Garden phlox , or ​Phlox paniculata​ , is a perennial inUSDA industrial plant hardiness zones4 through 8 that flower in late summer and comes in a variety of colour . Many garden phlox problems can be minimized or eliminate alone by growing disease - immune cultivar and bring home the bacon plants with the guardianship they need . prefer a full - sunshine positioning on well - draining land , and fertilize in early bounce with a dispirited - nitrogen fertiliser . As with most plants , early symptom of garden phlox pest and disease are problem to watch for so you ’ll be capable to treat them early on before they spread .

Garden Phlox Pests and Diseases

TheNorth Carolina State Extensionnotes that phlox plants are susceptible to a host of disease and gadfly problem , include :

Powdery Mildew Fungal Disease

Powdery mildew is a destructive fungal disease that causes a powdery white growth on the tops of the leaves of the phlox works . Once the outgrowth occurs , it can apace put down any remaining fleeceable tissue and then move on to the heyday . The disease may start with white situation on phlox parting but quickly progresses to cover the entire leafage .

take disease - resistant cultivar to avoid this disease altogether is a better strategy than treating mold on phlox after it occurs . The plants call for plentifulness of breeze circulation and sun when planted . If powdery mildew does pass off , spraying antimycotic such as sulphur or chlorothalonil ( sold under the brand name Daconil ) at the earliest sign of infection can be effective .

TheUniversity of Illinois Extensionrecommends these mould - resistant phlox cultivars :

Close-up image of the vibrant summer flowering pink/purple Phlox paniculata ‘Laura’

Leaf Spot Disease

Symptoms educate with easy identifiable orbitual dark-brown spots that have white to gray centre . foliage touch starts on the lower leaves and be active up the stalk . As the disease spreads , the resulting brown leave-taking on phlox plants curl up and then pall .

The first defense is to keep the plants healthy by properly fertilize and watering them . urine in the morning so the leaf have a fortune to dry out during the mean solar day . Remove affected leaves as shortly as you notice folio smear . As a preventative measure , apply a antimycotic agent in the outflow when new growth appears .

Phlox Plant Bug

This microbe bite through the tender shoot and leave of the phlox at the produce tip and sucks the sap . If germ become abundant , spray commercial-grade insecticides or insecticidal soaps to handle the problem . Common commercial brands admit the chemical acephate , azadirachtin , or imidacloprid as in effect agents . Check with a local Cooperative Extension Service berth or nursery before using any products , and follow all label recommendations .

Twospotted Spider Mite

Twospotted wanderer pinch are the most serious of all phlox job . These mite give suck the liquids from phlox leaves , causing the leave to plough yellow . good for you plants are good able to tolerate mites , so ensure phlox is watered and fertilized adequately . An insecticidal easy lay spray may be evenhandedly efficient .

If the problem is more severe , use a miticide specifically for flowering perennial . lend oneself the spray very early on in the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , when temperatures are cooler in the morning hr . Spraying during the heating plant of the day is probable to make more industrial plant damage .

Stalk Borer Moth Larvae

The grovelling larvae of the stalk bore bit tunnel up and down into the stems of a phlox plant . These pest commonly go unnoticed until the plant life begin to wilt . It ’s too previous for the plant to recover at that point .

There is one annual contemporaries with the moths emerge in September and October to lay eggs . The ball can pull through winter and crosshatch in May or early June . Stalk borers ordinarily can not be controlled once they have enter the plant . Systemic insecticide may be effectual when applied in highly damage areas , but control measures should decoct on prevention .

References

Powdery mildew on the leaves of phlox