Reproduction of phlox green cuttings. Importance of growth biostimulants
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Tatyana Nikorovich 05/16/2015 | 2434
Phloxes are among those types of plants that are very easy to propagate: dividing the bush, stem cuttings, eyes, layering, root shoots and seeds.
Each of the methods of reproduction proposed below has its advantages and disadvantages, but with good care any method allows you to grow large and beautiful specimens phlox.
Reproduction by dividing the bush
The division of phloxes in this way is carried out spring or early autumn. For division choose plants of five years of age. The bushes are dug up and, having cleared the rhizome from the ground, they are divided into parts so that each division has buds and roots. The phlox bush can be divided without digging: cut off the part intended for planting with a shovel, and fill the earth into the resulting void and tamp it down. The part of the plant remaining in the ground is watered abundantly. In extreme cases, the bush is divided in the summer, but cloudy days are chosen for this and regular watering is provided.
Propagation by stem cuttings
Cuttings are produced from the third decade of May to June when the phlox has a rapid growth of shoots. The stem is divided into parts, while each cutting should have 2 nodes. The upper leaves are cut in half, and the lower leaves are completely removed. The lower cut is made close to the cutting node, and the upper one is 2 cm higher than the second node.
The cuttings are planted in a box filled with fertile soil, to a depth of 2 cm, and watered at least 2 times a day warm water. A month later, roots form at the cuttings, and by autumn, young phloxes bloom. On the permanent place they are planted in the spring.
Reproduction by eyes
This method is often called a leaf method, since a leaf with an axillary bud is used for rooting, placed on a small cutting no more than 2 cm long. The cuttings are planted in boxes with soil as follows: the buds are deepened by 1.5 cm, and the leaf is left above the ground. At a temperature not lower than 18 ° C, roots form in a month, and small bushes grow by autumn. Plants can overwinter in boxes, and in spring they are planted in open ground.
Reproduction by layering
This method is good because it allows you to propagate phloxes from a bouquet. Choose the strongest stems and remove leaves from them and side shoots, leaving 2-3 apical leaves. Then the stems are laid horizontally in pre-prepared grooves up to 5 cm deep, covered with earth, leaving the tops with leaves uncovered. The beds are regularly watered, and after a month, a shoot grows from each bud, which reaches a height of up to 8 cm by autumn.
Plants overwinter without a transplant, and in the spring each stem is cut into pieces and planted with a clod of earth in a permanent place. From one stem, up to 7 bushes are obtained, which after a year turn into full-fledged specimens.
Reproduction by root shoots
The method is suitable for the rapid cultivation of a large amount of planting material. In the spring, the phlox bush is dug up with a shovel, while leaving most of the roots in the ground. The hole is covered with nutrient soil. A month later, numerous shoots are formed. In spring, shoots are planted in a flower garden. The excavated part of the bush is divided into parts and planted in a new place.
Reproduction by seeds
Phloxes are propagated by seeds less often than by the above methods. For sowing, the largest seed is selected. Sow them in open ground or in any containers that are easy to dig in the garden. In winter, seeds undergo stratification in natural conditions, and germinate in spring. As soon as the seedlings reach 10 cm in height, the seedlings are transplanted into a flower bed.
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PHLOXES: SEVEN WAYS OF BREEDING
Bush division:
This is the most commonly used breeding method. The best time for this, either spring or early autumn (at the beginning or end of the growing season), so that the delenki are well rooted before winter.
Summer division of the bush is also possible, but only as an exception, for example, for some reason an urgent transplant is required and, preferably, in cloudy weather. At the same time, the divisions should be large, with the preservation of an earthen clod, and they require closer care, regular abundant watering. In autumn, we start dividing the bush only when the plants have already laid the buds of renewal.
It is best to divide phlox bushes at the age of five or six. Having chosen a bush that we will divide, we dig it out, carefully shake off the ground and clean the root collars from it. Then we carefully separate the root necks from each other and also carefully disassemble the roots going to each stem. It is best to do this operation with your hands, but if the selected bush is very old, then you will have to use a knife or a shovel. We divide the bush so that on each division there are eyes or the beginnings of shoots and a small number of roots.
We plant delenki immediately to prevent the roots from drying out, but if planting is delayed, then the roots must be dipped in a liquid clay mash or sprinkled with moist soil. And when dividing, you can not dig out a whole bush, but separate only half of it and then take it apart. The resulting hole is covered with good fertile soil. The rest of the bush grows well during the summer, a full-fledged bush is formed, which can be dug up again next year, but on the other hand, and divided.
Propagation by stem cuttings:
We take green, well-developed shoots for cuttings and only from healthy plants. We cut the shoots into several parts so that each cutting has 2 knots. At the same time, we make the lower cut directly under the stem node, and the upper one - 2 cm above the upper node. Then we cut off the lower leaves completely, while the upper ones - in half. We plant cuttings either in seedling boxes, or directly in open ground in loose fertile land. We pour vermiculite or sand (2-3 cm layer) into the boxes on top, and first we lay leaf humus or peat (8-10 cm layer) on the beds, and then, a 2 cm layer, vermiculite or sand. We moisten the soil and plant the cuttings to the top node, firmly pressing the ground to them. In this case, the distance between the cuttings in a row should be 4-5 cm, and between the rows - 8-10 cm. Then we put the boxes with planted cuttings in a greenhouse. After planting, we shade the cuttings from the sun's rays and, for 3 weeks, water them 2-3 times a day.
