How to feed phloxes: for flowering, during and after flowering

Feeding phloxes in the spring is necessary for every gardener who wants to see exquisite flowers with good decorative qualities on his backyard. These unpretentious perennials need proper care, timely watering and fertilizer. If you feed, loosen and mulch the ground in spring and autumn, phloxes will annually delight the owner with lush bouquets with a wonderful aroma and will live in one place for up to 8 years.

Phlox need mineral or organic fertilizers

Do I need to fertilize phlox

To increase life expectancy and improve the quality of a flower, you need to know about the rules for caring for it. The main secret, thanks to which the buds will be large, and their flowering will be long, is soil fertilization. The growth of phloxes begins early, it is advisable to feed them for the first time in the spring, until all the snow has melted. The next feeding is at the end of May – beginning of June. Then food is produced in the first and last week of July. Varieties that bloom late need additional feeding at the end of summer. Phloxes are fertilized for the last time in the fall before winter.

Types of fertilizers for phlox

The composition of the substances that need to be fed depends on the stage of development of the culture. The growing season of phlox consists of several stages:

• growth;
• development;
• bud formation;
• the end of flowering;
• seed pod maturation.

For each growth phase, you need to select the appropriate type of fertilizer:

1. Organics. Natural nutrients containing nitrogen, thanks to which phloxes grow well. Organics should be abundantly applied in spring, and later, at the time of bottling, its amount is reduced.
2. mineral compounds. Chemicals that the plant needs in the summer and autumn months. In spring, urea can be used from minerals.
3. Root dressing. The most effective way of care applied throughout the year. When organics and minerals are brought under the root of the bushes in a liquid or dry state. It is advisable to use these mixtures in early spring or during the autumn feeding of phloxes and preparation for winter.
4. Foliar dressing. Spraying bushes with nutrient compounds. The best time to visit is the beginning of June and the end of July.
5. Folk remedies. In the spring, wood ash is used, nettle infusion is used as an alternative to nitrogen sources, and bone meal is used instead of phosphorus preparations.

Fresh manure does not need to be applied under plants, this can lead to rot and fungal diseases.

What fertilizers do phloxes like

Before you feed the culture, it is important to pay attention to the seat. Plants planted in clay or infertile soil, in addition to complex fertilizers, love the introduction of humus, sand, and peat into the ground.

From organic flowers are well perceived:

• slurry diluted with water in a ratio of 3:20;
• mullein in a rotted state, infused (1/3 of the substrate per 10 liters of water) and diluted 1:3;
• bird manure, 1000 g per 10 l.

Of the minerals, it is better to feed phloxes:

1. Crystalline urea, phosphorus, potassium, ammonium nitrate – you can make only in the spring.
2. Potassium salt and potassium sulfate are indispensable in summer.
3. Superphosphate – you can feed both in spring and at the stage of fertilizing phlox for the winter.

Among folk remedies, it is better to give preference to wood ash, weed infusion, bone meal.

Wood ash will effectively protect phloxes from harmful insects

Signs of nutritional deficiencies

If phloxes lag behind in development, bloom poorly, shed their foliage ahead of time, then they lack nutrients. In this situation, it is important to correctly identify and eliminate the cause of the deterioration. The main signs of a lack of elements are:

• phosphorus – flowering later than the due date, dull leaves of a dark green hue;
• potassium – poor flowering, pale color;
• nitrogen – developmental delay, pale leaves;
• iron – yellowing of foliage in spring and summer;
• copper – slow development, brown spots on the leaves;
• magnesium – falling of leaf plates.

Rules and terms of feeding perennial phlox

It is advisable to fertilize perennial phloxes 5-6 times (necessarily in spring and before winter), but if the plant is young, then it is enough to feed it 3 times. Processing is required to be carried out depending on the growth phase.

Feeding times:

1. The first application is carried out in the spring. Ammonium nitrate, ash, superphosphate are distributed over the surface of the snow. In the absence of snow cover, top dressing is buried in the ground.

   

2. The second treatment is also carried out in the spring, but already in May. Mullein, potassium salt, ammonium nitrate are perfect. Additionally, you can pour a solution of potassium permanganate (0,2 g per 6 l) or boric acid (2 g per 6 l).

   

3. In summer, at the time of flowering, it is better to feed the bushes with mineral complexes: “Flower”, “Agricola”. It is allowed to use a mixture of chicken manure and potassium sulfate with superphosphate (20 g each) per 10 liters of water. Potassium contributes to the formation of a long and abundant flowering, enhances the color.

   

4. In autumn, top dressing of phlox consists in the use of phosphorus-potassium solutions (20 g of potassium sulfate and 40 g of superphosphate per 20 liters of water). It is useful to use bone meal, ash, the “Autumn” complex, mixed with compost.

