The star-shaped lavender, pink, and white color bloom of the Creeping Phlox perennial plant is a true feast for eyes appearing around the same time each year.
However, making the Creeping Phlox rebloom the same year requires pruning and time management techniques. So run through the article to get the detail.
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How Often Does Creeping Phlox Bloom?
As a hardy USDA 3-9 plant, Creeping Phlox can tolerate the winter days but undergoes dormancy to return with a new flush of foliage and bloom.
However, due to their slow growth, do not expect the Creeping Phlox to flower in the first year of planting.
After completing the second year’s growth, the fragrant blooms of Creeping Phlox begin to form in clusters.
Furthermore, they all need light deadheading to produce the next flush later in the season.
When Is The Bloom Time of Creeping Phlox?
The Phlox variety, Creeping Phlox, is one of the cool temperature lovers that cannot withstand hot summers.
And unlike Garden Phlox, the Creeping Phlox completes its bloom cycle before the dry summer, as only well-established ones can withstand the hot days.
Nonetheless, April is the best time to witness vibrant pink to blue and white five-petaled, fragrant blooms that last a month.
What To Do With Creeping Phlox After It Blooms?
Choking weeds is a secondary use of Creeping Phlox, as the first is always landscaping your garden and stone walls with its foliage and bloom.
Flowers of Creeping Phlox are the center of attraction for pollinators and guests in your home, but the blooming period is too short.
Begin deadheading in late spring by pinching spent blooms or using pruners or scissors to cut the stem to half its length.
Meanwhile, leave the needle-like green foliage of the Creeping Phlox in the ground as it is also an eyecatcher that can overwinter to revive the following year.
How Do You Keep Creeping Phlox Blooming?
The Creeping Phlox is a spreading runner that extends up to 2 feet wide to give a colorful mat-finish to the ground with blooms.
But for that, you need to maintain the optimum conditions, which are as follows.
- Plant Creeping Phlox seedlings at a spacing of 10 inches, allowing enough space to spread.
- Provide at least four hours of full to partial sun, and ensure subtle shade on the hottest days.
- Maintain the temperature around 40-85ºF for growth while around 65ºF for blooming.
- Fetch water twice a week for the first three months and then reduce it to weekly.
- Mist the plant regularly to maintain low to moderate humidity in the morning.
- Ensure the soil is humus-rich, well-draining with a pH of 6.0 to 8.0.
- Apply two inches of deep mulch around the root zone in a donut fashion to prevent weed growth.
- Use slow-releasing fertilizer once a month during the active season.
- As a mature height is 6 inches, prune the plant to encourage rebloom instead of growth.
- Use neem oil to control bugs and spider mites infestation and copper fungicide to control powdery mildew.
From Editorial Team
Extra Tips!
Phlox subulata, famous as Creeping Phlox, holds traditional medicinal benefits which you can leverage using the whole plant part.
Meanwhile, the flower of Creeping Phlox signifies unity, commitment, and compatibility. So bring the plant to bloom.
All The Best!
