Plant creeping phlox (Phlox subulata) and you can welcome spring with a carpetlike display of pink, purple or white blooms that lasts for two to three weeks and increases in size each year. Established clumps of creeping phlox and moss phlox may be divided in the spring after flowering. So, how do you know when to divide phlox plants? Creeping phlox is a familiar spring-blooming creeping plant that is frequently seen in rock gardens, growing from crevices in stone walls, or planted as a ground cover to blanket areas of the ground. Surely the best feature of creeping phlox is its flower production. Read more to learn how to divide phlox plants. (ref 4). Whether it’s creeping phlox spreading out to become a beautiful ground cover, or a mounding phlox plant in the garden, these delicate flowers are definitely a sight to behold.. Creeping phlox clumps should be split on a cool, cloudy day. Dig down into the soil, cutting straight through the non-woody mat of plant growth with the blade of the shovel. Place divisions 12 to 18 inches apart and firm soil around the root ball. The creeping stems or stolons that extend from the crown of the plant root wherever they touch soil. Spring Hill Nursery: How to Grow and Care for Phlox, Washington State University Extension: Creeping Phlox, East Cherry Creek Water and Sanitation District: Phlox Subulata, Creeping Phlox, The Perennial Care Manual: A Plant-by-Plant Guide: What to Do and When to Do It; Nancy J. Ondra, National Gardening Association: Landscaping a Sandy Hillside in San Francisco, How to Redo a Mirror Frame With Mosaic Glass. How to Propagate Phlox Plants. It is perennial in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 through 9 and requires a site with full sun and excellent drainage. Prepare the New Transplant Area for Planting. When phlox plants start producing fewer or no blooms, it may be time to divide them. I planted a lot of plants of "Creeping Phlox" in the front of my house. It's rare to find such a vigorous source of blue in a ground cover. To divide phlox, cut around the root ball with a sharp spade, then gently lift the plant out from the ground. Phlox subulata (Creeping Phlox) Creeping phlox is a low-growing species which forms a carpet-like mat no taller than 6 inches. Phlox can sometimes be hand-pulled, but it's difficult to remove all the roots, particularly with creeping varieties, so a herbicide application can help completely remove the phlox. A notorious dweller on edges of rocky embankments, the Emerald Blue Creeping Phlox is just that. To divide, dig up existing plants in late summer or early spring. Rock gardens, slopes and areas with sandy soil are ideal. Dig down several inches to get a decent size root ball. Plant these new divisions immediately and water them thoroughly. Fall can be the best time of the year to divide and transplant many of your hearty perennials. A little preparation is required before dividing phlox plants. Separate the roots into sections with three or more shoots and adequate roots with a sharp, clean knife. Keep the newly divided perennials well watered through spring and summer. You could divide … Perennials, like phlox, need dividing every few years for many reasons – to keep them in control, to rejuvenate them or just to create more plants for other garden spots. She has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Michigan State University, is an avid gardener and volunteers at her local botanical garden. Creeping phlox should only be divided every two to three years unless it is growing too aggressively. You can trim creeping phlox to help it maintain its shape after it completes its bloom in the spring time. Phlox plant divisions should be planted immediately, but they can be planted in pots with potting mix temporarily to give to friends and neighbors. Remove excess dirt from the roots. Plants divided in late summer/early fall should be mulched in late fall. Woodland phlox, Phlox divaricata, is an eastern North American native increasingly offered as an ornamental to use in cultivated gardens for its attractive bluish flowers.This herbaceous perennial in the phlox family (Polemoniaceae) can be found growing in dappled shade in open woods, partially shaded meadows, and along stream banks from Quebec to Florida and west to Texas and the … Creeping Phlox can be propagated in the early spring via division, simply dig up a clump and separate the roots into small pieces and re-plant the roots. As long as it gets full sunshine and plenty of water, it stays happy. The Well-Tended Perennial Garden; Tracy DiSabato-Aust. Dividing it is also easy. Other more diminutive species grow in sunny rock gardens and shadier situations. These dense plants are appropriately employed as ground cover to grow over large areas of land. I have creeping phlox growing in the garden pathways and even among the gravel in the driveway. When dividing phlox in spring, it should be done just as the new shoots appear. To spread the early spring color to other parts of the yard, divide creeping phlox after it blooms in the spring. Dividing plants helps to prevent beds or borders from becoming overcrowded. Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata) produces a colorful spring carpet of soft pastel hues.Little expert knowledge is needed on how to plant and care for creeping phlox. Another sure sign that perennials need to be divided is when they begin to grow in a donut shape, growing circularly around a dead patch in the middle. Creeping Phlox Emerald Blue Plants for Sale Online. The Creeping Phlox that I planted last spring to flow over the old retaining wall, exploded in glorious color this year! The flowers are so densely packed that it can be ha… Managing Dried Out Phlox Plants: Why Is My Phlox Yellow And Dry, Creeping Phlox Planting Instructions: Tips For Growing Creeping Phlox, What Is A Garden Spade – Garden Spade Uses And Tips, Bishop’s Cap Cactus Info – Learn About Growing A Bishop’s Cap Cactus, Silver Torch Cactus Facts – Learn About Silver Torch Cactus Plants, Are Succulents And Cacti The Same: Learn About Cactus And Succulent Differences, Deadheading Mullein Plants – Should I Deadhead My Verbascum Flowers, Planting A Calla Lily In A Pot: Care Of Container Grown Calla Lilies, How Many Bee Species Are There – Learn About The Differences Between Bees, What Is Stipa Grass: Learn About Mexican Feather Grass Care, Plants Lost To Deer: Living With Deer Damage, Epic Garden Failure – Watering Plants And Killing Plants, Cactus Houseplants: My Journey Learning To Grow Cacti. https://homeguides.sfgate.com/divide-creeping-phlox-42467.html How Do I Calculate Home Value to Loan Ratio? Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! This perennial evergreen ground cover prefers a sunny location for best blooming results. Division is an easy way to propagate new phlox plants. Replant immediately in the prepared soil, digging a hole to fit the root ball. To encourage growth after the phlox bloom in the spring give them a trim. In shades of white, pink, red, purple and blue, phlox is an incredibly popular, brilliantly-flowered ornamental plant. Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata) is a familiar spring-blooming creeping plant that is frequently seen in rock gardens, growing from crevices in stone walls, or planted as a flowering ground cover. Separate the roots into sections with three or more shoots and adequate roots with a sharp, clean knife. What I could see of the color in the grower’s pot was nice, but when it grew and expanded, the results were spectacular! Late summer/early fall (mid-August through September) is also a suitable time to divide garden phlox. How to divide moss phlox Has your moss phlox spread too far? Splitting phlox plants can be done in spring or fall, but should never be done on hot, sunny days. Mix 2 2/3 ounces of herbicide with 1 gallon of water in a spray bottle or 1 gallon garden sprayer to make a 2 percent glyphosate solution. It also keeps the plants healthy and free from disease. In this post I will be Transplanting Creeping Phlox. Phlox. It belongs to the family Polemoniaceae that has around 65 different species. The pine-needle foliage Creeping Phlox have done beautifully and I need to replace the other Phlox Creeping phlox is easy to propagate through division, stem cuttings, or rooted stems. Clear and loosen the soil with a shovel in an area of the garden in full sun and with well-drained soil. With long lasting, reblooming flowers in a variety of colors that attract butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators, garden phlox has long been a favorite garden plant. Actually, any 3-4 year old perennial clump can benefit from division. Moss phlox (also called creeping phlox) blooms for a two-week period in the spring. As a general rule, phlox plant division can be done every two to four years in spring or fall. Cuttings, if done right, are a particularly easy option to propagate, as they root easily after a few months. Replant the divisions immediately. