Carpet phlox, the diminutive variant of the popular phlox, can be found in many gardens. We show how you can multiply the cushion phlox and what needs to be considered when cutting.

In a nutshell

  • forms attractive dense carpets
  • popular bee food plant with bright flowers
  • blooms before the summer season
  • annual cutting stimulates growth and flowering
  • Propagation by seed, cuttings or division of the plant possible

cushion phlox

Carpet or cushion phlox is one of the small phlox species. His homeland is in the north of the USA. There it grows on nutrient-poor areas and on forest edges.

Cushion phlox flowers as early as May, before the main blooming season in the garden begins. It belongs to the spring phloxes. Due to the early flowering, it is valued as a bee-friendly ground cover and should therefore not be missing in any garden.

carpet-forming species

The best known small phlox species are:

  • Phlox subulata, the best known carpet phlox
  • Phlox douglasii, the smallest cushion phlox, which does not grow as profusely as the other species
  • Phlox stolonifera, the migratory phlox with strong runners
  • Phlox divaricata, the herbaceous forest phlox
Phlox subulata

Cut carpet phlox

Cutting the carpet phlox is not strictly necessary. Nevertheless, a cut can stimulate growth and optimize the abundance of flowers.

topiary

Do you want to frame beds with cushion phlox or decorate the ground cover in the bucket?

Cut the plant into the desired shape with sharp and clean pruning shears. The best time is after flowering in early summer. Use a dry, not so hot morning for this. The plant will then sprout again and with a bit of luck it will surprise you with a second bloom in autumn.

revitalizing cut

Upholstery phlox is extremely easy to care for. You don't have to fertilize it or water it regularly. With older plants, however, it can happen that they become lazy over the years. Then a radical pruning helps.

Use a dry day in summer for this. Remove dry and weak parts of plants. Cut the shoots back to a length of five to ten centimeters with sharp pruning shears.

Only water the plant the day after the cut and look forward to a new shoot.

Phlox douglasii

Notice: Cutting the carpet phlox also protects against nematode infestations.

care cut

When preparing your garden for winter in the fall, don't overlook the carpet phlox. Remove faded flowers and dead shoots. The plant then retreats into the rootstock and sprout again the next year.

Propagation by seed and cuttings

The propagation of the attractive cushion phlox succeeds through

  • sowing
  • cuttings
  • root division

Propagation by seed

If you want to multiply the beautiful cushion phlox by sowing, you should have a lot of patience. The sowing is tedious and not always successful. You can get the seeds from the capsule fruits of the carpet phlox. After flowering, cut off the dry capsules. Then shake out the small black seeds and let them dry completely on paper towels. Carpet phlox is a cold germ. As a result, it needs a cold stimulus to germinate.

Time: autumn

Manual:

  1. Sow the seeds outdoors in autumn.
  2. Sandy, well-drained soils are suitable.
  3. The new plants will appear the following year.
  4. Water the young plants during drought.
Phlox stolonifera

Alternatively, you can also grow the cushion phlox indoors at room temperatures between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius in seed trays. Note that preferred phloxes are very sensitive to cold. Plant the young plants in pots and then put them outside after the ice saints. They form flowers after three to four months. The following year, the phloxes are robust enough to survive the winter on the bed.

Propagation by cuttings

Upholstery or carpet phlox quickly forms strong cuttings. From these, ground cover can be pulled again.

Time: in the summer after flowering

Manual:

  1. In summer, cut off vigorous shoots of the carpet phlox with a sharp, clean knife.
  2. Then remove the lower leaves to a length of five centimeters.
  3. Put the shoots in pots with potting soil for rooting. Insert the offshoots straight.
  4. Place the pots in a shady, sheltered spot. Keep the cuttings moderately moist.
  5. Plant the offshoots outdoors after four to five weeks, then stable roots will have formed.

Notice: If you cut the carpet phlox, you can look for strong shoots to reproduce.

Cushion Phlox propagate by division

The easiest way to propagate cushion phlox is by division. To do this, select a well-developed plant in the fall.

Time: autumn

Manual:

  1. With a sharp, clean spade, snip off part of the plant and dig it up, root included.
  2. Then dig a hole at the new location.
  3. Plant the plant with the addition of some compost soil.
  4. Compact the soil and water the new plant well.
Phlox divaricata

Notice: Plant division does not weaken the carpet phlox. On the contrary, it quickly sprouts again, blooms more vigorously and appears more vital.

Did you know that the cushion phlox, which is so popular with hobby gardeners, is spurned by snails? Another reason to give the ground cover with the bright flowers a place in the garden.

frequently asked Questions

Which location is ideal for the cushion phlox young plants?

Half-shady places are best suited for the divided young plants or young plants grown from cuttings. It must not be too shady, otherwise the flowers will not appear. Strong sunlight, however, can cause burns and cause plant stress.

How much space does cushion phlox need?

Plant cuttings or plant parts in such a way that they have space to spread all around. About eight inches in all directions is ideal. It is important that the small plants are not crowded out by others. Incidentally, stones are not an obstacle for the ground cover, it then spreads over them.

How can large areas be quickly covered with cushion phlox?

Plant about eight young plants per square meter. Then regularly remove weeds that settle in the gaps. After about a year, the plants have grown together into a dense carpet.

Category:

Garden maintenance