Everything about phlox: from variety selection to growing rules

Phloxes are one of the brightest and most amazing representatives of the world of decorative flora, capable of conquering the heart of any gardener. Their varietal and species diversity provides endless opportunities for the implementation of the most incredible creative solutions regarding the design of the backyard territory. Let's take a closer look at what varieties and types of phlox are most popular with flower growers and landscape designers, how to grow and breed these flowering plants, how you can use them to decorate your garden in an original way.

Phlox are perennial and annual herbaceous plants or dwarf shrubs, the birthplace of which is considered to be North America. From this continent phloxes in the first half of the 18th century were brought to England, from where they later spread to other European countries.

The appearance of these flowering plants is unusually diverse. Some varieties form strong, tall shrubs with erect or ascending stems, while others form lush, pillow-like sods that creep along the ground.

The root system of phlox is superficial. The roots are thin, well branched, extending from the main rhizome. The flowers are usually funnel-shaped or tubular-funnel-shaped. The color of flowers can be monochromatic, two- or even three-colored, depending on the type and variety of the plant. Depending on the structural features of plants, it is customary to distinguish between several groups of phlox.

• Tall and undersized bush. Bush includes tall and undersized varieties of phlox with erect stems. Plant height can range from 20 to 150 centimeters. Many representatives of this group bloom from early summer to September. Inflorescences can be umbellate, panicle or corymbose.

Leaves are lanceolate, linear or ovate. The palette of flower colors includes milky white, lilac-lilac, pink-purple, burgundy-purple shades.

• Creeping. It is customary to refer to creeping varieties of phlox, which, in the process of their development, form loose or dense pillow-like sods. Plant height usually does not exceed 10-15 centimeters. Blooming of most representatives of this group usually begins in spring and ends in early summer. Flower color can be coral pink, orange-red, purple-crimson, lilac-purple, snow-white.

• Loose sod. Specialists include intermediate types of phlox with original morphological features to the group of loose sod. Such plants have highly branched creeping stems, from which straight, upward shoots extend. The average plant height is 25-30 centimeters.

Flowering begins in spring and lasts until early or mid-summer. The palette of flower colors is presented pale purple, lilac lilac, pale blue, purple crimson and creamy white shades.

In landscape design and gardening, both artificially obtained forms and varieties of phlox and their wild species are popular. Breeding work with many natural phlox species continues to this day.

• Panicled phlox - one of the most famous representatives of its kind. The natural habitat of this herbaceous perennial is the southeast of North America. In the wild, the plant prefers to grow in places with well-moistened soil - in floodplains of rivers, damp forest lowlands. The height of paniculate phlox ranges from 0.6 to 1.5 m. Plants form strong bushes with erect smooth stems with a lignified base.

Leaves are lanceolate, rounded, reaching 7-15 centimeters in length. Flowers are small, numerous, collected in loose panicles. The palette of colors includes milky white, pale pink, lavender lilac and other shades. The approximate flowering time is July-September.

• Spotted phlox Is an interesting natural species found in the eastern United States. The average height of the bush is 0.9-1.1 m. Stems are numerous, straight, covered with purple specks. Leaves are smooth, dark green, lanceolate. The flowers are small, pale purple-purple in color. The inflorescences are cylindrical in shape. Flowering time - June-July.

• Phlox adorable Is a low-growing bush species common in the eastern and southeastern United States. The average height of adult plants is 20-30 centimeters. Stems are straight, pubescent. Flowering time - May-June. Flowers of purple-plum or pinkish-lilac hue, collected in umbellate or corymbose inflorescences.

• Splayed phlox - a low-growing natural species, combining the features of bush and creeping forms. It is found primarily in the eastern United States. An adult plant grows to about 30 centimeters in height. Stems are well branched, spreading along the ground, forming erect flowering shoots. Fragrant flowers are small (up to 2.5 cm in diameter), pale blue, pale lilac, lavender or white, collected in corymbose inflorescences.

• Stallion phlox Is a very famous shade-tolerant species found in the eastern and southeastern United States. The average plant height is 27-28 centimeters. This species forms beautiful, dense sods from thin dark green stems. At the end of spring, plants begin to prepare for flowering, releasing erect flowering arrows.

Flowers appear in June. The color of the flowers can be snow-white, pinkish-purple, lilac-purple.

Below are descriptions of the most popular varieties of phlox of foreign and domestic selection.

• Alexandra Is a luxurious, profusely flowering variety of paniculate phlox of foreign selection. The height of an adult plant is 0.7-0.8 meters. With good care, the bush grows quickly, keeping its neat shape. Flowering begins in the second half of summer and lasts until September. During this period, phlox forms very large and dense pyramidal inflorescences.

The size of the flowers varies from 3 to 4 centimeters. The color of the flowers is piercing pink with a slight lilac tint. The core of the flower is decorated with a white star-shaped spot.

