Experienced flower growers use not only perennial plants, but also annual flowers to design compositions. Perennials alone cannot achieve a decorative flowerbed for the entire season. The combination of annual and perennial plants that bloom at different times looks spectacular. One of the annuals that can bloom for three consecutive months is Drummond's phlox. Growing from seeds, a photo of a flower is of interest to many beginning gardeners. We invite you to get acquainted with the main varieties of plants, sowing in soil and seedlings, care and top dressing.
A diverse and vibrant annual - Drummond Phlox
Flowering annual phlox unusually luxurious and lasts a long time. Drummond phlox flowers come in different shapes and colors, but most often they resemble small stars. In nature, this annual can be found in southeast America. There, it grows not only in flower beds on the plots, but also on roadsides and in the uninhabited prairies. This variety of phlox was bred 300 years ago through the efforts of breeder Henry Drummond. He then traveled around Texas and sent some seeds of the plant that interested him to England. Since then, the flower bears his name. This phlox is now cultivated in different parts of the world, including Russia, so many are interested in growing Drummond phlox from seeds by seedlings or sowing in the ground.
Since then, flower has been experimented for a long time, new varieties have been bred. Already two dozen annual phloxes flaunt in our gardens, parks, flowerbeds and alleys. Amateur gardeners and designers use them as unique compositions. What shades you can not see on blooming phlox Drummond!
Growing from seeds, when planting a plant, you can study below in the article. The flowers are caramel, salmon, golden, soft pink, purple, blue, raspberry, cherry color. Petals can be trapezoidal, rounded, smooth, but most often they are star-shaped, resembling cloves. Sometimes there are terry and semi-double varieties. There is a combination of several similar shades on the petals or original stains of contrasting tones.
The whole exclusiveness of the Drummond variety is that it is an annual. At home, in America, he himself dissipates and blooms anew every year. The plant has umbellate or thyroid inflorescences. If it is well looked after, then the "umbrellas" are formed dense, otherwise loose. The size of the inflorescence can reach 15 cm. In case of good care, the inflorescences close the stem and leaves and resemble a colored carpet. This is how Drummond's Tapestry Phlox looks, seed cultivation of which will also be mentioned below. One-year phlox can bloom all summer, until October, only frosts of -5 ° C make it wither.
Drummond Phlox is a half-meter bushes. Breeders have bred even lower varieties, up to 10 cm. Here are the morphological characteristics of this plant:
- There is a strong root with many branched appendages.
- Lots of erect, sticky and branched stems covered with small sparse hairs.
- Regular leaves have an elongated-oval or lanceolate shape with sharp ends.
- The flowers are distinguished by the brightness of the colors, a small size - up to 4 cm in diameter.
- The fruit is in the form of a small oval box.
- The bushes are quite branched and lush.
Growing from the seeds of Phlox Drummond (mix)
In order for the annual bushes to bloom at the end of May, you will have to make seedlings. Photos of Drummond phlox seed cultivation demonstrate this simple procedure. The main thing in this business is to have patience. Growing from the seeds of the annual phlox Drummond is within the power of each grower. Sowing seeds is better in late March - early April. Then use the following tips:
- Pour the soil prepared for flowers into clean containers so that 1.5 cm remains on top of the containers.
- Moisten the soil with warm water, you can add a little growth stimulator.
- spread phlox seeds on the surface of the soil, adjust the density and sowing order yourself.
- It is by no means necessary to press the seeds into the ground, just sprinkle them on top with a substrate 1 cm thick.
- For watering, use a watering can with small holes so as not to drop the seeds in place and not to knock them into a heap.
- As soon as you pour the sowing, immediately cover it with black plastic wrap so that the light does not disturb the uniform development of the roots and the upper part of the sprouts.
- Every day, remove this film for airing for a few minutes, if the earth dries, moisten it.
- With the appearance of cotyledonary leaves, remove the film and place the containers closer to the light.
- When 2-3 main leaves grow, dive the phlox sprouts into separate cups.
- As soon as the seedling has taken root in a new container, feed it with nitrogen fertilizer to accelerate growth.
Seedling Care
Place the seedlings with the sprouts in the brightest place. This will allow small plants not to stretch in height and not to lose their originality and attractiveness. Many gardeners are interested in the photo of growing Phlox Drummond Tapestry from seeds.
