Hi! I’ve so appreciated your expertise on the challenges of trying to attract pollinators to my container garden. Every year (because of budget restraints) I try a few recommended native plants, hoping they can survive the winds and light challenges of our north-facing balcony.
This year, the spinach I seeded has grown into a sweet little patch and we’re eating home-grown spinach salads!
On the other hand, the beautiful flowering phlox divaricata I bought quickly developed leaf mold. Within 3 weeks it’s lost all its flowers and turned mostly brown. There are still a few green stems. Is there any hope of getting rid of the mold and saving this plant? Thanks for any feedback…highly appreciate your volunteer work in this.
Thank you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners. I’m so excited that you’ve been adding pollinator plants and edibles to your balcony garden. Growing on balconies can be challenging but is very rewarding. If you haven’t already, you might want to read a few of our Toronto Master Gardeners Garden Guides: Growing Urban Vegetables, Container Gardening and Pollinator Garden.
Phlox divaricata is gorgeous with its deep coloured blooms. I’m sorry to hear your plant is not doing well. Phlox are one ornamental plant that is frequently impacted by powdery mildew – which is caused by a variety of fungi. A Toronto Master Gardener Guide: Powdery Mildew on Ornamental Plants describes the characteristics of this disease, how it spreads and cultural control of the disease. Steps to take to try to save your phlox include: increase the air circulation around your plant, remove and discard any diseased plant parts, water in the morning and avoid getting the leaves wet, and reduce the use of nitrogen fertilizer. Don’t forget to sanitize (with bleach and water or by using a disinfecting wipe) any tools you use when you prune your plant so you don’t spread the disease to your other plants. Hopefully your few remaining green stems will survive and flourish. An all-natural organic fungicide can be used to control the disease on new growth, but won’t remedy any damaged foliage.
If your plant doesn’t survive, you may want to consider purchasing disease resistant cultivars of Phlox, such as ‘Blue Flame’ Phlox, ‘Forever Pink’ Phlox or ‘David’ Phlox.