I usually cut my phlox back when it's about 2' tall which delays the blooming time but also avoids the mildew time of summer.

I don't pinch...but I do deahead and they put out new blooms.
My phlox are so full I pull stems out to give the clumps air...wouldn't want to do anything to make them more compact.
Linda C

I don't pinch either since I find it affects the blooms in that you get several smaller bloom heads. I like the nice big full ones.

Last year the deers decided to pinch some of them for me. They still bloomed but I was disappointed at the size. This year I gladly let the dog out at 3am when she wakes me up to tell me the deers are in the gardens. No more cranky pants when she wakes me up, and I gladly give her a 'cookie' when she returns after chasing them off! So far, so good!

Lol tiffy, good for your dog! My Phlox paniculata are one of the few plants that I spray with Deer Off each summer. The deer problem isn't too bad, but they do occasionally amble through and nibble at a few things. They must be snacking on their very favorites!

Anyway, I don't pinch it either, because I like the blooms to be tall and showy. But I also do what Linda does - and thin out the smaller stems from the interior of the plant. This allows better air circulation through the plant, and may possibly have the effect of even taller, larger blooms.

I only do this with mature Phlox though.

Forgot to add. I have two Nora Leigh (this is their 4th year in the garden) and I have found it to be a VERY vigorous cultivar. They get taller and bushier every year with spectacular blooms. They were four feet tall last year, and I wonder if they will get bigger still.

I wouldn't pinch yours, unless it is really tall and gangly, and just let it get its roots established and "put on weight" so to speak.

Here's what one of them looked like last year (with a butterfly friend):

{{gwi:200702}}

Thanks everybody! This is my first year with this plant as I planted it last fall. It is looking good and healthy, no flopping or gangliness yet. Not a lot of stems, so I don't think I have to thin it out this year either. I don't have any deer but recently something has been coming into the yard and breaking off stems of plants etc. I have a sinking suspicion it is a groundhog. The Phlox is right in the area it is interested in so I am keeping my fingers crossed. We tried to block under the fence and gate where we think it is getting in but I doubt that is going to work. [g]

Thanks...gorgeous photo terrene! I didn't realize they attracted butterfiles. Are they fragrant too? I bought it for the variegated foliage for the most part, so everything else is a plus. :-)

pm2

Terrene, what is that gorgeous purple-leafed plant next to the phlox?

I have never pinched my phlox back, but I cut them back after flowering and they do re-flower.

I pinch my Phlox back in a staggered arrangement, with the front cut the shortest and the back stems not cut at all. I find this increases the blooming time and shows the flowers off to better advantage. I cut them back fairly early in Spring, so that the bloom time is not delayed much for the cut parts. I also thin out the stems.

That is a Spicebush Swallowtail - it is the only type of butterfly I remember seeing on the Phlox paniculata. But I often see hummingbird moths, as well as an occasional hummingbird.

Nora Leigh has a light fragrance. I just bought a David this year, which I've read is very fragrant. Can't wait!

Muffie, that is Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate'. The color tones down quite a bit by the time it flowers, but it has a nice purple tinge.

This is what it looks like when it flowers:

{{gwi:240926}}

Thanks for the photos terrene..pretty foliage on the Eupatoriium. I have that plant and enjoy the foliage, but I am very wary of it's self seeding ability so I am keeping the blossoms cut off very quickly once it blooms. [g] Let us know how the David performs. It has been on my wish list for awhile.

entling the staggered pinching is another good idea, thanks. :-)

I wonder, how much shade can a Phlox take and still bloom well?

pm2

Hi Prairie - my Nora Leigh makes 1 or 2 seedlings a year, but I've never seen a seedling of the Eupatorium. Not sure why? Maybe because it is mulched underneath the plant. I kind of wish it would seed a little - then I could grow another one.

The David has been on my wish list for awhile too - looking forward to seeing how well it performs and how fragrant it will be.

Not sure about the shade though - mine are all in pretty much full sun (I love the blooms). But if you're growing the Nora Leigh for the foliage, and don't mind fewer blooms, it might perform very well because it is such a vigorous cultivar.

I have 4 clumps of white phlox that were given to me last year by a friend. I didn't pinch them last year as they were transplanted rather late for that. I moved them early this year and they are notably vigorous.

This year, I've pinched them back by about 1/3. It will be fun for me to see how they come along. As I said, I am new to this plant.

Hi PM2, how're the wrists holding up?

I have Phlox "Laura" in partial shade, & it doesn't get any mildew. It blooms for a long time, although it does not flower as much as the Phlox p. I have in full sun. I am happy with its performance & have no intention of moving it to a sunnier area.

terrene, Good news that your Eupatorium has not produced seedlings. Maybe it is the mulch. I mulch a lot, so I will remember to do that thickly around it and see what happens. Usually I deadhead it.

chelone...my first year with phlox too. I have steered away from it for fear of mildewed ugly plants. Every time I have seen them at the nursery, they are all a mess, even those that claim to be mildew resistant. The NLeigh I picked up at a supermarket..lol. I had to take it home, because it was the end of the summer, the foliage looked great and the price was right. :-)

As for my wrists, I am hanging in there and trying not to overuse at this point but doing ok. I doubt I will ever be in a position to keep up with the Idylls again though, chelone. I discovered that was way too much typing for me. It doesn't help that I usually have too much to say either. [g] Thanks for asking. Hope you are enjoying your summer in my favorite state. :-)

entling...I will see how mine does this year and report back. I will have to notice exactly how much sun it is getting.

Thanks all! :-)

First, Terrene, you have wonderful gardens!!! Truly a sight to behold.

Prairiemoon,

You asked about the perfume. You will love it. There are two scents I remember from my mother's garden and it is the one of the Lupines, and that of the Phlox. Nothing like it!

In 1985 she gave me part of a footing of one of her plants. Since then, I've bought, seeded, divided, and been given close to 30 more footings. Two years ago we noticed an increase in folks walking their dogs along the road in front of the house when the phlox was in bloom. If I was out, they would ask about that wonderful scent. I did a lot of dividing to give away during that time. LOL!!

You won't regret adding them to your gardens.