Annual phlox planting and care photo. Annual phloxes: planting and care When to plant annual phloxes in the ground

The homeland of the plants is the southern USA (Texas). Thanks to the English traveler and naturalist G. Drummond (hence the name of the culture), flower seeds came from America to England in 1835. I really liked the new plant, and after a few years it could be seen in almost all local gardens.

1. Plant characteristics
2. Selecting a site for planting phlox
3. Methods for propagating phlox and preparing seeds for planting
4. Soil for sowing
5. Growing seedlings and transplanting phlox into open ground
6. Planting phlox seeds in open ground
7. Basic rules for caring for Drummond phlox
8. Combination of Drummond phlox with other plants
9. Main diseases of Drummond phlox
10. Pests of annual phlox
11. Measures to prevent diseases and pests of phlox

Phlox Drummond photo

Interesting fact: In the United States, phlox was not cultivated as a garden flower. They were introduced into culture following the example of England. Currently, Drummond phloxes are very popular among both landscape designers, and among amateur flower growers.

Annual Phlox Drummond description

Annual plants with brightly colored inflorescences and various forms petals blooming until late autumn. The height of a garden crop usually does not exceed 45-50 cm. Breeders have also bred medium-sized (22-25 cm) and low-growing varieties(10-15 cm). Drummond phloxes are valued for their long flowering period and wide color scheme. They are quite resistant to low temperatures, withstanding short frosts down to -3 degrees, which can harm the inflorescences, but not the leaves and stems. Therefore, after the adverse effects of frost, plants quickly recover.

Choosing a site for planting phlox

The soil where phlox is planned to be planted must be nutritious and loose. Heavy loams and sandy soils are not suitable for flowers. Water stagnation and damp air have a negative effect on plants. They should not be planted close to trees and tall shrubs to avoid shade, as phlox prefer sunlight. Amazingly beautiful garden flowers do not like the wind, especially the north, and this should be taken into account when choosing a flower garden, providing for the protection of plants from cold air currents.

Methods for propagating phlox and preparing seeds for planting

Drummond phloxes are grown in two ways:

- seedlings in this case, flowering will begin in May - June,

- sowing seeds directly in open ground, the first flowers will appear no earlier than July.

Sowing phlox seeds for seedlings

In addition to varietal phloxes, breeders have bred quite a large number of hybrids. The former can be propagated independently by collecting the seeds in the fall and drying them well. With hybrids, everything is much more complicated, since in “home” conditions they will not produce offspring similar to their parents. Before sowing planting material moisturizing is not necessary. But to increase germination it can be soaked in water room temperature, placing the container with the seeds in a warm place for 2-3 days.

Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out in March or early April in previously prepared containers, for example, boxes or peat pots.

Soil for sowing seeds

Ready-made soil for phlox from the store, or one made independently from turf and leaf soil, peat and sand in a ratio of 1: 1: 1: 0.5, is perfect. All ingredients are mixed together and placed in a freezer for disinfection, or calcined in the oven at a temperature of 200-250 degrees.

Caring for seedlings and transplanting into open ground

Most often, seeds are planted in a common container and then picked. To do this, small depressions are made in the ground, seeds are placed in them, which are lightly sprinkled with earth, and better sand! and are well moistened from the sprayer! Shoots usually appear after two weeks, sometimes earlier. In the future, the plants must be watered moderately and kept at a low, preferably uniform, temperature. About three weeks after germination, the seedlings are planted in separate pots. General rule picking - when 2 - 3 true leaves appear.

Young plants are fed primarily with nitrogen fertilizers (for good growth green mass), and 10-12 days after that - complex. You should not get carried away with excessive watering, as excess moisture can cause rot.

Planting phlox seedlings in a flower bed

When the threat of frost has passed, the seedlings are planted in open ground. IN different regions countries, the timing of this agricultural event may differ. For example, in middle lane Russia to engage in transplanting phloxes to permanent place possible in May (taking into account weather conditions), in Siberia - in the first ten days of June. The distance between seedlings (taking into account the characteristics of the variety) should not be less than 12-15 cm. In short-growing phloxes, budding occurs earlier than in taller “brothers”. After planting in the flower garden, young plants must be fed with complex fertilizer.

