Phlox perennial from seeds. Features of growing phlox from seeds. "Fiery flower" in landscape design

Bright phloxes are often found in city flower beds, as well as in areas near summer cottages. They are grown on balconies and placed in school flower beds. Such popularity is completely unsurprising. The name of this plant is translated from Greek as fire.

Phloxes are able to bloom for a long time, they give the owners a pleasant aroma and calmly treat any weather vagaries. The reproduction of these flowers is carried out most often vegetatively, by dividing the bushes or by cuttings. However, it is possible to produce them from seeds. In most cases, seed division is used when growing annual varieties. this plant, however, perennials can be grown in this way.

Seed preparation

Collect phlox seeds. Before that, it is necessary to determine the degree of their maturity. This is not particularly reflected in their appearance, because they are located inside the boxes. Having missed the moment of ripening, the seeds can crumble from ripe boxes, and you won’t even notice it. If insufficiently ripened seeds are harvested, they will not be able to ripen.

To determine the degree of maturity, take an awl, carefully drill one box and examine its contents. It should contain fairly large seeds, painted in green color and having a dense structure. Planting material can also be purchased at a flower shop.

Perennial phlox seeds quickly lose their germination capacity, which is why you should not wait for spring to plant them. Please note that the full development of plants is possible only after the seeds freeze, so planting should be done soon after they are collected.

Soil preparation and site selection

Determine a place on your site where the plant can safely grow for several years. Remember that phloxes love sunny areas and semi-shaded areas. Do not plant them in a swampy lowland and under a dense canopy of trees.

Prepare the soil well for planting. It should be loose and nutritious, since phloxes will grow well on such land, and their flowering will not only be long, but also very lush. These plants do not do well in soils with high content sand, they do not like heavy soils with strong acidity. You are unlikely to succeed in achieving seedlings in such places. Flower beds or beds should be prepared even before the onset of the first frost.

Planting seeds

It is worth sowing seeds in late autumn-early spring. It is allowed to carry out this process in January. You should not postpone this process to February, and even more so to March, since such crops most likely will not sprout. If there is snow on the beds, just shovel it to the side.

On the frozen area of ​​\u200b\u200byour flower garden, spread the prepared seeds, placing them four to five centimeters apart. Sprinkle them on top with a small amount of ordinary garden soil. You can prepare it in advance and store it in a fairly warm room, preventing it from freezing. Optimum soil can be selected in gardening stores, where it is sold throughout the year.

The layer of earth does not need to be made continuous, just sprinkle a little seeds. Pour snow over the bed and leave it until spring. Thus, you will get almost one hundred percent spring germination, while half of the plants should also bloom.
(r)
home cultivation

If you plant seeds of perennial phlox indoors, it is worth subjecting them to artificial stratification. First, place the container with the sown seeds in a room with a room temperature, after fifteen to twenty days, move them to the cold (from minus two to plus four degrees) and soak for fifteen to twenty days.

Then place a container with seeds near the window and place a screen from the room and heating appliances so that the temperature around it does not rise above twelve degrees. In the event that the planting of phloxes was carried out in February, then in April it is possible to bring the container with them into the garden, covering it with agrospan or plastic wrap. Plants germinate best between five and twelve degrees.

After two or three pairs of true leaves appear on the flower, transfer them to the main place of growth, observing the interval between them of twenty centimeters.

Care

The main care for phlox is systematic weeding, loosening the soil, watering and fertilizing. small plants you can mulch the soil between them with mowed grass. This keeps the soil soft and moist longer, and prevents weeds from growing.

On hot and dry days, phloxes should be watered, at the same time they can suffer from powdery mildew. For this reason, the plant must be sprayed with fungicides, otherwise it may die.

After the flower gets stronger over the fifth pair of leaves, a clothespin is made. This procedure helps the tillering of phloxes. The flowering of these plants lasts from mid-summer until the end of September. It is important at the same time to eliminate faded inflorescences in a timely manner. Once every three to four years, it is worth dividing the rhizomes, best time for this - early spring or September.

For the winter, the plant must be cut off by mulching the roots with dry peat or plant residues.

Phloxes are able to grow quite important territory, forming a bright beautiful carpet during the flowering period.

Thanks to its varied shades, abundant flowering and unpretentiousness, phloxes received well-deserved love among gardeners. Plants growing naturally in North America are very popular in all European countries. With their cultivation and care, subject to all the recommendations and rules, even a beginner in floriculture will cope.

Description, types and varieties of phlox with a photo

Annual phloxes have the greatest variety of shades, shapes and varieties. They can be star-shaped or terry, blue, white, cream or various shades of red.

