If the instructions say to plant the phlox root 1" below the ground, is putting on the ground (no hole) and putting 1" of garden soil on top the same thing?

I think they mean “ground level”, so, no that won’t work.

Why not?

If you just pile up the dirt around the plant, it will settle or wash away and expose the root.
Presumably, the dirt in the garden has already settled.

These are not whole plants. They’re just the phlox roots. WM was out of phlox plants.

@josie and @kritiper are accurate. “Tuck your phlox root into the ground.”

https://www.easytogrowbulbs.com/pages/phlox-planting-guide

I did, BTW.

OK great. It seemed like you didn’t take what they were suggesting.

I just wondered if, since it’s just small piece of root, it might be a little different than a whole plant.

Drainage. You want the water to mix with the dirt around the roots.

Or as Joe Friday would say – “Just the phlox, ma’am…”

My son stopped by to do some Tall People things for me and brought his youngest daughter with him. She was so excited to see the phlox that I have blooming. I tried to ‘splain that I knew they were there and that I planted them before she was born, but it didn’t dampen her excitement.

My Gramps was a farmer ALL his life & he always told me to NEVER pull soil up over any plant as it can cause the plant to rot in important areas. According to this site you should plant in a 1” deep hole. See Step 3. Step 3 also gives ideas on how to make them grow better.

I already read the directions @LadyMarissa. They were attached to the bag the roots came in. I also have well established phlox so I know how to grow them.

Oh! My 6’ 4” son stopped by to take my old, dead Boston ferns down from their hooks on the front porch and put the new ones up. However, he was unable to take one down because he suddenly realized he was being cussed out by an angry bird. This is why

^ You could have fooled me. When I know what I’m doing, I don’t ask others to tell tell me IF I’m doing it right. IF I want to do it a different way than the instructions suggest, I simply try it once to see if it works as well or I learn that it’s not the best way to do it. The live & learn method has worked well for me in many ways!!!

Next time read the question and the details. Also, look through the answers.
I had already planted the roots, actually (as I mentioned above,) so I was just asking if there was a difference from the plant’s POV.

^
Context is everything :)

Banging the keyboard before reading is like talking before listening.

Kind of makes me think about your question about the kid who shit his pants

Exactly.