How to grow phlox paniculata from seeds. Phloxes: planting and care, growing from seeds

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 grow 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 quite large seeds, painted in green color and having dense structure. Planting material can also be purchased at 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 on soils with a high content of sand, they also 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.

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 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 an interval of twenty centimeters between them.

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, the best time for this is 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 over a fairly significant area, forming a bright beautiful carpet during the flowering period.

Phlox are wonderful bright flowers from the cyanotic family, which are very decorative, are used in the formation of flower beds. Beautiful plants have advantages, for which gardeners fell in love - unpretentiousness in care, the ability to grow in conditions different illumination, survival on any soil. In the cut, phloxes stand for a long time - they can often be found in the design of the interiors of living rooms.

Phloxes grow in flowerbeds for many years, surviving the winter, very coldy. Breeders have bred many varieties that differ in shades, plant height, endurance, and other indicators. This genus of plants is one of the best in the flower bed for the duration of flowering, the ability to survive frosts.

You can get your own plant by getting seeds or cuttings. In both ways, you can quickly grow mature plant, which in the shortest possible time begins to bloom.

Planting phlox in open ground and caring for them

Phloxes can be grown on almost any soil - they are unpretentious. But the most ideal are loamy. It is recommended to add some lime to the soil to improve the growing conditions of the plant.

The site begins to be prepared in the fall: they arrange a thorough digging of the earth on it, during which the rhizomes of weeds and pebbles are removed, since in the early years the bushes weakly resist wild vegetation.

Choose the most illuminated areas of the flower beds, because phloxes love the sun. The exception is hybrids, the petals of which can quickly burn out in the sun.

If phloxes have dark colors of petals, it is better to plant them mixed with light ones, so that both in the evening and in the afternoon the flower bed looks as profitable as possible.

How to plant phlox in the ground, look at the video:

Caring for phlox is easy. It is necessary to regularly maintain the soil loose, remove in time weeds. In order for the flower bed to please with violent flowering, fertilizers must be applied periodically.

For phlox, it does not matter where to grow - in the shade or in the sun. But undersized varieties need more sun. Those and other forms of plants need to be fertilized in time so that they quickly and in a timely manner grow to the desired forms.

Watering should be sufficient, but rare. The exceptions are the weeks when it is very hot outside and the air humidity is minimal. Then the soil loses water very quickly, so the plant needs to be watered more often. This procedure is performed in the afternoon, in the late afternoon.

Some phlox varieties naturally form seeds. But this is not a 100% guarantee. In order for the plant to give seed, the desired optimal air temperature, proper growing conditions, proper care. Therefore, do not worry if there are no seeds - this is quite a common occurrence.

Phlox care in autumn

Before winter, all phloxes must be protected from frost, spudding with earth or humus, manure. The recommended layer thickness is 8-12 cm, which is sufficient to protect underground buds from frost. Mandatory procedure is for young plants 1 year old.

Phloxes that suffered from fungal diseases need fungicide treatment, which is carried out in October, when most of the shoots have faded.

Often, plants build up seed, but do not have time to do this before frost. To achieve seed production, the bushes are removed from the flower bed along with the soil and planted in pots, which are kept in the building until the seeds are fully ripe.

Autumn is a great time to rejuvenate phlox and transplant, which will be discussed later.

When to transplant phlox

Panicled phlox - which does not require frequent transplantation. It feels comfortable up to 15 years in one place. But due to the growth of lateral shoots and the aging of the center of the plant, it is recommended to rejuvenate and transplant at least every 5-7 years.

How, when and how to feed phlox

Phloxes are fed several times per season:

• In spring, in May, before flowering - nitrogen and potassium. Potassium nitrate is perfect.
• In early June, feeding is repeated by adding superphosphate to potassium nitrate, which will stimulate budding and flowering.
• In early July, they feed for the third time, reducing the dose of nitrogen.
• At the end of July, they are fed only with phosphorus and potassium salt.
• Phloxes are fed for the last time in August, and then if they are still blooming. Phosphate and potassium fertilizers are used.

The consumption of each fertilizer is calculated as follows: Matchbox loose or granular fertilizer (or mixtures thereof) per 10 liters of water. Spend this solution per square meter.

An excellent fertilizer for phlox is fermented bird droppings, which is applied before the phlox begins to bloom. Bring in 0.5 liters. thick chatter on a bucket of water and pour 1-2 liters of solution under a bush.

