Phlox splayed: photo and description, planting and care

Phlox splayed is a perennial garden plant with interesting decorative qualities. Flowers are popular due to their beauty, but you need to take care of them according to all the rules.

Description of perennial splayed phlox

The splayed, Canadian or parted phlox is a perennial from the Sinyukhov family and the genus Phlox. The stems of the plant are dense, creeping type, the perennial forms a sod cover in the places of its growth. The leaves of the perennial are elongated lanceolate, bright green. The plant blooms in May or June and forms inflorescences in the form of splayed corymbs, hence the name. Drop-shaped phlox petals diverge to the sides, attaching to the core in tapering parts.

Perennial flowers resemble straightened shields

In height, the splayed phlox usually does not exceed 20-40 cm, the diameter of the bush is about 50-60 cm, and the diameter of the flowers is about 3 cm. Phlox is rather sprawling in structure, several perennials planted side by side can form a bright noticeable flower bed.

The splayed Canadian phlox prefers to grow in partial shade or in lighted areas with light shading in the afternoon. The plant needs soils that are moist and nutritious, slightly acidic; perennials can also grow on dry and poor soils, but not so actively. Under good conditions, the perennial adds a few centimeters per year and forms a full-fledged flowering bush in about 3 seasons.

The homeland of the splayed phlox is North America, but it is currently growing in Europe, in Our Country in the middle lane and even in Siberia. The plant feels best in the Central region with a mild climate, but it can also grow in areas that are more severe in terms of climate. The frost resistance of the plant allows it to endure temperatures down to -30 ° C, and if the perennial is well covered, then even lower temperatures will not lead to freezing.

Types and varieties of phlox splayed

Spread phlox is represented by many varieties. Between themselves, they differ in height and color of inflorescences – a wide variety allows gardeners to choose the most interesting plants for their site.

Chattahoochee

A variety of splayed phlox usually does not exceed 25 cm in height, produces raised bluish-lilac inflorescences with a purple eye in the middle. The plant blooms in early spring, but with the onset of hot weather, flowering quickly stops. Due to its compactness and beauty, Chattahoochee splayed phlox is often grown in rock gardens and in pots.

Chattahoochee is a compact cultivar with lilac blooms.

White Perfume

Phlox splayed White Perfume produces dense and beautiful white flowers about 2 cm in diameter, sometimes several on one stem. Flowering occurs in May and June. The height of the plant is 30-40 cm, with the spreading White Perfume phlox, you can form a beautiful carpet on the lawn in the garden.

White Perfume – a variety with snow-white flowers

blue moon

The Blue Moon variety rises only 20 cm in height and produces very small flowers of about 4 mm in diameter. They are blue-lilac in color. Mass flowering usually begins at the end of May and continues until the end of June, but if the splayed Blue Moon phlox grows in a shady place, then the flowers can last longer. Due to its short stature, the variety is ideal for the formation of soil cover.

Blue Moon – lavender-blue variety with small flowers

Clouds of Perfume

The height of the phlox of this variety is on average 25-30 cm. The plant produces beautiful lavender-colored flowers in the middle of spring and exudes a pleasant aroma of lavender, which is the reason for the name. The splayed blue phlox prefers to grow in partial shade, it can spread 60 cm wide, forming a bright turf in the occupied area.

Clouds of Perfume is a variety of blue phlox

Variegata

Variety Variegata is a very unusual variegated phlox. The leaf plates of the perennial are green, but with a white border around the edges, the flowers are pinkish-lilac, with a dark eye in the core. Variegata does not exceed 30 cm in height, blooms from late May to early July.

The plant prefers warm, well-lit areas, while reacting negatively to stagnation of moisture in the soil. It is best to plant Variegata as part of alpine slides and borders located in the sun.

