How to care for phloxes in your garden

Contents:

1. Why phloxes need fertilizing
2. Timing and rules of fertilizing
3. Fertilizing during planting
4. Fertilizing during flowering
5. Autumn fertilizing
6. Preparing for winter
7. Foliar fertilizing
8. Types of fertilizers
   • Organic fertilizers
   • Mineral fertilizers
   • Natural remedies
9. Typical mistakes

Phloxes are a group of herbaceous annuals and perennials. These beautiful flowers of different shades are popular among both landscape designers and amateur gardeners. But for lush flowering and full development, plants need proper care. It is essential to know what phloxes are like and how to fertilize them at different periods of vegetation, depending on current needs. In this article, we will share what to use to care for phloxes, and also when and how to do it.

Why phloxes need fertilizing

According to gardeners’ experience, standard care, including watering and weeding, is not enough for flowers to be beautiful and healthy. It is necessary to regularly apply organic and mineral fertilizers to phloxes throughout the growing season. Thanks to timely feeding, the plant acquires immunity to viruses and fungi and pleases the eye with abundant flowering. In addition, fertilizers applied in the fall, along with covering the soil, will help perennial flowers survive the cold period.

However, it should be remembered that excess fertilizers are just as undesirable as their deficiency. Possible consequences of overuse of fertilizers:

• slow development or its complete cessation;
• decreased plant immunity;
• the withering and death of culture.

The amount of fertilizers used and the composition of the soil determine many things — the development of the root system, plant growth, the splendor of the inflorescences, and the flowering period of paniculate phlox. Regardless of the variety, it is recommended to use fertilizers for phlox throughout the spring-summer period.

Timing and rules of fertilizing

Care in open ground for any crops requires compliance not only with dosages, but also with the timing of fertilizer application. The standard scheme for caring for phloxes looks like this:

1. From mid to late May, it is necessary to strengthen the roots and stimulate the swelling of the buds. Bird droppings, cow manure or urea are used for this purpose.
2. From early summer until mid-June, liquid manure, bird droppings or ammonium nitrate are used to speed up growth.
3. In July, phloxes are fed compounds containing potassium and phosphorus, which promote the formation of buds and lush flowering.
4. In August, perennials are prepared for winter using fertilizers with phosphorus and potassium.

Some gardeners recommend fertilizing the soil for phloxes for the first time in February, before the snow melts. In this case, to treat 1 square meter of the plot, prepare a mixture of 60 g (2 oz) of superphosphate, 20 g (0.7 oz) of ammonium nitrate and 1 tbsp. of wood ash. The mixture is scattered over the snow in the place where the flowers will grow. In the spring, the fertilizers will be absorbed into the ground along with the melt water. If there is no snow, then the top layer of soil is dug 10 cm (4 inches) deep, mixing with fertilizer.

Fertilizing during planting

The first phlox feeding is done a day before or during planting. This is necessary to stimulate growth and abundant flowering. The soil is fertilized with a mixture of 50 g (1.8 oz) of superphosphate, 100 g (3.5 oz) of bone meal and 1 tbsp. of ash. For each hole, take 1 tbsp. of the finished mixture. Another option is possible, when a mixture of bone meal, lime and leaf humus is poured into the planting hole. The latter is mixed with turf soil in a ratio of 1:1. The remaining components are added to this mixture at 1 tbsp. The seedlings placed in the holes are sprinkled with earth and watered abundantly.

Fertilizing during flowering

How should phloxes be fed before flowering? Organic fertilizers are preferable from mid—May to early June. They are absorbed longer and support the plant for a long time. The best options for feeding phloxes before flowering are liquid mullein and a solution of chicken manure.

Instead of organic matter during budding, you can use complex mixtures at a rate of 40 g (1.4 oz) per 1 m2. You can also prepare a complex fertilizer yourself by mixing 15 g (0.5 oz) of ammonium nitrate and 20 g of potassium salt per 1 m2 of plantings. These substances are dissolved in water and used for watering.

When choosing what to feed phloxes in June, it is essential to exclude nitrogen fertilizers in their pure form. In summer, the plant needs potassium and phosphorus. It is good if the mixture contains microelements (boron, magnesium, iron, etc.).

Autumn fertilizing

A mandatory stage of care is applying fertilizers after flowering. For this purpose, superphosphate (1 teaspoon per bucket of water) is used, as well as peat or compost, which are used to mulch the soil, thereby simultaneously insulating the roots.

Preparing for winter

When preparing plants for winter, you need to provide them with nutrients that will help them survive the cold. For 1 m2, take 20 g (0.7 oz) of potassium salt and superphosphate, which are diluted in 10 liters (2.6 gl) of water. It would not hurt to add a pinch of ash to the solution. Organics and nitrogen-containing mixtures are not used at this time.

Foliar fertilizing

If flowers grow poorly, foliar feeding is carried out. The treatment is carried out by spraying, which allows the nutrients to be absorbed faster. To make the flowers bright, potassium permanganate is used in a weak concentration to avoid burning the above-ground part of the plants.

Types of fertilizers

The choice of options for fertilizing phlox is huge. For each period of vegetation, you can choose the appropriate composition.

Organic fertilizers

Some gardeners prefer organic fertilizers for feeding phloxes. Organics can be added to the soil at any stage:

• the manure is rich in potassium, which stimulates flowering and strengthens the plant’s immunity. It is used diluted no more than twice a year;
• mullein stimulates root development and contains valuable NPK complex;
• Bone meal nourishes flowers with calcium, iron, copper, phosphorus, nitrogen, and manganese.

Mineral fertilizers for phlox

In spring, nitrogen-containing additives are used; in summer — with phosphorus and potassium; in winter — complex compositions.

1. Superphosphate contains magnesium, phosphorus, gypsum, and sulfur. Diluted with water. Simple superphosphate is universal, double — cannot be mixed with urea and ammonium nitrate. Helps in the fight against weevils and aphids.
2. Ammonium nitrate is an affordable, economical fertilizer. Dosage: 30 g (1 oz) per 10 l (2.6 gl) of water (per 1 m2). Contains 34% nitrogen and 14% sulfur.
3. Urea is applied in the fall. Mixed with limestone if used for acidic soils.

Natural remedies

You can use self-made mixtures instead of ready-made compositions. One option is nettle infusion, which satisfies the plant’s need for nitrogen. Crushed nettles are poured into a large container filled with water and infused in a warm place until bubbles and the smell of fermentation appear. The resulting concentrate is diluted with water 1:5 and used for watering.

Typical mistakes when fertilizing phloxes

Below are some mistakes that inexperienced gardeners make:

1. Adding dry fertilizers to dry soil in summer.
2. Use of nitrogen-containing compounds from mid-summer and autumn.
3. Spraying in rainy and sunny weather — the latter is fraught with burning of leaves and flowers.
4. Excessive enthusiasm for fertilizing to the detriment of other care methods (loosening, weeding).

If you follow the above recommendations and do not make mistakes, you can achieve active development and abundant flowering with minimal effort. Read more about the listed fertilizers in other articles on the site.