An irreplaceable detail of any garden and flower garden are ground cover plants. One of the most attractive examples of this group of perennials is Douglas Phlox. With its help, bright compositions are easily formed, and a rich palette of shades opens up great scope for experiments.
The most common types in gardening
Selection does not stand still and new varieties of soil protectors regularly appear on the market. Among the varieties of Phlox Douglas, there are several particularly popular ones that are easy to find on sale. Their beauty does not fade even with the most modest care.
Douglas Phlox (Phlox douglasii)
The basis for the breeding of new varieties is a flower, the birthplace of which is the mountainous regions of North America. It was discovered in 1927 by David Douglas, who gave the plant its name. The slowly growing jackets of the moisture-loving phlox serve as a wonderful decoration of alpine hills and decorative ponds.
Phlox douglasii
Among the distinguishing features: the height of the bushes is not more than 8-10 cm, all other types of phlox are significantly higher. Flowers bloom in the first decade of June and do not stop blooming until September. The delicate aroma is enhanced in cloudy rainy weather and at night. The evergreen "mat" surrounding the soil is a bit like moss and is resistant to trampling.
The stems are dense - open. Dark green awl-shaped leaves have a length of 1-1.5 cm. The flowers are collected in small inflorescences of 1-3 pieces. At the moment, about 150 varieties are mentioned in the catalogs, including the novelty - Douglas Luchsjuvel phlox, but this number is constantly replenished with new plants with buds of various shades.
Important! Frost resistance - up to -34 ° С.
Phlox subulata - Douglas resembles, but has higher bushes - up to 35 cm (shoot length up to 1 m).
White admiral
A distinctive feature of the variety is snow-white flowers. With sufficient bright lighting, the green pillow of shoots and foliage is literally strewn with buds. It prefers sunny places, but can tolerate light partial shade. The height of the bushes is not more than 10 cm, and the recommended planting density is up to 9-11 plants per 1 m2.
Phlox Douglas White Admiral
Red admiral
As the name implies, the flowers of this variety are red with a raspberry hue. The density of the formation of buds is so high that after they bloom leaves and shoots are practically not visible. For this variety is highly regarded in landscape design.
Phlox Douglas Red Admiral
Lilac cloud
The size of the flowers of this variety is slightly larger than others. Shining petals of a light mauve light shade. As they bloom, the very first corollas brighten, and fresh ones have a more saturated tone. This creates the effect of an iridescent lilac pillow or cloud. It usually blooms in May-June, and then resumes flowering in September.
Phlox Douglas Lilac Cloud
Crackerjack
The bright raspberry star flower of this Scottish selection has a diameter of 1.5-2 cm. It is characterized by a somewhat shifted flowering cycle - May and June. If there is enough food for the plants, then the formation of buds may resume even at the end of July.
Phlox Douglas Crackerjack
Perennial phlox groundcover in garden design
Undemanding plant care is well-deserved success in landscape design. The bushes planted rather densely fill up the empty space very quickly, preventing weeds from growing on it. Flowering is so plentiful that no shoots are visible behind it, which in themselves look good.
Landing phlox is usually planted in front gardens, rock gardens, in various mixborders. They can fill the gaps between the stones of the paths in the garden, planted on vertical retaining walls, in containers. Surrounded by a green lawn, the “spots” of blooming dwarf phlox look amazing.
Phlox curbs in the design of the garden
Reproduction of ground cover phlox
All methods of vegetative propagation are suitable for the resettlement of this perennial: seeds, cuttings, rhizomes. On sale are seedlings in containers that can be planted at any time from May to September. Seeds have a short germination period (1-2 years) and are represented by varieties and hybrids (F1).
Important! If you need a plant that does not grow too fast, then buy varietal seeds, and hybrids have a richer palette of shades and a high growth rate.
Growing phlox from seeds
Seeds are most often sown in open ground in a well-lit area in the second decade of April, when the soil thaws. They come together very friendly and do not need special care. Seedlings of ground-cover phlox are sown only when they are subsequently harvested to be planted in containers, rock gardens, flowerpots.
The soil requires loose stony. Clay, heavy with lots of humus - not good. It is optimal to dig a landing trench 35 cm deep, filling its bottom with a layer of about 10 cm from a mixture of crushed stone and sand. Next, a mixture of wood ash, fertile soil, sand and gravel of the smallest fraction in a ratio of 1: 4: 1: 1 is poured into the trench.
Sowing is carried out practically without deepening. Experienced gardeners recommend spreading the seeds in the way you want to see phlox bushes in the future, and then sprinkle with a layer of the smallest mulch from sawdust, needles, chopped grass on top. Strong shoots easily overcome this barrier and will not fade if it is not possible to water them in time.
Important! Over the whole summer, three fertilizing with any complex mineral fertilizer for flowering ground cover plants is enough. In spring and autumn, you can make a mullein, which is bred in a proportion of 1:10.
Regular watering is necessary, but water stagnation must not be allowed. To do this, the soil must necessarily have many loosening components. The roots of the flower when waterlogged easily rot. The landing site is always chosen so that in the spring when snow melts it does not form puddles.
Propagation of phlox by green cuttings
A sprig with several pairs of leaves is an excellent planting material. Almost at any time of summer, cuttings can be freely cut and used for propagation. At the selected site, they are added dropwise at an angle, and then regularly watered. Usually rooting occurs in 2 weeks.
Cuttings can also be rooted in water. To do this, cut green twigs and put them in cups, immersing them in water for 2-3 cm. On average, the roots grow in 2-3 weeks, but you need to carefully ensure that the water is updated in the tanks every day to clean. Landing can be performed immediately to a new place.
Autumn Phlox Care
In September, anti-aging pruning is performed. Remove too long shoots, faded buds, and also carry out propagation by rhizomes. It is enough to dig out pieces of roots and transfer them to a new place, so that next spring new phlox bushes will rise there.
Important! No shelter is needed for the groundcover. It easily tolerates frosts down to -34 ° C.
Pest and Disease Control
Diseases and pests in ground cover phlox are the same as other varieties:
- Ring spotting (Tomatto ringsport virus). It is more noticeable on wide leaves of tall flowers, and on small foliage of dwarfish it looks like islands of red spots. Nematode disease is transmitted, therefore, the main control measures are soil treatment in spring with nematicides (Carbation, Chloropicrim, Nemagon).
- Rust. Varieties of burgundy and purple flowers are more susceptible to her. Appears in the form of red spots on leaves and stems, rapidly growing and leading to the death of plants. The most effective means of control is Bordeaux liquid or 3% iron sulfate.
- Powdery Mildew Appears when an excess of nitrogen is observed in the soil. This happens when adding organics. The best preventive measure, compliance with recommendations on the concentration of fertilizing, as well as thinning out too dense landings. It helps with powdery mildew three times with an interval of 1 week of the entire green mass with a 1% solution of soda ash.
- Slug. To slow-growing phloxes, these gluttonous pests can cause irreparable damage. For deterrence, it is recommended to dust the plantings more often with wood ash, which also serves as an excellent fertilizer.
Important! The beauty of the Douglas groundcover phlox is special. They are very low, but this is good.
Shimmering pillows shimmering in different colors - an exquisite background for tall flowers, for example, annual phlox, which is what they use to create rock gardens, flower beds and flower beds.
