When to plant phlox in spring in open ground
Content:
Phlox is a popular flower in garden plots. He fell in love with bright bouquets of various colors, long flowering, unpretentious care, even an inexperienced gardener can grow a plant.
When is the best time to plant phlox
Planting phlox in the open ground in spring is carried out during the period when the last spring frosts have passed. This time may vary depending on the landing area and falls in mid-April in the south - end of May in the northern parts of the country. To select a date, you need to check the landing calendar.
Plants are also planted in early autumn, at least a month before the onset of the first frost, so that they have time to take root. Autumn planting is more desirable than spring planting, since the seedling gives a lot of energy to flowering, and for a successful wintering, the bush needs to develop.
Phlox flower
What if the recommended boarding dates have passed? A bush with a developed root system can be planted throughout the growing season. If a bush is transplanted to a new place, you need to transfer it with a lump of earth in which the bush grows so that the seedling can take root before winter. Phlox is planted with seeds before the beginning of summer; at a later date, planting is not advisable.
Sowing seeds for seedlings
Reproduction of phlox at home
Reproduction of phlox from seeds
You can get phlox from seeds, this cultivation is practiced on annual varieties. In this aspect, the Drummond variety showed itself well. But when planting perennial seeds, their varietal qualities are lost. This must be remembered for those who want to know how to grow phlox from seeds.
Planting can be done for seedlings at home. This is done in early March, sowing flower seeds in light soil in small pots, which are covered with a film, wait until the seed hatches, then the film is removed. In May, seedlings can be planted on the site.
Reproduction of phlox roots
The formed 3-year-old bush can be divided into several parts and transplanted into new places.
To do this, cut the stems of phlox in half in the fall, dig out the whole or part of the bush, then transfer them to the place of a new planting. Fertilizers are introduced into the previously dug hole and the rhizome of the divided bush is added dropwise. Planting phlox with rhizome is also done in spring.
Planting Phlox in the ground
Dividing the bush
Phlox life span is 15 years. To maintain abundant flowering, you can periodically renew the plant, planting parts of the formed rhizome.
A 5-year-old bush is dug up together with a lump of earth, cut into several parts with a shovel, which are transferred to the place of new plantings. You should carefully divide the bush, as an insufficient number of roots can make the plant unproductive. This must be taken into account before planting phlox roots in spring.
Phlox planting rules
How to choose healthy planting material
Before planting perennial phlox, it is worthwhile to dwell on varieties adapted for breeding in temperate climates.
It is imperative to make sure that you are buying a plant with the desired bud color, so it is better to choose material with flowers that have not yet been cut.
When choosing a seedling, they examine it for the presence of diseases, check for rotting, pest damage on the roots. You need to buy a bush with well-developed roots, their length should be at least 10 cm.
Preparing the soil before planting
Phloxes love slightly acidic light soil. The clay is loosened with sand, and lime and ash are added to the acidic medium. Too poor soil is enriched with manure, compost.
If the planting of the bush will be in a new, untreated place, the earth around the hole must be dug to the depth of the shovel bayonet.
Choosing a place and soil for planting
If a site with a surface bed of groundwater, the planting site should be chosen on a hill, since the plant has a developed root system that goes to a depth of 20 cm, and groundwater can lead to decay of the roots.
There is an opinion among gardeners that it does not matter where to plant phlox, in the shade or in the sun. Slightly shaded areas are best where bright sunlight will not burn the seedling's petals. The bush is planted on pre-fertilized, loosened soil.
It is not necessary to plant the plant near large trees, as they will compete and take nutrients from each other. A tree with developed roots can kill a newly germinated seedling.
Landing in open ground
If the place and time for planting phlox has been determined, then it is necessary to start planting. Phloxes are placed at a distance of 40-50 cm from each other. There should be 4-5 shoots on the bush with a length of 8 cm, roots at least 10 cm.
The depth of the pit should be from 30 cm, a mixture of compost, mineral fertilizers in equal parts is poured onto the bottom. The seedling is placed in a hole, spreading the roots.
Before planting phlox in open ground, you need to soak the rhizome for several hours in a root growth stimulator. The growth point should be 3 cm below the ground.
Further care of perennial phlox
Plant care is not difficult. In the first year, the plant is not fertilized, but it is necessary to water the seedling abundantly, loosen the soil, and remove weeds. In subsequent years, you need to fertilize the plant with mineral fertilizers several times per season, this is a condition for good flowering.
Phlox care in autumn
In autumn, pruning is of particular importance. Reasons for pruning phlox shoots in the fall:
- A plant without a ground part falls asleep faster for the winter.
- Leaves can be breeding grounds for pests and powdery mildew.
- On the renewed bush next year, the crown appears faster, which will give abundant flowering, while the crown will be paniculate.
Pruning phlox in the fall
Pruning should not be done during wild flowering and when there is still a lot of green foliage. In this case, the bush may give new shoots and will not have time to prepare for winter.
It is necessary to remove old branches after constant cold weather is established, not earlier than October. If the region is characterized by good snow cover, branches are cut, leaving 1-2 cm from the ground. If there is little snow, the stems are cut to a length of 10 cm.
If the winter is snowy, phloxes will be covered with natural cover. However, if there is little snow, during frosts of -20 degrees and below the rhizomes of the plants may freeze out. In the fall, it is necessary to cover the trunk circles, especially for seedlings of the first year.
Lush bloom, delightful aroma, good winter hardiness, all these qualities make phlox favorites among the variety of flowers in summer cottages. Proper care will help you grow a healthy plant for reproduction.
