Content
- 1 Benefits of phlox propagation by cuttings
- 2 What cuttings can phlox propagate
- 3 Optimal timing of phlox cuttings
- 4 How to propagate perennial phlox cuttings
- 5 How to grow perennial phlox from a cutting
- 6 How to transplant rooted phlox cuttings
- 7 Conclusion
Reproduction of phlox by cuttings is the most effective way to increase the population of an ornamental crop on a site. Perennials respond very well to vegetative division, and at the same time, plants can be cuttings throughout the season.
Benefits of phlox propagation by cuttings
Cutting is one of the simplest and most convenient phlox propagation methods. The method has several advantages:
- No need to buy new planting material. Cuttings are taken from bushes already growing on the site, while varietal characteristics are fully preserved.
- The mother bush does not suffer during reproduction. The procedure does not carry any risks.
- It is possible to harvest material throughout the year - from early spring to late autumn.
Propagation by cuttings is one of the best vegetative methods
What phlox can be propagated by cuttings
Any varieties of phlox are suitable for propagation with cuttings. Regardless of individual characteristics, all species can be propagated by root, leaf or stem processes.
It should be remembered that such reproduction is carried out for adult bushes that have already reached 3 years of age.
What cuttings can phlox propagate
Traditionally, plant stems are used for propagation by cuttings. But in the case of phlox, leaf plates and pieces of root can also serve as planting material.
Stem
It is easiest to root phlox using the stem method. It is enough to take a strong young shoot entirely from a healthy plant, if the reproduction is spring, or only the top, if the procedure is carried out in August.
The stems of the culture take root well
With the help of the stem, in some cases, even phloxes from a bouquet cut from a bush some time ago can be propagated.
Root
Perennial phloxes are able to release new stems from root pieces in the absence of a ground part. The method is less effective than stem propagation, but is often used to keep a variety infested with pests or diseases at the top.
Phlox roots are capable of producing new growth buds
Leafy
Rooting the leaf blades is not as easy as the stems. But on the other hand, the breeding method is the most productive. Several dozen cuttings can be obtained from just one mother bush.
Reproduction can be carried out with a leaf and part of the plant stem.
Optimal timing of phlox cuttings
Since phlox are cut in different parts, the timing for breeding is different.Planting material is harvested both in spring and in autumn.
Features of phlox cuttings in spring
In the spring, it is customary to harvest phlox stems; they do this from late May to mid-June. The plant is actively developing and therefore lends itself better to reproduction, and the bush recovers faster.
It is also possible to propagate phlox by cuttings in summer, in July and August. But if in the spring a young and strong stem is harvested entirely, then at the end of summer only its upper part, since the shoot in the lower part has time to lignify.
It is customary to harvest cuttings in the spring.
Also, in the spring, propagation is carried out by cuttings of the roots - this should be done early, immediately after the snow melts in March or early April. While the roots are dormant, harvesting planting material will not harm phlox.
When can phlox be cut in summer
In summer, phlox leaves are cut on cuttings. The procedure is carried out in June or until mid-July. At this point, the bush is fully formed, its leaves are well developed.
In the summer, mostly leaves are taken for reproduction.
Is it possible to cut phlox in the fall
In the autumn, in mid-October, you can also prepare root cuttings for propagation. Phloxes stop growing and calmly tolerate the separation of part of the roots.
In the fall, you can reproduce with root pieces.
How to propagate perennial phlox cuttings
Cutting consists of several stages - from harvesting the material to the actual germination. When carrying out reproduction, you must adhere to the established rules.
Cutting and harvesting cuttings
Its survival rate depends on the quality of the planting material. In order for the blanks to take root, in each case they must be cut correctly.
How to prepare stem cuttings
Stem cuttings for propagation are harvested as follows:
- in spring or in the middle of summer, the strongest and most developed green stems are chosen on phlox;
- cut off the stem with a sharp knife and divide it into small pieces, each of them should have 2 knots;
- the lower incision is made directly under the knot, and the upper one is 1 cm higher from the second knot;
- the lower leaves are torn off, leaving the buds intact at the base, and the upper ones are cut in half to reduce moisture evaporation.
