How to grow variegated periwinkle? Care methods and precautions
Environment
Variegated periwinkle likes a warm environment with plenty of sunlight, and is also shade-tolerant, cold-tolerant and fairly drought-tolerant, but in shadier spots the yellow patches on the leaves become paler, so it is best planted under sparse woodland.
Soil
It likes fairly fertile, moist soil. Cultivation of periwinkle requires loose, humus-rich sandy loam; for pot culture, a mix of leaf mold and river sand can be used as the growing medium.
Watering
Water when the weather is dry, and pay attention to drainage during the rainy season. Because it grows fast, it needs thorough watering during the growing period to keep the potting soil moist, and at the same time apply liquid fertilizer 1-3 times a month to ensure that the stems and vines grow quickly and the leaves are dark green and glossy. It is suited to a bright environment. But in midsummer avoid direct strong light so the leaves are not scorched; it must be shaded appropriately, and a semi-shaded environment is best.
The above is an introduction to variegated periwinkle. To learn more about variegated periwinkle, please follow Four Seasons Plants Network!
How to grow variegated periwinkle? Is variegated periwinkle toxic?
Variegated periwinkle produces a small blue flower, very beautiful and very cute, making people want to grow it as soon as they see it. There is no doubt that variegated periwinkle sells very well on the market, and variegated periwinkle is also a good purifying plant that can purify the air. So, how do you grow variegated periwinkle? Is variegated periwinkle toxic? Friends who want to grow it will surely consider these things, so today the editor of Shengduoduo Decoration Network will introduce variegated periwinkle to everyone.What is the flower language of variegated periwinkle?
The flower language of variegated periwinkle: pleasant memories, eternal youth, and the meaning of steadfastness are contained in it.
Variegated periwinkle is a plant that roots easily, and its ability to adapt to the environment is very strong, so some people call its flower language "adaptation". A person born under the blessing of the variegated periwinkle flower does not fear adversity, has a heart that can face harsh environments calmly, and even one or two breakups are nothing to them.
How to grow variegated periwinkle? Environment
Variegated periwinkle is deep green all year round, with variegation along the leaf margins, very elegant. It is an excellent vertical foliage plant and groundcover plant, often grown in pots or hanging baskets placed indoors and outdoors in various locations, and can also be used as bonsai or cut-flower material. Variegated periwinkle grows fast, with spring and summer as the peak growing seasons; its long vines can hang more than one meter below the pot, and if given a trellis it can be trained into various shapes, very beautiful.How to grow variegated periwinkle? Habits
Variegated periwinkle is native to the Mediterranean coast, India and tropical America, and by nature likes a warm, sunny growing environment; it is also drought-tolerant, cold-tolerant and shade-tolerant. Variegated periwinkle is not demanding about soil and can grow in most soils, but in fertile, moist sandy soil it grows more luxuriantly, with green leaves and bright flowers and more gloss.
How to grow variegated periwinkle? Soil
When variegated periwinkle is grown as a potted ornamental, it should be pinched back regularly to encourage better branching. During the growing period of variegated periwinkle, care should be taken to keep the potting soil moist, but it must not become waterlogged; alternating wet and dry is best. Fertilizing is generally best done once every half month. Variegated periwinkle should be pruned in summer and autumn to control vine growth and keep it neat.
How to grow variegated periwinkle? Propagation
Variegated periwinkle is commonly propagated by division, layering and cuttings. Division is generally carried out each spring, digging up the stems and leaves together with the creeping stem nodes and replanting them separately. Cuttings are best taken during the plum rain season each year in June-July: cut healthy variegated periwinkle branches 10 cm long, choose 1-2 internodes and insert them into leaf mold, and they will root in about 20 days or so.
Is variegated periwinkle toxic?
Variegated periwinkle is not toxic and can be grown in pots indoors or hydroponically. If potted, it should be kept in a semi-shaded spot, given bright scattered light in summer, protected from direct sunlight, and misted appropriately to lower the temperature and raise humidity. During the growing period water must be sufficient, and apply cake fertilizer 2-3 times a month. When winter comes it should be moved indoors, and as long as it is placed in an environment with a temperature no lower than 0°C it can overwinter safely.
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How to grow variegated periwinkle: cutting propagation and management of variegated periwinkle
Variegated periwinkle, also known as variegated ivy, is a variety of periwinkle (Vinca major) in the genus Vinca of the dogbane family. It is distributed in Jiangsu and other places in mainland China. Its dwarf branches grow creeping and trailing, reaching more than 2 m in length. The leaves are elliptical and opposite, with petioles, white leaf margins and yellow-white spots. Now let's take a look at how to grow variegated periwinkle!
Growing habits of variegated periwinkle
Variegated periwinkle likes light and tolerates shade, and is also tolerant of low temperatures; at -7°C it shows no frost damage even when planted in the open ground. It is evergreen all year round, and the tillering vines and the violet small flowers that bloom in March look like a flower-studded green carpet covering the ground. The scenery is very spectacular, and it is a fairly ideal groundcover material for both foliage and flowers, with strong adaptability, low soil requirements and fast growth.
Propagation methods of variegated periwinkle
1. Division: Division propagation is best carried out in spring. At this time cut off the old branches from the previous year, dig out the plant and separate it, replant separately, and water thoroughly.
2. Cuttings: Cutting propagation can be carried out all year round. Use perlite, vermiculite or sand, which have good water retention, as the cutting medium. Cuttings in autumn and winter are best done in a greenhouse or cold frame; in winter, using an electrically heated bed in a greenhouse gives a higher rooting rate.
Growing methods for variegated periwinkle
1. Soil: Variegated periwinkle likes fairly fertile, moist soil; cultivation requires loose, humus-rich sandy loam, and for pot culture a mix of leaf mold and river sand can be used as the growing medium.
2. Pinching: Several plants can be planted in each pot at the same time and pinched back in good time, so it can quickly take shape. To encourage more branching, pinch back several times during the growing season; mounding soil at the nodes can produce more adventitious roots and promote vine growth.
3. Watering: When growing variegated periwinkle, water in dry weather and pay attention to drainage in the rainy season. During the growing period water thoroughly to keep the potting soil moist, and at the same time apply liquid fertilizer 1-3 times a month to ensure that the stems and vines grow quickly and the leaves are dark green and glossy.
4. Light: Variegated periwinkle is suited to a bright environment, but in midsummer avoid direct strong light so the leaves are not scorched; it must be shaded appropriately, and a semi-shaded environment is best.
5. Temperature: Although variegated periwinkle prefers warmth when growing, it is also cold-tolerant; in winter it can withstand low temperatures of around 0°C, and except in severe cold it keeps its perfect color all year round.
6. Diseases: Variegated periwinkle commonly suffers from wilt, canker and leaf spot. These can be prevented and controlled by spraying with an equal-parts Bordeaux mixture.
7. Pests: The pests of variegated periwinkle include scale insects and root-knot nematodes. Scale insects are killed by spraying with 25% phosmet emulsifiable concentrate at 1000 times dilution, and root-knot nematodes are controlled with 3% carbofuran granules.