After about 2-3 weeks, our cuttings will take root and young shoots will begin to form in the axils of the leaves. Then we transplant the rooted cuttings for growing into (a special seedling bed) so that they feel more spacious. We already make the distance between plants in a row about 15 cm, between rows - 20 cm. Here the cuttings can already be left until next spring. In this way, phloxes can be propagated throughout the summer season. So, for example, as soon as in early spring the plants appear from the ground and grow 10-15 cm, the shoots can be carefully broken at the base with a “heel” and planted on a seed bed.
Just keep in mind that no more than 40% of seedlings can be broken out without damage to the bush. This method of grafting is the most productive, since when using it, we can achieve almost one hundred percent rooting. Cuttings, cut from mid-July to mid-August ( summer cuttings) we plant in a greenhouse under a half-open and shaded frame.
And cuttings of autumn cutting (second half of September) are best planted immediately in open ground, placing them obliquely at an angle of 35-45o to the ground. Landings for the winter are mulched with semi-humus soil, peat or fallen birch leaves. During summer and autumn cuttings, only the upper part of the stem (approximately two-thirds of its length) is used, since at this time the stems below are already woody. Propagation by leaf cuttings. At the end of June - the first decade of July, you can start propagating phloxes with leaf cuttings.
To do this, with a sharp blade, cut off a leaf with an axillary bud and a thin piece of the stem from a mature stem. Then we plant the leaf cuttings in boxes with light nutrient soil. After that, from above, with a layer of 1-1.5 cm, pour vermiculite or sand. We plant the cuttings at a distance of 5 cm from each other and to a depth of 2 cm, so that the axillary bud with a piece of the stem is in the soil, and the leaf is on the surface in an inclined state. After planting, we cover the boxes with glass and put them in a semi-warm greenhouse, where we maintain a temperature of 18-20 ° C.
Vermiculite or sand must be constantly wet. Further care for planting is as follows: daily spraying with warm water, airing and shading on hot, sunny days. Leaf cuttings will take root in about a month. To enhance bushiness, the tops of rooted plants must be pinched. Subsequent planting care is the same as when propagated by stem cuttings. This method of reproduction, of course, is more laborious, as it requires constant attention to plantings, because when dried, the cuttings can dry out, and if excessive moisture, condensation accumulates, they can rot. Leaf cuttings can also be rooted in open field.
Propagation by root cuttings.
Phloxes are rarely propagated by root cuttings, since this method is even more laborious than the previous one. It is recommended to be used if it is necessary to get rid of pests such as stem nematodes. To do this, in late autumn or early spring, we dig up the plant and select the thickest fleshy juicy roots, which we cut into pieces of 5-6 cm. Then we plant them in boxes with earth, while making sure that the thickened end of the root is higher than the thin end
We fall asleep the planted cuttings with a layer of sand 4-5 cm thick. If we do this work in the fall, then for the winter we put the boxes in a dark basement with a temperature of 2-3 ° C and monitor the soil moisture, preventing it from drying out. In February - March, we take out boxes with cuttings to a heated room and cover them from the light with some dark material. Then we begin every day to gradually increase the air temperature, and when the sprouts hatch, we will gradually accustom them to the light. We plant cuttings in open ground for growing in May.
For a permanent place, seedlings are best identified already next spring. But it will be much easier if we start propagating phloxes with root cuttings in the spring. In this case, the stage of storage in the basement of planted cuttings is excluded, and the boxes are simply closed from the light and for two weeks we maintain an air temperature of 10-15 ° C. Then we raise the temperature to 18-25 ° C and, as soon as sprouts appear, we remove the shelter, accustom the plants to light and plant them for growing. Reproduction by layering and ... residues. The method of propagation of phlox by layering is very simple.
Phlox bushes are covered high with fertile soil. After a while, roots begin to appear on the stems covered in this way. Then, when the roots develop well, carefully release the layers from the ground, cut and plant them in the ground. There is another way to reproduce, it is even simpler. When digging up a phlox bush for subsequent division or transplantation, we cut the roots, leaving a good half of them in the ground, and fill the hole from under the excavated bush with fertile soil and water it.
If we carry out this procedure in the spring, then in 3-4 weeks young plants will appear in this place, which have grown from the left roots. In the future, they can be dug up and, having divided, transplanted to a new place. If you start breeding with leftovers in the fall, then shoots appear, of course, in the spring of next year. In August, we dig it up, divide it and plant it on a distribution bed for further growing. Seedlings become full-fledged only by the autumn of next year. Reproduction by seeds. Phloxes can also be propagated by seeds, but at the same time, seedlings split in the offspring, and varietal characteristics of plants are often not preserved.
As a rule, plants are obtained with completely different quality characteristics and other flower colors. So seed propagation phloxes are used only for selection. There are several nuances when propagating phlox seeds. To increase the germination of seeds, we clean them from the boxes just before sowing. Since phlox seeds quickly lose their germination capacity, it is best to sow them before winter. We select the darkest full-weight seeds and in September - November we sow them in open ground or in containers, which we then drop in the garden. In winter, phlox seeds will undergo natural stratification and friendly shoots will appear in spring.
In the spring (April - May), when the first pairs of true leaves appear on the seedlings and they grow up to 8-10 cm, it is necessary to transplant them to the breeding bed. So that the plantings are not thickened, we plant the seedlings at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other. With good and proper care plants grown from seeds grow powerful and strong. In this article, dear summer residents, we have analyzed in detail how to propagate the most common panicled, shrubby phloxes.
Seed propagation of phloxes is used only for breeding, and to preserve the characteristics of the variety, it is better to use vegetative methods: dividing the bush, growth shoots, stem, leaf and root cuttings.