Planting phlox seeds in open ground

When in the spring a fairly stable warm weather(usually in May), Drummond phlox seeds can be sown in open ground. With this planting method, plants begin to bloom in July. In the selected area where it is planned to plant a flower garden, shallow grooves are made in the ground, watered well, then seeds are placed in the grooves and sprinkled with soil. To better retain moisture, the future flower garden can be covered with special fiber. After the emergence of seedlings, they are cared for like seedlings: fertilized, watered, and thinned out if necessary.

Basic rules for caring for Drummond phlox

Beautiful and long flowering is ensured by proper agricultural measures. In addition to complex and nitrogen fertilizers experienced flower growers It is recommended to add yeast fertilizer to the soil (about once every two weeks), which can be prepared from ordinary bread by soaking it in warm water for 24 hours (100 grams per 1 liter). If you use regular dry yeast, you will need very little of it - on the tip of a knife (per 1 liter of water). From organic fertilizers It is better to abstain, since in this case the plants begin to build up green mass to the detriment of flowering.

Mulching - covering the soil with peat, small wood chips, leaves, humus, reduces the frequency of irrigation and protects the roots of phlox from the heat. Because the root system plants are located close to the surface of the earth, loosening the soil is carried out shallowly. Reasonable watering is the key beautiful flower garden. It should be taken into account that low-growing varieties and hybrids are more sensitive to lack of water in the soil than tall plants (40-50 cm). If there is an excess of moisture, their roots rot, as a result of which phloxes often die, and if there is a lack of water, they practically stop flowering. To make the plants lush, pinch out their tops when the flowers have 6 or 8 true leaves.

Combination of Drummond phlox with other plants

Drummond phloxes look great in ordinary flower beds, flower beds - flower beds in the form of a long strip (1.5-3 m wide), borders (narrow strips 0.4-0.5 m), rockeries - compositions using stones different sizes. Since the roots of plants are located close to the surface of the earth, this property can be used by placing phlox in pots. These flowers are very interesting in combination with other plants, together forming a luxurious carpet different shades. For example, Drummond phloxes look great next to verbena, ornamental tobacco, mealy sage, irises, tulips, snapdragons, bells, etc., as well as ornamental grasses.

The main diseases of Drummond phlox

Annual phloxes are less likely to be affected by diseases than perennial varieties. But they are still susceptible to this unpleasant phenomenon.

Viral diseases

Diseases caused by fungi

With powdery mildew, most dangerous disease caused by fungi, manifested by a white coating on the leaves and stems, can be combated with the help of fungicides (Fundazol, Topsin, Skor, Topaz, Fitosporin, etc.). Fungi attack plants mainly in wet weather with a lot of precipitation, as well as when there is an excess of phosphorus or nitrogen in the soil. For prevention powdery mildew in mid-June, it is recommended to treat the plants with a weakly concentrated solution of a fungicide.

Drummond phloxes can develop verticillium wilt. Most often it develops in areas with acidic soil. To reduce the risk of wilt, the soil is treated with ash diluted in water, or lime is added to it. If the phloxes do become infected, you need to treat them as soon as possible with appropriate preparations, for example Fitosporin or Topaz.

Spots appear on the leaf blades of plants affected by septoria, increasing in size over time, which leads to leaf falling. The disease is treated by spraying (2-3 times every 7-10 days) with Bordeaux mixture (1%), copper oxychloride (0.5%), and foundationazole suspension (0.2%).

Pests of annual phlox

Bright and fragrant phloxes are very attractive to many pests. It is no secret that it is much easier to provide prevention than treatment, but treatment is often necessary. The main pests of phlox:

Caterpillars

The caterpillars of various butterflies (for example, cabbage whites and cutworms) are insatiable, destroying leaves and flower petals. The fight against these pests is carried out different ways: manual collection of caterpillars, timely destruction weeds, spraying with insecticides (for example, Inta-Vir or Karbofos). Treat phlox during flowering chemicals Not recommended.