   

How to feed perennial phlox in spring

In early spring, the growing season of the plant begins. At this point, it is better to feed it with minerals. For example, add 50 g of superphosphate or 40 g of ammonium nitrate per 1 m².

In late spring, phloxes need nitrogenous, organic mixtures: ammonium nitrate and potassium salt (15 and 20 g per 1 m² respectively), ash. The best option would be an infusion of mullein or bird droppings. To prepare it you need:

1. Place the bag with the substrate in a container of water.
2. Leave for 7-10 days, stirring occasionally.
3. Mix with water 1:10.

In the spring, during planting, it is advisable to add leaf humus, lime, horse manure, dolomite or bone meal to the ground. It is better to mix organic matter with minerals, so the plant will receive a maximum of substances that promote growth.

The use of organic matter in the garden is environmentally friendly

How to feed phlox flowers in summer

To feed perennial phloxes in the summer, mineral fertilizers or a mixture of 20 g of potassium sulfate, 20 g of superphosphate and 10 liters of water are suitable. Summer fertilizer of phloxes with ash will also be useful. To do this, 300 g of the substance must be diluted in a bucket of water and insisted for 4 days.

How to feed phlox in autumn

In autumn, flowers need to be prepared for the cold. At this time, fertilizers must be applied, because the culture needs to recuperate. A solution prepared from a mixture of one tablespoon of potassium sulfate and superphosphate in a bucket of water or a mixture of 40 g of wood ash, 20 g of potassium nitrate, 40 g of superphosphate and 10 liters of water is well suited.

A couple of weeks before using the phosphorus-potassium composition, it is advisable to treat the ground near the plants with foundationazole (10 g per 10 l) or phytosporin-M (5 g per 10 l). The procedure is performed to prevent the development of bacterial and fungal diseases.

How to feed phlox for the winter

In October, you can feed phlox with dry preparations. Scatter under a bush 40 g of superphosphate or 200 g of bone meal, 1 cup of wood ash. So the plant will survive the winter more easily, accumulate nutrients in the roots. Mulching should be carried out in the second half of October. To do this, use sawdust, peat, mowed grass and humus. To protect the culture from freezing, a 5-centimeter layer of mulch is enough.

How to feed phlox for abundant flowering

In order for phloxes to please the gardener with fresh shoots in the spring, it is important to strictly follow all the rules of care. To increase immunity and give the bush splendor, important substances are potassium, manganese, boron and other macronutrients. Potassium and phosphorus contribute to the formation of buds and giving a bright color. These components must be applied to the soil where the flowers grow.

Also, in order for the phloxes to be large, in the fall you can feed them with Bona-Autumn or Fertika (autumn) preparations, and in the summer with Kemira + with the addition of an Epin ampoule.

For abundant flowering, phloxes are fed about 6 times a year.

What and how not to feed phloxes

The process of fertilizing phlox has several nuances. During the procedure, you can not:

1. Use dry formulations on non-moistened soil.
2. Bring in fresh manure.
3. Increase the concentration recommended by the manufacturer.
4. Include nitrogen in autumn feeding.

Feeding rules

The effectiveness and usefulness of the procedure depends on compliance with the rules. In order not to harm the plant, it is important to follow the instructions clearly. Proper feeding is to use the required dose of the drug, in favorable weather conditions and the right way to apply.

Rules for the use of fertilizers:

1. It is not advisable to fertilize in dry and windy weather. It is better to apply liquid organic matter in the spring, in loosened, abundantly moistened soil. It is allowed to feed flowers foliarly in the morning or after sunset, on a calm, cloudy, but not rainy day.
2. It is very important to strictly follow the dosage and prepare the solutions according to the instructions. Excessive concentration of the substance can lead to burns and even death of the plant.
3. The best result can be achieved if you feed the phlox with fertilizer in dissolved form. To do this, the required amount of the component is diluted in a large volume of water and the bushes are watered with the composition.
4. The use of dry mixes is allowed when feeding phlox before winter, with abundant watering or rainy weather, for digging. Topical application usually requires embedding the substance in moist soil to a depth of 20 cm.
5. The foliar method provides additional nutrition. It is produced in late spring and summer by spraying beneficial solutions on the stems and leaves of flowers. They are used for prevention and in the case when the plant needs to be urgently fed (in case of illness).

If you feed phloxes not according to the rules, you can burn the root system, disrupt the balance of nutrients and soil microflora. And this will significantly worsen the quality of flowering phloxes and can lead to their death.

Feeding will never cause harm if done correctly.

Conclusion

You can feed phloxes in spring and autumn with different preparations and methods. The main thing is not to neglect the procedure and follow simple rules. A timely and competent approach to business will help prolong flowering and improve the quality of inflorescences, and prevent the development of diseases. But at the same time, it should be remembered that the measure is important in everything.