Do you like perennial flowering plants? How many of these plants are in your garden? Рerennials will transform the garden in summer. Besides, they are less capricious and more resistant to adverse factors compared to annual plants. Tall garden phlox is one of the most beautiful and sun-loving perennial.
The genus Phlox (Phlox) has about 60 species of flowering perennials. The name of the genus is translated as “fire, flame.” The plant is native to the rainforests of eastern North America.
It`s height is from 40 to 150 cm, depending on the variety.
Flowers 2 cm in size form inflorescences as spherical umbrellas. Inflorescences amaze with richness of colors. For today, there is a wide range of solid colors (red, blue, white) or mixed.
They bloom from June to September in temperate climates, i.e. in the middle lane.
Site and soil for garden phlox
Tall garden phlox grow best in full sunlight and lightly shaded places protected from the wind.
The best place is under bushes or trees to avoid hot midday rays, especially for dark-flowering species, the inflorescences of which fade from the heat.
Garden Phlox planting
Fertile slightly acidic or neutral soil is best suited for growing phlox.
The plant blooms well and grows for 10-15 years on well-humus soils.
Paniculate phlox is planted in spring or early autumn, preferably in cloudy weather.
It is useful to add charcoal to the soil. The optimal size of the planting hole is 30-40 cm.
We recommend pouring a little sand or a layer of crushed stone into the planting hole for drainage. After planting, the phlox must be well watered.
How to care for tall garden phlox
Young plants are frost-tender and sensitive to cold. Therefore, it is better to cover seedlings with foliage or peat for the winter.
Pruning withered inflorescences allows to prolong flowering and stimulates the formation of new flowers. The stems of the perennial are cut off at the end of autumn.
Tall garden phlox doesn’t tolerate drought. With a lack of moisture, the leaves turn yellow and the flowers become smaller. Therefore, from the beginning of the growing season until the end of summer, provide the perennial with abundant and regular watering, preferably in the evening.
However, water should not stagnate at the landing site. Water-logging harms the plant no less than drought.
Garden phlox reproduction
Reproduction of tall garden phlox by division of the rhizome
Phlox bushes can be divided starting from the age of three. But it is better to divide 5-6-year-old plants.
In spring, at the beginning of the growing season or in autumn, the bush is dug out. Shake the roots off the ground and divide them into several parts. It is advisable not to use a shovel for dividing. Do this with your hands or with a sharp clean knife. Seedlings should have several growth points or the beginnings of shoots. Plant divided rhizomes in well-humused soil.
Reproduction of tall garden phlox by Root Cuttings
Cuttings are taken at the time of transplantation in early spring. It is necessary to cut 1/3 of the non-woody rhizome below the root neck.
The cut root is divided into parts of about 3-5 cm and placed at an angle in a container filled with a sterile, permeable mixture of peat and vermiculite. Then a small layer of substrate is sprinkled on top. It is necessary to maintain a temperature of about 12-15 С and moderate soil moisture. Then the container is placed in a room with a temperature of 18-25 C. After the sprouts appear, they are transferred to a well-lit place but without direct sunlight. After the appearance of 4 leaves, young seedlings can be transplanted into the open ground.
The most common diseases and pests of garden phlox
Downy mildew
In rainy summer, in places with poor air circulation, phlox can be affected by powdery mildew. In this case, the stems and leaves are sprayed with a fungicide.
Nematode
Biological methods of treatment are to remove the affected plant, and sow marigolds at the place of its cultivation for 3 years in a row.
Gray mold (botrytis)
The diseased parts should be burned, and the entire perennial and nearby plants should be treated with a fungicide.