When Does Periwinkle Bloom? A Detailed Guide to Its Flowering Period
Periwinkle is also known as pot marigold, four-season spring, daily new, wild goose head red, thirty-thousand flowers, and more, and its flowers are very beautiful. So, when does periwinkle bloom? What are its propagation techniques?
1. When does periwinkle bloom?
As long as it is cared for properly, periwinkle can bloom all year round, and its flowers come in fairly rich colors, including red, purple, pink, white, yellow, and more.
2. What are the propagation techniques for periwinkle?
1. Seed propagation
① Seed collection time: Because periwinkle fruits ripen at different times depending on when the flowers bloom, the seeds must be collected as they ripen. Once the fruit is ripe and its color turns black, the skin splits easily and the seeds are lost, so the seeds need to be collected in time. When the fruit skin turns yellow and the black seeds inside can be faintly seen through it, it is time to harvest.
② Sowing time: The suitable temperature for seed germination is 20-25°C. Propagation is usually done by sowing from March to May, and it is mostly grown as an annual. To make it bloom earlier, seeds can be sown in a greenhouse in early spring to raise seedlings, giving a 20°C environment, and then moved outdoors for cultivation once the weather warms up.
③ Seedbed preparation: The seedbed should be chosen in a place with high, well-drained terrain facing south and catching the sun. The substrate is best made of peat + perlite mixed at a ratio of 3:1; leaf mold can also be used. Water it thoroughly with a 500-600 times dilution of carbendazim solution, then after it dries slightly, loosen and level the soil, and make a seedbed 1.2 m wide.
④ Sowing technique: Sow by broadcasting, at about 1000 seeds per square meter. After sowing, cover with fine, thin sandy soil; do not let the seeds be exposed directly to light. Water thoroughly with a fine watering can, then cover with plastic film or a straw curtain to keep the soil moist, and seedlings will emerge in 7-10 days. After the seedlings emerge, remove the plastic film or straw curtain and gradually increase the light. The seedlings grow slowly at first, then faster as the temperature rises. Thin them out in time. To prevent periwinkle damping-off, spray with an 800 times dilution of chlorothalonil or thiophanate-methyl once a week for 2-3 consecutive weeks.
2. Cutting propagation
Cuttings are mostly taken from April to July. For cutting propagation, choose vigorous, pest-free young shoots from mature plants as cuttings; generally select young shoots 10-12 cm long from the top of the plant, and the cutting length should preferably be 5-7 cm. Use a mixed substrate of plain sand, vermiculite, and peat as the cutting medium. Wrap a small ball of mud around the base of the cutting, insert it into a cold frame at a room temperature of 20-24°C, and roots will form after about 20 days. Once the cuttings have rooted and survived, they can be transplanted into pots. Because plants grown from cuttings are not as vigorous as seed-grown seedlings, this method is rarely used in cultivation.
Periwinkle seeds number between 700 and 750 per gram. Periwinkle is a perennial herbaceous plant and, under suitable conditions, can bloom all year round. However, in the Yangtze River basin, because the climate is too cold, it is often grown as an annual, with sowing mainly concentrated from January to April. For sowing, a relatively loose artificial medium should be used; seedlings can be raised by bed sowing or box sowing, and plug tray seedling raising can be used where conditions allow. The medium requires a pH of 5.8-6.2 and an EC value of 0.5-0.75, and should be disinfected. After sowing, keep the medium temperature at about 22-25°C.
In addition to its fairly high ornamental value, periwinkle can also be used medicinally, with effects such as pain relief, anti-inflammatory action, sedation, laxative action, and diuresis.