Black flea beetles

These bugs pose the greatest danger in the spring. They eat young leaves and shoots of phlox, moving onto them from weeds. Therefore, one of the ways to protect against black flea beetles is weed control. You can catch bugs using fabric flags (strips) that are impregnated with a special sticky substance. Amateur gardeners often use dusting ( better in the morning) phlox with wood ash, slaked lime (fluff), ground black pepper, a mixture consisting of tobacco dust and wood ash, or spray the flowers with a solution of 70% vinegar (2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water). Treatments are usually carried out 3 times, maintaining an interval of 4-5 days between them. At large cluster beetles, you can apply insecticides in accordance with the instructions. In autumn, the soil on the site should be carefully dug up. To combat insects, some gardeners use a solution of flea shampoo (2 capfuls per bucket of water) intended for dogs.

Nematodes

Drummond phlox is sometimes affected by leaf and stem nematodes - small thread worms that feed on plant sap. At the same time, the stems become crooked, the flowers become small, upper leaves become threadlike. Often plants cannot cope with the attack of pests and die. If the infection of an area with nematodes is too strong, the phloxes cannot be saved. Therefore, diseased plants need to be dug up and burned, and the soil treated with formaldehyde or bleach. The fight against threadworms can be carried out using nematicides - drugs from the group of pesticides, but they are very toxic. Therefore, apply them to garden plot highly undesirable.

Slugs

A great danger to phlox are slugs that eat shoots, leaf blades and inflorescences. They are often fought mechanically: caught manually or using traps. Use materials at hand as bait: boards, slate, thick fabric, cardboard, linoleum, which are laid out on the site and moisten the ground underneath (preferably with the addition of beer). Slugs that have accumulated under the traps are collected and destroyed. Along the perimeter of the flower bed, you can pour ash, lime, small fragments of brick, etc., materials that prevent pests from entering the area with phlox. Obstacles can be washed away by rain, so after precipitation falls, sprinkling the area adjacent to the flower garden should be repeated. To repel slugs next to phlox, it is useful to arrange green protection by planting plants with a fairly strong or spicy smell: garlic, parsley, sage, rosemary, coriander, marigolds, etc.

Slobbery Penny

In May-June, phloxes can be harmed by slobbering pennies. Its larvae settle on the underside of leaves and suck out the juice from them, as a result of which the plant weakens, develops poorly, and does not bloom. If there are few pests, they can be controlled by picking off parts of the infected plant and destroying them. In the event of mass destruction, along with mechanically They use the treatment of phlox with special preparations, for example Inta-Vir. In this case, special attention should be paid to inner side sheet plates.

Measures to prevent diseases and pests of phlox

Preventive measures help preserve phlox from diseases and pests: spring and autumn digging of soil (about one shovel's worth), timely destruction of weeds, removal of fallen leaves, changing planting sites, application to the soil complex fertilizers. In spring, it is useful to treat the soil with preparations containing copper.

Flowers with pest-repellent scents also work well, such as marigolds, marigolds, pelargonium, tansy and many others. Onions, garlic, sage, basil, and celery also repel pests and look great in the flowerbed.

The only species of annual Phlox is Drummonda, named after the English botanist who brought this flower from America to Europe. This is how the history of the development and breeding of new varieties in Russia and Europe began. It is amazing beautiful flower no less popular than perennial phlox. It has many different varieties, shapes and shades of color. Phlox Care Guide.

Annual phlox: varieties, description and photo

The main and only one annual species Phlox is Phlox Drummond, of which several varieties have been bred:

Annual Phlox Drummond

Phlox Drummond "Constellation" - the flowers of this variety have different bright and light shades colors, about three centimeters in diameter, have fragrant aroma. The plant is highly branched. Inflorescences in the form of small corymbs. This variety of annual Phlox is used for cutting, and it is also planted in groups in flower beds.