The division of the bush. It is best to start dividing the bush in the spring or early autumn at the beginning or end of the growing season. If you still need to divide the bush in the summer, try to do it in cloudy weather. Having chosen a bush, dig it out, carefully shake off the ground, clean the root necks from it. Place the plant on a mound of earth and very carefully separate the root collars from each other with your hands, then disassemble the roots that go to each stem. If the bush is very old, with a lignified underground part, use a knife or a sharply sharpened shovel. Each separated part should have eyes or buds of shoots and a small amount of roots. So that the roots do not dry out, dip them in a liquid clay mash or sprinkle them with moist soil before planting.
Propagation by stem cuttings. This is a fairly simple method, accessible even to novice growers. You can cut the phlox stem into pieces so that each of them has two leaf nodes and well-developed leaves. These pieces of the stem will become the cuttings. Sometimes spring growth shoots are used to obtain cuttings, which have not yet had time to develop leaves. Phlox leaf cuttings can also be used for propagation. From the end of May to the second half of July or in August-September, it is best to use cuttings with developed leaves. If you decide to start breeding in May-June, then you can use the entire stem of your choice, which should be well developed. In July, when the stems at the bottom are already woody, use only the upper part of the stem (about two-thirds of its length). Cut the selected stem with a sharp knife so that each part has two leaf nodes. The bottom cut should be just below the bottom knot and the top cut 5-10mm above the top knot. Shorten the top two leaves on the stem by half, and cut the bottom two completely.
Before planting the prepared cuttings, equip the beds by laying a mixture of leaf humus, garden soil and sand (1: 1: 1) on them. The thickness of this soil layer should be at least 10 cm. Water the beds well and, after the soil will settle, cover it with a 1.5-2 cm layer of sand from above. Now you can plant cuttings, making sure that their lower part (cut) does not come into contact with fertile soil. After sticking the cutting into the sandy layer, lightly compact the sand around the stem with your fingers. Plant the cuttings in rows so that the distance between them is 8-10 cm, and between the cuttings - 5-6 cm.
Pour a bed with planted cuttings from a sprayer, shade it or cover it with a film on the frame. When the first green sprouts appear, and the cuttings acquire roots, you can remove the shading.
Rooted cuttings in July-August you will need to transplant to another area so that they feel more spacious, that is, at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other. Make the composition of the soil on this bed the same as on the first. Leave the grown phloxes to winter here, and here they will grow another summer. Only in the spring of the third year, plants can be planted in a permanent place.
If you decide to propagate by cuttings in July-September, plant cuttings for rooting in cold greenhouses. The technology of work will remain the same as the June cuttings. But, in order to form a good root system, you should use a growth stimulator (heteroauxin) in a proportion of 50-100 mg per 1 liter of water. Tie the cuttings with their lower ends into a bundle and immerse them in the solution for 8-12 hours. If you add talc or crushed charcoal to the solution, you get a paste into which the lower ends of the cuttings are dipped. The paste stays on the cuttings better and lasts longer.
In cold greenhouses, cover the cuttings for the winter with dry leaves, shavings or clean straw with a layer of 10 cm. Also cover the greenhouses with glazed frames or film. In the middle - the end of April, remove the frames from the greenhouses, and when the warm weather finally sets in, you can also remove the insulating layer of leaves.
If desired, you can even cut the purchased flowering branches in a bouquet. In this case, side shoots from axillary kidneys, which are formed on the stem in July. Break off these lateral shoots together with the heel and root in July in open ground, and in August-September in cold greenhouses using the described technology.
In June-July phloxes propagated by leaf cuttings. Cut off a shield 8-10 mm long from the middle part of the stem and plant it in a box filled with fertile soil, which is covered with a layer of sand 2 cm thick on top. The distance between the shields should be 10 cm. After planting, spray them with warm water and cover the box with glass, creating thus, a micro-greenhouse, the temperature in which will be about 25-28 ° C. Do not forget to constantly moisten the plantings, and then in two or three weeks the roots will appear at the shields, and by the beginning of autumn the stems will begin to form. From now on, start opening greenhouses. For the winter, transfer the box to a cold greenhouse, and when the earth freezes completely, close it with glazed frames or film. From above, pour insulating material (leaves, shavings, straw), you can plant plants in open ground in the spring, when the earth warms up.
In April, phloxes can be propagated by spring growing shoots. When the leaves have not yet developed and are scales covering the sprouts, when thinning the center of the bushes or dividing their shoots that have reached 5-6 cm, select and plant a greenhouse located in an open sunny place for rooting. The greenhouse should be filled with a mixture of the same composition as for green cuttings. Be sure to sprinkle sand on top. When planting, firmly press the sand to the shoots (this can be done with your fingers or a peg). After completing the landing, cover the greenhouse with a film, and in case of cold weather and at night, insulate it with improvised means. Rooted shoots in the second half of May - early June can be planted in open ground. If you do everything right, your phlox will bloom in the same year.
An even simpler way is as follows. Bushes are taken for reproduction starting from the age of three. In September, a phlox bush is cut out of the soil at a distance of about 10 cm from its base and no more than 8 - 10 cm in depth. The removed bush is divided in the usual way and planted in a new place. The hole from under the removed bush is filled with ordinary fertile soil. In the spring of the following year, the place where the cut bush was located ,
covered with thick shoots. In August, the shoots are dug up, divided and planted in a school. Part of the shoots (40%) forms inflorescences, which are removed. planting material becomes full by the fall of next year.
