How to Rid a Phlox Bed of Grass

Shear phlox after flowering to maintain its vigor against weeds.

Phlox, a perennial ground cover, forms a colorful flowering carpet 6 inches tall and 2 feet wide. Its ideal planting location is under the sun, not only for development but also to prevent disease. Since phlox grows low to the ground, its foliage will inevitably get wet during irrigation. If the sun isn't there to suck up the excess moisture quickly, foliar nematodes might attack the plant. Grass is another of phlox's nemeses, but the sun only helps this foe. You will need to take other measures against grassy weeds.

Things You'll Need

• Weeding tool
• Spade
• Hoe
• Mulch
• Fluazifop herbicide

Instructions

1. Hand-pull the grass in the phlox bed after irrigation or rain when the ground is soft. Use a weeding tool to dig under the grassy plants, completely uprooting them. Throw all plant debris in the trash to prevent bits of roots and rhizomes left on the ground from starting new weeds.

2. Edge your flowerbed if the invading grass is from your lawn. Cut a 3-inch-deep trench 3 inches from your grass area around the phlox bed with a spade. Work from the lawn side to avoid stepping on your flowers. Hoe the trench regularly to keep the grass from crawling its way to the phlox side.

3. Cover the uncultivated areas of your phlox bed with a 2-inch layer of wood chips, shredded bark or compost to choke grass that sprouts. Replenish the mulch as it decomposes.

4. Apply an herbicide containing fluazifop as an active ingredient. Use it according to the instructions on the manufacturer's label of the brand you selected. Fluazifop is formulated to kill quackgrass, bermudagrass, barnyardgrass and crabgrass, among other grassy weeds.

References

• Ohio State University: Phlox subulata
• Birds & Blooms: Grass Creeping into Phlox
• PennLive.com; Grass in the Creeping Phlox; George Weigel; May 3, 2007