• "Waltz" - a very famous variety of paniculate phlox of domestic selection. The height of an adult plant usually does not exceed 0.7 meters. The bush is strong, with many stems. The flowering period is July-September. The flowers are large (4-4.2 centimeters in diameter), orange-pink hue, decorated with a white star-shaped spot in the center.

• "Blue joy" - an old, proven variety of large-flowered paniculate phlox of domestic selection. Plants form compact tall bushes, reaching 0.8-0.9 meters. Flowering begins in July and lasts until the end of summer. Inflorescences are dense, large, pyramidal in shape.

The flowers are large (up to 4 centimeters), sky-blue in color with light purple-violet strokes on the petals. Indoors and at dusk, the flowers appear turquoise blue. The center of the flowers is decorated with a lilac-purple star-shaped spot.

• Atropurpurea - a very original variety of subulate phlox, resistant to drought and cold. Plants are notable for their graceful creeping shoots, which are adorned with thin needle-like leaves. Flowering time - May-July. Plant height is about 10 centimeters. The flowers are small, star-shaped, purple-scarlet in color.

• G. F. Wilson - an unusual and rather unpretentious variety of subulate phlox, often grown as a ground cover. Plants grow rapidly, huddling in lush pillow-like sods up to 18-20 centimeters high. Flowering lasts from May to June. At this time, phloxes are covered with thick caps of small delicate flowers of a very delicate lavender-lilac color.

• Blue Ridge Is a very attractive variety of small-flowered table-bearing phlox. Plants are usually grown as ground covers. The height of this type of phlox does not exceed 20 centimeters. Shoots are long, thin, easily rooted in the ground, form dense and beautiful sod.

Flowering time is early summer. During this period, the plants form many small corymbose inflorescences. The flowers are small, simple, five-petal, of a delicate amethyst color with a slight lilac tint.

• Chattahoochee ("Chattahoochee") - one of the most famous and amazingly beautiful varieties of splay phlox. The average plant height is about 25 centimeters. Shoots are thin, branching, forming lush sod.

Flowering begins in early spring. At this time, the plants are covered with numerous caps of corymbose inflorescences. The flowers are small, pale lilac in color, with a purple-crimson center.

Before planting phlox, it is important to choose the right place for them on the site, to determine the type and characteristics of the soil. When choosing a place, it is necessary to take into account the species or varietal characteristics of the plants. So, bush forms of phlox prefer to grow in well-lit places with light partial shade. Creeping phloxes like to grow in open, sunny areas.

These beautifully flowering perennials prefer to grow on light fertile loams with neutral acidity. Too heavy clay soils are recommended to be diluted with sand or peat before planting phlox, excessively light sandy soils - with clay.

The preparation of the planting holes begins in the fall. To do this, in the selected area of ​​the garden, a thorough digging of the soil is carried out, debris, stones, and weeds are removed. After digging the site, they equip planting pits with a size of 30x30x30 centimeters. The distance between the pits should be 40-60 centimeters.

When phlox is planted in spring, organic fertilizers (leaf humus or compost) mixed with a small amount of wood ash are introduced into the pits. When planting plants in late summer or early autumn, it is not necessary to apply organic or mineral fertilizers to the pits. Before planting, a drainage layer from pieces of broken brick or expanded clay, river pebbles or crushed stone must be laid on the bottom of the pits.

Phlox are considered relatively unpretentious plants, resistant to many negative environmental factors. Caring for them includes such simple procedures as:

• timely watering;
• periodic fertilization;
• pruning.

These beautifully flowering perennials are moisture-loving plants. With a lack of moisture, their leaves wither and dry out, and the flowers become small and faded. Experienced flower growers recommend watering phlox 2-3 times a week. In dry summers, the frequency of watering should be increased, in cool and cloudy summers - reduced.

Periodic feeding is necessary for phlox for active growth of root and green mass, the formation of strong buds, long and lush flowering.

• The gardeners carry out the first feeding in early spring during the snow melting period. At this stage, the plants are fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizers that stimulate the growth of young green shoots.
• The second feeding is carried out before the beginning of the flowering phase. In most species and varieties of phlox, it occurs in July. At this stage, the plants are fed with potassium-phosphorus complexes. Good results are obtained by feeding phloxes with a solution of ammonium nitrate (20 grams of the drug per 1 bucket of water).
• The third time fertilization is applied at the end of the flowering phase. This top dressing allows you to restore the strength of plants spent on the formation and development of buds. As a top dressing at this stage, it is recommended to use a solution of superphosphate and potassium sulfate (1 tablespoon of each substance for 1 bucket of water).

Autumn pruning of perennial phlox and their preparation for winter is carried out after the plants have completely faded. Pruning should be done strictly before the onset of frost. It is necessary to cut the bushes radically, leaving short stumps 6-10 centimeters high from the stems.