Phlox breeding root cuttings is rare. This is a rather laborious method. However, it can be recommended for getting rid of pests - stem nematodes. late autumn or in early spring, the plants should be dug up and the thickest roots taken, cut into pieces and placed in boxes filled with the same mixture used for stem cuttings. When laying the cuttings, make sure that the thick end of the root is located above the thin end. After laying the cuttings in boxes, cover them with a layer of sand 4-5 cm thick.
For the winter, after the autumn cuttings, the boxes should be placed in a dark basement and the soil moisture should be monitored. The air temperature in the room should be 2-3 ° C. In February-March, take the boxes with the cuttings to a heated room, cover them from the light with dark material and start gradually increasing the air temperature day by day. When the sprouts hatch, they need to be gradually accustomed to the light, and in May, cuttings can already be planted in open ground. The next spring they can be planted in a permanent place.
It is easier to propagate phloxes with root cuttings in the spring, because this eliminates keeping in the basement. Cuttings should be planted in boxes filled with soil mixture, closed from light and kept at a temperature of 10-15 ° C. After two weeks, the temperature should be increased to 18-25 ° C. As soon as sprouts appear, the shelter must be removed to accustom the plants to light , and then land for growing.
As we said before can be propagated by phlox and seeds, but they do this only in those cases when it is not striving to preserve the variety with the qualities fixed in it. Under good weather conditions, phloxes produce seeds in abundance, which often, especially in early varieties, ripen on bushes. The readiness of the seeds is indicated by the browning of the boxes and the beginning of the wilting of the leaves. In late-flowering varieties, seeds reach wax ripeness in October. To get mature seeds, cut the stems, tie them in bunches and hang them on cold veranda. If the room is very dry, then the boxes begin to crack, the seeds scatter, and they can be lost. Then the inflorescences are placed in gauze bags. Browned boxes, as they mature, can be collected from the bushes in paper bags and brought into the room. In a paper bag, the boxes dry up and burst with a characteristic crack. Phlox seeds quickly lose their germination, especially in a dry and warm room. It is best to clean the seeds just before sowing. P.G Gaganov advised to mix the peeled seeds with sand and store them in a cool room in this form until sowing. The highest germination (up to 80 - 90%) is given by seeds when sown immediately after their collection - in late November - early December. It is also possible to sow in winter - in January-February, on a bed prepared since autumn, snow is removed from the bed, rarely, with a distance of 3-4 cm, seeds are scattered on its frozen surface. Then they are covered with a layer of sifted earth prepared in advance, or sand 1 - 1.5 cm thick and snow. When sown in winter, seed germination will be 70%.
For better germination, phlox seeds need to be frozen. The closer to spring the sowing is done, the less germination of the seeds. Starting from March, their germination drops sharply, and when they are sown in April without freezing, the seeds practically no longer germinate.
In early spring, often already on the melting snow, shoots appear. Seedlings in the stage of two pairs of true leaves dive onto a well-prepared bed with fertile soil at a distance of about 20 cm. A week later, they are fed with a solution of mullein (1:20) or saltpeter (15 g per bucket). Seedling care consists of systematic watering, fertilizing, weeding, loosening the soil surface. The composition of dressings is the same as for adult plants, only the concentration is taken 2 times less. It is possible to carry out foliar top dressing urea, "Kemira-Lux". Be sure to ensure that young plants are not attacked by slugs. In order to prevent diseases of seedlings fungal diseases plantings are sprayed with a 0.5% solution of Bordeaux mixture. Seedlings grow very quickly, and by autumn 40% of them bloom, especially early and early medium varieties, the rest will bloom next year. Favorite plants are selected. In any case, seed-produced plants will be most resistant and hardy in cold, harsh climate zones compared to foreign varieties or varieties bred in more southern areas. Of the seedlings of 70 varieties tested in Tomsk, Barnaul and Novosibirsk, "Biya" obtained from sowing seeds in Biysk was the most winter hardy, and the rest of the varieties were distributed according to winter hardiness as follows. The first 25 places were occupied by varieties of local selection and breeders of the Non-Chernozem belt - P.G Gaganova, M.I. Groshikova, ML. Nagibina, B.V. Kvasnikova, M.P. Bedinghaus, M.F. Sharonova and others, and then varieties of foreign selection appeared in this list from among those that were brought to Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. and managed to acclimatize well (Rayonant, Viking, Frau Paulina Scholhammer, Elizabeth Campbell, King, Wintermerchen, Vidar, Feuerspiegel, etc.).
Timoshin I. "Flowers in your garden" - St. Petersburg: "Parity", 1999
Konstantinova E. "Phloxes" - M.: "Fiton +" - 2002
Many gardeners do not even suspect that unpretentious phloxes, which breed well and winter in our conditions, come from America, though northern. They settled in Europe more than three centuries ago, and since then it is difficult to find a flower bed or a front garden without these bright and fragrant flowering "hats".
This plant has more than fifty species, and only one of them - Drummond's phlox - is an annual. However, there are not so many evergreen phloxes.
Most of them, in cold period, only the roots remain viable, and the aerial part dies off. With the onset of heat, new stems and leaves grow from the buds.
Phloxes bloom very luxuriantly. If you choose the right varieties with different terms flowering, then their beauty can be admired for several months in a row during the entire warm season.
The color of flowers is the most diverse from white to purple. Their sizes, the shape of the petals, and the height of the stem also differ.
According to these characteristics, phloxes are divided into three main groups: bush, loose sod and ground cover.