One of the best annuals is the Drummond phlox, which is native to Texas. The plant is bush with branched stem, whose height can be from 12 to 30 cm. Its opposite leaves are oval-lanceolate in shape. Fragrant flowers can be salmon, yellow, white, dark red or purple.

The most popular varieties of Drummond's annual phlox are:

Phlox annuals: growing from seeds

To achieve longer flowering, Drummond's phlox it is recommended to grow seedlings. Seeds sown immediately into the ground germinate for a very long time, and plants grown from them bloom only at the end of summer. More early flowering can be obtained by sowing seeds in open ground under winter.

Sowing seeds in open ground

Seeds should be planted immediately in a flower bed in October - November. If there is already snow, then it is removed, and the seeds with a distance of 4-5 cm are scattered directly on the frozen ground. To protect plants from freezing, the beds are first sprinkled with earth prepared in advance, then with snow and cover with leaves or straw. Shoots will hatch in early spring. When two true leaves appear, they will need to be picked out, seated from each other at a distance of 20 cm.

Sowing phlox seedlings

At home, sowing is done in early - late March. It all depends on when the last frost ends in your area. In order for the seeds to germinate quickly, it is not necessary to press them into the ground. From above they sprinkle a little earth mixture and sprayed with warm water.

seedling boxes covered with glass or polyethylene and put away in a warm place. The soil must be aired daily. When the first seedlings appear, the containers are placed in a well-lit place, and the glass or polyethylene is removed. At this stage, seedling care is only about keeping the soil moist.

After the appearance of two or three true leaves, young plants are seated in separate pots. Behind them already will need special care:

1. In the first days, seedlings cover from sun rays opaque film or newspaper.
2. When the sprouts take root, and they grow the sixth real leaf, they are pinched in order to form a lush and compact bush.
3. Before planting in open ground, seedlings are fed twice with mineral fertilizers.
4. In April, young plants need to start hardening off. For this, the pots are set for an hour or two on outdoor balcony or to the garden.

Annual phloxes are planted in open ground after the end of frost, at the end of May. By this time, some varieties will already form buds.

Phlox Drummond: planting and growing in the open field

Grown up, strengthened and hardened seedlings are planted in well-lit areas, covered from the scorching sun. The best plants will grow in partial shade on high flower beds. In the sun, phlox inflorescences fade, and in partial shade, color saturation remains for a long time.

Landing features

Annual phlox do not like acidic areas and soils with poor drainage. The best earth mixture for them is fertile sand without clay. Lime can be added if necessary. If there are heavy loams on the site, then they are diluted with peat, organic fertilizers and sand.

Planting seedlings is carried out in shallow pits, at the bottom of which compost or biohumus is poured and some ash. The roots are neatly straightened horizontally and sprinkled with earth. Plants are watered, the soil around them is mulched.

Watering and feeding

Caring for Drummond phloxes, after planting them in open ground, will not be difficult. For the entire season, it is required to loosen the soil twice a month and spud it in the second half of the growing season. In this case, the root system will form faster.

Phloxes are watered moderately, but regularly. For one square meter landing consumes one and a half - two buckets of water. On hot days, watering is done in the morning and evening. Water is poured directly under the root. It should not be cold, otherwise the roots may crack in the heat.

Phlox Drummond is fed several times a season organic and mineral fertilizers:

During the season, the tops of young plants are pinched. In this case, the bushes begin to branch better. Faded and wilted flowers are regularly removed, to save attractive appearance flower and prolong its flowering.

A flowerbed of Drummond phloxes of different shades and varieties looks beautiful and spectacular. They can decorate alpine slides and borders. A large flowering ball decorating the yard can be obtained by planting annual phloxes in pots or buckets, and placing them side by side. With proper care and cultivation, it will be possible to admire its flowering throughout the warm season.

phlox drummonda

Phlox is a bright and unpretentious perennial culture that will fit perfectly into any design. garden plot. Not only the colors of phlox flowers are varied, but also the height of these plants. There are tall crops, as well as ground covers. Thus, they can be combined and successfully combined in flower beds and flower beds.

This unpretentious culture is not demanding on the composition of the soil, light, weather conditions, and also excellently hibernates even in the most frosty winter.

Small star-shaped or wheel-shaped flowers form corymbose large inflorescences. The colors are varied: white, pink, purple, blue, and also multi-colored.

Crop Height depends on the variety. So, the paniculate grows up to 100 cm, and the styloid - only up to 15 cm. Flowering differs in duration, the timing depends on the type and variety of the crop. They usually bloom during the summer season, and some until October.

