Phlox apparently needs total darkness to germinate. There was a discussion on this at the FN forum over the winter. I WSed some and covered the container with a black half-gallon plant container but it never germinated. I'm sure someone had success, though, but i'm not sure if it was with WSing or starting them in the house.

Hi Claubill,
Phlox paniculata, perennial garden phlox, wintersow as usual, covering lightly with soil, they need a cold stratification in order to germinate.

Marcia, I saw your fuchsia coloured P. paniculata at the FN Gallery, save me some seed of that one, will yah, I love that colour ;)

Sharon

I've been trying to winter sow these for three years now and haven't met with success. I will be winter sowing them again this year since I don't want to give up on them. I'd like to try the seeds of David, since I have others in the gardens which cross-pollinate with it and I think it would be interesting to see what flowers come to be. I'll try sowing a bit earlier this year given the info above.

Thanks for asking this ? Claubill!!

Sharon, those are the seeds i tried to germinate. I'll try to get some for you this year - if you're successful, you can share the seedlings with Shauna and Gil, seeing as they have problems getting them to grow! :)

Ok, its a deal ;)

Since we're discussing phlox, I have a plant - was flowering poorly and late in an east-facing garden - which I moved to my full-sun south facing border about 5 years ago. I have not had any blooms for the past 3 years - healthy shoots, healthy leaves but no blooms. I am thinking of moving it but woud prefer not to. Any ideas?
Northerner.

Northerner,

Try feeding it Tomatoe food in early summer next year. I jolted a clematis which had never bloomed for me by feeding it Tomato food last year. Read about it somewhere and it worked. This plant had been there for four years with not a flower on it.

This year I fed the Clematis cornmeal, bonemeal, and seaweed and it's going nuts! There's another major flush of buds coming out.

{{gwi:155983}}

{{gwi:194183}}

Thanks Tiffy, what would I do without you!!! I have never fertilized anything in the ground - only my pots - but the soil there could probably do with a boost.What lovely pics. I should probably use it on my Clematis too. Used to go all the way up the trellis, and would give me a second bloom in late August, but it has been blooming really poorly in recent years. thanks again.
Northerner.