Bush phlox
They are distinguished by the absence of cuts on the petals, and are divided into two subgroups:
- Undersized- up to 60 cm high. They bloom in May - June. The most popular phloxes are Candy Twist, Adorable, Thick, Hairy.
- Tall- up to 180 cm high. Spotted, Panicled, Smooth phlox are distinguished. Planted in the background, they adorn flower arrangements early summer and early autumn.
Loose sod phlox
These plants rise 30-50 cm above ground level. They bloom from the end of spring for a little more than a month. This group includes phlox shoot-bearing and splayed.
ground cover phlox
These creeping plants are characterized by the earliest flowering time - from April to early summer. They can decorate alpine slide, retaining wall, become a beautiful border for a flower bed.
The most common are Snow, Dwarf, Star, Styloid phlox.
It's pretty conditional classification, since breeders have created many interspecific hybrids that can form their own groups.
Popular varieties
It is impossible to list and show all known varieties and hybrids of this plant - there are already more than one and a half thousand of them. When choosing phloxes for your garden from them, be guided not only by the decorative properties and color of flowers, but also by the height of the plants and the timing of flowering.
See photos of some varieties popular with gardeners. Perhaps some of them will appeal to you.
Phlox breeding
This plant can be propagated different ways: seeds, layering, division of rhizomes, cuttings, spring growth shoots.
For reference. Only the last method requires the creation of special conditions and the maintenance of shoots in greenhouse conditions.
If so far you have not grown these flowers, then it is easiest and fastest to breed them by planting seedlings obtained from dividing adult plants:
- When buying, choose seedlings with 4-5 shoots 5-6 cm long.
- The skin on the stems should be greenish in color, rough, with no signs of damage by pests and diseases.
- Large buds should already be formed at their base.
- Also pay attention to root system. It should also be healthy and shortened to 15 cm.
The division of the bush
Bushes aged 3-4 years are subject to division. This is the fastest and most labor-intensive method of propagation, which can be applied at any time from early spring to autumn.
- Before digging up a plant, its stems should be cut to half the length.
- After extracting from the ground and cleaning the rhizomes from the soil, they are divided into several parts with a sharp shovel or knife.
Note. Try not to damage the vegetative buds located at the base of the stems during division. Each new bush should have at least eight of them.
- If the roots are too long, they should be shortened with secateurs to 15 cm, but no more than one third.
- Delenki are transplanted to prepared places with straightened roots. They are buried in the soil by three centimeters.
layering
To propagate phloxes in this way, the stems are bent to the ground before flowering and fixed along the entire length. Then a mixture of humus and peat is poured on top and watered.
By autumn, the layers will give roots, they can be separated from the mother bush and transplanted to another place.
cuttings
If you need to get a lot of seedlings at once, for example, for selling or ennobling a large area, they can be obtained from cuttings.
For reference. You can cut phloxes at any time, but spring and summer cuttings root faster and better.
Cuttings are carried out in the usual way:
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Young shoots are cut from the plant, on which there are at least two pairs of leaves. |
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They are divided into segments with two internodes, cut immediately below the lower node and half a centimeter above the top. |
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The upper leaves are cut in half, the lower ones are removed completely, leaving only the axillary buds. |
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The cuttings are planted in moist, loose soil, deepening to the top node, shaded and covered with a jar. |
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At first, the cuttings are watered often, up to 5 times a day. Then, as the soil dries. After a month, they take root. They can be transplanted to a permanent place in the fall. |
Reproduction by growth shoots
You can not wait for the growth of long shoots, but propagate phloxes in early spring with young spring shoots. They are broken out at the base of the stem with a “heel” from thick bushes and immediately planted in a greenhouse.
They take care of them in the same way as for cuttings, pouring warm, settled water. Transplanted to a permanent place after the formation of roots in late spring or early summer.
Reproduction by seeds
Phlox reproduce well by self-sowing. But, so that the plantings do not become too dense, it is better to prevent this by breaking out faded branches and leaving only some of them to collect seeds.
- Harvest them in the fall, before the leaves begin to wilt. By this time, the seed pods turn brown, become dry and easily open when pressed, giving dense dark green seeds.
- From late September to early November, they are sown immediately in prepared beds. The strongest of them survive the winter frosts and immediately after the snow melts, they begin to germinate. In mid-May, seedlings can already be transplanted to a permanent place.
- You can also carry out winter planting from November to January immediately on a flower bed. For this desired area is cleared of the first snow, the seeds are laid out on the surface of the earth and sprinkled on top, first with a centimeter layer of the same earth, and then with snow.
- In spring, plantings dive, leaving the strongest seedlings. The plants grown from them are highly resistant to diseases and early lush flowering.
Advice. To grow phlox seedlings at home, many conditions are required, including mandatory stratification, the creation of uniform lighting and maintaining the air temperature no higher than plus 10-12 degrees. It is much easier to propagate them by seeds immediately in open ground.
The best time for landing and transplanting
Best of all, phloxes tolerate transplantation and actively develop after it in late April - early May.
Also the right time it is considered the very end of summer until the first days of September, when buds are laid on the basal collars. But before digging, the upper part of the bushes must be cut.
In any case, after transplanting, the plants must be watered regularly, preventing the root system from drying out.
If it is not possible to get the desired bush at a time favorable for planting, then it should not be planted immediately in place, but dropped into loose soil to a depth of 25 cm. Before the onset of cold weather, the buried plant is mulched and planted in spring.