Planting and growing does not require special skills and knowledge. In addition, phloxes grow on almost any soil.
It is better to plant them from mid-spring to the end of May. Landing is also allowed at the end of August.

Site selection and soil preparation

In the place where the phlox is to be planted, it should be low level ground water , since plants do not welcome stagnant moisture. Accordingly, it is desirable to choose hills, elevated areas.
Phlox loves the light, but the best option there will be a landing in a small penumbra.

Bright sun and strong shade are contraindicated for phlox. At the same time, it is not recommended to grow phloxes in the shade of shrubs and large trees, since their horses will take nutrients from the soil.

The ideal place for planting phlox is in partial shade

You should not choose the northern areas and too windy. Winds are especially unfavorable in winter time of the year.

The soil must be neutral or slightly acidic. If on site hyperacidity soil, it is recommended to add lime to the soil to neutralize.

Sand is added to heavy soil, and peat is added to sandy soil. If the soil is fertile, then this does not mean that phloxes will grow better and bloom profusely. On the contrary, on poor soil, phloxes bloom much more intensively.

Planting process

The process of planting perennial crops is slightly different from planting annuals. The distance between seedlings should be somewhat greater, as the plants grow strongly.

1. Seeds are sown at a distance from each other 40-70 cm depending on the height of the culture. You can sow the seeds often, but then plant them at a specified distance from each other;
2. soil needed mulch after planting with sawdust, peat, humus;
3. Planting depth should be less than 15 cm for spring planting and about 25 cm for autumn planting;
4. If the seeds are sown in the fall, then the crops must be covered for the winter.

Seedlings before planting in the ground

Some flower growers believe that sowing seeds is best done in late autumn - early winter.

If the seedlings were grown at home, then plant the seedlings in the ground after the formation of at least 4 leaves. The distance between seedlings should be more than 20 cm.

Care

Phlox is considered an unpretentious culture. The process of caring for a plant is not difficult and even a beginner in floriculture can cope with it.

Autumn care basics

Before winter comes planting will be required soil, manure or humus. The layer thickness should be within 10 cm. This will prevent the kidneys from freezing in winter period. This is especially important for newly planted cuttings.

After flowering, it is desirable to treat the plants with fungicides as preventive measure fungal diseases.

If the seeds have ripened on the flowers, but have not yet ripened before the start of winter, then the phloxes can be dug up and transferred to the room by planting them in a pot.

At the end of flowering remove wilted flower stalks. In addition, you can divide the bush in order to rejuvenate the culture and transplant plants.

There are also basic rules:

• Watering is necessary only in early autumn in dry weather. Watering is best done in the evening. Then the plant does not need watering. For irrigation, it is important to use warm water;
• Phloxes can grow equally well in the sun and in partial shade;
• Fertilizers are applied after planting phlox, as well as during the formation of buds. Used as supplements mineral fertilizers, ash.

Phloxes are very good at top dressing from mullein infusion and bird droppings.

Transfer

Phloxes can grow in one place up to 15 years, but it is advisable to transplant them. at least once every 7 years. You can transplant at any time of the year, but it is best in the fall after flowering is complete.

How to transplant:

1. Phlox is dug out of the ground;
2. root system cleansed from the earth;
3. The bush is divided into parts, while two stems should remain in each part;
4. Planted in a new area at a distance of at least 30 cm from each other.

It is better to make a transplant in the evening.

Reproduction methods

Propagated by the following methods:

• seed;
• The division of the bush;
• Green cuttings;
• Autumn cuttings.

seeds

1. Sowing seeds is carried out before winter;
2. seeds can be sown directly in open ground;
3. If seeds are sown in winter, then monthly stratification is necessary. For this, crops are kept in the cold;
4. Shoots are thinned out and seated after the appearance of 4 or more leaves.

By dividing the bush

1. The plant is removed from the soil;
2. The bush is cut into pieces. Each section must have at least 2 kidneys;
3. The resulting plants are planted in pre-prepared soil.

Green cuttings

1. In late spring, cut off the tops of shoots with 2 or more buds;
2. For an hour, immerse the cutting in a container of water;
3. Cut off the lower leaves, and shorten the upper ones by ½;
4. The cutting should be about 10 cm long;
5. Plant the stalk in open ground, where there is no excess sunlight. You can cover the seedlings with damp paper.

reproduction autumn cuttings carried out in the same way as in summer. Only the harvesting of cuttings is carried out at the end of summer or at the beginning of autumn.

Diseases and pests

The most common disease is powdery mildew . It appears in the form white plaque on leaves and stems.

Main reasons - maintenance in the shade, too dense planting and improper care . To combat the disease, it will be necessary to treat the culture with a solution of soda ash and laundry soap or solution blue vitriol and soap.

