Detailed Guide to Periwinkle Cuttings: Even Beginners Can Learn Easily

Cuttings are generally taken in spring or early summer. Cut tender shoots from perennial overwintered old plants, 8-10 cm long. Remove the lower branches and leaves, keeping only the top 2-3 pairs of leaves.

Insert the cuttings directly into a sand bed, keep the soil moist, maintain the temperature at 20-24°C, and provide shade in time. Roots form 15-20 days after cuttings are taken. When the young plants grow to about 10 cm, pinch off the growing tips to promote growth.

Now you understand the cutting method for periwinkle. Periwinkle has many benefits and uses.

How to Grow Periwinkle

Soil Requirements for Periwinkle

Periwinkle originates from the tropical regions of Asia. It prefers warmth, cannot tolerate severe cold, dislikes wet conditions and fears waterlogging. Periwinkle can be grown in most soils, but saline-alkaline soil is unsuitable. Well-drained, airy sandy soil is best.

When growing periwinkle in pots, use loose soil rich in humus. Transplant into pots when the seedlings have 6-7 true leaves. Pinch once when the plants are 7-8 cm tall, and pinch twice more afterward to encourage more branching and flowering. Normally, periwinkle should not be watered too much; excessive moisture affects growth and development. Apply some nitrogen fertilizer during the growing season of periwinkle, and add some phosphorus fertilizer during the bud stage. After flowering, remove spent flowers.

Water Requirements for Periwinkle

Periwinkle dislikes wet conditions and fears waterlogging. Do not overwater the potting soil; excessive moisture affects growth and development. In particular, plants overwintered indoors should be watered strictly sparingly; keeping them on the dry side is better, otherwise they are highly susceptible to cold damage. For outdoor cultivation, during heavy summer showers, drain promptly to avoid waterlogging that can cause entire patches to die.

Propagation Methods for Periwinkle

Periwinkle is mostly propagated by seed.

Sow in early spring. Seedlings grow slowly in the early stage. When the young plants have 3-4 true leaves, begin pricking out and transplanting. When they have 6-8 pairs of true leaves, they can be planted in their final position.

When planted in flower beds in May, water once every 3-5 days and apply additional phosphorus and potassium fertilizer as needed, and the plants will have abundant flowers and lush leaves. Cutting propagation: In spring, take tender shoots from overwintered old plants, cut to 8 cm long, keeping some leaves, and insert them into moist sandy loam. The rooting temperature is 20°C-25°C. Provide shade and maintain humidity.

When the plants are 10 cm tall, pinch off the growing tips to encourage bushy growth, then pot them in three-inch pots and gradually move them up to seven-inch pots. Also, the mature fruits of periwinkle split open on their own and scatter seeds. Watch closely: when the fruits turn yellow, harvest them promptly, otherwise it is difficult to collect the seeds. Three crops can be grown per year, with an annual yield of over 1,300 kg of dried herb per mu.

During the growing season, apply topdressing once about every 30 days. Water as needed at all times, but do not allow water to accumulate. Pay attention to drainage during the rainy season.

To promote branching, pinch the growing tips 2-3 times from planting until mid-August. This will result in abundant flowers and lush foliage.

The overwintering temperature is 10-12°C. For sowing periwinkle, begin sowing when the temperature rises to about 10°C. Transplant the seedlings once when they have 4-5 pairs of true leaves. Alternatively, in spring, take tender shoots from overwintered old plants for cuttings.

Periwinkle Care Tips

In routine periwinkle care, also make sure the plant receives sufficient light. Being in a shaded spot for a long time with insufficient light will cause the leaves to turn yellow.

If the soil is alkaline and compacted, with poor aeration and poor drainage, the plant will also grow poorly, with yellow leaves and no flowers.

In winter, move it indoors, keep the room temperature above 5°C, and control watering; keep the potting soil on the dry side.

If the indoor temperature at home is kept at around 15-20°C, it can continue blooming continuously. After spring begins, periwinkle can be moved outdoors for care. Periwinkle generally needs repotting once every two years of cultivation.

The fruit ripening period of periwinkle is September-October. The fruits mature successively, so they must be harvested promptly. Periwinkle is mostly propagated by sowing.

Sowing is generally done in early April, either in open ground or in pots. In addition, in spring, tender shoots from old plants can also be taken for cutting propagation. After periwinkle cuttings have taken, pinch off the growing tips to encourage more branching.

How to Grow Periwinkle

Periwinkle is also known as Ri Ri Chun, Ri Ri Cao, Ri Ri Xin, San Wan Hua, Si Shi Chun, Shi Zhong Hua, Yan Lai Hong, etc. It is a subshrub in the genus Catharanthus of the family Apocynaceae, with high ornamental value, but the whole plant is toxic and requires careful attention. Accidental ingestion can cause symptoms such as reduced white blood cells, reduced platelets, muscle weakness, and paralysis of the limbs. Now let us take a look at how to grow periwinkle and the points to note!