When propagating by stems, you need to prune phlox leaves
For the reproduction of perennial phlox cuttings, green stems that have not had time to lignite or their sections are chosen. You should first touch the stem and make sure that it has not yet become too hard.
How to cut root cuttings
To harvest root cuttings, it is necessary to extract phlox from the ground in early spring or late autumn. The dug bush is shaken off clods of soil, the roots are straightened and the strongest and thickest of them are chosen for reproduction.
For reproduction, strong roots with small feeding roots are needed.
After that, the roots are divided into pieces of 6-7 cm long. Thin feeding roots should remain on each piece, otherwise it will be difficult for the cuttings to take root.
How to cut leafy cuttings
To harvest sheet material, choose a strong and healthy phlox stem with solid green leaves. With a sharp knife, you need to cut off several leaves along with small sections of the stem and growth buds.
For leaf propagation, you need to cut off healthy, strong leaves.
How to keep phlox cuttings in winter
Leaf and stem cuttings are carried out exclusively in the warm season, but pieces of roots are often harvested already in October. When phlox propagates by cuttings in the fall, planting material can be saved for the winter for planting closer to spring.
To do this, the prepared root pieces must be planted in a box with fertile soil, and then covered with sand on top of 5 cm.Boxes with cuttings are removed in a dark place with a temperature of no higher than 3 ° C and during the winter they regularly moisten the soil.
You can save pieces of root until spring in soil and sand in a cold room.
In February or early March, cuttings preserved in this way are taken to a heated room and protected from light. With a gradual increase in air temperature, the cuttings will begin to germinate, when this happens, they can be gradually accustomed to daylight.
How to root cuttings of perennial phlox
Rooting is carried out mainly immediately in the ground. But sometimes you can use a container with water for breeding.
In the ground
The classic method suggests planting fresh cuttings directly in the ground. For this purpose, you will need a shallow pot or seedling box filled with a nutrient mixture from leafy earth with the addition of humus about 6 cm.On top of the soil, you need to pour 2-5 cm of sand.
The cuttings are buried in the prepared soil, carefully watered and covered with a film material on top. It takes about a month for rooting, subject to proper care.
Traditionally, propagation material is planted directly in pots with soil.
In water
Fresh sections of the stem with an angled cut in the lower part are placed in a glass of water and a solution of Kornevin or heteroauxin is added to it. Experienced gardeners recommend taking cold water, it contains more oxygen, but in water at room temperature, the stems are guaranteed to rot.
You can also root phlox stems in water
Cutting phlox in water takes about 3-4 weeks. The water needs to be changed every few days, it is better to keep the container on a cool windowsill.
Planting cuttings in the ground
Reproduction of phlox is carried out not only in a pot, but also in a greenhouse and even in open ground. In all cases, planting rules for different parts of the plant must be followed.
How to plant stem cuttings in the ground
May and June blanks are often planted directly into the ground. The survival rate is quite high - up to 90%. Reproduction is performed according to the following algorithm:
- for planting, choose a place with afternoon shade and dig up the soil to a depth of 18 cm;
- form a bed of leafy earth, humus and sand, taken in equal shares;
- the garden bed is properly watered and another 2 cm of sand is poured on top;
- cuttings are buried in the garden bed, leaving 6 cm between individual seedlings.
May plant stems can be planted directly in open ground
Subsequently, the cuttings are moistened weekly until rooting in about a month. At the end of summer, such seedlings can be transplanted to the "school" garden bed.
If it is decided to cut phlox in August, then the stems are more often planted in a pot or in an unheated greenhouse, they will not have time to take root in the open field.
The landing algorithm in this case is the same:
- several centimeters of nutrient soil and 2 cm of sand are poured into a spacious but shallow box;
- deepen the cuttings;
- put them in a box in a cold greenhouse or on a shaded window sill in the house.
