These bright and elegant representatives of the cyanotic family, in addition to amazing decorative characteristics, also have many other advantages. Phloxes are unpretentious and can grow in low light conditions and on a wide variety of soils. They stand for a very long time in a bouquet, and therefore are great for decorating a room.
The genus of this plant includes more than seventy species, of which almost thirty are wild, and the rest are cultivated. Only varieties and hybrids of this flower, there are up to four hundred. Most of them are perennial crops. The most common ground cover creeping phloxes in our country. Their flowers bloom in mid-May. Among this species, the creeping subulate phlox is the most common. It got its name due to the small oblong leaves that look like an awl.
Description
In height, the evergreen awl-shaped creeping phlox, covering the ground with a dense rug, reaches a maximum of twenty centimeters. The stems of this plant are densely covered with shortsmall hard leaves. On each stem there is one or two flowers, having a diameter of two and a half centimeters. The color can be very different: pink, red, white, purple (Douglas phlox), purple, etc. This culture blooms for the first time very abundantly in mid-May and until the end of June, the second time less generously - from August to September.
Creeping Phlox is very winter-hardy. It is considered a real decoration of retaining walls and rocky gardens. The creeping styloid phlox is loved by many gardeners because of its ability to remain emerald green from spring to late autumn.
Although its flowers are quite small, their inflorescences are so rich looking that they practically hide the leaves and stems. In Europe, the creeping styloid phlox first appeared in England. He immediately became very popular. It began to be grown even in English gardens on the estates of the nobility.
Varieties of creeping subulate phlox
Snow white, pink, dark red, purple, purple-blue - these flowers are incredibly beautiful in the garden. It is difficult to list all the shades that styloid phlox has. Even a novice gardener can plant and care for this flower. Phlox subulate refers to the ground cover. Almost all varieties of this plant are used to decorate rockeries. Many types of creeping perennial phlox are common in our gardens. They begin to bloom at the end of May and look great on the plot. A lovely phlox also enjoys great love among domestic gardeners. Douglas, and purple-blue Rugelli. The main characteristic that unites all creeping species of this flower is a low stem and dense inflorescences.
Very interesting varieties such as Candy Stripes, which gives white flowers with a pink stripe in the center, lilac Tellaria, similar to an asterisk, Mayshnee, a rapidly growing Thumbelina.
Styloid phlox: landing
The root system of this plant is shallow. During the preparation of the soil before planting, you need to carefully clean the place from weeds. The fact is that they can grow through the turf and spoil the appearance of the flower garden. It is enough to place the planting material at a distance of twenty-five centimeters from each other, and in a year a solid carpet will be formed. In order for the growth process to be accelerated, the phlox stalks should be laid out in the right direction and well fixed.
Planting holes should be dug at a depth of twenty to thirty centimeters, carefully fertilized with compost or humus mixed with ash and superphosphate fertilizers.
Soil requirements
All creeping phlox thrive in loose, dry soils. This is surprising, but on fertile soils they form more greenery than inflorescences. The fact is that in the wild they always grow on "poor" land. In regions with acidic soil, phlox will lack macronutrients, so the soil must be limed before planting. Most often, dolomite flour is used for this. Depending on the type of land, the amount of limestone canvary from 230 to 440 grams per square meter. On heavy soil, sand must be added immediately before planting in the holes.
Phlox care
It comes down to weeding, watering and feeding three times a day. With the right choice of landing site, suitable soil and proper care, creeping subulate phlox retains its beauty for about six years. And although this plant is frost-resistant, in a warm winter, its leaves rot. As a result, phlox may lose its decorative effect, but with proper care it can recover. The humus added to the ground contributes to the rapid growth of the plant and its abundant flowering. This plant is very fond of light and fertilizer. However, it should be remembered that it should not be overfed. Otherwise, the strength of the phlox "will go into the leaves", and it will have beautiful and powerful greenery, but you can not wait for the flowers. Watering should be rare and not very plentiful.
Phloxes that have reached the age of five must definitely be rejuvenated, as their stems begin to “get stiff” a little, and the foliage begins to die off. In addition, adult plants are more susceptible to various diseases, and the flowers on a shrub that has been growing for more than five years in one place become smaller, and the bush itself seems weakened. The culture often needs top dressing with wood ash, which contains all the necessary trace elements with the exception of nitrogen.
Creeping Phlox: reproduction
Most breeders believe that the fabulously beautiful bright low bushes of this plant are the most unpretentious andshowy crops used to decorate gardens. The styloid phlox reproduces both vegetatively and by seeds. The easiest and most common way is to divide the bush. Transplantation is carried out in the spring. The distance between the bushes should be a maximum of thirty centimeters. If desired, at home, you can propagate the plant and stem cuttings, which are cut before the awakening of the kidneys. They are planted in the ground in early spring. The cuttings take root quite quickly, and by the fall they turn out to be full-fledged plants. Seed propagation is practiced very little.
Features of cultivation
In the northern regions, where plants need to be covered for the winter, it is better to use spruce branches for phlox, which will not acidify the ground.
Dry leaves are not suitable for this. In the spring, in order to help the phlox wake up faster, it can be watered with a solution of humate. This accelerates both its growth and the development of the root system.
The best predecessors for styloid phlox are calendula, lawn grass, tagetes and other crops that also do not tolerate excess moisture. You can not plant this plant, for example, after strawberries. Like other evergreen crops, styloid phlox is preferable to plant in places where there is a lot of snow in winter.
Pests
Styloid phloxes most often suffer from powdery mildew and various caterpillars, which quickly damage the stems of the plant. The lesion can be seen by swirling brownish leaves. Such areasmust be removed immediately.
Phlox is not recommended to be planted in such places for three years. This plant can also become ill from poor ventilation, as well as from a lack of fertilizer. Phloxes should not be planted very close to each other, so as not to infect neighboring bushes.