Prevention is carried out before winter with the help of Bordeaux mixture and in summer with fungicides.

Kinds

Douglas

This is a short variety, the height of which does not exceed 5 cm. The Douglas variety is grown as a groundcover. It blooms twice per season - in early summer for a month and in September. Flower colors are varied: white, pink, purple and blue.

Ice Mountain

subulate

These are ground plants no more than 15 cm. Flowers form medium-sized bright inflorescences.

Colors: pink and purple. Flowering early - from May to June. When flowering forms a flower carpet. The view is also called carpet lights.

creeping

Another undersized variety. plant height no more than 20 cm. Up to 10 inflorescences can form on one bush, which are shaped like umbrellas.

The shoots are strongly branched. Blooms from late spring for a month. Colors: purple, pink and red.

Thus, perennial phloxes are elegant and unpretentious cultures that can be a wonderful decoration of the garden. Caring for them is not difficult, they are not demanding on the soil. Perennial phlox amaze with a variety of species and varieties.

Phlox (lat. Phlox)- genus herbaceous plants from the family Polemoniaceae, which includes about seventy species, of which about forty are cultivated. Phloxes appeared in Europe in the middle of the 18th century, since then breeders have bred about 1,500 varieties of beautiful and fragrant flowers. In Greek, "phlox" means "flame". This name was given to the plant by Carl Linnaeus in 1737 for a very bright flowers some types. The homeland of phloxes is North America, the harsh climate of which made the plants unpretentious and tenacious. In addition, phloxes are very fragrant and bloom for a long time.

Listen to article

Planting and caring for phlox (in brief)

• Landing: sowing seeds in spring or in November-December in open ground or sowing seeds in March for seedlings.
• Bloom: from June to autumn.
• Lighting: penumbra.
• The soil: medium loamy, rich in humus, moist, light and loose, neutral reaction.
• Watering: moderate (1.5-2 buckets of water per m²), regular.
• Hilling: in the second half of the growing season.
• Top dressing: organic and mineral solutions: 1st - at the end of May, 2nd - at the beginning of June, 3rd - at the beginning of July, 4th - at the end of July. Perennial varieties are fed for the fifth time during the formation of ovaries.
• Reproduction: annuals only by seeds, perennials mainly vegetatively - by dividing the bush, rhizome and leaf cuttings, but it is also possible by seed.
• Pests: nematodes, slugs, caterpillars.
• Diseases: variegation, powdery mildew, phomosis, septoria, verticillium wilt.

Read more about growing phlox below.

Phlox flowers - description

Phloxes are diverse even within the same species: their “appearance” changes depending on the climate in which they grow. Here, for example, at an altitude of 4000 meters they are bryophytes and stunted, their stems are branched and covered with evergreen leaves, and the height of plants is from 5 cm to 25 cm. favorable conditions phloxes are upright bushes from 30 cm to 180 cm high. And there are also semi-shrubs. According to the flowering time, they are spring (early), summer (middle) and summer-autumn (late). The culture is dominated by species and varieties of erect phlox. Their leaves are sessile, opposite, entire, oval-lanceolate or oblong-ovate.

Phlox flowers are from 2.5 cm to 4 cm in diameter, have a tubular-funnel shape and are collected in complex inflorescences up to 90 pieces each. The flowers have five recurved petals, five stamens and one pistil. Phlox fruit is an oval box. All phloxes grown in culture are perennial plants, and only Drummond's phlox (Phlox drummondii) and its many varieties are annuals.

Growing phlox from seed

Have flowering phlox in the garden from spring to the end of September - this is real, you just need to know how to grow phloxes. Phlox breed most often vegetative ways – cuttings, layering or dividing the bush, but some flower growers prefer growing phlox seeds. Seeds of perennial phloxes collected on the eve of autumn should be sown in the ground before winter - in November-December. Choose a site where your phlox will grow for several years. If there is already snow, remove it from the garden and scatter the seeds on the frozen ground with a distance of 4-5 cm. Sprinkle them with a layer of sifted earth 1-1.5 cm, and cover with snow on top. The land can be prepared in advance so that it is not cold and frozen, or you can buy soil in a store.

The germination of seeds that have fallen into the ground in winter is 70%, by spring their germination decreases sharply.

Seedlings will hatch in early spring, which will need to dive after the appearance of two pairs of true leaves at a distance of 20 cm from each other. You will plant these seedlings at the right time.

Most often, it is the annual phloxes that propagate by seeds. In the spring, prepare a bed, scatter the seeds over it at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other, water them from a sprayer, cover with polyethylene. Do not sprinkle with earth, but daily lift the film for a short while, shaking off condensation from it so that the seeds breathe. As soon as the seeds sprout, the polyethylene can be removed.