Phlox "Constellation" pink-red

Phlox Drummond Promise Pink - this variety belongs to low-growing phlox, grows up to 20 cm in height. The flowers are unusual, double pink in color. They like to use this variety to decorate rocky hills and flower beds in gardens.

Annual phloxes - planting and care

Annual phloxes are unpretentious when growing and caring for them. They are not particularly demanding on the soil, however, they grow better in fertile soil. All annual phlox bloom from June to September and can withstand frosts down to -2 degrees. Sites for planting annual phlox should be chosen in the sun. Read what they exist and what they look like.

On sunny days, annual phloxes acquire a brighter color than on rainy and cloudy weather.

To care for this plant, you need to regularly loosen the soil around the flower and water it moderately. You can fertilize the flowers with a mineral complex a couple of times. For more lush and long-lasting flowering, it is better to pick off faded branches and inflorescences.

• Annual phloxes are grown from seeds in early spring.
• The best time to sow seeds is the beginning or end of March. The thing is that the seeds germinate very slowly, it takes at least three weeks.
• Sowing should be kept at a positive temperature of approximately 12 - 15 degrees and watered evenly.
• When the first leaves appear, the seedlings must be planted in pots to strengthen the root system.
• Then, at the end of May, the strengthened plants are planted in the ground.

Among summer residents and amateur flower growers, phlox flowers enjoy well-deserved fame. A plant whose homeland is North America, has become widespread throughout Europe. Annuals have the greatest variety of varieties, shapes and shades, compared to perennial phloxes. Terry, star-shaped, cream, white, blue, different shades of red - here is a small list of flower diversity. By the way, the flowering period of perennials is longer - from June to October. Flowers can withstand light night frosts in autumn, pleasing the eye with lush blooms and a unique aroma.

Phlox annual refers to unpretentious plants, not picky about soil and watering. But it prefers to grow on fertile soil, in a well-lit area. In the sun, the color becomes brighter, the green mass becomes denser. You can notice how the flowers fade in cloudy weather.

Growing seedlings

Phlox annual is grown seedlings to achieve more long flowering. Plants grown from seedlings bloom from June to September, and those sown in the ground in May take a long time to germinate and bloom in late August - September. Phlox seeds can be sown in the ground in October, but the bed must be covered with straw and leaves for the winter to protect the seeds from frost.

Sowing seeds for seedlings held in March. The seeds are laid out on the surface of the soil, slightly pressed into the ground, and covered with film. The main thing is that the air temperature in the room with seedlings does not fall below 23 °C. Water the seeds by spraying from a spray bottle, ventilate daily, shaking off moisture condensation from the film. After about ten days, shoots appear.

When two true leaves appear on the seedlings, perform picking seedlings and replanting into separate pots. After picking, the sprouts must be protected from direct sunlight for two to three days. The sprouts easily tolerate picking. Seedlings need to be fertilized with mineral fertilizers two to three times before planting in open ground.

Transplanting

In May, with the onset of stable warmth, annual phlox seedlings are planted in a permanent place. The plant loves space and grows, so the interval between sprouts should be at least 15 cm. Phloxes look good in flower beds, along borders, their height ranges from 15 to 50 cm. When combined with other flowers, phloxes are combined with snapdragons, bells and others.

Caring for a flower garden with phlox

To provide abundant flowering, the plant needs regular loosening of the soil, watering and fertilizing. For fertilizers Phlox is diluted with nitrophoska - 20 g per bucket of water. Plants are watered with this solution two to three times per season. You just have to remember that these flowers do not like waterlogged soil.

To develop side shoots, pinch the tops of young plants. Withered flowers It is recommended to remove to maintain the attractive appearance of the flower garden.

Annual phloxes look good as an addition to flower beds and alpine slides. They can be planted in containers (old buckets, boxes) and placed near the house. Thanks to the large green mass and the development of side shoots, you will get a flowering ball that decorates the yard or porch.

Seed collection

Ripe seeds fall out of the boxes onto the ground, so in order to select the flowers you like for propagation, you must follow these steps.