Reproduction of phloxes by dividing the bush

Any phloxes need to be divided into separate bushes so that they develop normally and have a neat appearance. The procedure is carried out at least once every 5-7 years, but it is possible more often - once every 3-4 years. A special season is not chosen for this, division is carried out at any warm time.

The bush is dug in a circle, it is taken out of the soil and the shoots are shortened to 10-15 cm long. Then, with an ax, a shovel, a knife, the bush is divided into parts with 2-5 renewal buds in each. There is no need to worry about the roots: they are long and developed.

The pits where the plant will sit should be prepared in advance, that is, in the fall they are prepared for spring, and in spring for summer. The distance between the pits is 60 cm for tall phloxes and less for the rest.

The pit is filled with compost (0.5 buckets), mineral fertilizer, ash as a source of potassium. If the pH of the soil is acidic (that is, less than 5-7), you need to pour a glass of lime into each hole. Before planting phloxes, all the ingredients in the pit are thoroughly mixed in order to prevent root burns.

Water is poured abundantly into the pit and placed. They fall asleep with a substrate, making sure that the renewal buds are covered with earth only by 5 cm. Then they tamp the earth, adding compost if necessary.

The final planting layer is a mulch of peat, leaf litter or humus, the thickness of which is 10 cm. This layer is needed to create optimal conditions in the ground and accelerating the rooting of new plants, because they must have time to do this before frost.

Phlox rejuvenation method

There are other ways to rejuvenate plants. They take a narrow pointed shovel, with which they cut out the center of the bush, treat the cut point with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and pour humus on top. The resulting segment of the plant can be planted in another place or divided.

Reproduction of phlox cuttings photo

Green cuttings are used for propagation, which are harvested when the plant reaches a height of 15 cm. This is the ideal time when the cuttings take root best, and then their vitality decreases throughout the year.

When cutting off young shoots, make sure that the mother plant remains with at least two developed buds. Young cuttings stand in water for an hour to protect them from withering during planting and speed up the rooting process. It is not worth keeping the greens in the water longer, so as not to cause the reverse process.

• Before planting the cutting in the ground, cut off the peduncle, pinch off the lower leaves, and partially cut off the rest to reduce evaporation.
• Ideal length planting cutting is 6-10 cm.

A mature cutting can be planted in the shade in a flower bed or held on a windowsill. The survival rate of phloxes increases when they are covered with wet paper. The stalk is inserted deep into the ground only 2-3 cm, lightly tamping the soil around. Be sure to monitor the soil moisture, you can cover the stalk with a cropped plastic bottle and remove the cap from the neck for ventilation. Rooting occurs 6-14 days after this operation.

Using autumn cuttings to propagate phlox

Autumn - an ideal planting material for the reproduction of phlox. August-September is suitable for harvesting, although before that you can also harvest shoots by rooting them in shady places in the garden. When the plant winters on its own, it will bloom profusely in the spring.

It is important to plant the cuttings deep, placing a large number of buds underground, which will provoke an excellent wintering and violent growth in the spring.

Growing phlox from seeds

Phlox seeds have excellent germination, so they are sown directly into the ground in spring. Many people prefer to sow phlox seeds before winter using seedling boxes. They are left for the winter in the garden and, at the first warm weather, they are brought into the room to get early seedlings.

They sprout together, so they need to be sown as little as possible to avoid picks. However, with dense crops, it is better to plant the plants in separate cups in order to get powerful seedlings. They are planted in the ground in May, after hardening the plants.

The video will tell you about growing phlox from seeds:

Phloxes and powdery mildew What to do if phloxes turn yellow

Phloxes are not very susceptible to disease, but powdery mildew is a frequent guest of this plant. It is unpleasant in that the green foliage and flowers are covered with an unpleasant white coating, which is difficult to get rid of. The peak of the development of the disease occurs in July-August. When the leaves are damaged, they curl - the plant loses them. It is necessary to immediately begin the fight against the disease.

Preventive measures include treatment late autumn flowers with copper sulphate or Bordeaux liquid at a concentration of 1%, and in summer fungicides are also added to the complex, with which the entire flower bed is treated twice a year (foundazol, topaz, green soap, fast).

If the disease actively manifests itself again, you need to change the therapy and treat the foliage with soda ash in a concentration of: 2 tbsp. l. soda is mixed with 50 g of soap and a bucket of water. Bordeaux liquid (1%), a solution of copper with soap (20-30 g of vitriol and 200-300 g of soap) also work well. But when the plant stops blooming, diseased and dried residues are removed, after which the phloxes are again treated with fungicides.