In the photo: Growing phlox in open ground

Annual phloxes - planting and care

Planting annual phlox

We have already talked about how to plant phloxes from seeds. But some growers are reluctant to put seeds at risk for fear of strong spring frosts, therefore, phloxes are planted in the spring with seedlings. For seedlings, annual phlox seeds are sown in March, shoots appear in a week. The emerging sprouts need light, watering and a moderate temperature. After two or three weeks, the shoots dive.

In the first days after picking, try to protect the seedlings from direct sunlight to avoid burns. Cover them with newspaper or opaque film.

Before planting phloxes in open ground, you can feed the seedlings with mineral fertilizers two or three times. The concentration of top dressing should be two times less than for an adult plant. To achieve the splendor of the bush, pinch the shoots in the phase of 4-5 leaves.

In the photo: Phlox seedlings grown in cassettes

In May, the grown phlox seedlings are planted in a flower bed at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other. It is very important to choose the right landing site. Annual phloxes are cold-resistant, drought-resistant, love light, but do not tolerate overheating of the root system. The most beautiful phloxes grow in partial shade, and the thicker the shade, the less plentiful, but the longer the phlox will bloom. In the sun, phlox flowers quickly fade, but in partial shade they retain color saturation for a long time, and if you planted the so-called “blue” varieties, the flowers of which become almost blue in twilight lighting, you will have an incomparable aesthetic pleasure from the flowering of phlox grown in partial shade. guaranteed. It is best to plant phloxes on high beds, away from trees and shrubs with a highly branched root system.

In the photo: Growing phloxes in a flower bed

Phlox garden soil should contain a large amount of humus. Heavy soils with poor drainage are detrimental to phlox. They also do not like acidic areas, in which case lime will need to be added to the soil. Best Cast soil for phlox - fertile sand without clay impurities - provided good watering will allow you to grow powerful flowering bushes. Sand, organic fertilizers and peat will have to be added to heavy loams. Seedlings are planted in a shallow hole, into which biohumus or compost (or two handfuls of ash) is added before planting, the roots are straightened horizontally.

Caring for annual phlox

Growing annual phlox is a pleasant and easy task. The main thing is not to interfere with their growth. The rest of the care is traditional for flowers, careful loosening of the soil (6-8 times), hilling when loosening in the second half of the growing season, so that the phloxes form a root system faster, fertilizing with organic matter and mineral fertilizers.

• The first feeding with liquid manure (25 g per bucket of water) is carried out at the end of May.
• The second - in early June, but potassium salt or superphosphate is added to the manure solution.
• The third (liquid manure without additives) - in early July.
• The fourth dressing, at the end of July, should contain phosphorus and potassium salt.

In the photo: How phlox blooms in the garden

Watering phlox you need a regular, but moderate, morning or evening. You need to pour water under the root at the rate of 1.5-2 buckets per 1 m² of planting. Watering phlox is detrimental cold water in the heat of the day, because the stems can crack. It is advisable to remove wilted flowers that prevent the growth of new ones that have not yet blossomed. As for diseases and pests, phloxes have plenty of them.

For example, a disease such as variegation covers the phlox petals with an unusual pattern, disfiguring appearance plants. There is no cure for this disease, so the bush is dug up and destroyed to avoid infecting other plants. The same sentence will have to be carried out if it is found that the plant is affected by a fungal disease powdery mildew, manifested by a whitish matte coating on leaves and stems.

Phloxes are sick with another fungal disease - phomosis making the shoots brittle and the leaves dry. As a preventive measure, it is suggested to spray colloidal sulfur on the leaves and stems of phloxes (but not on the inflorescences), but the air temperature should not be lower than 18 ºC.

Septoria disease manifests itself as dark brown dots on the leaves of plants, which increase in size with the development of the disease. At the first sign, spray the bush and the soil around it with Bordeaux liquid, and repeat the treatment after two weeks.

Another disease verticillium wilt, destroys the root system of phloxes, but only phloxes growing on acidic soils suffer from it.

Phlox pests

Of the pests, phlox is most often affected by a nematode, a tiny thread-like worm that feeds on the juice of plant tissues. From this, the inflorescences are disfigured, the flowers become smaller, the stems become thinner. The affected bush will have to be dug up and burned, and the infected soil should be treated three times with an interval of 20 days with nematicides.

Harm phlox naked slugs, eating at night the bottom of the stems, leaves and even flowers. They live in the upper layers of the soil, so preventive loosening of the soil and removal of weeds will be quite effective means of controlling slugs, but if they do appear on the site, dust the soil with fluffy lime, ash or a mixture of ash with tobacco dust.