Caring for perennial phlox
These plants are surprisingly unpretentious and resistant to diseases and weather conditions. But for abundant, long and lush flowering, they still need to create certain conditions.
Location selection
It is best to plant phloxes in areas raised above the general level of the earth. They do not like damp lowlands with stagnant moisture.
You should choose places sheltered from the wind, in partial shade. Dense shade or constant sunlight does not suit them.
Do not plant them under large trees who will take away from phloxes nutrients and moisture, to hide from the sun. And, of course, you need to take into account the height of the plants and their color, which should be in harmony with other flowers in the flower bed.
Soil preparation
The roots of phloxes are powerful and branched, but lie at a shallow depth - up to 30 cm. Therefore, it will not be difficult to provide them with the optimal composition of the soil. It is enough to dig it on the bayonet of a shovel and provide a slightly acidic or neutral reaction. Why add 200 g of quicklime per square meter to overly acidic soil.
For proper nutrition, a 20-centimeter fertile layer is enough:
- V clay soil sand should be added for looseness;
- Loam is mixed with ash, mature humus and bone meal, 100 grams per square meter;
- Peat is poured into sandy soil.
In addition to this, the plants are moderately fed with complex fertilizers (5 times per season) and watered regularly.
Landing patterns
Landing perennial phlox between plants, you need to leave free areas, taking into account their height and growth.
- Between undersized and ground cover varieties make a distance of 40 cm;
- Between plants of medium height - 50 cm;
- Between tall ones - from 70 cm.
Advice. It is advisable to mulch these gaps with chopped straw, dry humus, sawdust or peat to retain moisture in the soil and limit the growth of weeds.
Summer care
All phloxes need is regular watering at the root, periodic loosening and weeding.
To increase bushiness, they can be pinched over 4-5 pairs of leaves. And for longer flowering, faded inflorescences should be cut out in a timely manner.
Disease and pest control
One of the few diseases that threatens phlox - powdery mildew affecting leaves and stems. To avoid it, you need to choose the right place for the plants and avoid strong thickening of the plantings.
And from the main pest - nematodes - phloxes will save others ornamental plants planted nearby. These are nasturtium, marigold and calendula.
Conclusion
It is quite difficult to find another plant in our gardens that would be as decorative as phloxes, and just as unpretentious and undemanding to care for. And the many ways of reproduction and their ease make these plants a favorite among many summer residents and gardeners.
Phloxes are herbaceous crops belonging to the cyanotic family. The genus of the plant consists of 85 species and over 400 varieties of bright colors.
Translated into Russian, phlox means "flame". The plant received such an unusual name due to the fact that the first wild species phlox had a bright red hue.
General information
The birthplace of culture is considered to be North America, which is distinguished by its harsh climate, thanks to which phloxes have become tenacious and unpretentious. Almost all varieties of plants are perennials. However, among them there are annuals and semi-shrubs.
Phloxes have a lush, compact and bushy form, and thanks to their abundant and long flowering, they have become the favorites of many flower growers and the decoration of most garden plots.
Phlox varieties with photos and names
- an early-flowering, light-loving variety of culture with a lush and abundant flowering. Phlox bushes are not tall, lush with dense branching. Leaf blades are dark green, narrow, subulate. Inflorescences are large, different shades. The flowering time of the culture falls on May and lasts until the end of June.
- is bright and beautiful shrub plant blooming from June until the first frost. Phlox inflorescences have a variety of shades - from purple to yellow. The plant is divided into two varieties and is star-shaped and large-flowered.
- the flowering time of the plant comes in the middle of summer. This phlox variety is used by breeders to breed new varieties. Panicled phlox bush is compact, with dense foliage and large, bright inflorescences various shades.
- This culture has a medium size and reaches a height of up to 40 centimeters. Phlox bushes have lignified stems and dense, dark green foliage. The flowering time of the culture is in the spring. Phlox inflorescences are blue or lilac. After flowering, seeds are not formed.
- this variety is compact and up to 80 centimeters high. Leaf blades are long, dark green with pointed ends. Inflorescences are medium white with greenish spots towards the center. The petals overlap to form round, dense, spherical inflorescences. Phlox blooms in mid-summer and is resistant to diseases and pests.
In height, the culture reaches up to 55 centimeters and has green, elliptical leaf plates with a pointed end. Inflorescences are bright pink with red stains closer to the center of the flower. During flowering, the flowers form dense balls with a pleasant aroma and extraordinary decorative effect. The flowering time of the culture lasts from July to October.
- Phlox bush reaches a height of up to 75 centimeters. Leaf plates are green, with a slight burgundy tint. The inflorescences are large, pale pink with a bright center and curly edges. The flowering time of the culture lasts from June to September.
- the height of the bush reaches up to 50 centimeters and has a diameter of up to 4 centimeters. Stems are compact, branched and not tall. The leaves are dark green, lanceolate. Inflorescences hemispherical, scarlet shade with a pleasant aroma. Phlox blooms from July to September.
- upright bush, characterized by compactness. In height, it reaches up to 90 centimeters. The leaves are dense, dark green, pointed. Inflorescences are spherical, large, dense, light pink in color with grayish-white strokes in the middle. The culture blooms from July to September.
- this variety of phlox is considered one of the most exotic. It was released in 2016. The bush is compact and reaches a height of up to 90 centimeters. Leaf plates are dark green, elliptical with a pointed end. Inflorescences are spherical, lush yellow-green. Since the buds do not fully open, it seems that the phlox is terry. Flowering time lasts from mid-summer to early autumn.
