Soon you re running a phlox farm. But plants from self-sown seeds aren t as pretty as their parents. Lever up the mother clumps and divide them into pieces six or seven inches in diameter, discarding the woody centers. Enrich the empty holes with compost, then replant the best divisions. When the shoots are about six inches tall, thin them so they are an inch apart.
Fewer stems mean larger flowers, and less crowding helps prevent mildew.
Mildew prevention also includes thorough cleanup in fall. Meanwhile, there are those extra divisions. Pot them up for the next fund-raiser. You won t have to bake anything and will thus reclaim the time it took to divide the phlox. We want to try growing onions this year.