Bright multicolor floxes pleases all summer. With the advent of exotic flowers, phloxes have become infrequent visitors to garden plots and flowerbeds of country houses. But now the phloxes are becoming popular again due to their unpretentiousness, long flowering period, variety of color and a pleasant aroma, exuded by flowers. Moreover, many new varieties of perennial plants have appeared at the present time.
For successful cultivation of crops, it is necessary to prepare phloxes for winter by all rules. In the article you will find information on how to prepare phloxes for winter.
When to cut phloxes for the winter?
Phloxes, like other perennials, in which the ground part with the onset of colds dies off, it is better to trim for the winter. When choosing the optimal time for phlox trimming for the winter, it is necessary to proceed from the fact that the plant is the early-born or late-barking. Early blooming varieties of phlox quickly fade, and they are pruned immediately after flowering ends in late August - early September. Types of phlox, which begin to bloom late, wither as usual by the end of September, and then the pruning is done about a month later. The general recommendation on the time of pruning is to hold it until stable cold weather is established. In the temperate climatic zone this is the beginning or the middle of October.
How to prepare phlox for the winter?
The ground part of the bush is cut with a garden pruner, leaving the cuttings 5 to 10 cm from the soil level. Such penechki should be left, since at the base of the shoots there are 2 to 3 buds of renewal, of which young shoots are pecked with the onset of spring. To this, the remaining cropped twigs are markers reminiscent of the perennial planting site.
Usually old, adapted to rather severe winters of phlox variety, well tolerate wintering. And, if the cold and snowy winter is predicted, the phlox will perfectly overwinter without shelter. But some new breeding varieties, especially those derived in countries with a fairly mild climate, need to be insulated even in mild winters. If the winter is expected to be frosty, and most importantly, little snow, then it is necessary to create a shelter shelter for all varieties of phlox.
The sequence of preparation of phloxes for wintering
- The base of the bush and the soil next to the plant are treated with fungicides from pests and diseases (dry days should be chosen).
- After 2 weeks, for each unit plants are poured on a tablespoon of superphosphate and a little ash, in order to stimulate the future spring vegetation.
- Immediately after the feeding, the mulching of the planting is carried out in order to protect the phlox from freezing. For mulching, peat or humus will be suitable. Agrotechnists believe that it is more expedient to use horse manure. Its peculiarity is that as a result of the decomposition of the components, horse manure warms the soil. For each bush, approximately ½ manure buckets or ¾ peat buckets are needed.
Top of the "hummocks" are laid spruce lapnik, brushwood or cut tops. This is done not only to maintain the temperature regime, but also to carry out snow retention. With the onset of the first spring warm days shelter must be immediately eliminated, so that the insects that wintered among the leaves do not fall on the nascent shoots. It should not be used to cover shoots with foil or roofing material for insulation, as phloxes soak and soak under such cover.
The bush frozen during the winter can be tried to revive. To do this, the middle part of the brush is cut with a sharp tool, leaving the edge of the bush 2-4 cm wide. The middle is filled with fertile soil and processed with "Epin". Thanks to the operation, the sleeping buds are stimulated, and the phlox bush will quickly recover.