
How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Phlox
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I planted my creeping phlox from plants about 4-5 years ago. Last year and worse this year they have started dying out from the center out. I this normal or what can I do to keep them going. Love them. Thanks.
Can I take a transplant from a tall phylox while the plant is still growing? Can I dig a small transplant fom the existing plant before it blooms?
Hi Edna,
It is a good idea to divide your phlox every 3 to 4 years. It will reinvigorate your plants.
Since tall phlox produces flowers in mid- to late summer, you can divide it in the spring before new growth begins. But since that time has already passed, you can divide it in the fall after the flowers have faded, but well before the threat of frost to give it time to establish.
When dividing, make sure each division has at least 2 or 3 shoots with roots attached.
Can pllox spread if a landscape cloth is used and rocks put around them?
Thanks, Sheila
Hi, Sheila, We do not recommend using landscape cloth for almost anything. We assume that you would put rocks on the landscape cloth. If so, that may appear to work for a while, but when weeds break through or become embedded among the rocks and cloth, you would have a real job trying to eliminate them. Note, too that phlox spreads by seed, so some seeds will land near the mother plant and some could be blown a distance from it, which means you could have phlox where you least want or expect it.
Instead we recommend mulch. Of course, phlox and other plants can/will take root in mulch; the solution is really to weed them out.
I have tall phlox . Do not plant unless you have a large yard. This goes everywhere. It does have long lasting blooms which is nice. I have phlox growing 100 feet away from the original patch. It takes over and invades your nice plants. There is no getting rid of it. Mine was under 3-4 feet of snow all winter. I don't cut it back until spring. Sun, shade it doesn't seem to matter. The hummingbird moths love it as well as bees, birds and regular hummingbirds. Doesn't seem to need a lot of water. I water it about once a week. I don't have weeds in mine, I don't think they could survive.
Tall Phlox: In the Fall, I am to cut back the stems to 2-3 " from soil. Then what? What I have now are in pots.....Do I put them undercover to protect from too much rain? thanks
You can trim down the same way and simply move the pots into an unheated garage. Do not water. It goes dormant. The tall type won’t grow as a houseplant.
I'm new to phlox. Planted 2 tall ones and I think bunnies ate on them. Maybe it was user error, too! Can I root the stems if I place them in water (for how long?) and try to replant them later. I do still have the survivors and they're holding on! Thanks!
Hi, Judy,
You might have some luck rooting the stems. Try it. It could take a couple or a few weeks; hard to know. In the spring, you can also divide the existing plants. Each division should have 3 to 5 vigorous with roots attached. Plant them with the crowns an inch or so below the soil surface. To ensure that the remaining plants survive think about “fencing” them: Get a quart container such as a deli might put potato salad in. Cut off the bottom. See if you can drop the round tube over the plant to ground level. If you can’t, slice the side of the container and then put it around the plant. It might help to deter rabbits.
We hope this helps!
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