How to Grow Phlox

Phlox will produce colorful blooms for much of the summer with little maintenance.

Phlox (Phlox paniculata) is a great addition to the flower bed. Growing to heights of 2 to 3 feet at maturity, phlox makes a colorful backdrop for shorter annual and perennial plants, blooming for six weeks from mid summer to autumn. The sweetly scented blooms are available in shades of pink, lavender, purple, rose and white.

Things You'll Need

• Potted phlox plant
• Garden fork or tiller
• Compost or manure
• Balanced, general-purpose granular fertilizer
• Organic mulch
• General purpose balanced fertilizer

Instructions

1. Purchase potted phlox plants from a nursery, garden center or greenhouse. Select a healthy, compact plant with no yellowing or wilted leaves.

2. Locate phlox in a sunny spot with well-drained soil. Although phlox will grow in partial shade, plants grown in full sunlight will produce more large blooms.

3. Cultivate the soil to a depth of 8 to 10 inches, using a garden fork or a tiller. Work 3 to 4 inches of compost or manure into the soil, along with a balanced, general-purpose granular fertilizer. Read the fertilizer package label for specific rates of application.

4. Dig a hole for the phlox plant. The hole should be only slightly deeper than the plant's root ball. Place the plant in the hole with the crown, which is where the roots meet the plant's foliage,1 1/2 inches under the soil.

5. Water phlox regularly and keep the soil moist. Water in the morning so the foliage will have time to dry before evening. Water at the base of the plant, and if possible, avoid wetting the foliage.

6. Spread 2 to 3 inches of organic mulch around the phlox plant in mid to late June. An organic mulch such as shredded bark or dry grass clippings will retain moisture and keep the roots cool.

7. Remove several of the shoots when the phlox plant is about 6 inches tall to create a healthy plant that will produce large clusters of blooms. Leave five or six shoots intact, then pinch the tips of the remaining shoots. Pinch off spent blooms as soon as they wilt to promote continued blooming.

8. Spread 4 to 6 inches of fresh mulch around the plant immediately after the ground freezes in autumn. A mulch such as straw, pine needles or dry leaves will protect the ground from freezing and thawing. Mulch is especially important during the plant's first winter.

9. Fertilize the phlox plant every spring, using a general-purpose fertilizer applied according to the package directions. Repeat in early summer just before the phlox begins to flower.

References

• University of Minnesota: Tall Garden Phlox