Help me decide which garden phlox to add? I'm on the border of zone 7b and 8a in northern part of South Carolina. Climate here is different from what you normally think as Southern because we are at higher elevation near the mountains. Still quite warm but winters can have some freezes lasting for a day or so.
Yet I can usually overwinter brugmansia, dahlia and even dipladenia outdoors.
The ony phlox I have is Minnie Pearl, which is white. I'd like to get something red/bright pink and also maybe a lavender like Katherine. My main concern is mildew resistance. Anyone have suggestions?

Here is a website that lists many phlox varieties. They all seem to have a wide range of climate zones.
I like the Paniculatas more than the creeping phlox for nothing more than personal reasons.
I have many tall garden phlox that I just added 2 years ago.
http://www.perennialresource.c...

I have mildew but am not able to clean leaves or fuss with my plants. Some varieties seem to have more of a mildew problem than others.Phlox David , a tall whited is very susceptible to it.

I'm no help. I only have one ("David") because the rabbits eat it all the time. I think this is it's 4th year in my yard and it has only bloomed once because the rabbits keep it chewed down to about 2".

Karen

I have a tall pink phlox that is wonderful. But I can't remember the name of it at the moment. Sheesh.

I have a few Coral Flame, a shorter variety, that is my favorite garden phlox. I have had it for 3-4 years and never had mildew yet. Morris Berd, which is phlox glaberrina, is supposed to not get mildew at all, but I have not personally grown that one.

While I don't have any red phlox, I do have Shortwood and it's lovely when the deer have not devoured it, which is most of the time. It has not developed any mildew (yet) but much depends on the summer, humidity and air flow.

I am a little new to phlox. This is my 2nd year with Shortwood and Nicki, and I haven't experienced mildew with either so far. I also have purple flame and a couple of NOID tall pink & lavender that friends shared with me. I think that as long as you keep them thinned to 6-8 stalks, giving them plenty of air circulation and avoid overhead sprinklers (wet leaves), you can keep powdery mildew to a minimum.

Pretty near all of my older varieties seemed to be mildew-prone until I figured out the timing for feeding and how to water. Now I dump a wheelbarrow load of fresh compost around them just after that huge and fast vegetative spurt that happens just before bud-set. At that time I'll also spray them once or twice with seaweed emulsion. If I need to water, I just lay an open hose at the base...no overhead watering. That's it. I haven't had mildew problems since.
The newer cultivars I've added in the past few years don't seem to be quite as vigorous; plants grow more slowly, and bloom stalks are fewer...but then again, they're still fairly young.

Judy,

If you'd like to try a couple of these, just shoot me a Treemail and I'll mark them for you.

Definitely watering only the soil, not the leaves. Same with bee balm. It's a good general practice for efficient use of water and for plant health.

I have a hybrid Phlox called 'Wanda' that is amazing. It is a pink variety, but would perform even better than 'Minnie Pearl.' It blooms continuously. This is such an awesome plant. I have rooted it in a glass of water. It even blooms while it's rooting! I have included a photo with info about it. Out of all the Phlox plants, this is the one I would bet money on to do well for you.



I also have good luck with 'Shockwave.' It blooms once, but the foliage is beautiful. I've had this one for three years. It's good.

My favorites are Nikki and Minnie Pearl.

I spray in late spring with a hose end sprayer with baking soda in it. Solves the mildew problem for me.

Polly, how much baking soda do you use?

The only problem with the ones people say to water the soil and not the leaves is when it rains, it waters the leaves.

...and irrigation systems.

As long as the sun dry the leaves it's not much of a problem. Wet leaves at night invites fungus.

I put a tablespoon per gallon in. I don't think you have to be too careful with the measurements, it's non toxic to everything, as far as I know. And if you're using hose sprayer and have lilacs, get them too.

I second Deebie, should have said that. Thanks Deebie! I apply the baking soda in early morning on a to be sunny day.

Polly. But, no lilacs here. It's just too hot. I had one that I kept in part sun. It did bloom, but it really wasn't thriving, so I gave it to a friend who said that she would put it in full shade (which I didn't have). She killed it. I should have kept it. There is supposed to be one that can take our heat/humidity, though.

They are hybridizing lilacs for the south. I think there are a few out now.

Thanks! I'll check them out one of these days.

Has anyone else tried the Phlox 'Wanda?' My favorite local plant expert sold me on it and I have been very impressed. I have some in shade and some in sun. All of them do great.