- Stimulate rebloom by pruning
- Rejuvenate the cushion phlox by cutting back radically
- Cut cushion phlox cuttings at the right time
The cushion phlox is one of the few plants in the garden that can grow relatively decoratively and persistently without regular pruning. However, you should not shy away from the maintenance effort of pruning with this type of plant either, as this rewards the hobby gardener with a number of advantages.
By pruning back, the cushion phlox can be encouraged to flower a second time
Stimulate rebloom by pruning
The cushion phlox is a plant that does not really need much care in a well-chosen location all year round. If you would like to extend the flowering period of this decorative ground cover, you can try your luck as follows: Simply cut the plants back by about a third immediately after flowering. Depending on the location, weather and the condition of the plants, there may then be another flowering in the same year.
Rejuvenate the cushion phlox by cutting back radically
As already indicated, the cushion phlox can easily survive for a few years without pruning. However, similar to other rock garden plants, the plant cushions can also become bare from the middle. To prevent such unaesthetic developments, you can radically cut back the plants every two to three years. In the course of this pruning, you should shorten the cushion phlox to about a third or to the height of a hand's breadth. You can then force the new formation of young side shoots with sparingly dosed liquid fertilizer.
Cut cushion phlox cuttings at the right time
The propagation of cushion phlox (Phlox subulata) is possible in three different ways:
- by sowing the seeds
- by dividing older specimens in spring
- about cuttings
When propagating with the cuttings method, it is important to ensure the right time for success. It is ideal if you take top cuttings with a length of about 5 to 6 cm between May and July. For strong offshoots, stick them in bunches into a loose growing substrate and keep it evenly moist for the first few weeks. Since the cuttings usually root relatively quickly, you can transplant them to their final location before autumn.
tips
For various reasons, it can occasionally happen that individual shoots of the cushion phlox die off and become dry. You can remove these at any time, regardless of the season, to restore the decorative character of the plants.