I am not sure if I am pruning or fertilizing my phlox properly to encourage blooming. Please view the pictures attached and offer any suggestions you may have. This plant receives about eight hours of sunlight a day intends to dry out. I water it about every three days. I live in zone 5b.
Thanks in advance for your help. Please see the photos attached.
As indicated in the other forum where you posted these photos, your plant is dame's rocket, Hesperis matronalis, not any type of phlox.
If you cut off the old flowering stems at their bases (these are the long stems with the seed pods on them), it may possibly bloom some more... I don't know.
Our Dames Rocket (at 6500 ft, 6a) receives mostly shade and a good watering once a week. Once it blooms, the stalks eventually die back and go dormant. We do not disturb the seeds as we want them to self sow.
A good soaker hose may be beneficial if you keep the plants in sun.
In some parts of our garden we have all day sun and very dry soil. One good solution was to place crystal soil into the soil. They swell up by absorbing water and release it slowing back into the soil while keeping the soil cooler. Also great for root establishment.
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I have tons of dames rocket (which I also first thought was phlox).
It can be an aggressive spreader, but in my yard, tends to proliferate mainly in lightly shaded woodland. At least here, it doesn't seem to want to spread to sunnier areas. I like it in the wild areas of my woodland where it provides lots of color with no care. But I have to pull it in areas with other plantings or it will overwhelm everything. Mine blooms profusely for a few weeks, then just a few straggling blooms later - I've never seen it rebloom. I often cut the stalks back after blooming since they otherwise flop all over everything - cutting the stalks back has never stimulated reblooming in my yard.
Dames rocket (Hespersis matronalis), is considered an invasive throughout the United States.
It's invasive status is #2 just behind garlic mustard.
Phlox on the other hand is pretty and fairly easy to grow with a variety of types to suit the spot.
I am always surprised by the lovely fragrance of P. paniculata in bloom now. The scent just floats through the whole garden.
In the book "Native Alternates to Invasive Plants" Phlox carolina, P.paniculata, or P.glaberrima are offered as alternates to dames rocket (depending on where you live) and also the lovely hollyhock like Checkerbloom, Sidalcea malviflora.
This message was edited Aug 16, 2014 5:28 AM
