Three days ago, my phlox looked perfect. This morning it looks terrible ! What happened ?
What's Wrong with My Phlox ?
I too would be interested in any answers. I had some phlox in a pot that was doing very well, finally decided to put it in the ground, and a few days later, it looked exactly like your photo, and then a few days more, totally dead.
I hope that yours will survive.
Not encouraging - LOL ! I hope we get an answer too !
I took a stem of my phlox to the nursery this morning. The expert said it is just plain old black spot. He said to cut the plant down, and the roots should be fine. He also suggested treating the phlox with a fungicide ahead of time next spring.
soilsandup - I hope you didn't throw your phlox away ! Apparently, it will be ok next year.
Countrymom - I left the plant where it was when it died. I'll mark that spot and see if anything comes up next year.
Thanks for the information. I have never grown phlox before, so had no clue what to expect. I see it in other people's garden, so I figure it should do ok in my garden. But, we'll see.
I've grown phlox for over 40 years and I never had one turn ugly like that one. They do get powdery mildew easily in hot, sultry weather. It doesn't hurt them. They just don't look as nice with the dusting of white. You can spray them with fungicide before the mildew begins.
I sure hope yours comes back in the spring !
While we've had a great growing season this year, the Phlox that are still around are doing great. However last year and the year before we had terrible droughts and hot weather, and I lost a few Phlox that seemed to do exactly what the one in the pic is doing. While they were producing a few blooms, the last of the leaves browned and I cut them back. They didn't return the next year. I had 2 clumps of one variety that showed these symptoms, and lost both of them; it was 'Prime Minister'. In the same area I have 'Orange Perfection', 'David', and 'Bright Eyes'. None of them were particularly happy with the drought years, but those 3 returned without any issues (perhaps those varieties are more resistant?).
I cut mine down yesterday and this morning I see new growth at the base. Maybe they will make it. One is David. I don't know what the other one is.
gemini_sage - Sorry you lost yours. Our summer has been an odd one here in Ohio. We have been way below normal highs, and we were in a drought up until last week or so. Then it started raining and hasn't quit.
Some varieties just seem to do that. I think it's a result of some sort of powdery mildew, but I'm not sure. But because I do think that, I spray my phlox with a mixture of baking soda and water, and it's not as bad. I still get some browning towards the end of the season.
This message was edited Jul 25, 2009 9:58 AM
I have - had - two big clumps of "Flower Power" phlox, a Blooms of Bressingham variety. The leaves dropped flat along the stems, turned yellow and brown, and died. The stems themselves went brown and brittle. I thought it might be the sandy soil in our hot spring weather, but now the second clump is showing the symptoms, and that's planted in my wettest spot. Whatever this is, it's sucking the moisture right out of the flowers. I dug up one of the clumps - don't know what I expected to find, perhaps grubs? a giant ant colony? a gopher? - and while the soil was dry, I saw nothing that seemed to explain the plant's behavior. Roots seemed OK, so I put them back in. I'd have pictures, but we can't find the charger for my camera battery.
If anyone still has this thread tagged, what happened with your plants? Did any come back?
Does black spot really kill phlox like that? I thought it would occur in, well, spots. Not every leaf on every stem but one or two.
I've had the exact thing you describe happen to particular varieties of Phlox before. I had 2 or 3 clumps of 'Prime Minister' that exhibited those symptoms a couple of years ago (during a drought), and they just bit the dust. 'Orange Perfection' is still growing in the same bed, never had a problem at all. In a neighboring bed, I had 'David' and 'Bright Eyes', and BE looked bad for a couple of years, similar to the way 'Prime Minister' did. I moved them to a bed with more moisture and they seem to have recovered. 'David' remains in the bed and has never shown symptoms.
Not really sure what the ailment is, but I believe some varieties are resistant to it.
I have been spraying my with fungicide on a monthly basis and so far so good.
Nan, what fungicide are you using? How often do you spray the plant? Would Bayer all in one rose and flower care mixed up and poured around the plant base help or does it call for daconcil(spelled wrong probably)?
I have been using the Bayer for Roses and have only sprayed it every 2-3 weeks with a light misting.
I'll keep the Bayer for Roses in mind, thanks!
Nan, I have the Bayer all in one rose and flower food. It's a liquid and you mix it with water and pour it at base of plant. Will that do the same thing as the spray on the foliage? I've been using the baking soda and water and liquid dish soap mixture on leaves of my roses and they do look like they're improving and using the Bayer around the base of the plant. I'm due to do a treatment this week.