Annual phlox – growing from seeds

Phloxes are beautiful flowers, loved by many flower growers and gardeners. Today, more than seventy species of phlox are known, but only half of them are grown in culture. And almost all varieties of these flowers are perennials. Perennial phloxes have a lot of advantages, but there is also a significant drawback – a limited color range (pink-raspberry shades) and a monotonous structure of inflorescences. But annual phlox is full of different colors, its petals are carved and resemble original snowflakes. Unfortunately, there is a minus here too – growing an annual is much more difficult.

This article will be devoted to how to grow annual phloxes from seeds, when to plant these flowers for seedlings and in the ground. From here you can learn about the features of flowers, about what methods of growing them exist, and what kind of care annual phloxes need.

Description of the species

There are only a few types of annual phlox, and only one of them, Drummond’s phlox, has become popular. The birthplace of this species is hot Texas, but the annual feels great in the continental climate of Europe and Our Country.

Characteristic of Phlox Drummonda:

• a plant of small or medium height – from 12 to 30 cm;
• there are semi-shrubby varieties that can grow up to 150 cm in the sun;
• the stems of the flower are strongly branched, herbaceous;
• the leaves are small, arranged oppositely, have an oval-lanceolate shape;
• inflorescences are small, but plentiful;
• the shape of the petals can be different: needle-shaped, star-shaped, rounded;
• the color of annual phloxes is also diverse (from white to salmon and blue);
• the structure of the flower can be both simple and terry;
• annual phloxes exude a strong sweet aroma;
• flowers are suitable for decorating flower beds, borders, rabatok, they can be planted in boxes and flowerpots.

It has been noticed that the same varieties of annual phloxes can have different heights depending on the landing site. So, on hills, spherical bushes grow up to a maximum of 25-30 cm, while on a sunny plain, plants can stretch more than a meter.

Reproduction of annuals

An annual phlox, unlike its perennial relative, can reproduce in only one way – by seeds. It is believed that the germination of Drummond Phlox seeds that have fallen to the ground in autumn will be about 70% in spring. However for the friendly germination of flowers, ideal conditions are necessary:

• loose soil;
• high humidity;
• warm climate;
• snowy winter, saving the seeds from freezing;
• stable temperatures in winter.

Even if all these factors coincide, self-seeding phlox will have its drawbacks. Firstly, the flowers will appear where they grew last season, and not in the area chosen by the grower. Secondly, the flowering of annual phloxes sown directly into the ground will be later – the inflorescences will bloom only in the second half of summer.

Seedling method of reproduction

In view of all of the above, the cultivation of annual phloxes from seeds by direct sowing into the soil is very rare. This method is valid only for southern regions with mild winters and early spring.

In other cases it is not customary to plant phloxes with seeds – the Drummond flower is grown through seedlings. Details on how to sow seeds and when to sow annual phlox seedlings will be discussed later.

What you need to know

For a very long time it was believed that the cultivation of annual phloxes in culture is a difficult and thankless task. The fact is that the large seeds of these flowers did not want to germinate in any way, so it was not possible to get seedlings.

It turned out that annual phlox seeds do not need to be sprinkled with earth at all – they are simply laid out on the ground. This significantly reduces the seed germination time. The second thing that a florist should take into account at home is Annual seeds need light to germinate.

So, when starting to independently grow seedlings of annual phloxes, the following must be considered:

1. Immediately after sowing the seeds, the containers must be placed in a warm and, most importantly, in a bright place. Therefore, containers can only be covered with a transparent film or glass.
2. The soil for phlox needs loose, sandy, well-drained. Flowers do not tolerate high acidity of the soil – the pH should be neutral.
3. Phlox annuals definitely need frequent top dressing. It is necessary to use only mineral complexes for flowers.
4. Annuals tolerate picking well, so seedlings must be planted in separate containers.
5. To form a beautiful spherical bush, it is necessary to pinch the tops of the seedlings, starting from the first month of her life.

Sowing annuals

How to sow Drummond phlox seeds for seedlings will be described in more detail. It is recommended to start sowing in March, when there will already be enough sunlight. Otherwise, you will have to illuminate the flower boxes artificially.

First, planting containers are prepared, which are plastic cups, common containers with transparent lids, peat cups or tablets.

Containers for phlox seedlings are filled with a loose substrate consisting of soddy soil, sand, humus and peat. The soil is lightly sprinkled with water and the seeds are laid out. The distance between the seeds should be at least two centimeters.

Each seed is slightly pressed into the soil, after which the plantings are sprayed with a spray bottle. Cover the containers with a film, lid or glass and send to a warm, bright place.

The film from the container must be removed at the moment when the phlox roots sprout from the seeds and begin to attach to the ground (sprouts appear only after that). Until that moment, the seedlings are aired every day, the condensate is wiped from the shelter, and the soil is slightly moistened.

Care of seedlings

Seedlings of annual phlox are unpretentious, tolerate diving well and do not require special attention. Phlox picking should be done 2-3 weeks after the flower seeds germinate. By this time, the plants should have formed a pair of true leaves.

Now it is important to observe the temperature regime (not lower than 20 degrees), provide seedlings of annuals with uniform light, and water the plants regularly. When the seedlings are a month old, they are fed with a mineral complex. Before planting in the ground, phloxes are hardened and a portion of fertilizer is added again, mixing them with water for irrigation.

In order for the annual phlox bushes to be thick and lush, the tops of the seedlings are pinched when 4-5 true leaves grow.

Planting in the ground and care

At the end of May, you can safely plant seedlings of annual phloxes in the ground. For these plants in a flower bed, choose a sunny or semi-shady area with well-drained loose soil.

An interval of at least 20 cm must be observed between phlox bushes and other plants. The distance between the holes depends on the variety of flowers and their expected height (20-40 cm).

A phlox seedling is carefully transferred to the prepared hole, straightening its long roots. It remains only to lightly sprinkle the plant with earth and tamp it down with your fingers. Planted flowers are watered with warm water.

Seedlings of annual phlox take root well, and subsequently these flowers will not need complex care.

The florist must do the following:

1. In annual phloxes, the roots are very overheated, so in the heat you need to regularly water the plants with cool water.
2. A couple of weeks after planting the seedlings, the flowers spud. The soil is regularly loosened, as the roots must “breathe”.
3. You should constantly pinch the shoots of annual phloxes: first to form a bush, then to rejuvenate it (the tops with faded inflorescences are cut off).
4. At least four times during the summer, annuals need to be fed with mineral fertilizers.
5. At the end of the season, several dried shoots with phlox seeds are cut off and put in a box.

The basic rule for caring for annual phlox is not to interfere with their development and growth. The florist can significantly facilitate his work if he mulches the soil around the bushes.

Conclusion

Phlox Drummond will delight in lush flowering from early June to late September. This is one of the most unpretentious flowers, and the main difficulty lies in their reproduction.

Photos of tender annuals are so beautiful that it is simply impossible to remain indifferent. If you look, sowing seeds and growing seedlings of phlox is not such a complicated process. Knowing the simple rules, you can be guaranteed to get friendly shoots and strong seedlings.