How to grow Madagascar periwinkle? Detailed guide to cultivation methods and precautions
Madagascar periwinkle, just like its name suggests, can bloom in all four seasons, and its flowering period is relatively long. It is suitable for placing at home for ornamental viewing, especially in the cold winter, when seeing a flowering plant can bring a bit of warmth to the heart. So some people will ask whether this kind of plant that blooms all year round must be relatively difficult to grow. Actually, that is not the case. Let us take a look below.
How to grow Madagascar periwinkle
Madagascar periwinkle prefers high temperature and high humidity, tolerates partial shade, and is not tolerant of severe cold. The most suitable temperature is 20℃-33℃. It likes sunlight, avoids wet conditions, and fears waterlogging. It can be cultivated in general soil, but saline-alkali soil is not suitable. Sandy soil or soil rich in humus with good drainage and ventilation is best.
Cultivation methods and precautions for Madagascar periwinkle
1. Cultivation methods
1. Soil requirements
Fertile and well-drained soil is suitable. It tolerates poor soil, but alkaline soil must be avoided. In compacted, poorly aerated clay soil, the result is poor plant growth, yellowing leaves, and no flowering.
2. Light requirements
Madagascar periwinkle is a light-loving plant. During the growing period, it must have sufficient sunlight; then the leaves are deep green and glossy, and the flower colors are vivid. If it grows in a shaded place for a long time, the leaves turn yellow and fall off.
3. Watering frequency
Madagascar periwinkle avoids wet conditions and fears waterlogging, so the potting soil should not be watered too much; excessive moisture affects growth and development. Especially for plants overwintering indoors, watering should be strictly controlled, and it is better to keep them on the dry side, otherwise they are very easily damaged by cold. For open-field cultivation, during midsummer rain showers, pay attention to timely drainage to avoid waterlogging causing the whole patch to die.
4. Fertilization management
When fertilizing, a method of alternately applying compound fertilizer and liquid fertilizer once every ten days can be used. At the bottom of the pot for Madagascar periwinkle, a layer of base fertilizer should also be spread as much as possible to ensure the nutrient content of the potting soil.
5. Pest and disease prevention
The Madagascar periwinkle plant itself is toxic, so it is relatively resistant to pests and diseases. The main diseases at the seedling stage include: seedling damping-off, gray mold, etc. In addition, prevent fertilizer damage and pesticide damage at the seedling stage. If these occur, immediately water thoroughly with clean water, strengthen ventilation, and reduce the harm.
6. Suitable temperature
It prefers a warm, slightly dry, and sunny environment. The suitable growing temperature from March to July is 18-24℃, and from September to March of the following year is 13-18℃. In winter, the temperature should not be lower than 10℃.
1. Being in a shaded place for a long time and insufficient light will cause the leaves to turn yellow.
2. If the soil is alkaline, compacted, poorly aerated, and has poor water permeability, it will also cause poor plant growth, yellowing leaves, and no flowering.
3. In winter, move it indoors, keep the room temperature above 5 degrees, and control watering; the potting soil is better kept on the dry side.
Pruning methods for Madagascar periwinkle
Madagascar periwinkle is a herbaceous plant and is suitable for pot cultivation. However, note that its plant should not be allowed to grow too tall, so as not to affect indoor decoration and ornamental value. Therefore, after it survives in the pot, it needs several pinching treatments to promote more branching and more flowering in Madagascar periwinkle. After flowering, the spent flowers need to be cut off. In addition, pest-damaged branches also need to be pruned, and fertilizer and water management should be strengthened. When pruning in winter and summer, pest-damaged branches and dry, withered branches should be heavily pruned. At the same time, fertilizer and water management should also be strengthened to promote Madagascar periwinkle to send out new shoots, renew the crown, and restore tree vigor.
Pinching work: In addition to normal fertilizer and water management, the key is pinching and preventing stem and leaf rot during the rainy season. The purpose of pinching is to promote branching in Madagascar periwinkle and at the same time control the flowering period. Generally, pinching begins when there are 4-6 true leaves, and the second pinching is carried out when new shoots grow 4-6 leaves. It is best not to pinch more than 3 times. The last pinching directly affects the flowering period. Generally speaking, the last pinching in autumn needs to be 25 days before the initial flowering period, and the last pinching in summer should be 3-5 days earlier than in autumn. Madagascar periwinkle does not have to be pinched, but in order to obtain a better plant shape, it is best to pinch once or twice. The first time is when there are 3-4 pairs of true leaves; the second time, leave 1-2 pairs of true leaves on new branches. During cultivation, growth regulators can usually be used, but paclobutrazol must not be applied.
Efficacy and effects of Madagascar periwinkle
1. According to modern medical research on the efficacy and effects of Madagascar periwinkle, more than 70 kinds of alkaloids have been isolated from the whole plant of Madagascar periwinkle, such as vinblastine, vincristine, and lochneridine. The alkaloids isolated from the Madagascar periwinkle plant mostly have antitumor effects, among which vinblastine and vincristine are the most valuable and have been used clinically. Vinblastine mainly acts on Hodgkin's disease and choriocarcinoma, and has a significant inhibitory effect on transplanted acute lymphocytic leukemia P-1584 in mice, with the sulfate biological effect of vinblastine being the most prominent. Vincristine has a significant inhibitory effect on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma in mice. Intravenous injection of its total alkaloids has a hypotensive effect on both cats and rabbits. The total alkaloids also have the effect of dilating coronary blood vessels.
2. Madagascar periwinkle also has a blood sugar-lowering effect. In foreign folk medicine, Madagascar periwinkle leaves and the whole plant are used to treat diabetes. Foreign sources introduce that Madagascar periwinkle can be used as a hemostatic agent for uterine bleeding, and its root can be used for abortion. All its alkaloid fractions have antibacterial effects to varying degrees. According to clinical reports: vinblastine sulfate was used to treat 22 cases of Hodgkin's disease, 11 cases of lymphosarcoma, 1 case each of malignant reticulosis, mycosis fungoides, leukemia, chloroma, and mediastinal tumor, and 6 cases of reticulosarcoma. The vast majority of cases were confirmed by pathological biopsy or blood system examination. The results were complete disappearance in 4 cases, marked effect in 15 cases, effective in 12 cases, ineffective in 6 cases, worsening in 3 cases, and unknown in 4 cases.
This product has a significant effect on malignant lymphoma, with a rapid onset of effect, no need for recent repeated injections, and few side effects. Vincristine sulfate was used to treat 5 cases of acute lymphocytic leukemia, 1 case of subacute lymphocytic leukemia, 2 cases of acute granulocytic leukemia, 1 case of subacute granulocytic leukemia, and 10 cases of lymphosarcoma. Clinically, complete remission or complete disappearance was obtained in 2 cases of lymphocytic leukemia and 1 case of lymphosarcoma; marked effect was seen in 3 cases of lymphocytic leukemia and 1 case of lymphosarcoma. With the further development of medicine, if the anticancer function of Madagascar periwinkle can be brought into greater play, then humans may also be able to achieve "everlasting spring."
It seems that growing a pot of Madagascar periwinkle well is not that difficult. It is just that if we want it to be more beautiful, we still have to put in a little more thought. Today the editor not only learned about the ornamental value of Madagascar periwinkle, but also gained an in-depth understanding of its medicinal value. However, for a plant like this that contains toxins, we should still use it under a doctor's advice.