If phlox damage butterfly caterpillars, it would be best to collect them manually, but if there are too many of them, then treat the phlox with preparations for leaf-eating pests.

Perennial phlox - planting and care

Phlox planting

Growing perennial phlox is not much different from growing annuals, but there are still some features. For example: spring planting perennial varieties carried out in the same way as annuals, but after that the site must be mulched with dry peat or humus. In addition, the distance between plants should not be 15-20 cm, but at least half a meter, because phloxes will grow in this area for many years, and they need a place where they will grow.

If you bought phloxes in the fall, then do not plant them, but dig them to a depth of 20-25 cm in a place protected from the wind, where snow lingers in winter. As soon as the soil freezes, cover the buried phlox with peat or dry leaves.

In the photo: White phlox in the open field

Besides, planting perennial phlox in some cases is done in the fall. For example, in the case when the bush has grown strongly and has lost its decorative effect, it is dug up in the fall (from mid-August to the first decade of September), the rhizome is divided, the middle of the bush is removed, which is aging earlier than other parts, and the side parts are seated. Also in the fall should be planted on permanent place grown phlox spring cuttings. Before autumn planting compost is added to the soil; if the soil is clayey, then also sand, and if sandy, then peat. In holes located at a distance of half a meter from each other, delenki are placed, their roots are straightened horizontally and shallowly added (no deeper than 4-5 cm). If there is no rain, planted phloxes are abundantly watered at the rate of 2 liters of water per bush every 2-3 days for two weeks, the dried soil is loosened and mulched with peat or humus with a layer of 4 cm.

Phlox care

You need to care for perennial phlox, as well as for annuals. But if annuals need to be fertilized four times during the growth period, then perennial species fertilized five times - the last falls on the period when seeds are formed in boxes. Feed the phlox potassium and phosphorus fertilizers(10 g potassium sulfate and 20 g superphosphate per bucket of water). Do this in the evening after watering, being careful not to get the solution on the leaves.

At proper care and good feeding, phloxes grow in one place, without losing their decorative effect, up to seven years.

In the photo: The inflorescence of garden phlox that has not yet opened

Perennial phlox is one of the rare crops that can be cutting throughout the growing season. You can start from the moment when the shoot reaches 5 cm, the last cuttings are removed at the end of September. It is worth remembering, however, that spring and summer rootings are more successful than later ones.

In addition to cuttings, phlox breeds layering, and this method is much less laborious than cuttings. The stem is bent to the ground before flowering, fixed along the entire length and spud with humus with peat. In autumn, a new plant is formed from this shoot, which is separated from the main bush and transplanted to where it will grow constantly.

Phloxes after flowering

Annual phloxes can bloom in next year, but the quality of the inflorescences is unlikely to be high. Therefore, collect, if you wish, the seeds, cut off the tops that have dried up in the fall, and dig up the ground in the area, removing the phlox rhizomes from it. In the spring you can sow harvested seeds and your favorite flowers will bloom again.

In the photo: Flowering phlox in the garden

Phlox wintering

Perennial phloxes, or rather, their growth buds in a snowless winter, can freeze if the temperature drops to -10-15 ºC, and if the frost reaches -20-25 ºC, then the phlox rhizome will die. Therefore, in the fall, after the tops of the phlox have turned yellow and dry, cut it off, and root collars sprinkle with a layer of soil with peat. Cover them with straw, fallen leaves, or spruce branches to keep the rhizomes in the ground until spring. If snow falls 50-60 cm thick, then you can not be afraid of thirty-degree frosts.

Varieties and varieties of phlox

Phlox annuals

Phlox Drummond- one of the best annuals among garden flowers. It was discovered in Texas and brought to England in 1835 by the English traveler, naturalist and theologian Henry Drummond. In England, the flower took root. Phlox Drummond blooms from June until frost. Its leaves are oval-lanceolate, opposite. Thin branched stem from 12 cm to 30 cm tall. Fragrant flowers of purple, dark red, white, yellow, salmon.

In the photo: Phlox Drummond

Phlox Drummond is represented by two varieties: star-shaped and large-flowered. Phlox Drummond stellate (Phlox drummondii cuspidata) usually reaches 30-40 cm in height, although undersized forms are also known - up to 12 cm. The petals of its bright flowers are beautifully dissected, and the flowers look like a star with an eye. Phlox Drummond large-flowered (Phlox drummondii mixed) grows up to 30cm in height. It has large flowers of various colors, but red shades are especially attractive.

