Volumetric fragrant inflorescences, a wide range of tones, long flowering and unpretentiousness in care - all these dreams of flower growers successfully combine phloxes. In the garden, they will be appropriate everywhere, but they will feel comfortable only on a site with appropriate soil and lighting. What you need to know about planting and caring for phloxes, which distinguish varieties of spreading species, and what of the proposed range is suitable for your flower garden - we will tell about all this later in the article.
Description and species of species
Spread phlox (phlox divaricata) are low plants, the stems of which stretch to a maximum of 40 cm, but more often their length is half as long. The peculiarity of the species lies in the creeping shoots, which, growing, form the turf, and in loose thyroid inflorescences.
Did you know? The name phloxam was given in 1737 by the creator of a unified system of classification of the plant and animal world, Carl Linnaeus. Its origin is associated with bright, reminiscent of a blazing flame, the petals of some wild species that are found in the tropics of North America. Linguists the word "phlox" is translated from the Greek language - "flame".
Most often, phloxes of spreading type are found in blue and blue-lavender colors, less often - pale lilac, pink, white or light violet. They can be distinguished from other counterparts not only by color, but also by sweeping edges of 5 petals, which taper to the core, forming a small tube.In diameter, each open flower is no more than 5 cm. The plant blooms in May and pleases with lush, fragrant tassels until mid-summer.
The leaves of a decorative flower are slightly pubescent, ovate-lanceolate, of small size, reach 2.5 to 5 cm in length. The uniqueness of this phlox variety is also hidden in the peculiarities of the structure of flowering corolla.
It is at their base that nectar is produced, but only long-lingual bees, butterflies and moths can drink it. Insects whose proboscis do not reach the delicacy, feed on pollen.
You will probably be interested in reading about the best honey plants for your bees.
Phloxes are not able to self-pollinate. To obtain their seeds, cross-pollination is required, which occurs when sucking nectar with butterflies.Did you know? All varieties of phlox, with the exception of Drummond, are classified as perennials.
In the wild, phloxes spread wide in the eastern wet meadows of the North American continent. More than half varieties of this species have been introduced into the crop. Under the conditions of temperate climatic latitudes, flower growers prefer to grow:
- Chattahoochee - is a bush perennial, up to 25 cm high with thick leaves, raised floral tassels of lavender color. The variety has been honored by the Royal Horticultural Society for services to the garden;
- "May Breeze" ("May Breeze") - belongs to tall phlox, possesses large soft-lilac inflorescences;
- "Dirigo Ice" ("Digiro Ice") - clumps grow rapidly, the flowers are cream-blue tones;
- "Variegata" ("Variegata") - Specificity of the variety in variegated green-white foliage and short stems;
- "Fuller's White" ("Fullers White") - clumps develop to a height of 25 centimeters and bloom with snow-white buds.
Important! In hot weather and drought phlox instantly stop flowering.
How to choose a place for a flower
Spread-eyed phlox are distinguished by their ease of planting and care. But, nevertheless, for the full development of lush and bright curtains you need to create favorable conditions.
First of all, it concerns a well-chosen place, because the plant will not be comfortable everywhere. In order to please the flower, you need to take into account the features of the soil and lighting. We will understand everything in order.
Lighting
If you want to see cheerful, glowing bright colors of inflorescence on your flower bed, find a well-lit place for planting phloxes. In extreme cases, partial shade will do. But consider: the farther you move the flower away from the sunlight, the looser and more inconspicuous its inflorescences become. 
In full shade, you should not expect budding at all, since you will have to be content with only elongated green stems.
Experienced growers say that when the plant is cultivated in a well-lit area, the duration of its flowering is noted. On average, this period extends for another decade.
Important! Planting phlox is better to plan away from bulky shrubs and trees. The fact is that in such a neighborhood a flower is doomed to an obvious death, because its root system will not be able to compete in the struggle for nutrients, moisture and light.
Soil type
Botanists classify phloxes to plants, which easily adapt to new conditions and do not require special soil conditions. But flower growers, in order to please the culture and in return for a luxurious color, are advised to select loose, light and enriched substrates. 
When choosing an area for planting, it is necessary to avoid zones where cold air collects, in spring puddles of melt water are formed, and in the fall - dense ice crust.
Garden care rules
Growing phlox is a pleasure even for the most lazy housewives. The plant does not need much attention. It is enough just to remove the weeds from the flowerbed in time, loosen the ground and monitor its moisture, occasionally feed and trim the faded tops. But do not neglect the elementary rules of flower cultivation. Consider them in more detail.
Watering
Considering the peculiarities of the native environment of spreading phlox, do not forget to regularly moisten the place of its landing. The plant has surface roots, so it does not need too much water, but it is desirable to water frequently.
Do not overdo it: the flooded root system is usually doomed to rot. In order not to harm the curtains, water them to the best of drying the top layer of soil. Particular attention should be paid to the plant during a drought. 
Did you know? In the world, scientists have about hundreds of phlox species, while only 40 of them have been introduced into culture.
Weeding and soil care
Removing weed crops from a flower bed is a must-have procedure, not only because of the aesthetic moment, but also because of the exhaustion of the soil with unnecessary vegetation. In places of violent weed germination, they like to lay eggs, harmful insects, which entail the pathogenic microflora.
No need to test the strength of flock curtains. You are interested in their beauty. Therefore, do not allow the appearance of even small weed sprouts, time the soil with a sapka.
With this care, the roots of the plant will receive plenty of oxygen and micronutrients. In case you had to leave for some time on vacation and no one took care of the flowerbed, pull out the overgrown weeds very carefully. 
With sudden movements, the superficial root processes can be damaged or the phlox will generally be outside.