Phlox are beautiful flowers, loved by many gardeners and gardeners. Today, more than seventy types of phlox are known, but only half of them are grown in culture. And almost all varieties of these flowers are perennials. U perennial phlox There are a lot of advantages, but there is also a significant drawback - a limited range of colors (pink-raspberry shades) and the monotonous structure of the inflorescences. But the annual phlox is colorful different colors, its petals have carved shape and resemble the original snowflakes. Unfortunately, there is also a drawback here - growing an annual is much more difficult. This article will be devoted to how to grow annual phlox from seeds, when to plant these flowers for seedlings and in the ground. From here you can learn about the characteristics of flowers, what methods of growing them exist, and what care annual phloxes need.

Annual Phlox Drummond

Phloxes (translated from Greek as “flame”) belong to the genus herbaceous plants from the cyanaceae family. They number about 70 species, and only a little more than half of them are grown.

Among the many varieties and varieties, Drummond's annual phloxes are in favor with professional and amateur flower growers. Compared to their long-term “relatives”, they have long held the palm. This is largely due to the wide variety of varieties, flower shapes, and their shades compared to perennials. They look great on alpine slides and flower beds. They can decorate the space near houses using decorative containers.

Externally, Drummond's phlox is a branched plant from 20 to 60 cm in height. Its flowers are clove-shaped and about 1.5 cm in diameter. The color of the petals is also varied, but always bright: white, pink, red, purple, and sometimes two-color, with an eye in the center. This species is not afraid of rain and wind; they will not damage its inflorescences. And Drummond phlox can be planted either in the garden in group plantings or on alpine slide, and on the balcony, if your own suburban area only in plans for now.

When to plant annual phlox

Seeds of the Drummond variety and other hybrids are planted for seedlings in the spring, in March. Note. Phlox seeds are similar to small coffee beans with a thick skin. But you can’t push them deep into the ground, because they begin to germinate only if sunlight hits them.

Growing annual phlox from seeds

You should pay attention to the fact that seeds lose their viability if stored for a long time and improperly. Therefore, they must first be checked for germination using the stratification method. In other words, germinate.

To achieve longer flowering, Drummond phlox is recommended to be grown as seedlings. Seeds sown immediately in the ground take a very long time to germinate, and plants grown from them bloom only at the end of summer.

In order for the seeds to germinate quickly, there is no need to press them into the soil. They are sprinkled with a little earthen mixture on top and sprayed warm water. The seedling boxes are covered with glass or polyethylene and put away in a warm place. The soil needs to be ventilated daily. When the first seedlings appear, the containers are placed in a well-lit place, and the glass or polyethylene is removed. At this stage, caring for seedlings consists only of keeping the soil moist. After the appearance of two or three true leaves, the young plants are seated in separate pots

Moderate watering through a spray bottle is carried out when the top layer soil. For hardening, on the eve of planting the sprouts outdoors, you need to lower the temperature to +15 ° C and increase the frequency of watering with the addition of mineral fertilizers.

When 4-5 leaves appear, the plant is pinched to create bushy bushes.

Planting phlox seedlings in open ground

Determine a place on your site where the plant can grow quietly for several years. Remember that phlox loves sunny areas and semi-shaded areas. Do not plant them in swampy lowlands or under dense tree canopy.

Prepare the soil thoroughly for planting. It should be loose and nutritious, since on such soil phlox will grow well, and their flowering will not only be long-lasting, but also very lush. These plants do not do well in soils with a high sand content; they also do not like heavy soils with strong acidity. You are unlikely to be able to achieve seedlings in such places. Flowerbeds or beds should be prepared before the first frost.

Seedlings are planted in shallow holes, at the bottom of which compost or vermicompost and a little ash are poured. The roots are carefully straightened horizontally and sprinkled with soil. The plants are watered and the soil around them is mulched.

How to care for annual phlox

Caring for phlox is not very different from caring for others. garden crops. It is necessary to perform weeding, loosening, watering and pruning the bush. If you need to grow a stunted and lush bush, then it’s worth pinching from time to time. It is necessary to understand that this will delay the plant from flowering for several weeks.

