickly grows and covers the site with a luxurious carpet. Blossoms in white, pink, blue flowers. Another pleasant property for gardeners is low light requirements. Stolononosnaya phlox feels great on shaded areas. It can be planted under trees. The plant tolerates moisture well.
The flowers of the stony phlox are extremely beautiful. Especially interesting is the raspberry pink color.
Bush phlox - for wet shaded areas
Shrub varieties can be stunted (up to 1 m) and tall (more than 1 m). Of the undersized, Caroline phlox is popular. Domestic gardeners prefer two varieties - "Bill Baker" and "Mrs. Lingard." The first in appearance is similar to Canadian phlox. The color of its petals is pink. The second is the highest among low-growing varieties (up to 110 cm). White petals. On the territory of Russia, these varieties well take root, since they normally develop on acidic soils.
Of the tall bush varieties, Arends phlox deserves special attention. They bloom early and delight the eyes with fragrant flowers for a long time. They are planted densely, because plant stems are weak and can suffer from bad weather. The peculiarity of the variety is that after pruning, they are able to bloom repeatedly. To do this, cut the shoots immediately after the first flowering.
For gardeners, two more types of bush phlox are of interest - spotted and panicled. They are quite widespread. Phlox spotted got its name for the original color of the flowers. They are covered with purple strokes and specks. The variety can be planted in semi-shaded places. Spotted phlox often decorate the space around ponds, the foot of trees. The most popular varieties are Rosalind, Omega, Alpha, Delta, White Pyramid, Natasha. The advantage of panicled phlox compared to spotted phlox is stronger stems.
You can learn more about the diversity of phlox from the video:
"Fire flower" in landscape design
Phloxes look great both in single landings and as part of compositions. The awl-shaped phloxes look luxurious on alpine slides. They plant flower beds and frame lawns to give a more colorful look. Panicled phloxes are an ideal decoration for unaesthetic objects. For example, they can mask old borders. In lushly flowering bushes, water tanks or other unpresentable, but very necessary objects on the site will be invisible.
Phlox compositions are used to simulate garden space. They are well suited for dividing it into zones. On the landscape terrace, these plants are placed on the second tier. Thanks to this decision, you can achieve a beautiful view of the terrace, no matter what plants are located on adjacent tiers. A good option is to plant a bright lawn. If instead of grass, the site is planted with phlox, it will resemble a chic colorful carpet. Mid-sized phloxes form the edges of garden paths.
Phlox is well suited for the design of the banks of ponds
We are looking for "good neighbors in the garden"
Phloxes are beautiful in themselves, so they can be planted separately. But many gardeners consider these flowers rustic and prefer to combine in groups with other types of plants. Perhaps this opinion is not entirely fair, but it would not hurt to dilute the phloxes.
One of the most winning options is to plant phlox on the background of silver conifers. It is also a good idea to plant low-growing daylilies, such as irises, next to phlox. They will cover the bottom of the higher "fiery colors" and the composition will look complete.
Some gardeners create compositions of phlox and roses. The idea is controversial, because both species look gorgeous on their own, and in combination both can lose. But if you choose the right color scheme, such an experiment can be very successful. Bright roses of saturated colors against the background of white or pink phlox will look good.
Design option: a combination of phlox and roses of similar shades, “diluted” with cineraria
How to combine colors when decorating the garden?
When combining different types of phlox in one composition, one should remember the golden rules of color harmony. Do not plant flowers warm and cold shades together. It is also undesirable to combine two or more types of phlox with spotted and variegated petals. Compositions of white phlox on a background of dark colors most often do not look very good, because dark background "eats" even very beautiful white flowers. But the dark against the white background is an acceptable option. Groups of one color, but of different shades, planted sequentially aesthetically look.
Multi-colored phlox, planted in groups along the curb, zone and decorate the space
Vegetative and seed reproduction of phlox
Like most garden plants, phlox is propagated by seeds, cuttings and division of bushes. For division, an adult bush is chosen - from 3, and preferably 4-5 years. If you plan to plant phlox in the spring, then the bush can be divided into 15-20 parts, and in the fall it is better to play it safe and reduce the number of new plants to 4-7. Such a difference exists because in the spring, phloxes better take root and root.
Spring harvesting of cuttings
Phlox should be cut from May to mid-summer. Then the percentage of survival of the bushes will be significantly higher. You can harvest cuttings from the entire stem of the plant. To do this, it is cut into pieces of 2 nodes each. This is best done on a cloudy day. After harvesting, the cuttings are immediately planted in richly watered fertile soil so that they take root.
