creeping phlox - gardeners! help

[Sunnyday]

I googled and watched youtube videos, but I need more interactive help.

I have a lot of creeping phlox (moss phlox) in my plant bed. They were here when I moved, and I haven't touched the plant beds until this year (so four years now).

I did the research on this plant, and it says that after it blooms in may, I should prune them back.  

So here is my problem, they grew really long. so the root will be in one spot, and then it would look like a bare patch and then the top of the phlox will show up. So the long woody stem can be up to a foot long. I'm trying to fill in the bare patches, so that next spring there will be none. I was hoping to divide them, but dealing with a foot long stem made that impossible.

Do I just toss all the phlox? How can salvage it and fill in the bare patches when there is a foot long woody stem (with no vegetation) and a bushy top? Is it possible for me to cut all of the vegetation and leave the root? 


I don't think that I'll get a lot of help here, but who knows. maybe.

[Lizard Queen]

I'm not much of a gardener, but I did inherit some straggly-looking phlox when I bought my house. We've cut it back a bit (not on any particular schedule), but otherwise didn't do much with it. It has gone crazy this year. I don't think there were  ever any woody stems though. So, maybe try cutting it back for a couple years?   (Sorry I'm not much help.)

[Tennesseer]

For the rest of summer, why not mix in a few pots of annuals in the bare spots.  And next spring just let the phlox do its thing.

[Sunnyday]

It's been several years that there have been bare patches. 

I want the creeping phlox to border my entire walkway.

But now, I have  ___   __      __   ___               ___.  And all the bare patches are not pretty. And all the bare patches are actually the long wooden stem trailing the ground.


I just need to know how I can prune back the creeping phlox  with a foot long trailing wooden stem (is that possible) so that I can create a more filled in border. Phlox goes for about three dollars, but I would l need a lot to border the entire walkway, and I have already hit my budget limit for gardening this year.

[Tennesseer]

Jul 7, 2014 8:47:54 GMT -5 Sunnyday said:

It's been several years that there have been bare patches. 

I want the creeping phlox to border my entire walkway.

But now, I have  ___   __      __   ___               ___.  And all the bare patches are not pretty. And all the bare patches are actually the long wooden stem trailing the ground.


I just need to know how I can prune back the creeping phlox  with a foot long trailing wooden stem (is that possible) so that I can create a more filled in border. Phlox goes for about three dollars, but I would l need a lot to border the entire walkway, and I have already hit my budget limit for gardening this year.

Try burying the wooden stems (not too deep) under some rich garden soil.  Before burying the stem, cut a couple VERY TINY nicks into the stem.  That may open upthe stem to an opportunity for some new shoots to start growing and putting down new roots.

[Sunnyday]

Jul 7, 2014 8:57:07 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Jul 7, 2014 8:47:54 GMT -5 Sunnyday said:

It's been several years that there have been bare patches. 

I want the creeping phlox to border my entire walkway.

But now, I have  ___   __      __   ___               ___.  And all the bare patches are not pretty. And all the bare patches are actually the long wooden stem trailing the ground.


I just need to know how I can prune back the creeping phlox  with a foot long trailing wooden stem (is that possible) so that I can create a more filled in border. Phlox goes for about three dollars, but I would l need a lot to border the entire walkway, and I have already hit my budget limit for gardening this year.

Try burying the wooden stems (not too deep) under some rich garden soil.  Before burying the stem, cut a couple VERY TINY nicks into the stem.  That may open upthe stem to an opportunity for some new shoots to start growing and putting down new roots.

Yes!!! and by scoring it along the stem, I would get new plants along the bare patches!!! I saw that one of the long wooden stems had a little nub that was growing roots.

This is the solution that I was looking for!!!! Thank you! None of the gardening sites offered this information. They just assumed that all my phloxes were well cared for compact little plants!!!

[haapai]

Just curious, are the stems all pointing the same direction?  Are they reaching for the sun? 

[Tennesseer]

"Creeping Phlox Propagation

The plant can also be divided to provide more growing creeping phlox plants. Simply dig the plant up, preserving the root ball. Cut through the center of the plant and through the roots with a sharp soil knife or even a spade. Replant one-half of the phlox in the original hole and plant the other anywhere you want more of the colorful ground cover. The process can be done every few years to create healthier plants.

You can also take stem cuttings for rooting in summer or fall. Dip these in a plant hormone and plant in a soil-less medium to take root."

creeping phlox

[Sunnyday]

Jul 7, 2014 9:03:01 GMT -5 haapai said:

Just curious, are the stems all pointing the same direction?  Are they reaching for the sun? 

Well, they trail downward to the end of my driveway, but I don't think that they are reaching for the sun, because that area is hit with sun from morning to sunset. It's one of my problem areas because I can only have things planted there that can withstand sun all day.

[Sunnyday]

Jul 7, 2014 9:12:29 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

"Creeping Phlox Propagation

The plant can also be divided to provide more growing creeping phlox plants. Simply dig the plant up, preserving the root ball. Cut through the center of the plant and through the roots with a sharp soil knife or even a spade. Replant one-half of the phlox in the original hole and plant the other anywhere you want more of the colorful ground cover. The process can be done every few years to create healthier plants.

You can also take stem cuttings for rooting in summer or fall. Dip these in a plant hormone and plant in a soil-less medium to take root."

creeping phlox

I had already that source when I was researching it, but I don't have a true root ball and because the stem is so long, I just would be creating really long sections that don't fill in. I liked your previous solution, and it's the only one that would work for my situation. I figure that it'll take at least two seasons to get it where I want it.