In the photo: Phlox Drummond

Some flower growers divide annual phloxes according to their size into large-flowered and dwarf ones (15-20 cm tall). Large-flowered varieties include High White, High Fire Red and High Bright Red. Compact low varieties (dwarf) represent Snowball(white), Chamoa (pink), Isabella (yellow), Salmona (salmon), Defiance (fiery red). Both large-flowered species, and stellate, and dwarf species have double and semi-double varieties. Popular are varieties of terry phlox Promis of different shades.

Phlox perennial

Among the perennial varieties of phlox, the earliest (in May) blooms Phlox subulate. Its densely branched stems are so abundantly covered with flowers of different shades from snow-white to dark red that you can not see the leaves, narrow, awl-shaped, for which it got its name. This variety of phlox is planted in rockeries and on Alpine rollercoaster. Phlox splayed also blooms in May, one to two weeks later. Its small bushes with delicate lilac-blue flowers look very elegant.

This species is not as photophilous as the subulate phlox, has lignified stems, larger, but less dense leaves. Perennial phlox is also represented by such a species as panicled phlox, blooming in mid-summer. This is exactly the phlox that we are all familiar with: huge fragrant flower caps, beautiful green leaves.

In the photo: Phlox subulate

In the photo: Phlox splayed

Phlox paniculata

The ancestor of many exquisite varieties, including terry phlox Pure Feelings (large inflorescences of white flowers with a green stripe in the center, purple below; petals are elongated, twisted, plant height is 70-80 cm) and terry phlox Natural Feelings (very small white -green-pink flowers, inflorescences resemble a lilac branch). The result of the selection was such winter-hardy varieties as Orange Phlox (Orange Perfection, Orange Spat) of orange-red hues that do not fade in the sun. They are easy to breed, care for them is also simple, and they are incredibly beautiful. But oddly enough, Phlox King up to 1 m high with flowers up to 4 cm in diameter of raspberry, pink, lilac, white and other colors is most popular with flower growers.

You will need

• - phlox seeds;
• - garden land;
• -sprayer;
• -polyethylene film;
• -garden tools.

Instruction

Collect seeds. To do this, it is necessary to determine whether they are ripe or not. Outwardly, this is not visible, since they are in a box. If you miss the moment, the seeds from the burst box will crumble without your knowledge. Collecting immature seeds in this case also does not make any sense, they will not ripen. Therefore, drill one of the boxes with an awl and see what is in it. There should be large dense seeds of different shades of green. Seeds are sold in flower shops.

Seeds of perennial phlox lose their germination very quickly, so you can’t wait until spring. In addition, for the normal development of plants, the seeds must freeze. Start preparing for landing immediately after collection. Choose a site where flowers can grow quietly for several years. Phlox do not do well in the shade and in swampy lowlands. Not suitable and a place under the dense canopy of trees.

Prepare the ground. It should be loose and nutritious. On it, phloxes will grow well, and flowering will be long and lush. These plants do not like a large number sand, they do not like heavy acidic soils. On such land, seedlings, most likely, will not appear at all. A flower bed or garden bed must be prepared before the first frost.

It is best to sow perennial phloxes in November-December. You can do this in January, but not later. The closer to spring, the less likely the seeds will sprout. Falling snow should not scare you. Just take it out of the garden.

Spread the seeds on the frozen surface of the flower bed. Optimal distance- 4-5 cm apart. Sprinkle a thin layer of regular garden soil on top. It can be prepared in advance and stored in a warm room so that it does not freeze. Suitable land can also be selected in a gardening store, where it is sold all year round. The layer does not have to be made continuous, you can simply sprinkle the seeds. Cover your bed with snow and calmly wait for spring. With this method, almost all seeds germinate in the spring, and almost half of the plants bloom.

Growing annual phlox has its own characteristics. Prepare the bed in the same way as for perennials. This can be done both in autumn and spring. Scatter the seeds on the surface of the soil at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other. Spray them with a sprayer and cover with plastic wrap. It is not necessary to sprinkle with earth. The film must be removed every day for a short time so that the plants breathe a little, and also to shake off the condensate from it. After seed germination, the film is removed completely.

note

At seed propagation perennial phloxes often lose varietal characteristics. Therefore, it makes sense to use this method if you want to get a lot of flowers, but the variety is not important. Phloxes grown from seeds have their advantages. They are more resistant to weather conditions than their counterparts obtained from cuttings or by dividing the bush.

Seed propagation of perennial phlox is most often used in the breeding process.

Instead of garden soil, you can sprinkle the seeds with sand.

