"laura" wrote in message
om...
I have been cutting my tall phlox back to the ground every year,
usually in the fall to avoid the mess left by the dead stalks in the
spring. They seem to be okay with this treatment and come back every
year, but I wonder if this process is advisable or necessary. Also,
I've recently learned that they should be fed regularly.Does anyone
have suggestions for year-end care?

It is never a "requirement" to cut back the dead stalks of perennials but
most gardeners do, just for the sake of tidiness. Doesn't hurt the plant a
bit and with things like phlox which are prone to powdery mildew, getting
rid of old, diseased foliage can improve the vigor and certainly the
appearance in the following season. When you do it - late fall or early
spring - is your choice. If the plant did have powdery mildew, I'd opt for
fall - best not to let the spores linger around any longer than necessary.
Destroy any diseased foliage - don't compost it.

And for the most part, fertilizing perennials is also unnecessary. If you
have good soil and amend it regularly with wth compost or other organic
matter, that is all the fertilizer they need. One doesn't actually "feed"
plants - they manufacture their own food through the process of
photosynthensis - just maintaining the quality of the soil is sufficient.
Over-fertilizing will lead to leggy and overly lush growth that attracts
insect and disease problems.

pam - gardengal