Planting
When to Plant Phlox
Plant phlox in the spring after the threat of frost has passed, or plant in the fall at least a month before your first frost.
Where to Plant Phlox
Because there are so many different types of phlox, sunlight requirements vary. Tall garden phlox do best in full sun, while woodland species thrive in partial shade.
In general, phlox prefer soil that is nutrient-rich and evenly moist. They do not like to sit in wet soil, however. Use a garden fork or tiller to prepare your garden bed prior to planting. Loosen the soil to about 12 to 15 inches deep, then mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost to improve soil consistency and fertility.
How to Plant Phlox
- It is easier to grow phlox from cuttings/transplants than from seeds, although established plants will readily spread by seed in the garden.
- Space plants according to their mature size.
- If you are transplanting a plant from a pot, dig a hole about twice the size of the pot’s diameter and place the plant so that the top of the root ball is even with the soil’s surface. Fill in around the root ball, and remember to water it thoroughly.
Types
These perennials sport copious star-shaped, colorful flowers from spring through summer, depending on the variety. Because there are so many types (many of which are native to North America), you can find a phlox for almost any garden. Truly, their versatility can’t be overstated.
- Low-growing creeping phlox works great as ground cover in sunny yards.
- Ankle-high woodland phlox is perfect for dappled, shady beds.
- Medium-height garden phlox is often the “backbone” of the perennial garden, providing a layer of color midway through the garden and filling in gaps.
- Tall garden phlox is excellent as a colorful backdrop, with large, often-fragrant flower clusters.
Comments
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.
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.
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According to extension experts, some phlox blossom colors seem to change because the original plants are replaced over time by vigorous seedlings that have different blossom colors--typically pink or lavender. So, I would expect the pink phlox more likely to stay than white!