Variegata – a variety with two-tone leaf color

Monstrose Tricolor

Another unusual splayed phlox is distinguished by tricolor leaves – green leaf plates are decorated with white and pink stripes. An adult perennial rises 30 cm from the ground, blooms in May-June with lavender flowers. At the same time, in sunny areas, Montrose Tricolor brings more flowers, and in shaded areas, it continues to bloom longer.

Montrose Tricolor – a variety with tricolor leaves

Application in design

Spread phlox is widely used in landscape design, it can be included in flower beds and rock gardens, mixborders. With the help of a plant, garden paths are decorated or simply planted in empty areas to form a beautiful flower carpet.

White splayed phlox is an excellent neighbor for conifers, as it looks very advantageous against a dark green background. The perennial is also planted next to bergenia and astrantia, variegated lightning, with geraniums and asters.

With the help of perennials, you can form a very beautiful soil cover.

A popular option for forming a flower bed is to plant several varieties of phlox in one composition. Contrary to a common misconception, it is possible to plant side by side, including varieties of different colors, this will not affect their health, beauty and color saturation in any way.

Because splayed phlox is a very short and compact plant, it is often grown in pots and vases. In this case, you can put a perennial on a balcony, loggia or terrace, it will enliven the atmosphere and at the same time does not require special care. The main thing is not to forget that you need to keep the plants in pots in diffused light, protecting them from direct sunlight, otherwise the roots inside the flowerpots and pots will overheat in perennials.

Perennial grows well in pots and flowerpots

Methods of reproduction

Spread phlox can be propagated on the site in several ways:

1. By dividing the bush. An adult perennial can be carefully dug out of the ground in spring or early autumn and divided into 2-3 parts for seating. In this case, you need to try not to damage the roots.
2. Cuttings. In mid-May, a young strong shoot with 2 internodes should be cut from a phlox bush, planted in moist soil and covered with a glass jar on top. After a couple of months, the phlox will take root, and the next season it will be able to bloom.
3. Layers. This method of reproduction is one of the easiest, since the stems of the perennial almost spread along the ground. One of the shoots should be lightly sprinkled with soil and moistened during the warm season, the layering will quickly take root. It can be transplanted next spring.
4. Seeds. The growing procedure looks simple. The seeds are slightly buried in the soil of peat, sand, humus and hardwood, and then covered with a film and regularly moisten the soil until sprouts appear. But in fact, plants reproduce by seeds quite poorly, and it takes a lot of time to germinate.

Most often, layering and dividing the bush are used to breed phlox – these methods are the simplest and most effective. Cuttings and seed propagation require high energy costs.

The perennial is propagated vegetatively – by layering, cuttings and dividing the bush

Planting and caring for splayed phlox

Planting splayed phlox in the garden is recommended in the middle or end of spring, when the earth has completely thawed and warmed up. However, it is important not to be late with the deadlines, if you start planting too late, then in hot weather the plant will develop more slowly.

For planting splayed phlox, half-shaded areas of the garden or places where the shade is set in the afternoon are best suited. In dense shade, the perennial does not grow well, but it does not feel too good in the bright sun either. The soil for the plant should be well moistened, but not waterlogged. In terms of composition, slightly acidified, fertile and loose soils are well suited.

It is best to plant phlox next to a pond

Before planting a splayed phlox, you must choose high-quality material with a greenish stem at the base. A good division should have 4-6 strong shoots with healthy buds and a few leaves. The roots of the delenka should be about 15 cm long. Immediately before planting, the phlox should be soaked in water for a couple of hours and its roots should be trimmed a little.

The algorithm for planting in the ground looks like this:

1. The selected area is dug up and watered abundantly, then a small hole is dug about 30 cm deep and 50 cm wide.
2. Complex fertilizers are poured at the bottom of the hole, and the top of the hole is half filled with fertile soil mixed with sand and peat.
3. The division of the splayed phlox is lowered into the hole and the roots are sprinkled. Vegetative buds should remain about 5 cm above the ground.