Top dressing
It turns out that the gardener can influence the size and density of the inflorescences, the saturation of their color, and the density of the foliage with ordinary dressing. Enhance nutrition phloxam desirable throughout the growing season.
Did you know? The American aborigines called the April full moon pink. And all because it was the first harbinger of the appearance of flowers of wild phlox, which attracted to itself delicate scarlet petals.
From fertilizers, choose both organic and mineral complexes. At the end of spring, pour perennials with a liquid solution of chicken manure infusion (25 g per 10 l of water). Subsequent feeding plan in 14 days.
This time, add superphosphate or potassium salt to a similar liquid. At the beginning of July, repeat the procedure with a clean solution, and at the end of the month, spend the last fertilizer of the season. 
It is made with a mixture of fluorine and potassium salt. Nitrogen-containing substances are extremely undesirable during this period, since their presence contributes to the buildup of green mass. In this form, the culture will not be able to safely winter.
Pruning
Many novice growers consider phlox pruning overkill. But in fact, this is the most important nuance that warns the culture against the development of pathogens and pests. Cutting flowers does not harm at all, but rather contributes to their health and the accumulation of nutrients by the root system.
Important! Pruning phloxam carried out immediately after flowering or at the end of September. the main thing - have time before the onset of cold weather.
Experienced gardeners recommend cutting the clumps at the ground itself, explaining this by the minimal risk of infection of the stems. Others, on the contrary, say that it is necessary to leave 10-centimeter columns above the soil level. They contribute to the delay of the snow. 
Which way to choose, choose at your discretion. Both are reasonable and do not harm the culture. The main thing is not to leave cut stalks in the front garden. They are collected and burned, and the base of the curtain is sprinkled with any fungicide.
Wintering features
Phlox, in spite of its origin, can winter in our latitudes. But not every winter they are able to survive. In snowless conditions, already at 10–15 degrees of frost, growth buds will freeze out in 14 days, and in more frosty and stable weather the rhizome will die. Therefore, after autumn pruning, the flower should be covered, thus preparing it in the winter.
Experts advise the first thing, when the earth is slightly frozen, to conduct final dressing. To this end, under each bush make 1 tablespoon of superphosphate and ash. Alternatively, you can use mineral complex fertilizer labeled "autumn".
Did you know? In order for phloxes to endure severe frosts without shelter, a half-meter layer of snow is needed.
Then it is imperative to cover the near-stem wells from the cold. This is done with the help of dry peat, humus, sawdust, compost or fallen leaves. To mulch a flower bed with phloxes preferably after a ten-day period after prophylactic treatment with fungicides.
Phlox multiplication
Curtains of splayed phlox greatly expand, so often growers propagate the plant by dividing the rhizome. But there are also other methods. Consider them.
Seeds
Far from everyone who loves botanical experiments can get phloxes from seeds, but it’s still real. The disadvantage of seed reproduction is the loss of varietal characteristics, a lengthy and painstaking process, and the advantage lies in the undeniable adaptation of sprouts.
First you need to get seed material. It is often easier to buy than grow. But if pollination succeeded, start collecting seeds in the period of withering foliage. A sure sign of their ripening is a brown boll and a rustle inside.
Important! Phloxes are well combined with primroses, Badan, gravilat, multi-colored euphorbia. When selecting neighbors, it is important to consider that culture quickly loses its decorative effect.
Sowing is carried out in open ground or in prepared containers. The latter option is more productive, because in terms of the greenhouse effect, germination increases and sprouts develop better.
For this you need containers and special soil mixture. It is harvested from equal parts of river sand, peat, hardwood soil and humus. It is desirable to deepen the grains by 1.5-2 cm. Seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place in mid-April, when stable, warm weather is established outside.
Vegetative methods
This technology is more acceptable to contemporaries, who always have a lot of trouble and little time. The easiest way to get a new seedling, dividing the rhizome into delenki. For this method you need an old bush, which is already more than 4-5 years old.
For spring planting, up to 15 parts can be obtained from such an instance, and only 5 for autumn ones. The fact is that at the beginning of the growing season the plant tolerates a change in growing conditions more easily and adapts more quickly. 
Important! To rejuvenate the old flock bush, use a sharp knife or a spade to select its core and fill the recess with humus. The withdrawn part can be planted separately.
The second method is to harvest cuttings. The procedure is best carried out in May, when the stems are full of energy. It is enough to cut one powerful sprout with a sharp knife and divide it into parts so that there are 2 internodes in each.
In the future, blanks are planted in a prepared and well-moistened soil. Top cover "bed" film to create greenhouse conditions. Within a month, the cuttings will form strong roots. 
Diseases and pests
Phloxes not only at first glance seem to be very delicate and refined plants. Nasty slugs, drooling pennits, earwigs, spider mites and wireworms often use their defenselessness.
Such attacks are primarily subjected exhausted and weakened copies. Improper agricultural practices contribute to the development of pathogens of powdery mildew, phomosis and septoria.
To save curtains can traditional use of insecticides and fungicides. Also, the best prevention will be timely and competent care.
Did you know? In Europe, phloxes were first talked about at the end of the 17th century.
The agrochemists advise "Aktar", "Fury", "Bi-58 New", "Karate", "Kinmiks", "Sumi-Alpha" of the effective drugs from harmful insects. 
When an infectious or fungal lesion occurs, Bordeaux liquid, copper sulfate, Skor, Fundazol, Topaz will come to the rescue.
For the purpose of prophylaxis, experts do not advise to wait until the attack spoils the appearance of the curtain, and to treat the near-stem wells with Bordeaux liquid in the winter, and in the summer every 2 weeks to repeat the disinfection with Fundazole.
But if your garden is watered, loosened and fed in time, then no pests and diseases threaten it. Phloxes in such an oasis will create a bright carpet of delicate petals, which you want to look at more than once.