The timing and duration of phlox flowering depend on their species and varietal characteristics. Experts distinguish phlox with spring, spring-summer and summer-autumn flowering. Most varieties bloom for 30 to 35 days.

Regular fertilizing with complex fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus allows you to stimulate the lush and long flowering of phlox. So, very good results during the flowering period can be achieved by the use of funds Fertika Lux, Kemira Lux, Agricola and other fertilizers for flowering ornamental crops. It is recommended to feed flowering plants with these means once every 8-10 days.

Many growers extend the flowering of phlox by 2-3 weeks by removing wilting flower-bearing arrows. Observations show that after removing the fading shoots from the axillary buds of the bush, new flower stalks with buds begin to form. However, when planning to prolong flowering in this way, it is worth taking into account that in this case, the term for laying renewal buds will also increase.

The most popular and effective ways to reproduce phlox are - dividing the bush and grafting.

The best times for the reproduction of phlox by this method are the beginning and end of the growing season of plants (spring and autumn). For the procedure, a strong and healthy bush over 5 years old is pre-selected. In the course of work, the bush is dug out, after which it is divided into parts with pruners, scissors or hands. Each part of the plant should have stems with buds and a small number of roots. The divided parts are immediately placed in planting pits with light fertile soil, after which they are abundantly watered and slightly shaded.

To breed phlox in this way, it is necessary to prepare cuttings from mature strong bushes in late spring or early summer. The shoots are cut in such a way that there are at least 2 knots on each cuttings. The upper leaves on the cuttings are shortened by half, the lower ones are removed completely.

After that, the cuttings are placed in containers with a loose and moist soil mixture consisting of peat soil, garden soil, leaf humus. The planted cuttings are well watered and covered with a glass or plastic container.

Many gardeners manage to breed phlox by growing them from seeds. It is known that some species and varieties of these perennials in natural conditions are able to reproduce by self-seeding. Before sowing, the seeds are stratified for several months. To do this, they are sown before winter in open ground or (at home) mixed with wet sand and placed in the refrigerator.

Growing phlox seedlings from stratified seeds at home starts in March. For this, the planting material is sown in boxes with a light damp substrate and covered with glass. It is not required to bury the seeds in the ground when sowing.

The seed boxes should be ventilated daily to prevent mold growth. The soil in the seedling boxes must be constantly moistened with spraying. Seed germination usually occurs within 2-4 weeks. The picking of seedlings is carried out after 2 true leaves are formed on them. Seedlings are planted in open ground in the spring after the threat of frost has disappeared.

In case of violations of the rules of care, garden phloxes often become victims rust - diseases of fungal origin. The bush affected by this disease weakens, stunted and becomes covered with characteristic reddish-brown spots. Treatment in this case involves the removal of affected stems and leaves, as well as the total treatment of the bush with drugs such as "Fundazol", "HOM", Bordeaux liquid.

An increase in soil acidity is a common cause of verticillary wilt phlox. With the development of this disease, the plants begin to suddenly wither, weaken, turn yellow and dry. In this case, the problem can be eliminated by transplanting the bushes to areas with neutral soil and treating the plants and their places of growth with the drug "Glyocladin".

One of the most insidious enemies of one- and perennial phloxes - nematode, which is a microscopic worm that feeds on cell juices. Plants affected by this pest weaken and stop developing. Their shoots become deformed and very fragile.

In less advanced cases, regular inspection of the bushes should be carried out with careful manual rejection of the affected parts. Thrips are another type of aggressive phlox pests. Plants infected with these parasites lose their decorative effect and wither. A characteristic sign of phlox damage by thrips is whitish, dirty gray marks on the leaves. The main method of control is the treatment of bushes with insecticides (Fitoverm, Confidor).

Landscape designers use various types and varieties of phlox to create spectacular group and single plantings, multi-tiered flower beds, contrasting flower ensembles. These perennials are successfully combined with many other representatives of the garden flora - rudbeckia, echinacea, buzulnik, astilba, lilies, chamomile, loosestrife, saxifrage.

They look organic and surrounded by decorative conifers - thuja and juniper. Creeping phloxes are often grown as ground cover, container and curb plants. They are used to decorate alpine slides, ornamental rock gardens, the perimeters of recreation areas and lawn borders.

High and medium-sized phloxes are considered indispensable helpers in space zoning. With their help, you can designate the boundaries of the site, divide the garden into several functional, isolated zones. With the help of phlox, you can easily decorate unattractive corners of the garden, visually level the slopes in areas with a heterogeneous relief. Both tall and creeping phlox varieties will help fill unsightly voids in the flower garden and garden.

Among the representatives of the world of decorative flora, there are many plants that are visually similar to phlox. Such plants include the following:

• thrift;
• gilia;
• decorative bow;
• amaryllis;
• hydrangea.

See below for more details.