Phloxes have a pleasant external, noble flowering, so they will be a pleasant addition to any garden, without requiring special care and growing conditions.

Phlox types with photos and names

Consider the most popular varieties and types of phlox, which are especially in demand in ornamental gardening.

Phlox paniculata or Phlox paniculata

The most popular type of plant. Blooms in the last month of summer - early autumn. Differs in large inflorescences collected from multi-colored fragrant flowers - white, pink of various shades, lilac, purple. Yellow petals are missing. Breeders have bred varieties that have multi-colored stripes on the petals.

The height of the bushes is 0.4-1 m. They are filled with leaves, lush greenery. The bushes themselves can consist of more than 20 shoots, growing as widely as possible.

The flowering time of panicled phlox is the whole season. The number of varieties, their diversity are so great that you can choose summer and autumn varieties, increasing the total flowering time of the flower bed by several months.

Phlox awl-shaped or subulata Phlox subulata

The herbaceous plant is characterized by very low growth (no more than 15 centimeters), with pale lilac or lilac-pink flowers in the amount of 2-4 pieces per inflorescence. Each stem contains a lot of branches that end in inflorescences. Thus, phlox subulate forms a whole carpet covered with delicate flowers, under which there is a dense soddy bush. Therefore, it is also called turf phlox. Flowering time is May-June.

The species is distinguished by interesting leathery leaves, which, due to their small width and pointed end, resemble needles.

The styloid phlox is grown as a curb flowering plant, used for discounts, perennial curtains, planted in flower baskets, flowerpots. It can be cut, trying to form a flower arrangement of an interesting shape.

Douglas Phlox Phlox douglasii

The plant is even smaller (5 cm), which spreads like a carpet over the surface of the flower bed. It has two blooms a year, which makes it especially popular. The first falls in May-June, and the second in autumn. The leaves are gray-green in color, small width. It blooms in white, pink, pale lilac and blue.

Phlox creeping ground cover

Also small plant which blooms very early. The height is only 15-20 cm. It is characterized by no less strong branching than other similar plants. Flowers are combined into umbrellas, which individual individuals can have up to 10. Flowering time is May-June. Possible colors of the petals are pink, purple, red.

Phlox Canadian or splayed Phlox divaricata

The plant is already taller, the height of the stem of which is in the range of 15-40 cm. With an increase in size, the plants became larger and the size of the flowers - they are larger than the rest, have purple color, shades of gray. The diameter of the main inflorescence - an umbrella - is 10 cm. Seeds after flowering, which is May-June, are not formed.

This species is more sensitive to soil composition than others. On peat, acidic forest soils, it will wither, but soils based on humus and various light components will be ideal. They should not add peat, leaves, fresh manure.

As already mentioned, panicled phlox is the most popular type, but this does not mean that other options should not be considered. If you plant undersized phloxes that bloom early in May-June, this will be an excellent flower bed decoration in spring. And taller species will continue to bloom in late summer and autumn. Thus, on the site all the time will be blooming carpet, which can be used to decorate an alpine slide and rockeries.

Phloxes are an unpretentious culture of the Blueberry family, which is characterized by unpretentious care, lush flowering and a variety of shades. Moreover, the flowers also differ in height: there are varieties with long stems and undersized groundcover species.

Thanks to this diversity, every gardener can feel like a landscape designer, creating unique compositions on his site.

Phlox flowers are small, collected in lush paniculate, pyramidal or cylindrical inflorescences. Coloring - white, blue, lilac, purple, scarlet, monophonic or with inclusions in the form of dots, strokes, eyes. The duration of flowering is about a month, early varieties begin to bloom in June, late ones in August. How to grow phlox from seeds at home, we will consider below in the article.

Seedling method phloxes are grown in middle lane Russia and more northern regions. it is recommended to sow them for seedlings after March 15.

Seed preparation

Seeds can be collected with your own hands, or can be purchased at the store. Self-collection has one drawback: when growing plants from seeds collected from hybrids, the loss of characteristics of a particular variety is possible.

The second option is attractive in that there are not only single-color phloxes on sale, but also mixed ones, which makes it possible to get a multi-colored flower bed when planting seed from one bag. To decide what color phlox you would like to plant, you should look at the numerous photos that gardeners post on the network.

To increase the germination of seeds, soak them in water 3 days before planting. room temperature and put in a warm place.

