Periwinkle small is a very unpretentious plant, which, even with minimal care, will certainly delight you with delicate flowering.
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Description and nuances of growing
Periwinkle belongs to the vast Kutrov family and is a herbaceous shrub. The Latin name for this evergreen is Vinca minor. Today, its various decorative varieties have been bred, which will become a wonderful decoration of the infield.
- In height, the flower usually grows up to 40 cm, has a strongly branching stem, quickly rooted.
- The roots of the periwinkle are located horizontally.
- In May, soft blue flowers with a diameter of up to 3 cm begin to appear on the stems of the plant.
- A rather large plot is needed for the plant, since under suitable conditions it grows very quickly.
- Periwinkle is very fond of neutral soil, although it can come to terms with almost any soil. Before planting, the site needs to be dug up and phosphorus added.
The flower is a very good honey plant, and for this it is called "witch violet." It can also be used as a groundcover that will grow well even under trees.
Outdoor grass planting
This herb will grow equally well both in the sun and in the shade. It can be planted on slopes and even under trees. An excellent neighborhood for a flower is conifers, under which lawn grass does not grow.
Landing of a periwinkle is carried out in the spring or in the fall. Considering that it spreads along the ground and grows quickly, for this purpose it is possible to separate the rooted stems from the mother plant.
- Between the bushes when planting leave a distance of about 15 - 20 cm. If the plant is planted as ground cover - only 10 cm.
- Seedlings are planted in a checkerboard pattern in the holes according to the size of the roots.
- It is not necessary to do drainage for the periwinkle.
- After planting, the earth around the seedlings is compacted and watered abundantly.
Care for a small periwinkle
Caring for a periwinkle will not cause difficulties even for the most inexperienced gardeners. This plant is wonderfully unpretentious and tolerates drought well. But nevertheless, in order to achieve more abundant flowering in the spring, the elementary rules for keeping the periwinkle in its area still need to be followed.
- Top dressing. Periwinkle blooms very well for quite a long time, if it is regularly fed. The flower gratefully accepts mineral fertilizers, in which there is a lot of nitrogen. With their help, its leaves become especially bright and large.
- Watering. The plant must be watered, especially in dry periods. Although the periwinkle is drought tolerant, in a drought its leaves can lose their decorativeness without moisture. Also, the flower loves watering from above from the shower.
- Weeding. Periwinkle is an excellent plant for open ground, which is not afraid of weeds. The flower even displaces the weeds, so it practically does not need weeding. Most often, periwinkles are planted when you need to close an unsightly place on a personal plot with a green carpet.
The flower practically does not need care and quickly captures the area around it, displacing weed grass.
Flower propagation
Periwinkle can be propagated by the seed method, as well as by dividing the bush, layering and cuttings. The seed method is rarely used, as it is too laborious. The easiest way to propagate the plant is by dividing the mother bush.
- Experts recommend carrying out the procedure in the spring, so that before the onset of heat, the grass of the periwinkle has time to take root well.
- An adult bush is dug up and a rhizome is divided into several dividends with a sharp knife. Each must have shoots and developed roots.
- Delenki immediately planted in a permanent place, abundantly watered.
You can plant periwinkle in the summer, but in this case the plant will need shade and plentiful watering.
Very well propagated periwinkle and cuttings.
- Young shoots on which there are several pairs of leaves are suitable for cuttings.
- Cuttings are cut with a length of about 10-15 cm and buried in the ground immediately in a constant place, leaving only two leaves above the surface of the soil.
- After planting, the green "pet" needs abundant watering.
Culture grows very quickly in a new place.
Pest and Disease Control
Periwinkle refers to plants that can be safely forgotten immediately after planting. But still, some problems with its cultivation in the garden may arise.
Of the pest insects, periwinkles are most often affected by scale insects and aphids. Although the flower fairly endures their attacks, it is necessary to deal with them at the first detection. To get rid of insects, the plant is sprayed with any insecticide for the garden. Processing with a mild soap solution also helps.
Of the diseases, periwinkle is most often affected by rust. Because of it, red spots may appear on the decorative foliage of the flower. In fact, it is a fungus, and for the treatment of the disease, the plant should be sprayed twice with a fungicide with an interval of two weeks. To prevent the spread of infection, the diseased parts of the flower are cut out, taken out of the area and burned.
Use in landscape design
Bright vinca flowers will decorate any spring flower bed. The plant is often used to decorate personal plots, planted in parks and city beds.
Due to lodging long stems, periwinkle is mainly used as a groundcover. Its various variegated forms have been deduced, which look great near ponds, on alpine hills, on green lawns.
When decorating a stony garden, saponaria, heliantemum, and saxifrage will become excellent partners for periwinkle.
The flower grows well and even blooms in the shade of trees, under which it is impossible to grow a lawn. Therefore, periwinkle planted shady areas in the gardens. The plant also looks great in flower pots and large garden pots.
The culture grows very quickly, and its lush greenery and soft blue flowering will be a wonderful decoration of any garden throughout the season.
