Phlox Information
- Phlox thrives throughout continental America in rich, well-drained soil. Spade the soil deeply and add well-rotted manures, compost, shredded leaves and peat moss. Perennial phlox can be planted anytime from spring until early fall, as long as it's established before a freeze. Annual varieties can be seeded in the spring in cold climates, but in the fall in warmer zones.
- Adding the organic material to the soil before planting helps the medium to retain moisture. Phlox likes a moist soil. After planting, add a 2-inch mulch layer over the surface to keep the soil from drying out quickly. Ground bark, compost or rotted manures are good mulch material, and they also provide nutrients to the soil.
- In addition to nearly every color, phlox has varities that bloom in white.phlox paniculata image by Xarthias from Fotolia.com
Water the phlox regularly, but at the soil level. Do not irrigate them from an overhead source as they succumb to powdery mildew if their leaves are often wet. - Powdery mildew can also be avoided by keeping good air circulation around the plants. Don't crowd them together or tightly among other shrubs. Site them where air moves through the leaves. Phlox loves a location in full sun or only light shade, which helps to keep their leaves dry.
- Fall care for the annual phlox is simply to pull the dead plant up and add it to the compost heap. The seedpod can be left on the soil or scattered for new spring plants. The perennial phlox needs the flower seed-head clipped. Most perennial phlox will also self-sow, but unlike the annuals, the new volunteers will most likely not be the flower color of the mother plant, reverting to a purple-pink shade instead. Before a hard freeze arrives, add another 2 inches of organic mulch over the moist soil around the perennial phlox. This keeps it damp, protects the earth from heaving in a freeze and limits spring weeds.
Soil and Planting Times
Moisture Needs in the Soil
Water the Soil, not the Leaves
Sun and Air
Fall Care for the Phlox
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