Choice of soil and capacity

For phloxes the best soil is neutral or slightly acidic soil. If the acidity of the soil is increased, then it is necessary to add lime to it to equalize the pH.

Heavy soil is diluted with sand, and if there is more sand in the soil than necessary, peat is mixed in. Not only peat is added to poor soils, but also manure or compost. You can make at home and such a mixture: turf, leafy soil, sand, peat (2: 2: 2: 1).

To disinfect the earth, it is kept for 1 day in the freezer or calcined in the oven at 200 - 250 degrees.

For planting seeds, you can use ordinary store-bought plastic containers for seedlings or adapt another low wide container.

Sowing

Despite the fact that the seeds are large and dense, they should not be deeply buried in the ground - it is enough to scatter them over the surface, easily press them with the palm of your hand and spray them with a spray bottle.

After that, the container should be covered with a film or glass and placed in a warm, bright place, the best option is a window sill. Optimum temperature for seed germination - +23 ° C, in no case lower.

Care consists in daily airing the container, spraying with water, carefully removing the collected condensate from the film / glass. The container should be located on the sunniest windowsill, the second option is additional illumination with phytolamps.

In order for the seeds to germinate faster, you should adhere to the following recommendations:

1. Provide high humidity indoors - it is ideal to use a humidifier for this purpose.
2. As soon as the first seeds hatch, watering should be reduced to prevent rotting.
3. As small phloxes grow, the temperature should be gradually reduced and eventually brought to 15 degrees.

When you see that the roots of the seeds are attached to the soil, the shelter should be removed. Shoots will appear in 7-10 days.

picking

When young plants have 2-3 true leaves, they must be dived. To do this, prepare right amount plastic cups with holes for drainage.

When there is soil in each cup, it is recommended to spill it with Energen, and then make small holes. Before picking, phloxes must be watered so that they can be easily removed from the container without the possibility of injuring the roots.

Remove the plants using any suitable tool and plant 1-2 pieces in cups, deepening to the level of the cotyledon leaves. Next, carefully pour along the edge of the pots, without pouring water under the roots of the sprouts.

After transplanting, keep the cups in a shady place, and put them on the windowsill at the end of the day. This technique will help phlox to adapt more easily to the new environment.

After picking, watering should be moderate: phloxes do not like excessive soil moisture. In order not to overdo it with moisture, use a spray bottle for this purpose and water only when upper layer the soil will dry out.

To fertilize seedlings, you can use Fertik "Crystal for garden flowers" (liquid) and Fertik Lux (mineral). Plants should be fertilized 2-3 times before planting in open ground.

Important! Top dressing can be carried out no earlier than 7 days after picking.

When 5 leaves appear, pinch the top of the plant in order to subsequently grow lush bushes.

Landing on a flower bed

Seedlings are planted in flower beds in May from minimum distance between plants at 15 - 20 cm for annual phlox and 0.5 m for perennials. For getting beautiful flowering It is very important to correctly determine the landing site.

Phloxes feel great in partial shade, but the shade should not be too strong, otherwise the flowering will be less lush, and the stems will stretch. On the open sun phloxes quickly turn pale and lose their aesthetic appearance. The best place- this is a site next to the trees, which in the midday heat will shade the plants with their branches.

Phloxes require soil with a high percentage of humus, do not plant plants in heavy soil with insufficient drainage, as this will negatively affect the seedlings. The best option is fertile sandy soil without clay, on which, subject to sufficient watering, powerful lush bushes grow. Peat, sand and organic fertilizer must be added to loamy soil.

It is necessary to make a small depression in the soil and lay compost or biohumus there (as an alternative - two glasses of ash), before planting, the root system should be straightened in a horizontal plane.

How to care for phlox

At the adaptation stage, while the phloxes have not yet grown stronger after transplantation, the soil around them must be periodically loosened, and the soil should be watered once every three days during the first two weeks. Between the rows, a layer of mulch from mowed grass should be arranged to prevent loss of soil moisture and the germination of weeds.

After the first 14 days, when the plants adapt, the soil still needs to be loosened, but less often (only about 8 times per season). In the 2nd half growing season add also hilling during loosening, so that the flowers form a strong root system.

Important! If there is little rain in summer, you need to water the flowers every 2-3 days at the rate of 2 liters of water for each plant. It is desirable to mulch the soil with a layer of peat or humus 4 cm thick.

Plants should be watered in the morning or evening, pouring water under the root. The water must be at temperature environment under no circumstances use cold water in the heat - this can lead to cracking of the stems.

