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Phlox Blue Paradise was obtained by Pete Udolph in 1995 in Holland. This is a beautiful ornamental plant with flowers of a dark blue or purple hue. This type of phlox is distinguished by its high growth rates and good winter hardiness.
Description of phlox Blue Paradise
Phlox paniculata Blue Paradise is a herbaceous crop about 1 m high. Its stems are strong and have a dark shade. The diameter of the Blue Paradise paniculata phlox bush can reach 120 cm. The spreading of erect stems is average. The plant does not need to install supports.
Phlox Blue Paradise leaves are elongated with pointed ends. In length, they can reach 10-12 cm, in width about 2-3 cm. On both sides, the leaves are smooth, dark green in color, the vein pattern is clearly distinguished.
Phlox Blue Paradise flowers have a different shade depending on the light
The variety is sun-loving, but it can grow in partial shade. Direct sunlight is recommended, but should not be too intense.
The growth rates of Blue Paradise phloxes are good, but the rhizome needs to be separated after several seasons. The frost resistance of the plant corresponds to the 4th zone, which allows it to withstand winters with temperatures up to -35 ° C. It can be grown in any regions where no cold snaps below + 15 ° C are observed in August.
Features of flowering phlox Blue Paradise
Phlox paniculata Blue Paradise belongs to the European group. Flowering occurs in August-September, lasts a long time, from 1.5 to 2 months. In sunny areas, the flowering time is slightly reduced (up to 4-5 weeks), but the splendor of the flowers is much greater. Plants grown in the shade bloom even less (no more than 3 weeks).
Panicle type inflorescence, large (up to 20 cm in diameter), having a round or oval shape
Flowers with a diameter of 25 to 50 mm open at different times, due to which such a duration of flowering is ensured. Blue Paradise phlox petals are slightly wavy, the color changes depending on the light. In bright sunlight, it becomes a rich lilac, in cloudy weather or in phlox growing in the shade - a bright blue-blue with purple edging.
Application in design
In landscape gardening, Blue Paradise phloxes are effective as an element of the flower array. With a dense planting of the plant, they are able to create a continuous carpet of all types of blue and lilac shades.
In summer cottages and in small gardens, the variety is used to create high curbs around paths.
But design applications are not limited to these two primitive roles. Blue Paradise phloxes look great against the background of conifers, while solid blue-purple plantings can be diluted or surrounded by undersized elements of warmer shades (for example, pink or purple stonecrops). Flowers also look good as a framing around small artificial ponds.
As a central element of the composition, Blue Paradise phlox can be used on flower beds with a "stunted" population or annuals with bright shades (marigolds, lobelia, etc.)
The culture is combined with many other colors: asters, astilbe, daylilies, vervain, marigolds, hosts, geleniums.
The plant can be grown in outdoor pots or flowerpots. It is even allowed to place flowers in a container at home. But in both cases, one should not forget that the root system grows very quickly, which will require a change of container or regular division of the rhizome. In addition, Blue Paradise phlox needs more frequent watering with this growing method.
Reproduction methods
Mostly for phlox paniculata Blue Paradise vegetative propagation is used. Seed does not have the necessary efficiency, does not guarantee the inheritance of the properties of the mother plant and cannot give as much seed.
The easiest way to reproduce is by dividing the bush. After 3-4 years, the rhizome grows very strongly and loses its growth rate. Usually it is completely divided into separate roots and planted.
By division, up to 5-8 bushes are obtained from one mother
But the most effective method, which gives the largest amount of seed, is propagation by stem cuttings. The advantage of this technique is that they can be planted not only in greenhouse conditions, but also directly in open ground. The highest survival rate (90-100%) is obtained from cuttings planted from May to July, they are harvested before planting.
Cutting planting material from the stems - the first stage of reproduction
Propagation by leaf cuttings or spring growth shoots is actually a variation on the previous method. In this case, you can get more seed, but there are certain details that need to be remembered.
The stalk usually has two nodes, each with mature leaves.
This method is less effective (50-60% survival rate) and requires the use of greenhouses for preliminary rooting.
