A Detailed Guide to Growing and Caring for Phlox

Phlox, also known as little sky-blue hydrangea, yanlaihong, and golden mountain begonia, is an annual herbaceous plant in the family Polemoniaceae and genus Phlox. It is cultivated in gardens across China. The plant is short, with rich flower colors, and can be used as a plant material for flower beds, flower borders, and rock gardens, or as a potted plant for indoor decoration. Taller varieties can be used as cut flowers. Now let us take a look at the growing methods and precautions for phlox!

Growth Habits of Phlox

Phlox is native to Mexico and is cultivated in gardens across China. It likes light and tolerates cold, prefers a mild and humid climate, and does not tolerate severe heat or hot weather. It likes well-drained, light soil, does not tolerate drought, and is averse to waterlogging and saline-alkaline conditions. On poor yellow sandy land, it can still survive and grow even after many days without rain, and in the North China area it can overwinter in a cold frame.

Propagation Methods of Phlox

Phlox is usually propagated by sowing. First, sterilize the prepared seedbed soil. You can use potassium permanganate, formalin, dexon, or similar substances, mixed into an aqueous solution at an appropriate ratio, and spray it on the seedbed. The seedbed soil should be sifted through a fine sieve, the bed leveled, and enough bottom water poured. After the water seeps down, evenly scatter the seeds on the seedbed. There are 750 seeds per gram, so it is best to carry out pre-germination treatment before sowing. After the seeds are scattered, evenly sieve the prepared sandy soil onto the seedbed, with a soil covering thickness of 0.3 cm. Then cover it with plastic film or an arched frame. After about 7 to 10 days, the seeds can germinate and become seedlings.

Growing Methods for Phlox

1. Watering: During the growth period, phlox must be guaranteed sufficient water, and the potting soil should be kept moist. However, because the leaves are relatively dense, do not water directly from the top when watering, so as to avoid water accumulating on the leaf surface. In the rainy season, it can be exposed to some rain, but pay attention to timely drainage to avoid pests and diseases.

2. Fertilizing: During the growth period of phlox, especially after pinching and pruning, promptly apply additional dilute liquid fertilizer to promote branch growth and flowering. Phlox is relatively sensitive to nitrogen fertilizer, and excessive nitrogen fertilizer will burn small seedlings to death, so when fertilizing, apply more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer and less nitrogen fertilizer.

3. Temperature: Phlox does not tolerate high temperatures. When the summer temperature is above 35°C, obvious yellowing of leaves will appear, so appropriate shading is needed to avoid direct sunlight. However, phlox is cold-tolerant and can overwinter outdoors in winter, but in some areas where winter temperatures are too low, it is recommended to move it indoors for overwintering.

4. Pruning: When phlox grows to about 15 cm, pinch it once by removing the top, which promotes branching and also controls plant height, ensuring a short, sturdy, and full plant shape. After flowering, prune off the remaining flowers as soon as possible and appropriately thin the branches to ensure that the new shoots that sprout can bloom a second time.

Precautions for Phlox

1. Small phlox seedlings do not tolerate transplanting. After seedlings are grown by sowing, do not fuss over them back and forth. After the seedlings have grown for 4 weeks and their root systems are stable, they can be transplanted into pots. At the beginning, you can choose a small pot of about 10 cm, and after the seedlings grow larger, you can switch to a larger pot.

2. Phlox grows well in an environment with sufficient sunlight. As long as it is pruned in time, the plant shape is compact and attractive. But if it lacks sunlight, it may become leggy, and it is even possible for it to grow into a “towering tree.” You can appropriately spray daminozide to keep phlox from growing too tall.