For lush flowering plants should be fertilized regularly. For this, the following compositions are used:

Fertilizer	Description	Application scheme
"Ekorost" for garden flowers	Contains humic acids. Increases seed germination rates, improves seedling hardiness and increases disease resistance.	For root or foliar top dressing at the rate of 1 cap per 5 liters of water. Olive 1 time in 14 days.
"Grow" - fertilizer for flowers	Complex fertilizer with nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Promotes accelerated growth, enhances the brightness of flowers and prolongs the flowering period.	1 tablespoon per sq. soil meter.
"Windsor" for indoor and garden plants	Complex fertilizer that promotes abundant and long flowering	From 50 to 80 g per sq. m. Watering is done 1-3 times during the growing season
"Buton-2" (for garden)	Promotes long and abundant flowering	For 1 liter of water - 10 ml
Pokon - universal remedy for garden flowers	Optimizes soil composition, provides flowers with good nutrition and promotes rapid growth	For 1 sq.m. 1 scoop (fertilize once per season in spring)
"Flower Paradise" for blooming (Buyskie fertilizers)	Increases resistance to diseases	50 ml: 5 liters of water

You can use the following feeding scheme:

1. Fertilize the plants with liquid manure for the first time at the end of May, adding 25 g of water to a bucket of water.
2. The second time - the beginning of June. The same solution with the addition of superphosphate or potassium salt to it.
3. At the beginning of July - again liquid manure without additives.
4. At the end of July, add potassium salt and phosphorus to the solution.

Features of growing perennial phlox

Caring for perennial phlox is practically the same as caring for annuals, but there are still some differences.

1. After landing on a flower bed, the soil must be mulched with humus or peat.
2. Perennial phloxes are often sown in open ground, bypassing the stage of growing seedlings.
3. Annual phlox need 3-4 top dressing per season, and perennial - 5.

At proper care perennial phlox grow up to seven years in one place, without losing their decorative qualities.

Diseases and pests of phlox

Some phlox diseases are not treatable, and therefore the bush in such cases is dug up and destroyed. These diseases include variegation, in which the leaves of the plant are covered with an unnatural pattern for them. The same should be done when powdery mildew appears, which manifests itself in the form white plaque on stem and leaves.

Phomosis is a fungal disease that leads to drying of the leaves and fragility of the stems. Prevention consists in spraying colloidal sulfur on plants - this procedure should be carried out at an air temperature of at least 18 degrees.

Septoria - expressed in dark brown specks on leaf plates, which gradually increase. Plants and the soil around them must be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture, and after two weeks, do it again.

Phloxes are subject to "attacks" by naked slugs that eat all parts of the plant. If you regularly loosen the soil and remove weeds, then the slugs will not be able to get to the flowers, but if this still happened, then the earth should be periodically sprinkled with ash or fluffy lime.

In case of damage by a nematode (a worm that feeds on plant sap), the bush should be dug up and burned, and the soil should be treated 3 times with nematocides with a break between treatments of 20 days.

Phlox transplant

If the perennial bush has grown too much and has lost its decorative qualities, then it must be planted. Better time for this - from mid-August to early December.

Dig up the plant and divide the root system into several parts, removing the central part, which ages faster than others. Plant the resulting delenki, spreading the roots horizontally and sprinkle with earth with a layer of no more than 5 cm and mulch the soil with humus (peat).

If the autumn is not rainy, then the plants will need abundant watering - 3 liters of water every 3 days. After watering, slightly loosen the soil to allow air to reach the roots.

Phlox pruning

Experts say that pruning phlox for the winter protects them from pests and diseases. Pruning time is selected depending on the variety of flowers and the region. Early varieties of phlox, the flowering of which ends earlier, are pruned already at the end of September, and late ones - in October.

The best solution is to cut all the stems low, leaving 1-2 cm above the soil level. Some gardeners leave "stumps" 8-10 cm long, but practice shows that in the spring weaker shoots appear from them, which bloom worse.

After pruning, the soil must be mulched horse manure or peat (for 1 bush - 2/3 buckets).

Phlox annuals may bloom again in the spring, but flowering will be poor. Therefore, the best option is to collect the seeds, cut off the dried stems and dig up the ground, removing the rhizomes from it. In the spring, you can sow the seeds and again enjoy the chic view of the flower beds.