Helpful advice

Perennial phloxes from seeds bought in the spring in a store are best grown through seedlings. These flowers, of course, do not like transplants very much. But if seeds came to you in March-April, then plant them in boxes, and then transplant them into a flower garden, as you do with other seedlings. In the first year with this method of flowering may not be.

Related article

Bright phloxes are sown on summer cottages and city flower beds, in school flower beds and on balconies. Their name is translated from Greek as "fire". Phloxes bloom for a long time, smell pleasant and calmly endure any vagaries of the weather. Perennial plants are propagated mainly by cuttings or dividing the bush. But they can also be grown from seeds. annual varieties reproduce mainly by seeds.

You will need

• - phlox seeds;
• - garden tools;
• - a piece of land;
• - film;
• - unfrozen ground;
• - watering can.

Instruction

Before collecting phlox seeds, determine if they are ripe. To do this, drill one of the boxes with an awl and evaluate their appearance. They should be large and dense, have different shades Green colour. Also, seeds of these flowers can be purchased at flower shops.

Seeds of perennial phlox quickly lose their germination capacity, and therefore it is impossible to wait until spring. In addition, for the normal development of plants, planting material must freeze. Start preparing for landing immediately after collection. Choose a site where flowers can grow for several years. Keep in mind that they feel bad in shady places and in swampy lowlands. And therefore, under the dense crowns of trees they can not.

Engage in soil preparation. It should be nutritious and loose. This will ensure a long and lush bloom. There should not be a lot of sand in the ground; phloxes do not like heavy acidic soils. On such lands, seedlings, most likely, will not appear. A bed or flower bed must be prepared even before the first frost.

When growing phlox, prepare the bed in the same way as for perennials. You can do this in the spring, and. Scatter the seeds over the surface of the soil at a distance of 3-4 cm. Pour them from a watering can and cover with plastic wrap. It is not necessary to sprinkle with earth. Every day, remove the film for a short time so that the plants breathe a little, shake off the condensate from it. After the seeds germinate, the film is removed completely.

note

When propagated by seeds, perennial phlox quite often lose their varietal characteristics. Therefore, you can use this method if you want to get a lot of flowers, but the variety is not important for you.

Sources:

• how to grow phlox seedlings

Phloxes are planted in early spring, when the soil thaws and becomes suitable for cultivation, or in the first half of August, so that the seedlings have time to take root before the onset of frost. For planting, it is best to choose well-lit areas; phloxes can also be grown in shady places, but in this case flowering will not be plentiful.

Soil preparation

For successful cultivation phlox, you need to pick up a flat open area with a slight slope. The place should be damp and protected from the wind. Glades in parks and gardens, well-lit paths and alleys are suitable for these purposes. These plants are not too demanding on the quality of the soil, however, it has been noted that they develop better on loose and nutritious soils with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction.

In early spring, when the snow melts and the soil is ready for cultivation, the areas selected for phlox are plowed to a depth of 20-25 cm. Semi-decomposed manure or other organic fertilizers are applied to loamy soils in the amount of 1-1.5 buckets per 1 sq. m. The dose of organic matter should be increased on acidic podzolic soils, bone meal (100-150 g per 1 sq. M) and lime (200-300 g per 1 sq. M) are added to them.

In phloxes, the bulk of the roots are at a depth of 3-15 cm, for this reason, deep embedding organic fertilizers inappropriate, it may even be harmful. If the soil is heavy and clay, sand and lime should be applied before planting in autumn at the rate of 250-300 kg/ha, and sandy soils- clay.

Landing and care

In the first half of May, phlox bushes are divided so that the seedlings have 3-4 buds and a good root system. in August as planting material use parts of a bush with 2-3 stems, they are planted together with leaves, cutting off only the top. Plants planted in this way will bloom the next year.

Phloxes are placed in pre-prepared pits 25-30 cm deep, on the bottom of which a small layer of sand is poured and drainage is laid. The root system of the plant is carefully distributed over the surface of the soil.

If the plants were covered for the winter with humus, peat or foliage, the shelter is removed in early spring, after which the aisles are regularly loosened, weeds are weeded and top dressing is done. For the first time, a solution of mullein, bird droppings or slurry is introduced during the period of mass growth of the stems. You can use mineral fertilizers - 15-20 g of superphosphate and potassium salt, as well as 20-30 g ammonium nitrate for 10 liters of water.

At the beginning of budding, a second top dressing is carried out. To prepare the solution, take 20-25 g of mullein, phosphoric and potash fertilizer, as well as slurry, all components are diluted in 10 liters of water. In August, at the end of phlox flowering, they are fed with phosphorus and potassium, which contributes to the accumulation nutrients.

Sources:

• Botanichka.ru, Growing phloxes in the garden