Landing rules
Planting dates for Blue Paradise phloxes depend on the type of seed. The seeds are planted in the greenhouse at the end of March. Purchased seedlings or seed obtained from cuttings and divided rhizomes are best transferred to the ground in late summer or autumn. As an exception, planting is allowed in spring or summer, but at the same time the growth of phlox is significantly delayed, and you can not wait for the next year of flowering.
As already noted, the plants are light-loving, therefore, sunny areas are chosen for planting.
The soil should be fertile, well moisturized and loose. The best option is nutritious medium loam with neutral or weak acidity (pH from 6.5 to 7, but not higher). Spring planting involves preparing the soil in the fall, autumn planting - about a month before the landing date.
Site preparation is carried out according to the standard scheme:
- The site is cleared of weeds and leveled.
- Fertilizers are applied, including lime, peat and humus.
- Baking material is introduced (on loams - sand, on sandstones - manure or clay).
- After fertilization, the site is again dug to a depth of 10-15 cm and leveled.
After that, the plot is watered abundantly and left alone until planting.
No preliminary preparation of the seed is necessary. Planting can be done immediately after purchasing or receiving seedlings.
Holes with a depth equal to the size of the root system are dug at a distance of 50 cm from each other
After planting, the plants are sprinkled with soil and lightly tamped. The first watering is carried out in three days. In the next two weeks, it is carried out daily.
Follow-up care
Watering is carried out as the top layer of the soil dries up.Since phlox Blue Paradise belongs to plants experiencing a moisture deficit, its irrigation rates are quite large, at least 20 liters per 1 sq. m of the area occupied by the plant.
After watering, it is imperative to loosen the soil to a depth of 5 cm, since the culture reacts very badly to stagnant moisture in the upper soil layer. In addition, at the same time, this procedure allows you to get rid of weeds that significantly inhibit the growth of phlox. Mulching culture is not practiced.
The first feeding of the Blue Paradise phlox is performed after the snow melts. It includes a complex fertilizer for ornamental plants with a large amount of nitrogen. The second is produced during budding (May-June). It consists of potassium-phosphorus compounds, while the proportion of nitrates should be minimal. The best option in this case would be a mullein solution with the addition of wood ash.
The third feeding (with a lot of potassium) is done at the end of June. The plant is fed with similar compounds for the fourth time in a month.
The last fertilization is done after flowering, at the end of September. In this case, complex fertilizer is again used for ornamental crops.
The plant is pruned after the flowering period is over. At the same time, the stems are completely cut off, leaving no more than 10-12 cm above the ground level. After the procedure, the soil around the bush is treated with insecticides and fungicides. The cut stems and foliage are burned.
Preparing for winter
Preparation for winter consists in mulching the space around the plant within a radius of 30 cm with a layer of chopped horse manure. It is allowed to lay on top of a layer of mulch of some covering material that allows air to pass through.
Pests and diseases
The main phlox pest is the nematode, a microscopic worm with a thin filamentous body. It lives in the stems of a plant and feeds on its sap.
Shoots affected by a nematode lose their shape, and the leaves on them curl
The main way to fight this worm is prophylactic. At the beginning of autumn, the tops of the weakly affected shoots of the Blue Paradise phlox should be removed, and the stems severely disfigured by the pest should be completely cut out and burned.
In addition, it is recommended to add a mixture of manure and straw to the holes even at the planting stage. This composition forms colonies of fungi that are harmless to the plant, but inhibit the development of nematodes. Each subsequent year, it is recommended to mulch the soil around the plant with the same mixture in early spring.
Phlox Blue Paradise can infect various types of insects, the most dangerous of which are golden and hairy bronzes.
Bronzes eat plant buds and young flowers
The fight against this pest is carried out exclusively by mechanical methods - collection and destruction. Against other insects potentially dangerous to the plant, prophylactic insecticide treatment is used in early May.
Conclusion
Phlox Blue Paradise is a beautiful ornamental plant with large blue-violet inflorescences. Despite the relative unpretentiousness and high winter hardiness, for a beautiful flowering, it requires regular and systematic care, which consists in watering and feeding. The culture is widely used in landscape design, and with an appropriate container size, it can even be used in indoor floriculture.