• Type: cyanotic
• Flowering period: May, June, July, August, September, October
• Height: 10-150cm
• Color: white, pink, red, blue, crimson, purple
• perennial
• hibernates
• sun-loving
• moisture-loving

Phlox is a genus of flowers that includes more than 70 species, of which about 30 species are wild, 40 are cultivated. There are up to 400 varieties and hybrids. Separate types phloxes during the flowering period resemble high tongues of bright scarlet flame. That is why Carl Linnaeus gave the name of the plant genus, which in Greek means "fire". Phlox homeland - North America. Of all the plants of this genus, only one wild species grows in Russia. Phloxes are moisture-loving and quite demanding on soils. They need special growing conditions. What are phloxes, planting and caring for them?

Almost all types of phlox are perennial. Of everything species diversity only an annual. Plants of this genus have erect or creeping stems. Height can reach 10-150 cm.

Five-petal 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. The fruit is 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 cover phlox - flower garden decoration

These are creeping plants, the first to bloom in the garden. Flowers appear on them in mid-May. Phlox subulate is very popular. It is named so for the small oblong leaves that look like an awl. 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 styloid phlox fades, it should be cut by a third. It stimulates growth and more abundant flowering on the next year. In winter, the styloid phlox needs to be covered. Dry foliage is well suited for this. The styloid phlox is ideal for decorating rocky hills.

Other varieties of ground cover phlox are also loved by gardeners - lovely, forked, Douglas, Rugelli. They bloom in late May and are great for decorating flower beds. The color of Rugelli phlox flowers is very interesting - purple-blue. A feature of the lovely phlox is undemanding to soils. They can issue retaining walls, foot of stairs. Best time for planting ground cover phlox - spring.

The styloid phlox can have any color of flowers - from white with various shades to purple

Loose sod varieties - beautiful and unpretentious

They bloom after ground covers. Among loose-grained varieties, the most popular is splayed (Canadian). Gardeners love him for his unpretentiousness. Wild species blooms luxuriantly blue flowers with an intoxicating aroma, similar to violet. Under favorable weather conditions, the splayed phlox is covered with flowers at the end of May and blooms for about a month. If the season is dry, then the plants fade much faster. The color of flowers of cultivated varieties varies from white to purple and lilac. When planting a splayed phlox, you need to constantly monitor that it is not overgrown with weeds.

Of the loose-soddy varieties, the stolon-bearing phlox is also very beautiful. It is widely used in landscape design, since this species grows rapidly and covers the site with a luxurious carpet. Blooms white, pink, blue flowers. Another property that is pleasant for gardeners is undemanding to illumination. The stoloniferous phlox feels great in shaded areas. It can be planted under trees. The plant tolerates moisture well.

The flowers of the stoloniferous phlox are extremely beautiful. Particularly interesting crimson-pink color

Bush phlox - for wet shaded areas

Bush varieties can be undersized (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 one is similar in appearance to Canadian phlox. The color of its petals is pink. The second one is the highest undersized varieties(up to 110 cm). petals white color. On the territory of Russia, these varieties take root well, since they develop normally on acidic soils.

From tall bush varieties special attention deserve phlox Arends. They bloom early and delight the eye with fragrant flowers for a long time. They are planted densely, because. plant stems are weak and can be damaged by bad weather. The peculiarity of the variety is that after pruning they are able to bloom again. To do this, the shoots are cut immediately after the first flowering.

For gardeners, two more types of bush phlox are of interest - spotted and paniculate. 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. Phlox spotted often decorate the space around water bodies, 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 variety of phloxes from the video:

"Fiery flower" in landscape design

Phloxes look great both in single plantings and as part of compositions. Styloid phlox looks luxurious on Alpine rollercoaster. They plant flower beds and frame lawns to give a more colorful look. Panicled phlox- the perfect decor for unaesthetic items. For example, they can mask old curbs. In luxuriantly flowering bushes water tanks or other unpresentable, but very necessary items on the site will be invisible.

Phlox compositions are used to model the garden space. They are well suited for dividing it into zones. On the landscape terrace, these plants are placed on the second tier. With this solution, it is possible to achieve beautiful view terraces, no matter what plants are placed on neighboring tiers. A good option- planting a bright lawn. If instead of grass, the site is planted with phloxes, it will resemble a chic colorful carpet. Medium-sized phlox decorate the edges of garden paths.

Phloxes are well suited for decorating the banks of reservoirs on the site.

We are looking for "good neighbors in the garden"

Phloxes are beautiful on their own, so they can be planted separately. But many gardeners consider these flowers rustic and prefer to group them with other types of plants. Perhaps this opinion is not entirely fair, but it would still not hurt to “dilute” the phloxes.

