Marianne's Response

Trimming mops and phlox after flowering

Last year i planted a couple of creeping phlox in between my golden mops. Being somewhat of a novice at gardening, i didn’t realize the size that phlox can get and how quickly. I don’t want them to take anything away from the mops, such as air circulation, water, or anything else they might need to remain healthy. And I’m not sure if pruning at this point in the season is a good idea either. Actually i had a similar question regarding the mops as well. Can they be trimmed? They seem to be getting real wild on top.

Posted by michael bagnasco on May 22, 2014

Marianne's Response

Don't worry your phlox will not bother the gold thread cypress (I think this is what you mean by mops) and you can prune back both the creeping phlox and the cypress mops. Prune the phlox by up to one half right after they finish flowering. Lightly trim the mops at the same time. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti

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