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. If you’re splitting phlox plants in fall, be sure to do so at least four to six weeks before the first expected frost date for your location, and mulch the divided plants well before winter sets in. Likewise, if the foliage becomes sparse, it is probably time for dividing phlox. Divide taller plants every 2 or 3 years. The blooming period ranges from March to May depending on the planting zone. Phlox are herbaceous plants most commonly known for making billowing mounds of scented flowers in summer borders. It’s easy to divide. If your once-robust Hosta, Iris, Shasta Daisy, Creeping Phlox, or Peonies looked weak or had puny flowers this season, it may be time to divide the clumps. Creeping phlox, also known as moss pink and mountain phlox, is a perennial plant that is an absolute must-have for many rock gardens around the world. Phlox flowers need to be transplanted in a very specific way. Patricia Hamilton Reed has written professionally since 1987. Remove excess dirt from the roots. Reed was editor of the "Grand Ledge Independent" weekly newspaper and a Capitol Hill reporter for the national newsletter "Corporate & Foundation Grants Alert." To divide phlox, cut around the root ball with a sharp spade, then gently lift the plant out from the ground. The plants reach, at most, 6 inches in height and can spread out up to 2 feet to form a mat. Trim back the faded flowers and half the height of the foliage with pruning shears on the section of creeping phlox you want to divide. However, if after a few years your phlox plants fail to bloom as magnificently as they once did, this may be a sign that they need to be divided. I realized that I had purchased 2 different 'varieties', one with a pine-needle type foliage, and the other with a I-don't-know-what type of foliage. Plant these new divisions immediately and water them thoroughly. Be sure to keep the roots intact and attached to the foliage section of the phlox. Water to settle the soil and help the plant re-establish. Before you begin dividing your existing Phlox, it is … Watering with a rooting fertilizer can help reduce stress for the plants and encourage quick rooting. Also called moss phlox, creeping phlox is evergreen with soft foliage that forms a dense, 6-inch-high green mat, spreading up to 3 feet and cascading over rocks and retaining walls. Spread the foliage apart and cut through the roots along the dividing line, which you can see in the top photo at left, making sure all the roots on the division are severed from the main plant. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. This popular little perennial is best … It is best to divide them in the spring. Not only are the individual blooms pretty, but there are also so many of them that the display is truly something special to behold. I've used a clean, sharp spade and Creeping phlox, Phlox subulata, is a stunning low-growing perennial that creates a striking carpet full of 5-petaled blooms in radiant hues of reds, purples, blues, pinks and whites in late April and May.Typically reaching a mere height of 6 inches, but often spreading to 2 feet, it is a great choice for a groundcover. Trim away any portions of creeping phlox that do not touch soil, such as the part of the plant that trails over rocks, planters or walls. During division, dig out a section of the mat of creeping phlox. Growing creeping phlox over a rockery or in tough soil conditions provides a … Clumps that have no middle flowers and seem more like a ring than a dome need dividing. All you need to do is cut a roughly 6-inch-long section, either from a rooted stem or a … Creeping phlox is a popular flowering perennial which is often observed growing around the perimeter of a garden or yard as a garden border. Dividing Perennials – The Basics. You should also prepare the site for the divisions, loosen up the soil and add any required amendments. Trim the tops a bit in the process so the roots do not have to support a great deal of top growth. Water the creeping phlox 24 hours before you plan to divide it to help the plant's shallow roots retain soil. Cut the piece into several sections sized to suit your planting needs with the shovel, or pull them carefully apart with your hands. Creeping phlox spreads throughout an area hastily and is one of the few spring blooming plants that can be used as both a ground cover and a garden border. However, this eccentric plant can require some specific pruning. The half-hardy annual group are useful as bedding plants and for growing in containers. The roots are typically short, but spread over the length of the plant stem where it contacts soil. And just as you would divide other plants will work. Dig up the entire plant, divide the clump into sections, and replant immediately. Sign up for our newsletter. About 24 hours before phlox plant division, water the plants deeply and thoroughly. When a part of the plant and its roots are exposed, sever it with a sharp spade or shovel into two or more plant sections. The mass of deep blue flowers and evergreen foliage spreads over curbs and short retaining walls, or amidst rocky outcroppings. 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