Weed Control for Phlox

Phlox is a native North American flowering plant.

Phlox is a flowering ornamental native to North America. From ground covers to upright plants, phlox produce fragrant flowers attractive to birds and butterflies. These perennials benefit from weed controls such as preplanting treatment, weed barriers, and selective weeding.

Before Planting

Weeding, hoeing, or applying herbicides removes existing weeds from planting areas. Nonselective herbicides such as glyphosate eradicate both grasses and weeds, but must be applied 14 days before planting. Follow label directions for garden application.

Weed Barriers

Ground cover phlox cultivars such as Emerald Blue benefit from landscape fabric barriers. The fabric, pinned to the ground with slits cut for the plants, blocks weeds while allowing water and air to the plant. Once established, phlox ground covers form dense foliage mats that resist weeds. Upright phlox plants such as Hardy Red benefit from mulching for moisture retention and weed control.

Selective Weeding

When weeds appear in phlox beds, they absorb nutrients needed by the heavy-feeding plants. Young grass and weed seedlings can be hand-pulled. Spot herbicide treatment kills mature weeds without harming flowers.

References

• Colorado State University Extension; Xeriscaping: Ground Cover Plants; J.E. Klett, et al.; January 2009
• National Gardening Association: Phlox
• Cornell University; Weed-Suppressive Groundcovers; Brian Eshenaur, et. al.; 2007
• Iowa State University Extension; Mid-summer Weed Control in the Garden; Linda Naeve; Aug. 8, 1997