Growth Habits of Periwinkle

Periwinkle originates from the Mediterranean coast, India, and tropical America. Its cultivation history in China is not long, and it is mainly grown in areas south of the Yangtze River. Cultivation is relatively common in provinces (autonomous regions) such as Guangdong, Guangxi, and Yunnan, for potted plants and planter boxes for ornamental display. It prefers high temperatures and high humidity, tolerates partial shade, and cannot tolerate severe cold. The most suitable temperature is 20-33°C. It likes sunlight, dislikes wet conditions and fears waterlogging. It can be grown in most soils, but saline-alkaline soil is unsuitable. Well-drained, airy sandy soil or soil rich in humus is best. Its flowering and fruiting periods last almost year-round.

Cutting Propagation of Periwinkle

Periwinkle cuttings are mostly taken from April to July. When propagating by cuttings, choose tender shoots from robust, pest-free mature plants as cuttings. Generally, select tender shoots 10-12 cm long from the top of the plant; the cutting length should preferably be 5-7 cm. Use a mixed medium of plain sand, vermiculite, and peat as the cutting substrate. 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 less vigorous than seed-grown seedlings, this method is rarely used in cultivation.

Seed Propagation of Periwinkle

1. Seed collection time: Periwinkle fruits mature at different times depending on when the flowers bloom, so seeds must be collected as they ripen. After the fruits mature and turn black, the skin splits open easily and the seeds are lost, so seeds must be collected promptly. When you see the fruit skin turning yellow and the black seeds inside faintly visible, it is time to harvest.

2. Sowing time: The suitable temperature for periwinkle seed germination is 20-25°C. It is usually sown for propagation from March to May and is mostly grown as an annual. To achieve earlier flowering, sow in a greenhouse in early spring at 20°C, then move outdoors to grow once the weather warms up.

3. Seedbed preparation: Choose a spot for the periwinkle seedbed that is high and well-drained, facing south and sunny. The substrate is best prepared with peat + perlite at a ratio of 3:1. Leaf mold can also be used. Water thoroughly with a 500-600 times dilution of carbendazim solution. After it dries slightly, loosen and level the soil, and make seedbeds 1.2 m wide.

4. Sowing technique: Broadcast periwinkle seeds at about 1,000 seeds per square meter. After sowing, cover with a thin layer of fine sandy soil so the seeds are not directly exposed to light. Water thoroughly with a fine spray can, then cover with plastic film or straw matting to keep the soil moist. Seedlings emerge in 7-10 days. After emergence, remove the film or straw matting and gradually increase light. Seedlings grow slowly at first, then faster as the temperature rises, so 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.

How to Grow Periwinkle

1. Soil: Periwinkle prefers fertile, well-drained soil and tolerates poor soil, but avoid alkaline soil. Compacted, poorly aerated clay soil results in poor plant growth, yellow leaves, and no flowers.

2. Sunlight: Periwinkle is a light-loving plant. During the growing season it must have sufficient sunlight for the leaves to be dark green and glossy and the flowers to be brightly colored. If grown in shade for a long time, the leaves turn yellow and drop.

3. Temperature: Periwinkle prefers a warm, slightly dry, and sunny environment. The suitable growing temperature is 18-24°C from March to July, and 13-18°C from September to March of the following year. The winter temperature should not be lower than 10°C.

4. Watering: Periwinkle dislikes wet conditions and fears waterlogging. Do not overwater the potting soil; excessive moisture affects growth and development. In particular, plants overwintered indoors should be watered strictly sparingly; keeping them on the dry side is better, otherwise they are highly susceptible to cold damage. For outdoor cultivation, during heavy summer showers, drain promptly to avoid waterlogging that can cause entire patches to die.

5. Fertilizing: When fertilizing periwinkle, you can alternate between a compound fertilizer and a liquid fertilizer once every ten days. Also spread a layer of base fertilizer at the bottom of the periwinkle pot as much as possible to ensure the nutrient content of the potting soil.

6. Pests and diseases: The periwinkle plant itself is toxic, so it is relatively resistant to pests and diseases. The main diseases during the seedling stage include damping-off and gray mold. In addition, prevent fertilizer burn and pesticide damage during the seedling stage. If these occur, immediately water thoroughly with clean water, improve ventilation, and minimize the damage.

7. Pruning: Periwinkle is a herbaceous plant and is quite suitable for potted cultivation, but be careful not to let the plant grow too tall, which would affect indoor decoration and ornamental value. Therefore, after the plant has taken in the pot, pinch the growing tips several times to encourage more branching and flowering. After flowering, remove spent flowers.