Immediately after planting, the plant is watered and mulched with peat. If phloxes are planted in large numbers, then the distance between them should be left at 45-60 cm.

Perennial loves moisture, but does not respond well to waterlogging

Aftercare

Caring for phlox is quite easy. When growing a perennial plant, it is important to pay attention to watering, they must be regular. In hot weather, it is necessary to moisten the splayed phlox daily, albeit little by little; on rainy days, 1 watering per week will be enough.

Plant nutrition has a positive effect on flowering, so phlox should be fertilized from late spring to mid-summer. Usually, chicken manure and superphosphate are added to the soil before flowering, and superphosphate, potassium salt and fluoride fertilizers are added directly during flowering. After flowering, the bushes can no longer be fed, until the end of the season they will have enough nutrients left in the soil.

Weeds often form in the fertile loose soil on which decorative flowers grow. They take away moisture and nutrients from the perennial, and therefore require mandatory removal. Gently loosen the soil in the flower beds with the plant at least twice a month.

Feed the plant only before flowering and during it.

Preparation for winter

Phlox has good frost resistance, but requires special preparation for winter. With the onset of autumn, it is necessary to carry out several procedures:

1. Pruning. At the end of flowering, the splayed phlox is cut so as to remove all wilted inflorescences and leave only green shoots above the ground, rising about 10 cm. To protect against pests and fungi, the base of the bushes is then sprayed with fungicides and insecticidal agents.
2. Top dressing. In early or mid-October, the ground under the bushes is abundantly mulched with organic fertilizers – half a bucket of horse manure or 3/4 bucket of peat. Organics will help insulate the roots of the perennial and at the same time nourish the plant with useful substances.

Before the onset of cold weather, the cut, spreading phlox is thrown with tops or spruce branches. It is not customary to wrap up phlox with lutrasil or burlap, a light shelter is enough for the plant to calmly survive the frosts.

Pests and diseases

With careless care, the splayed phlox often suffers from several ailments:

1. Mučnistaâ rosa – A “fluffy” white coating appears on the leaves. Over time, the leaves begin to wither, and the plant dies.
   
   

   Powdery mildew appears as a recognizable white bloom

2. septoriosis – the leaves are covered with grayish and brown dots and spots. The foliage turns yellow and dries, the phlox can die completely.
   
   

   Septoria causes premature leaf wilt

3. Fomoz – the foliage is curled at the bottom. The full nutrition of the perennial is disturbed, the plant begins to wither and dries up.
   
   

   With phomosis, the disease spreads from the bottom of the perennial up

4. Rust – the leaves are covered with small, but frequent brown dots. Soon the foliage dries up and falls off, the vital activity of the phlox stops.
   
   

   You can recognize rust by spots of a characteristic rusty color.

From fungal ailments, spraying with Bordeaux liquid and blue vitriol helps well, you can also use Fundazol.

Of the pests for perennials are dangerous:

• slugs – pests feed on the vital juices of foliage;
  
  

  It is easiest to notice slugs on a splayed phlox

• spider mite – with a serious infection on the leaves, you can see a whitish cobweb;
  
  

  Spider mite infestation is characterized by brown spots and cobwebs on the foliage.

• nematodes – microscopic worms lead to thickening of the stems and thinning of the upper shoots;
  
  

  It is difficult to spot nematode worms, usually symptoms appear in the later stages of infection

• cochlea – small mollusks harm perennials because they feed on leaf juices.
  
  

  Outwardly harmless snails can destroy a decorative flower bed

Kinmiks and Aktara allow you to cure insect infestation, and in order to notice pests in time, you should regularly inspect the leaves and stems of the plant.

You can grow a flowering perennial even on the balcony

Conclusion

Phlox splayed is a beautiful undersized perennial with long flowering. In the garden, the plant is used to create flower beds, rock gardens and to decorate lawns and slopes, while caring for a perennial is quite simple.

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