This variety is medium in size and fragrant bluish-lilac inflorescences. Phlox reaches a height of up to 90 centimeters, and a width of up to 60 centimeters. Leaf plates are dark green, having an elliptical shape with a pointed end. The flowering time of the culture falls in July and lasts until the end of August.
- This variety is winter hardy and resistant to many ailments. It reaches a height of 90 centimeters and has lignified branches. Inflorescences are round-conical purple hue with a bright purple center in the shape of a star. Phlox blooms from July to August.
– The bush is compact with strong, lignified branches. Leaf plates are dark green, elliptical with a pointed end. Inflorescences are round-conical, dense. Salmon-colored flowers with a white center and a purple center. Flowering time is in July and lasts until August.
- a rather capricious variety. The height of the bush is up to 80 centimeters, and the width is up to 60 centimeters. The leaves are green, long with a sharp end. Inflorescences are large, spherical in white-pink stripes. Flowering time lasts from July to August.
- the bush reaches a height of 70 centimeters, has strong stems with dense foliage. Purple inflorescences with diamond-shaped petals. They differ in a hemispherical shape, density and pleasant aroma. Flowering time lasts from June to August.
This perennial reaches a height of up to 80 centimeters and has lignified, densely leafy branches. The inflorescences are spherical, velvety, dark purple in color with a persistent, sweet, pleasant aroma. Flowering time from July to August.
- herbaceous perennial, characterized by compactness, strength and dense foliage. The height of the bush reaches up to 80 centimeters. Leaf blades are long, dark green with a sharp end. Inflorescences are spherical white-violet hue with a raspberry center and a pleasant aroma. The culture blooms from July to August.
- is a tall strong, compact perennial with purple shoots and dark green leaf plates with a purple tint. The height of the bush reaches 80 centimeters. Inflorescences are spherical bright crimson, having a star shape and a pleasant aroma. The variety blooms from mid-July to late August.
- the culture is distinguished by unpretentiousness, frost resistance and abundant flowering. The plant reaches a height of up to 70 centimeters and has a dense, dark green foliage. Inflorescences are burgundy with lighter strokes. Flowering time lasts from July to August.
- in height, the plant reaches up to 100 centimeters has strong, lignified shoots and dense, dark green foliage. Inflorescences are large, spherical, dense, strawberry shade with a light center. The flowering time of the culture lasts from July to September.
- the variety is winter hardy and reaches a height of up to 50 centimeters. Leaf plates are dark green, elliptical with a pointed edge. The inflorescences are hemispherical, white with raspberry stripes on the leaf plates and a pleasant aroma. Flowering time lasts from July to September.
Phlox planting and care in the open field
In order for phloxes to grow normally, develop and bloom magnificently, they should be planted in a well-lit garden bed. In addition, it must be protected from drafts and wind, as the plants are quite thermophilic.
If the selected variety prefers shade, then it should be planted under shrubs or trees. Light-loving varieties should be planted in the sunny part of the garden, as a lack of light will lead to the appearance of small and rare buds and their blanching.
It is impossible to plant phloxes in a lowland and in areas with a close occurrence of groundwater. It is best if the bed is located on a hill.
The soil for planting should be nutritious and loose. Preference should be given to slightly acidic or neutral loams. In them, the plants will feel perfect.
More often, cuttings are used for planting phloxes, which are planted on a garden bed in late April - early May. Also, some gardeners root them in September, in which case the young plants will bloom next spring. When choosing autumn planting You don't have to wait for frost to set in. It is very important to plant phloxes so that they have time to take root before the first cold snap. If these conditions are not met, the flowers will simply freeze.
There are also gardeners who plant phlox in the summer. However, it should be noted that this method is very problematic and time-consuming, since the seedlings will need to be constantly monitored and the soil should not dry out.
When planting phloxes in the garden in the spring, you must adhere to the following rules. Cuttings should be planted on the prepared site, keeping a distance of 30 centimeters between the bushes. However, if the varieties are tall, then they must be planted at a distance of 60 centimeters from each other, as they will need a lot of space when growing.
Immediately after planting, young phlox should be well watered. Abundant watering should also be provided for the first couple of weeks to allow the plants to take root and grow faster.
Watering phlox
Phlox are very fond of moisture, so they should be watered regularly. However, it is worth considering that waterlogging can adversely affect plants and lead to their death. The soil on the bed with phlox should be constantly wet. With a lack of moisture, flowers will slow down growth and may stop blooming.
When watering, it is very important to bring water exactly under the root, without getting on the leaves and stems. In extreme heat, the culture should be watered in the morning and evening. Once a week, after watering, the earth must be loosened and weeds removed.
soil for phlox
As mentioned above, the soil for phlox should be loose and nutritious. It is best if it is slightly acidic or neutral loamy soil. When acidifying the soil, it should be limed.
A bed for plants is usually prepared a year before planting. To do this, the earth is carefully dug up by adding manure, wood ash and compost to it. If the soil is dense and clayey, then to give it lightness, peat should be added to it. With excessive friability of the earth, it is necessary to add sod and compost to it.
Phlox transplant
Before transplanting, you should prepare the bed in advance, dig it up and bring it into garden soil necessary components. Then you should dig a bush, gently shake off the root system from the ground and transfer the phlox to a new planting hole, taking care of drainage in advance. The bush must be placed vertically, while straightening the roots. Then the pit must be covered with soil, compacted, mulched with peat and watered.
It will take about a month for the plant to acclimatize. Transplantation is best done in the spring, so that the plant not only has time to take root in summer season, but also better resettled acclimatization.
