Choosing The Type Of Phlox For Your Garden

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Charming strainers - phlox

Europeans first became acquainted with phloxes around 1630 after John Tradescant explored the flora of eastern North America. But only in the 18th century, when botanists discovered phlox in the Far West of this country, Europe received a new kind of flowers from various American colonies. They are the ancestors of cultivated varieties. Only one creeping phlox is of Siberian origin.

Since then, through hybridization and selection, the number of phlox varieties has increased significantly. They differ in depth and variety of color, duration of flowering, growth patterns and basic structure. The improvement of the genus and the creation of new varieties continues to this day. Now there are about 60 species and about 1500 varieties of phlox.

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Translated from the Greek "phlox" means "flame", "flame". This name was given to the plants in 1737 by Karl Linnaeus due to the bright red color of some wild species.

These flowers are loved by gardeners. They say that phlox are A. P. Chekhov's favorite flowers. In our country, phlox are affectionately called "calico" because of their bright colors. The most decorative are tall paniculate phlox, reaching a height of 160 cm, without the need for props. They are deservedly a decoration of any flower garden. Wide paniculate inflorescences hold on to the tops of strong, upright leafy stems and delight with a rich, fragrant aroma that spreads far into the air, filling the garden.

The color of their flowers is unusually bright, very diverse and joyful: pure white, pink, red, purple, two-tone with a combination of different shades and colors.

As a result of unlimited combinations of these colors, nature has created scarlet, salmon, blue, carmine, cyclamen, crimson, burgundy, coral, lilac and many other shades of phlox. They are decorated with all kinds of stripes, edges and eyes. It is impossible to describe all the variations. Phlox flowers have a diameter of 2-5 cm, they are wide and narrow-petaled, oval, ovoid, elongated, incised, star-shaped. They consist of a tube with five folded petals.

Inflorescences reach 40 cm in length and 20-25 cm in width. The number of flowers in the inflorescence reaches 100 pieces. Abundant flowering of phlox lasts from a month to three. Duration of flowering of one flower on a bush is 5-10 days. Leaves are whole, lanceolate, stem.

Together with roses and other flowers, they help to create unique compositions in the garden.

For low-growing phlox refers phlox styloid phlox or subulyata. This type of phlox is also called sod phlox, because it forms dense, soddy bushes that merge into a continuous carpet 10-15 cm high. They are less diverse..

Branched stems, creeping on the ground and creeping. Forms charming thick rugs and cushions. Small flowers, bright lilac and pink-lilac, are collected in shields with an amazing smell. The leaves are subulate, light grayish-green or lingonberry, covering all the stems. They bloom mainly in spring and early summer. After plucking withered shoots, re-flowering is possible in August. This phlox is decorative until frost.

Annual phlox - Drummond's flames or Drummond's phlox is the only annual of more than 60 species of phlox. His homeland is North America. In 1835, it was introduced to Europe by the botanist Drummond. It has lovely fragrant flowers of blue and red color with various shades and spots. It is presented in numerous varieties, forms and varieties. Their height is from 15 to 35 cm. The stem is separately branched, covered with oval-elongated leaves. Blooms profusely all summer. The flowers are collected in umbrella-shaped shields with a pleasant scent. There are tall - up to 40-50 cm and medium-sized - up to 12-20 cm forms. For better bushiness and compactness, pinch the grown plants.

Perennial phloxes are easily propagated by seeds and vegetatively. Tall forms of phlox are propagated by dividing the rhizomes and various options for cuttings: in spring - by shoots with a "heel", before flowering - by a segment of a strong stem with 1-2 internodes and leaves, with an eye removed from a piece of stem, and by rooting of the shoots.

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Phlox bushes are divided every three to four years to protect against degeneration and to rejuvenate. This is the easiest and fastest way to reproduce. It is carried out in the spring - in May, or in the fall - at the end of August - September.

In the spring, each division should have three to four renewal buds. In the autumn division, each division should have 2-3 shoots with a branched root system. Depending on the size, it is recommended to plant them at a distance of 35-60 cm. Each plant requires 50 cm of area.

With seed reproduction, phloxes lose their varietal characteristics. But then they better adapt to the conditions of existence, seedlings of perennial phlox bloom in the second year, and annuals - already in the year of sowing.

Phloxes are undemanding to soil composition, but still love soils enriched with nutrients and moisture. They are very responsive to organic and mineral fertilizers. You can not bring fresh manure under them, since the stems then become ill with powdery mildew.

In early spring, fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers is required - 20 g / m². In May-June - during the period of intensive growth - the plants are fed with nitrogen and potassium fertilizers. At the end of summer (August - September), phosphorus and potash fertilizers are applied.

In dry weather, fertilizers are preferably applied in liquid form. The acidity of the soil for the successful cultivation of phlox must be neutral.

Phloxes love sunlight or partial shade, but cannot stand dryness.

Tamara Barkhatova

Photo by Natalia Butyagina