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Planting phlox in open ground
If you choose the right varieties of phlox and plant them, then you can admire the flowering from mid-spring to the end of September. Phlox can be planted in the ground in spring or autumn, regardless of their type.
Planting annual phlox in the ground
Annual varieties are sown directly outdoors in late autumn. In winter, the seeds undergo natural stratification and germinate better. But most often these flowers are grown as seedlings in the spring.
Lush flowering is the result of timely planting of phlox in the ground and good care for them.
Phloxes are sown in boxes with earth, covered with polyethylene and watered regularly. Shoots appear in a week. When they have four leaves, the plants are pinched so that they branch better.
In May, seedlings are planted in open ground at a distance of 20 cm from each other. Phloxes do not tolerate direct sunlight and fade quickly. The best place for them is light partial shade. The larger the shade, the longer the phlox bloom, however, the flowering intensity decreases. Phlox does not like heavy soils and grows best on fertile sandy soils.
Plant care is simple: timely loosening, weeding, hilling, moderate regular watering and feeding with liquid manure.
Planting and caring for perennial phlox
Perennial phloxes are propagated by dividing the rhizome, layering or cuttings. The plant should have 4-5 healthy and strong shoots 3-5 cm long and developed roots 10-12 cm long. The peel on the stems should be greenish. Withered specimens with broken roots or shoots should not be purchased, since they will either die or survive only with constant and careful care.
Planting is done in spring or autumn.
- The spring planting time is 10-12 days immediately after the soil thaws. If the plants are not planted on time, they will bloom worse.
- Dates of autumn planting – 38-40 days. Plants planted in autumn will bloom next summer.
Planting phlox in open ground in spring is good because broken shoots and broken off pieces of rhizome quickly take root.
The distance between flowers should be 40-60 cm. The size of the planting pit should be larger than an earthen ball with a rhizome. At the bottom of the pit, fertilizers are mixed with the soil and filled with water. Then the plant is placed in the center, the roots are straightened and carefully covered with earth. The rhizome is covered with a layer of earth 3-4 cm. After planting, the ground around the phlox is mulched with peat so that they do not freeze.
With good care, they do not lose their decorative effect for six to seven years. With their bright colors, these plants enliven the semi-shaded corners of the garden.