Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

I bought some phlox that came in peatmoss, just roots. They have got to have been in the ground a month or more and only one root is showing a bit of growth. I dug them out of the ground I had originally planted because of all the plants growing around them they would no longer have a chance, and I wouldn't be able to tell if they were growing or not. So I put them in pots where I could see what was happening and the earth is nice and light in the pots. The roots seem alive but only the one is growing out of 8. What can I do to encourage them to grow?

I have found that phlox is a very slow starter and takes a while to establish itself. It took the better part of the summer for the one I planted a few years back to start growing and spreading. They're a bit fussy about location too ... I had to move mine from where it was originally because there was just too much full afternoon sun for its liking. It also liked frequent watering until it got established.

Sounds as if you're doing everything right and they are just s-l-o-w.

I wish you lived closer as I have tons of Phlox. The beautiful white (mold-free) "David" is such a pain if allowed to go to seed. I swear they have 100% germination and the seedlings are not white, but different shades of bright pink. At first I was enchanted, but now I am swamped with the darned things self-seeding everywhere. I have to remember to chop off the seed heads, and that can be tricky because they don't all mature at the same time!

I have never had luck growing those Phlox that come as just roots.