It is better to prepare the soil for planting cuttings yourself, mixing earth, sand and humus in equal proportions. Planted cuttings are regularly watered. The ideal option is to cover them with a film. The root system begins to form about a month after planting.
For harvesting cuttings, the stem is cut into several parts, the tops are removed
Features autumn cuttings
If there was a need for phlox grafting "out of season", then all manipulations should be carried out in cool rooms with a constant temperature. For these purposes, greenhouses and cellars are suitable. In autumn, cuttings can not be immediately planted in open ground, since they will not survive even the first signs of cooling. For planting, choose a suitable container or flowerpot in which young plants take root and grow until spring. They can be planted on the site in May, when there is no longer any risk of morning frost.
If cuttings are prepared in the fall, they need to be landed in a container
Propagation of flowers by seeds
Growing phlox from seeds is a classic of the "gardening genre". Seed propagation of plants takes more time than vegetative, but it has an undeniable advantage - high adaptability. Phlox grown from seeds better adapt to the climate and soil. A significant drawback of this type of reproduction is the possible loss of varietal characters. Planting seeds makes sense only if there are no other options or if the amount of planting material is more important than maintaining the characteristics of the variety.
Seeds can be purchased or kicked out on their own. They are collected during the period of decay of the foliage. Then the boxes are already becoming brown, but still do not have time to crumble. You can plant seeds immediately on the site, and preferably in enclosed spaces. A mixture of humus, sand and soil is laid in containers, seeds are planted and covered with soil 1-1.5 cm. In December, containers are covered with snow, and in mid-March they are transferred to the greenhouse. Young plants are planted in the ground at the end of April. First - in the greenhouse, a month later - on the site.
Having planted the seeds, you can put the container in the house on the windowsill
How to prepare the ground and plant phlox
Although the plants tolerate semi-shaded areas well, it is better to plant them in well-lit places: this way the flowering will be more plentiful, and the plants will take root better. Water should not stagnate. The soil is sandy, loam with peat and humus. Humus from birch leaf and needles is very good. Do not make fresh manure.
The soil is loosened, weeds removed, composted, watered. During spring planting, phloxes can be planted immediately after soil freezing. Then it is likely that they will bloom this season. In autumn they plant it until mid-October.
Plants are planted at a distance of 35-50 cm from each other. Closer location is needed only if a bush landing is planned. Old plants need replanting. If the flowers are smaller, it's time to think about phlox rejuvenation. It is dug up, divided and transplanted.
The first signs of plant aging can manifest themselves in 3-5 years of life, then it is time to separate and transplant them
What do flowers need for normal development?
Caring for phlox is not much different from caring for other garden plants. They need to weed, loosen the soil, cut dried shoots. If the gardener wants to grow a stunted and voluminous bush, you can periodically do a nipping. It should be remembered that the pinch delays the flowering period of the plant by about two weeks, or even a month. It is best done in May. The later the manipulation is carried out, the longer the bush does not bloom.
Phloxes equally poorly tolerate both excessive soil moisture and drought. In the summer they have to be watered. You can do this not only in the morning and evening, but also in the afternoon. The main thing is to pour water under the roots and try not to spray on the leaves. In hot dry periods, phlox can be watered twice a day. To retain moisture, the soil is mulched with humus or peat. A layer of 5 cm is enough.
Mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil every week, from the end of June to the end of summer. The concentration of additives varies: it is gradually increased from 2 g per liter of water to 8 g, after which it is also reduced. Phlox prefer fertilizers with nitrogen and phosphorus. You can add saltpeter (2 g per liter of water) to the "diet". After mid-August, it is not worth fertilizing the plant. It is advisable to shelter phlox for the winter, especially if they have recently been planted.
In order for the plants to bloom well, they need to be fed and dive.
Caution, danger: powdery mildew and spotting
Phloxes often suffer from powdery mildew and spotting. Signs of disease: dots and spots on the leaves, their wrinkling. Sick leaves should be removed, and the plant treated with Bordeaux liquid or equivalents. It can be sprayed for prevention. In this case, you should not wait for the symptoms of the disease, and treatment should be carried out in the spring.
Plants can be attacked by filamentous worms or nematodes. To avoid adversity, do not plant phlox in areas where strawberries grew. If the plant is already sick, there is only one method of treatment - liquidation together with a lump of earth and disinfection of soil with lime.
For preventive and therapeutic spraying, Sumi-Alpha, Karate, Fury, Kinmix insecticides can be recommended. More details about pest control are described in the video:
