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Plants often found in flowerbeds and yards are so popular that they have, in addition to scientific, other names. Therefore, many people may not know that tall flowers with large bright clouds of inflorescences are called phlox. The topic of our conversation today is planting and caring for perennial phlox.
Botanical description of perennial
The fire flower came to Europe from North America several centuries ago. The name phlox means “flame” in translation. This is due to the fact that earlier the color of the flower was only scarlet. Today there are more than fifty varieties of the plant and at least one and a half thousand varieties. Almost all of them are perennial.
Based on the place of growth, the appearance of the flower and its morphological features are different. The height of the plant can be from 10 to 150 cm. The stems are straight and stiff, the leaves are rather large, oblong in shape, and rich green in color. Placed opposite.
Flowering time depends on the variety and variety. The flowers are collected in large panicles, have a persistent pleasant aroma and can be of a wide variety of colors. The flower is small – up to 5 cm in diameter. It consists of 5 petals and stamens, as well as a pistil.
All varieties of perennials can be divided into three groups:
- bush – can be tall and short, flowers without notches and cuts at the tips;
- creeping or ground cover;
- loose sod – an intermediate option between the first and second groups.
Video “Secrets of caring for perennial phlox”
In this video, experts tell you how to achieve abundant and rich flowering of horticultural crops.
Interesting types and varieties of phlox
Species and varietal diversity allows you to choose a flower for every taste: size, color, purpose. The most common and popular not only among flower growers, but also among amateurs are the following perennials:
- Paniculate. They bloom in late summer or early September, with a richness of varietal colors, only a bright pleasant aroma of flowers can compete. But yellow is not among them. There are pure and hybrid forms. The height of the bush is from 50 cm to 1 m. The shape of the inflorescences is spherical, they can be compact and loose.
- splayed. The most unpretentious type of perennial. With small flowers of a characteristic shape, loose inflorescences and hard elongated leaves. Among the colors, shades of lilac, blue and white predominate.
- Subulate. Low bushes with small, neatly collected inflorescences of blue, lilac, pink and purple hues. The leaves are small, leathery, with sharp tips. It spreads along the ground and covers it with a kind of thick green carpet. Blooms in May or early June.
- Canadian or splayed. Medium-sized bushes with relatively large flowers. Umbrellas of inflorescences are about 10 cm in diameter. The color scheme is blue, purple and white. Does not form seeds, whimsical to the soil.
- Phlox Douglas. Low growing, only up to 5 cm tall, great for lawn replacement. The leaves and flowers are small, but bloom twice a season. White, blue, pink and lilac colors predominate.
Growing conditions
Although phloxes are quite unpretentious to growing conditions, they will grow, develop and bloom better only when optimal conditions are created.
Site Selection
The best option is a well-lit area, protected from gusts of strong winds and drafts. It can be a garden bed, fenced on the north side.
Shade-loving varieties can be planted behind shrubs or under spreading trees.
The wrong choice of place is fraught with loss of decorativeness, rare and small flowers. Also not suitable for perennial lowland, marshy soil and a plot with surface deposits of groundwater.
Soil requirements
Loose and nutritious soil is ideal for phlox. Loams with a slightly acidic or neutral reaction are best suited. If the acidity level is high, then lime must be applied before planting.
A perennial bed should be prepared a year before planting.
Author’s advice
The soil is fed with organic matter: wood ash, compost and manure. To make the structure of the soil lighter, you can use sand or peat. However, peat should not be abused in any case. You can make loose soil more dense with the help of soddy soil and compost.
Subtleties and secrets of landing
Compliance with all the rules of planting is the key to rapid adaptation and development of the plant.
Determination of terms
For most regions of Our Country, the optimal period for planting is April-May. When choosing the time, you need to focus on the climatic conditions in the region – the soil should be warm enough and the possibility of return frosts is excluded.
You can plant a perennial in the fall, but in such a way that the plant has time to adapt before the first frost. Planting phlox in the summer does not guarantee a positive result and is rather troublesome.
Selection of planting material
The most convenient method of propagation is cuttings. Therefore, you need to choose the right seedling itself. It should be healthy, with a strong root system, with several full-fledged buds and branches. It is better to choose planting material in nurseries, shops and specialized farms in order to eliminate the risk of infection of the plant or the acquisition of a flower with inappropriate species characteristics.
Features of landing
The previously prepared bed is loosened and the cuttings are planted in small holes at a distance of at least 30 cm. Tall varieties should be planted at a distance of at least half a meter. After planting, the cuttings are watered abundantly for several weeks (only if there is no heavy rainfall).
How to care for flowering perennials
Phloxes, like other plants, need certain agrotechnical measures.
Watering and loosening the soil
Phloxes are moisture-loving flowers. Therefore, watering should be plentiful and regular. During the flowering period, phloxes are watered every 3 days, if the weather is especially hot and dry, then daily.
Light loose soil provides normal ventilation and air access to the roots. Therefore, it is necessary to loosen the earth at least once a week, and preferably after each watering.
Top dressing and fertilization
Additional nutrition is simply necessary for the lush flowering and well-being of the perennial. The spring subcortex must necessarily include nitrogen-containing complexes; before flowering, preference should be given to potassium-phosphorus mixtures.
Transplant rules
Transplantation will help to rejuvenate and activate all the functional processes of the plant. Experienced flower growers advise replanting a flower every 5-6 years. If the flower has all the optimal conditions and proper care, the time can be increased to 8–9 years.
Wintering
Southern regions with mild warm winters are not terrible for phloxes. But in other regions, you need to take care of adequate shelter. Before winter, the perennial is cut to the roots and mulched with straw. You can also use burlap or spunbond for shelter.
In areas with severe frosts, it is better to dig up the bushes and move them in boxes to the room. They can’t handle a harsh winter.
Methods of reproduction
We have already talked about the cuttings of phlox before. But the perennial can be propagated in other ways: by seeds, layering, dividing the bush.
Seeds
Seeds are easier to buy in the store. They are deepened into containers with fertile soil by 1–2 cm. The containers are placed on the street for stratification in a natural way, but covered with leaves and snow. In the spring, the containers are placed in a warm room for seedlings to germinate.
Layers
Layering allows you to propagate the bush in both summer and autumn. To do this, a strong side shoot of the main bush is sprinkled with soil. You can also pinch with wire. After rooting, the shoot is separated and transplanted.
By dividing the bush
To do this, dig a strong healthy bush without damaging the root system. They are divided into equal parts with full-fledged roots and rooted on the soil prepared for planting.
Phlox diseases and pests
Perennials suffer from almost all common diseases. Spotting, powdery mildew and phomosis appear most often. To prevent the occurrence of diseases, they must first be treated with fungicides.
Nematodes are especially dangerous for phloxes – roundworms. However, if you plant calendula, nasturtium or marigolds next to a perennial, you can prevent a pest attack.
Phlox in landscape design
Today is a real renaissance for phlox, new varieties and hybrids literally blew up the flower market. It is noteworthy that today whole floxaria are planted from various varieties of perennials: undersized ones are planted along the edges as a kind of fence, and bush ones – in the middle.
Wonderful neighbors for a composition with phloxes will be geraniums, irises, dwarf conifers.
If you have a garden plot or cottage, we advise you to decorate the area with these charming flowers. And then the whole green space will plunge into a multi-colored cloud with a light pleasant aroma. And ground cover varieties will bring bright colors to the greenery of the lawn.