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Creeping Phlox Care Guide
Creeping Phlox is a perennial ground cover plant that blooms in early spring. It’s known for being an incredibly hardy plant, being able to grow in all sorts of locations in various different conditions. As long as it has full sun to partial shade (the latter being during summertime), you can grow phlox in planters, on slopes, as borders, and as a ground cover or filler. Given the opportunity, it will cascade over walls or the sides of pots as a bright, beautiful accent. Additionally, it’s great at deterring pests (aside from eelworm and powdery mildew), and is deer resistant!
Care
Phlox is great for beginner gardeners or people who like low-maintenance plants. We recommend slow-release fertilizer in early spring before it blooms, then pruning the stems after the blooms have finished. If you’d like your plant to stay more compact, you can also cut it back in winter. Though it will grow in less-than-ideal conditions, Phlox prefers to be kept in moist, well-draining soil. Make sure to water the plant more in the summer so it doesn’t get too dry.
Varieties
Strange’s carries several different varieties of Creeping Phlox! Each in dazzling different colors, and varying slightly in shape.
Pests
As mentioned above, Phlox is generally pretty pest resistant. The biggest things to watch out for are Phlox bugs and powdery mildew.
Phlox bug infestations can be identified by speckled and curling leaves. Phlox bugs are small, orange, and purplish-black, and live underneath the leaves. These can be taken care of with a wash using plant-safe soap, making sure to get the underside of the leaves.
Powdery mildew is identified as it sounds, as a powdery gray coating on the leaves. It will usually start at the bottom and work its way up. To avoid it, the easiest method is to be careful not to overwater. The best method to combat this is to use a fungicide. We have several available at Strange’s, and we recommend Fertilome Triple Action Plus, which is great for the prevention of mites as well! A 32 fl. oz. bottle goes for $9.95 and will last you a long time.
At Strange’s
This gorgeous groundcover is available at Strange’s in 6″ pots for $5.95! All of them are blooming beautifully in the nursery, ready to go in the ground as soon as you get home.
Happy Growing!