Cuttings are planted in the ground after winter, when they have time to get stronger.
Stems taken in late summer are grown indoors
How to plant cuttings from a leaf
Rooting of leaves is usually carried out in a closed container. Since planting material is taken in the middle of summer, it will most likely not have time to take root in an open bed.
For foliar propagation by cuttings, a container is prepared with a standard mixture - 6 cm of nutrient soil and 2 cm of sand. The leaves are placed in the ground at a distance of about 5 cm between each other. In this case, a section of the stem and a growth bud are left underground, and the leaf itself is left above its surface with a slight slope.
When propagated by foliage in pots, new shoots appear quickly.
After planting, the cuttings are moistened, covered with glass or foil and placed in a greenhouse or closed room with a temperature of about 19 ° C. It is important to provide not only regular hydration, but also shading. For the winter, the seedlings should be transferred to a cold greenhouse and covered with dry leaves and spruce paws on top.
How to plant pieces of phlox root
Root propagation of phlox is a simple procedure. Planting root pieces in early spring looks like this:
- the landing box is filled 6-8 cm with a mixture of humus, leaf earth and sand;
- the roots are slightly buried in the soil with the thick end up and sprinkled with 4 cm of sand;
- the planting is well moistened and the box is placed in a darkened room with a temperature of about 14 ° C;
- after 2 weeks, the temperature is slightly raised - up to 18 ° C in order to stimulate the growth of shoots.
Pieces of phlox root give new shoots easily
After the roots give the first shoots, it will be possible to gradually accustom the seedlings to light, and at the end of May, plant them in the ground.
Cuttings of phloxes in the fall into the ground are usually not carried out. If the roots were harvested before winter, then until spring they are kept in moist soil and sand in a cold basement, and with the onset of warmth they begin standard cultivation.
How to grow perennial phlox from a cutting
It takes some time from the moment the shoots appear to planting in the ground. It is not difficult to care for the seedlings during this breeding period:
- Young phlox sprouts must be protected from sunlight. They are kept in a shaded place where diffused daylight is preserved.
- The temperature for phlox should be moderate - around 17-19 ° С.
- An important step in caring for growing phlox is constant hydration. The soil is regularly watered, and green shoots are sprayed from above with a spray bottle.
For young seedlings, you need to provide warmth, diffused light and moisture.
To successfully grow phlox from cuttings, when using glass or film, the covering material must be removed and aired daily. Otherwise, the risk of developing fungi and microorganisms in the soil increases.
How to transplant rooted phlox cuttings
Shortly before planting in the soil, watering must be reduced in order to prepare the plant for natural growing conditions in the soil.
The timing of planting cuttings in open ground depends on when the planting material was prepared:
- Stem cuttings prepared in May or early June can be transferred to a temporary bed in August. The same applies to sheet material harvested in the first half of summer.
- Root cuttings are traditionally germinated in spring immediately after harvesting or winter storage. They are transferred to the ground in late May or early June.
- Leafy and stem cuttings of late harvesting periods are germinated in a pot or greenhouse until autumn, and left in a cold greenhouse for the winter. Transplanting into the ground is carried out in the spring, also at the end of May.
The transplant is carried out in May or August.
According to the rules, young phloxes are planted first on a special bed for growing. In this case, the composition of the soil should be standard - leafy earth, diluted with humus and sand. The holes for the sprouts are made shallow, 2 times the size of the root system. When transplanting, they try to preserve an earthen lump.
During the growing season, the sprouts are actively watered and fed twice with nitrogen-containing fertilizers - mineral or organic. For the winter, phloxes are carefully covered with mulch, and grown perennials are planted on a flower bed only the next year.
Conclusion
Reproduction of phlox by cuttings is an effective procedure that allows you to preserve varietal characteristics. But in order for it to be crowned with success, when carrying out cuttings, it is necessary to follow all the rules of propagation for stems, leaf plates and pieces of root.