One of the most advantageous options is planting phlox against the backdrop of silver conifers. Also a good idea- plant undersized next to the phlox, for example,. They will cover the lower part of the higher "fiery flowers" and the composition will look complete.

Some gardeners create compositions of phlox and roses. The idea is debatable, since both types look great 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 will look good rich colors against the background of white or pink phlox.

Design option: a combination of phloxes and roses of similar shades, “diluted” with cineraria

How to combine colors in the design of the garden?

When combined different types phloxes in one composition, you should remember the golden rules of color harmony. Do not plant flowers of 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 phloxes on the background dark colors most often they do not look very good, because dark background "eats" even very beautiful white flowers. But dark against a white background is an acceptable option. Groups of the same color look aesthetically pleasing, but different shades planted sequentially.

Multi-colored phlox, planted in groups along the border, zone and decorate the space

Vegetative and seed propagation of phloxes

Like most garden plants, phloxes are propagated by seeds, cuttings and dividing bushes. For division, an adult bush is chosen - from 3, and preferably 4-5 years. If you plan to plant phloxes 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. This difference exists because in the spring phlox take root and take root better.

Spring cuttings

Phlox cuttings need from May to mid-summer. Then the survival rate 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 knots each. This is best done on a cloudy day. After harvesting, the cuttings are immediately planted in abundantly watered fertile soil so that they take root.

It is better to prepare the soil for planting cuttings yourself by 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 the plant.

To harvest the cuttings, the stem is cut into several parts, the tops are removed

Features of autumn cuttings

If there is a need for phlox cuttings “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 cannot be immediately planted in open ground, since they will not survive even the first signs of a cold snap. 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 a risk of morning frosts.

If the cuttings are prepared in the fall, they need to be planted in a container.

Reproduction of flowers by seeds

Growing phloxes from seeds is a classic of the "gardening genre". Seed propagation of plants takes more time than vegetative propagation, but it has an undeniable advantage - high adaptability. Phloxes grown from seeds adapt better to the characteristics of the climate and soil. A significant drawback of this type of reproduction is the possible loss of varietal characteristics. It only makes sense to plant seeds if there are no other options or if the quantity planting material it is more important to preserve the characteristics of the variety.

Seeds can be purchased or driven out on your own. They are harvested during the period of wilting foliage. Then the boxes already acquire a brown color, but do not yet have time to crumble. You can plant seeds immediately on the site, and preferably indoors. A mixture of humus, sand and soil is placed in containers, seeds are planted and covered with earth by 1-1.5 cm. In December, the containers are covered with snow, and in mid-March they are transferred to a greenhouse. Young plants are planted in the ground at the end of April. First - in a greenhouse, a month later - on the site.

After planting the seeds, you can put the container in the house on the windowsill

How to prepare the soil and plant phlox

Although the plants tolerate semi-shaded areas well, they are best planted in well-lit areas: this way the flowering will be more abundant, and the plants will take root better. Water should not stagnate. The soil is suitable sandy, loam with peat and humus. Humus from a birch leaf and needles is very good. Fresh manure must not be introduced.

The soil is loosened, weeds are removed, fertilized with compost, watered. At spring planting you can plant phloxes immediately after freezing the soil. Then it is likely that they will bloom this season. Planted in autumn until mid-October.

Plants are planted at a distance of 35-50 cm from each other. A closer location is needed only if a bush planting is planned. Old plants need repotting. If the flowers have become smaller, it's time to think about rejuvenating the phlox. It is dug up, divided and transplanted.

The first signs of plant aging may appear at 3-5 years of age, then it is time to divide and transplant them.

What do flowers need for normal development

Caring for phlox differs little from caring for others. garden plants. They need to be weeded, loosen the soil, cut off dried shoots. If the gardener wants to grow a short and voluminous bush, you can periodically pinch. It should be remembered that pinching 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.

Phlox 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 splash on the leaves. During 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 changes: it is gradually increased from 2 g per liter of water to 8 g, after which it is also reduced. Phloxes prefer fertilizers with nitrogen and phosphorus. You can add saltpeter to the "diet" (2 g per liter of water). After mid-August, fertilizing the plant is not worth it. It is advisable to cover phloxes for the winter, especially if they are recently planted.

In order for the plants to bloom well, they need to be fed and dived.

