Garden phlox (Phlox paniculata) is another plant that DiSabato-Aust enjoys pruning. “You can pinch early or cut it back by one half. Or cut it back by four to six inches when it’s in bud. It’s a really fun plant to experiment on.”

Should phlox be cut back after blooming?

Trim back the spent flower heads and overgrown stems once the flowering cycle is complete in early summer. You can prune up until late summer, but the foliage grows lusher and the plants look less unkempt if they are pruned immediately after blooming.

Do you cut back phlox for the winter?

Winterizing Garden Phlox After the first frost, cut any remaining stems back to right above the soil line. … However, you can also prune phlox for winter by cutting them back once the flowers have faded. Prune in the late summer through the fall to avoid reseeding.