Kobeya is also a member of the Sinyukhov family. It is grown during planting and care in the open field without much hassle, if you follow the rules of agricultural technology. You can find all the necessary recommendations in this article.
Phlox feeding
Phlox are very fond of organic and mineral supplements, for this reason they should be applied 6 times per season from May to September.
- The first top dressing consists of organic matter , or rather, manure diluted in water and wood ash. You can also add ammonium nitrate to the solution.
- The second top dressing is also carried out with liquid manure. , but with the addition of superphosphate and potassium salt. A month later, organic fertilizers are applied again.
- Autumn phloxes should be fed phosphorus-containing and potash fertilizers for the plants to thrive.
Phlox bloom
Flowering phlox depends on the variety. Some plants bloom from June to August, and the second from June until the first frost. Inflorescences are usually spherical, hemispherical and spherical. They are distinguished by their density, pleasant aroma and extraordinary decorative effect, for which gardeners love phloxes.
Colors can be completely different - from white to dark purple. In addition, there are bicolor and terry cultures, as well as phlox, which change their shade depending on the time of day.
Phlox pruning
To rejuvenate the bush and give it desired shape, it needs to be trimmed from time to time. Before the onset of frost, you should cut off the entire above-ground part of the plants, leaving only 5 centimeters of shoots from the ground.
If the gardener wants to get undersized and voluminous phlox bushes, he needs to pinch the tops of the plants from time to time, starting in May. However, it should be noted that such molding will postpone the flowering process for a couple of weeks.
Reproduction of phlox by layering
For propagation by layering, the lower shoots should be bent from the mother bush, pressed to the ground and covered with soil, while leaving the tops on the surface.
When they take root, they can be dug up and transplanted to a permanent place of growth.
Phlox reproduction by dividing the bush
Bush division is a simple and not laborious method. It can be produced both in spring and early autumn. However, spring transplantation is considered more successful.
This breeding method can only be applied to adult phloxes that have reached the age of five. For breeding, the bush should be carefully dug out so as not to damage the root system. Then it is necessary to divide it into parts, carefully separating the root collars.
After the end of the procedure, the resulting delenki can be planted at a permanent place of growth.
Growing phlox from seeds at home
The seed method is the most time-consuming, so it is used extremely rarely. The seed material is sown in a container with the ground with a mixture based on soil, sand and humus to a depth of 2 centimeters in early autumn.
The container with future plants is left outside, covered with dry leaves for the seeds to pass through natural stratification. In the spring, when it gets warmer outside, the seed container should be brought into the room for seed germination.
After the seeds germinate, and young plants have several leaf plates, they can be transplanted into open ground.
Reproduction of phloxes by cuttings
For propagation by cuttings, you can use the leaf, stem and root parts of the plant. To propagate the culture with the help of root cuttings, in May the plant should be dug up, strong sections of the root system should be selected and divided into pieces of 5 centimeters. Then they need to be planted in a container with earth-sand mixture at an angle.
In order for them to take root faster, they should be regularly moistened and gradually increase the temperature in the room, bringing it to 25 degrees. The resulting seedlings can be planted in open ground.
stem cuttings
To prepare stem cuttings, you should take the developed shoots and divide them into parts with two nodes. The top cut should be 3 centimeters higher than the first knot, and the second cut should be under the second knot.
In order for the cuttings to take root better, they should be placed in a root solution for an hour. lower leaves it is necessary to remove, and make a small incision under the lower kidney, and then plant them in the ground for rooting.
For better germination, it is necessary to cover the container with a film and put it in a warm place to create a greenhouse effect. The rooting procedure can be carried out both in spring and autumn.
leaf cuttings
Propagation by leaf cuttings is carried out in early summer. For this purpose, cut off the lower part of the stem with a leaf and a kidney.
The resulting cuttings are buried in the ground by 2 centimeters and germinated in a greenhouse, providing them with regular moistening and ventilation.
In autumn, the cuttings will germinate, and next spring they can be planted in open ground.
Diseases and pests
The most common pests that affect phlox are slugs, hookworms, earwigs, and cruciferous flea beetles.
If the plant was struck by nematodes, then the flower will begin dry shoots and curl inflorescences . To destroy the insect, you should cut off the affected parts of the crop and lime the soil. With a strong defeat of the phlox, in order to prevent its death, it is necessary to completely cut off the bush, and use the root system for propagation by cuttings.
If the culture was attacked by caterpillars and slugs, they must be collected by hand and destroyed. You can also treat phlox with special insecticides to combat these pests.
In addition to pests, the culture is susceptible to diseases such as phomosis, powdery mildew and spotting.
When a plant is damaged by phomosis, there is yellowing and curling of leaf plates . In advanced cases, the foliage turns brown and the stems begin to crack . To eliminate this ailment, the culture must be treated with a solution of Bordeaux liquid four times, observing the intervals between sprayings per week.
A disease such as powdery mildew refers to ailments of fungal etiology and manifests itself white bloom on leaf blades . To eliminate the disease, the plant can be treated with Bordeaux liquid or Fitoverm. To avoid the occurrence of this disease, young shoots should be sprayed with a weak solution of manganese in the spring.
With spotting, yellow and brown spots begin to appear on the leaf plates . To get rid of the disease experienced gardeners it is advised to treat the plant by spraying with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture.
Conclusion
As you can see, grow phlox on your own garden plot quite easy.
If you follow all the rules for caring for a crop and choose the right place for planting it, then bright spherical inflorescences will decorate the garden with their decorative effect and fill the air with a pleasant aroma until autumn.
