The Phlox Subulataalso called Mossy Ploxis a perennial plant of the Polemoniaceae family, a climbing plant that spreads quickly and presents a dense and branched garden, with needle-shaped leaves of a beautiful bright green color.
If you are interested in changing the appearance of your garden, installing a beautiful fountain and you are looking for a plant that has a lush flowering and that at the same time is easy to care for, nothing better than one of the Phlox genus and specifically the Phlox Subulata.
Features
The The phlox was brought down it is a rustic species, suitable for rocky soils. It is suitable for sunny, shady or partial spaces. Regarding its development, grows well in pots as hanging plants, beds and borders.
Its spring flowering that does not reach 10 cm in height is a real spectacle that nature offers, thanks to a colorful carpet effect. Its flowers have five petals in a variety of colors ranging from white; going through pink, fuchsia, lavender; up to purple. Mossy Phlox is composed of dense stems that over time become semi-woody. Evergreen, opposite or whorled, elongated and pointed in shape, stacked on the stem, and commonly fringed with white hairs around the edge. Its fruits are shaped like capsules. It tolerates the cold of winter well, even freezing temperatures.
Planting the Phlox subulata
Once flowering has occurred, cut the stems from the middle to facilitate the formation of new, strong leaf litter. That way you prevent it from losing its carpet lookEven by doing this, the plant can re-bloom before fall, although not quite as brilliantly. It is an easy genus to grow, to the point that once planted it does not require special attention. But yes, you should try to plant in well-drained soils and water regularly throughout the year, increasing watering in the warm season. This plant conserves water and humidity quite well.
Subtly flavored, the Phlox Subulata It also attracts bees and butterflies, which makes your garden look more colorful and cheerful. Is about an easy plant to propagateyou just need to take a part of the plant with some roots, you keep the clod and plants immediately.
Another propagation technique is through cuttings, taken during the summer or fall. To do this, you dip the cut part of each cutting into the rooting hormone and plant it. Lightly scented, also attracts bees and butterfliesmaking our garden more colorful and cheerful.
Care
Young plants require added phosphorus to promote good root progress. Look for a fertilizer with this characteristic and apply the recommended amount for your Phlox in the ground at planting time or also during the first growing season.
In the case of established plants, it is recommended to use fertilizers annually. You can also perform soil tests to know the levels of existing nutrients. If you notice that one or more nutrients are in short supply, look for a certain fertilizer for your soil conditions rather than a universal one.
To stimulate the growth of beautiful green leaves, apply a fertilizer that contains nitrogen, but you must bear in mind that the abuse of nitrogen can generate excess vegetative growth which is detrimental to flower buds. Avoid using fertilizer during the final stage of growth, because you could force a growth that may not have time to harden before the onset of cold weather.
Diseases and parasites
The two most important problems that this plant suffers from are the following: mite attacks that usually happen during the summerparticularly in hot and dry periods and diseases caused by fungus or fungal diseases, which occur in periods when the foliage remains wet.
Apparently this genus is not usually attacked by powdery mildew, as it is with other species of Phlox. In humid conditions, phytoparasitic nematodes cause diseases that damage your plant. You should also be careful with rabbits, because they use it as a source of nutrients, so you can keep them away by using a repellent for rabbits.