Beware of danger: powdery mildew and spotting

Phlox often suffer from powdery mildew and spotting. Signs of diseases: dots and spots on the leaves, their wrinkling. Sick leaves should be removed, and the plant should be treated with Bordeaux mixture or analogues. Can be sprayed for prevention. In this case, you should not wait for the symptoms of the disease, and the treatment should be carried out in the spring.

Plants can be attacked by filamentous worms or nematodes. To avoid misfortune, you should not plant phloxes in areas where strawberries grew. If the plant is already sick, there is only one method of treatment - elimination along with a clod of earth and disinfection of the soil with lime.

For preventive and therapeutic spraying, insecticides "Sumi-Alpha", "Karate", "Fury", "Kinmiks" can be recommended. For more information on pest control, see the video:

You can propagate perennial phloxes as vegetatively, as well as seeds.

The method of reproduction of phloxes is chosen depending on the goal that is set in this case. So, for example, phloxes can be divided in order to multiply rare and beautiful variety, for getting a large number planting material or its improvement, finally, for the preparation of ordinary cutting or cutting for exhibitions.

When are phlox propagated by seeds?

Under good weather conditions, phloxes produce seeds in abundance, which often, especially in early varieties, ripen on the bushes. The readiness of the seeds is indicated by the browning of the boxes and the beginning of the wilting of the leaves. In late-flowering varieties, seeds reach wax ripeness in October. To get mature seeds, cut the stems, tie them in bunches and hang them on a cold veranda. If the room is very dry, then the boxes begin to crack, the seeds scatter, and they can be lost. Then the inflorescences are placed in gauze bags. Browned boxes, as they mature, can be collected from the bushes in paper bags and brought into the room. In a paper bag, the boxes dry up and burst with a characteristic crack. Phlox seeds quickly lose their germination, especially in a dry and warm room. It is best to clean the seeds just before sowing. P. G. Gaganov advised to mix the peeled seeds with sand and store them in a cool room in this form until sowing. The highest germination (up to 80-90%) is given by seeds when sown immediately after their collection - in late November - early December. You can also sow in winter - in January-February on a garden bed prepared in the fall. To do this, snow is removed from the garden, seeds are rarely scattered on its frozen surface, with a distance of 3-4 cm. Then they are covered with a layer of sifted earth prepared in advance, or sand 1-1.5 cm thick and snow. When sown in winter, seed germination will be 70%.

When growing perennial phloxes from seeds, they can be sown immediately in open ground in the fall or at the beginning of winter, planting the seeds to a depth of 1.5 cm. In the spring, the seeds will germinate safely and bloom by autumn.

With seed propagation, phlox seedlings bloom for 3-4 years. Sowing is done in the fall, as the seeds quickly lose their germination. With this method, decorative qualities mother plant are not fully preserved.

When sown at home perennial phlox seeds need stratification. A container with planted seeds is first kept at room conditions for 15-20 days, then in the cold (from -2 to +4 0C) for 15-25 days. After low temperatures put a container with phlox seeds close to the glass and make a screen from the room and heating appliances so that the air temperature is not higher than +12 0C. If phlox seeds were planted in February, the third period will be in April, then the container with phlox seeds can be safely taken out into the garden under agrospan or plastic film. The optimum temperature for germination of phlox seeds is from +5 to +12 0C.

Once the seeds germinate, the difficult, tedious process of waiting ends: “maybe I did something wrong; maybe the seeds are bad; may be...". In the future, seedlings require the same care as other seedlings.

Small phlox seedlings in the phase of two or three pairs of true leaves are planted at a distance of about 20 cm on a bed with fertile soil. Further phlox care consists in systematic weeding, loosening the soil, watering, top dressing. While the phlox seedlings are still small, the soil between them can be mulched with mowed grass. This will keep the soil soft and moist and will also prevent weeds from growing.

Perennial phloxes in dry hot weather need watering, but it is at this time that there is a risk of phloxes being affected by septoria, powdery mildew. In this case, spraying with fungicides is necessary, otherwise you can lose the plant.

In summer, as soon as the plants get stronger, you need to pinch over the fourth or fifth pair of leaves. This is done for better tillering of phloxes. Flowering of phloxes lasts from July to the end of September, but the peak falls on August. It is only necessary to remove faded inflorescences in time, then new flower stalks appear from the axils of the lateral leaves. Once every three to four years in May, the phlox rhizome must be divided. It's better to do in early spring or in September, so that the transplanted plants have time to take root before winter.

We bring to your attention the video: "How to grow perennial phlox from seeds"

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