Hi Perennialfan! Not sure if you knew this already, but there is a Plant Exchange forum on gardenweb. You might have more luck there since people go ther specifically to do plant trading. ;-) CMK Here is a link that might be useful: Plant Exchange on GardenWeb

I've tried a few concoctions for powdery mildew (PM) on perennials in the past. Do they work? Not really, in my opinion. I've had some slight results where I thought it might slow the overall infestation...but nothing where I could make it go away or keep it away. If the conditions are right for PM, and especially if the plant is naturally susceptible to PM, I don't think the recipes do much good. As for Murphy's...I know of many people who use it for various reasons in the garden...I don't. I'm of the opinion that Murphy's just coats the plants and leaves with a residue. Stops the plant's ability to breathe, in a sense. That's my opinion.

I was hoping to get some feedback from other people who have "David" to see how it performs for them. Rhizo, 10% infection would be pretty darned good if this were July or August, but here in PA May is not even powdery mildew season. Phlox normally does not get hit til near the end of summer, even the non-resistant varieties. My plant has severe enough infection to have total dieback on the bottom of the plant, and in the midsection of the plant the leaves are spotted. Only the very top is free, but we have 4 full months left to go. When I go online and read studies of powdery mildew, generally you don't see the studies make claims about resistance of plants or effectiveness of control products until late in the year; they are usually ALL fairly resistant/effective this early on in this climate. I spoke to the woman at the nursery and she was visibly surprised that I had that problem with that plant. She suggested trying to move it, but it doesn't have any place else it could go where it would be happy. When I pulled off the infected leaves at the bottom, it made the plant top-heavy which caused it to open up a bit as the stems all lean outward. That should help, but I am disappointed. My mother does not treat her phlox. She has some old unnamed garden phlox that is not meant to be resistant, her plants are huge and full and the earliest in the year they ever get a speck of mildew is mid-to-late summer. In a very bad year she might have dieback, but in many years they hardly get any and never once has she had it in the spring.

i dont ever recall dividing a P for no reason at all ... campy bring up one reason ... to get more ... i dont ever recall staking hem either ... you do cut them to the ground in fall or spring... dont you ... and i would NEVER bother with fertg a P ... [which is one reason things flop... excessive green growth] i dont really understand what you are asking ... since you are new to all this ...???? in my experience ... after lets say.. 3 to 5 years ... if it doesnt fit ... and ergo ... is making work in having to maintain it .... it goes ... fitting means.. size .... too foo foo.. meaning needs too much water ... or tending.. etc ... just never forget .... ANYTHING can be thrown away ... if its a problem ... in any sense of the word ... but.. back to your question ... divide it.. when you walk by it with the shovel.. and the must strikes ... lol ... which is the bottom line with most things ... and never forget.. you arent a real green thumb.. until you have killed every plant.. 3 times ... you have to go much more zen.. on winging it.. and trying things.. rather than worrying.. you are going to do harm ... or lose something ... so what... feed the whim ... all that said.. the search for knowledge is good ... just dont let the lack of such.. slow you down ... in my MI ... i would divide in early to mid spring ... i have no clue in AR ... ken