It is worth noting that this variety is sown in seedlings as well as other phloxes. The optimum room temperature for sprouts in seedlings will be + 18-21 ° C. If the soil dries up, be sure to water it so that there is no drying out. Add organic and complex fertilizers to the seedlings every week. Remove wilted lower leaves. To form a lush and compact plant, after the 6th leaf appears, pinch the top. A month before planting seedlings in the ground, conduct hardening of seedlings. Take them out 2 hours a day in the open air, then leave them for longer.
Landing
Plant plants in the ground in mid-late May. Two months after sowing the seeds, the plant is already beginning to bloom. Often when planting in the soil, bushes already produce buds, and sometimes flowers. Treat the planting of Phlox Drummond responsibly, follow the rules of agricultural technology, then you will get a bright and beautiful flower. Do not spare space for these phloxes, plant bushes at a distance of 15 cm from each other. Choose a sunny, well-lit place for seedlings, avoid dampness and shade. Choose loose and cultivated soil. Do not land in heavy, blocking soil so that the root system does not rot.
Feeding seedlings
Annual phlox seedlings need nutrients, primarily nitrogen. Sprinkle the planted flowers with ammonium nitrate, only then water, so as not to burn the leaves. You can treat your phloxes with water infused with moldy bread (1 roll per 10 l) or yeast solution (1/3 spoon per liter of water). Do not use manure. It leads to the growth of bushes and the cessation of flowering.
Caring events
One-year phloxes do not require special care, they will not cause you much trouble. Follow these care steps:
- Water in time, make sure that the soil under the flowers does not dry.
- Fight weeds, regularly remove wilted inflorescences so that new ovaries can form.
- For better airflow to the roots of the plant, loosen the soil regularly.
- Combine feeding with watering twice a month.
- Prevent diseases, spray with chemicals from pests.
- To make it easier for the plant to tolerate hot weather, mulch it at the roots.
Direct sowing in soil
Many flower growers sow the seeds of an annual phlox directly into the ground. You can do this in spring or autumn before winter. The most successful time for sowing is considered the beginning of May, when the air temperature becomes stably positive. For seed germination, a temperature of + 15-18 ° C is needed. First make small grooves in the ground with added compost. Be sure to water the furrows. At a distance of 15 cm, stack several seeds. You can sow thicker, and then weed. Sprinkle the seeds with soil and cover with lutrasil to maintain moisture. After a week or two, wait for the emergence of seedlings. To get lush bushes, pinch the tops after the appearance of the 6th leaf. Feed your flowers weekly.
This plant can be sown directly under the snow. It is important that winter crops are covered with a layer of snow. This will contribute to good shoots in the spring.
Different varieties of Phlox Drummond
Annual phloxes are tall (50 cm), mid-growth (25 cm) and stunted (10-15 cm). The variety Leucanteum is very popular. Its flowers resemble astro-like daisies. The variety of Tapestry has an iridescent bright color, the flowering of which resembles a colorful carpet. The caramel bushes branch very strongly. Medium-sized terry species is Phlox Chanel. One of the representatives of stellar flowers stands out Flickering Star. Many gardeners use the Caprice mix. Terry flowers have a variety of Grandiflora, Magic. Contrasting midpoints of the petals are found in the Galaxy, Star Rain, Star Lace.
Drummond's Original Phlox Ideas
With the help of annual phloxes you can qualitatively and originally decorate any species. There are many bold ideas and variations. These bright flowers will create a favorable impression of any composition. They are used as group plantings in containers or mixborders. Bright shades of these small flowers draw attention to the flowerbed. Sometimes their plantations resemble picturesque paintings. Often they are planted in pots and hung in a cache-pot. Sometimes the seeds of a plant are added to a mixture for garden lawns.
Annual Phlox Variety Tapestry
Many flower growers fell in love with the medium-sized phlox "Tapestry". He has neat bushes and many large inflorescences-caps. The bright flowering of this plant really resembles a tapestry. Also, its flowers have a very delicate aroma. In diameter, flowers can reach 3 cm. Petals of this variety have an original multi-colored color. Inflorescences of the plant are used for bouquets, since they stand in water for a long time. These flowers not only look beautiful, but also smell good.