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It is best to do pinching in May. Watering phlox should be done in the morning or evening. At the same time, both drought and abundant moisture are unacceptable for them. Pour water exclusively under the roots, not allowing it to fall on the leaves. During extreme heat, it is worth watering the crop 2 times a day. To retain moisture in the soil, it should be mulched using humus or peat. The layer thickness should be 5 cm.

Diseases of annual phlox

They are divided into viral and fungal. Here are photos of the diseases.

Viral:

• rattling. Light spreading spots on leaves;
• necrotic spotting. Dark spots brown color on petals;
• ring spot. White spots covering the plants deform the leaf shape over time;
• leaf curl. The leaves become covered with tubercles, the stems become brittle.

Fungal:

• septirosis. Leads to the death of leaves due to the appearance of spots gray. Then the foliage turns yellow and red;
• powdery mildew. Spider-web spots cause leaves to dry out;
• rust. Emerging and spreading brown spots, lead to the death of phlox foliage.

In addition, caterpillars, nematodes, slobbering pennies and other pests threaten.

What to plant next to phlox

In order for a flower bed with phlox planted on it to look more beautiful, you need to know what plants can and should be planted next to these bright beauties. Here are some examples of those flowers and plants that will look harmonious next to phlox:

In summer time:

• alpine aster;
• low-growing bell;
• small petal;
• geranium;
• clove-herb;
• Veronica;
• Highlander.

During the summer-autumn period:

• astilbe;
• host;
• lungwort;
• basilisk;
• Siberian iris.

In spring:

• dwarf iris;
• primrose;
• saxifrage.

During the autumn period:

• snowdrops;
• crocuses;
• scillas;
• dwarf barberry Thunberka;
• spirea

When choosing varieties, it is important to consider decorative features phlox in garden design not only during flowering, but throughout the entire growing season.

I have always been puzzled by the division of plants into annuals and perennials. If you understand, then the question immediately arose: which ones are better to plant at home? Perhaps, now I myself can act as an auditor and appraiser of these two types of plants in order to convey to everyone the information on when to plant annual phlox in open ground and the better it will be for you to choose them.

Annual plants are called so because they live for one season on your site, and in winter, when perennials fall under reliable protection, annuals are dug up and stored until next spring, or they simply outlive their usefulness and become a fertilizer. Annual phloxes are very convenient to grow, because you don’t have to worry about how to restore and revive them after winter - you plant them, they will grow, bloom, pamper you with their beauty, and when spring comes, everything will happen again, or you choose those flowers for planting what you would like to see on your site no less than annual phlox.

Annual phloxes are planted in open ground at the beginning of summer - the first days of June are very suitable for this. The main thing is to have time to plant before the hot and sweltering weather comes into force, because in such an atmosphere even the most persistent and strongest crops can die.

Annual phloxes require certain conditions that will ensure their normal development. Let's get acquainted with how to grow them, so to speak, according to GOST or what basic rules. Since phloxes are light-loving plants, the sun is the most important component of their life and development. You need to plant these flowers in an area where the sun constantly pampers them with light. The soil mixture for annual phlox should preferably be loose, but do not exclude a nutritious component. It is important not to forget to feed the soil mixture directly before planting phlox in it, as well as after you plant them, so that the plants do not feel exhausted, and then you do not hastily decide how to restore them. For basic fertilizing, complex fertilizers are quite suitable. mineral fertilizers, which already include required amount basic useful substances, which are aimed specifically at the normal development of plants, including annual phloxes.

The flowering of annual phloxes is no worse than that of perennials - they (phloxes) bloom in the most variegated shades, the brightest and most luscious colors that one could wish for in the summer. You can find such variations as white, yellow, pink, burgundy, red, rich purple, to some extent even turning into blue shades, and the best part is that you can mix different colors different seeds of annual phlox and every summer arrange amazing, almost design solutions, in decorating your site with annual phloxes, caring for the flowers in their proper form, to which they will respond to you only with the most vivid memories of summer flowering.

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