Phlox is a representative of the Sinyukhov family. The phlox genus includes 85 species, and they are all beautiful in their own way. These perennial plants and shrubs, growing up to 150 cm, can be an excellent decoration for the cottage. In the inflorescence can be from 50 to 90 flowers. At the same time, there are small house flowers, for example, Phlox Drummond.
Experienced gardeners argue that the most convenient is the reproduction of phlox by cuttings in the summer.
All types of vegetative reproduction have a number of advantages:
- full-blown flowers grow from small parts;
- the appearance of the mother plant does not deteriorate;
- minimal risk of plant disease;
- A simple technique suitable for beginners.
Phlox Drummond - a great representative of the genus
Therefore, phlox grafting in the summer is the best way to reproduce.
It is necessary to cut the sheet to 10 cm in length. At the same time, on a small segment of the stem there should be an axillary kidney. You need to plant cuttings in the soil, sprinkled with 10-15 cm of sand on top. Immerse the plant in the soil while the leaf remains above it.
Important! A prerequisite after planting cuttings is the effect of the greenhouse. To create it, the box is covered with polyethylene. When the plants take root, that is, after two weeks, the shelter can be removed.
Moisturize the soil several times a day. This is best done by a sprayer. It is important to prevent the soil from drying out - it should be slightly moist.
Phlox Cuttings
With full stems, plants are propagated in early June. The stems selected for cuttings should be strong and should not have a disease. They are wrapped in slightly damp newsprint and stored in a cool place for a couple of days.
After this, the stems are divided into parts. There should be two nodules on each segment. Further, the lower leaves are cut off completely, and the upper leaves half.
Phlox propagation by stem cuttings
Cuttings are placed in a summer seedling box or immediately in rows in rows.
How to grow phlox from stem cuttings
For a week and a half, plants should be watered with warm water a couple of times a day. Within three weeks, roots and first shoots will appear. To increase growth efficiency, phlox need to be rooted in a bed prepared for seedlings.
This method is used in extreme cases, for example, if nematodes have settled on the plant, or it begins to decay. The age of the plant should be at least three years. Reproduction of phlox by root cuttings will allow you to save the variety and increase the number of flowers.
Important! The best period for root cuttings is autumn, because at this time there are a large number of nutrients in the soil.
How to cut the roots of phlox properly
At the very beginning of autumn, you need to extract the plant from the ground. For division, the most voluminous roots are suitable. They must be divided into pieces of 6-7 cm planted with a thin end down. Then the cuttings are covered with a layer of sand (about 5 cm) and slightly moistened. The box is cleaned into the room without access to sunlight. Recommended temperature is about 12-15 ° C. To stimulate shoot growth, the temperature is raised to 20 ° C after 3 weeks.
Phlox root system
When the first sprouts appear, the plant is taken out to the street so that they get used to the heat. It is important to prevent direct sunlight from entering the plants.
Toward the end of spring, you can transplant phlox to the garden. You can transplant the plant to the flowerbed in a year.
Phlox can be propagated at any time of the year, with the exception of winter:
- For propagation in spring, cuttings are harvested closer to the end of May. The best stems should be selected. Cut off cuttings will be placed in drawers with wet sand. Then cleaned in a darkened place. After the appearance of the roots, the plant is transplanted into the open ground. It is important to find a place where direct sunlight does not fall.
- Reproduction of phlox in mid-July is the best option for grafting, because the plant blooms best during this period. Cuttings are cut without inflorescences. A suitable time of day for cutting is early morning. You can cut each week. When propagated in summer, the plant takes root for 3 weeks.
- In autumn, the plant is cut from the middle of September. Phloxes during this time produce a large amount of cuttings. For planting, choose clay soil. Cuttings are placed in the greenhouse for wintering - so they are more likely to take root and next year will be ready for transplantation.
Important! Thus, the best period for increasing the number of colors is March-April. At this time, the soil is saturated with a large number of nutrients. September is also well suited due to the abundance of minerals.
Only adult bushes, aged 3-4 years, are subject to division.
Phlox Root Division
Phlox planting must be completed before the end of the first ten days of September, otherwise the plant may simply not grow.
The bush is carefully removed from the ground. After this, the stems must be shortened in half. If the roots of the plant are excessively long, then they are cut to 15 cm. After cleaning from excess soil, they are divided into 3-4 parts with a knife or a shovel. At the same time, each piece should have at least 8 vegetative processes, because next spring the buds will grow from them.
Important! If the roots begin to dry out, then they are placed in water for 7 hours, and then planted on a bed.
Uterine bushes spud with moist and loose soil and are often watered abundantly. Shoots that find themselves underground gradually take root and grow. Closer to August, the plant is transplanted to the main garden, where it continues to grow.
Propagation of plants is a long and difficult process. You can choose any version of the cuttings that you like most, whether it is propagation by root or stem cuttings. It is also worth remembering that if phlox is propagated by seeds or other methods, the plant may simply not take root. Therefore, vegetative propagation is the best option, since the chances of plant survival are usually 90%.
