How to grow potted Madagascar periwinkle? Planting methods and care tips

Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) is a perennial herbaceous plant with excellent ornamental value when grown in pots, and it has a long flowering period. With proper care and management, it can bloom in all four seasons. This flowering plant grows well in fertile, loose soil with good drainage. Although this plant is also tolerant of poor soil, if the soil is alkaline, compacted, or poorly aerated, especially in heavy clay soil, it is prone to poor growth, and the leaves also tend to turn yellow, further affecting flowering.

Now that we understand the growing habits of Madagascar periwinkle, we can take the right measures to grow it in pots. So, how do you grow potted Madagascar periwinkle? Today, the editor will share with you the sowing method for Madagascar periwinkle.

Sowing of Madagascar periwinkle is generally done in spring, mostly during the period from January to April. For sowing, soft potting soil with good aeration should be used, so when mixing the soil, you should follow the principle of being loose and well aerated.

As for the sowing method, you can use bed sowing or box sowing for seedling propagation. Of course, if you are sowing and propagating in batches, you can also use the currently popular plug tray seedling method. But no matter how you sow, the pH of the medium should be kept between 5.8-6.2, meaning the potting soil should be slightly acidic. As long as the current temperature and the temperature of the sowing medium are kept between 22-25°C, you can sow after disinfecting the soil.

If you use the plug tray seedling method, the seedlings can be transplanted into pots once they have 2-3 pairs of true leaves. When transplanting seedlings, you should choose pots with a diameter of about 12 cm; when potting, it should be done in one step to avoid the troublesome work of repotting later. If you use the broadcast sowing method for seedlings, it is recommended to move the seedlings into plug trays for a period of cultivation when they have unfolded 1-2 pairs of true leaves, and then transplant them into pots.

Since Madagascar periwinkle is a sun-loving plant, during the later seedling management process you should provide it with sufficient light to promote photosynthesis and speed up plant growth. Sufficient light can also prevent the plant from becoming leggy. Especially in winter when the temperature is low, adequate light is more beneficial to plant growth; conversely, if there is insufficient light, it can cause poor growth in the plant.

The next thing to do well is temperature regulation. Since Madagascar periwinkle is sensitive to temperature, it is very important to adjust the temperature in the growing environment. Generally, the plant can grow well at temperatures above 20°C, but below 15°C it tends to stop growing, and when the temperature is below 5°C it is easily damaged by cold. Therefore, when the winter temperature is too low, necessary warmth-keeping measures should be taken.

Of course, water and fertilizer management is also a key measure for growing potted Madagascar periwinkle well. In addition to normal watering, you should also take measures to prevent waterlogging in summer; for fertilization, water-soluble fertilizer is generally used, and it is best to apply it at low concentration. However, before potting, it is recommended to also put some compound fertilizer into the pot as a base fertilizer; when nutrients are insufficient, then apply a dilute water-soluble liquid fertilizer as a top dressing. (Author: Xiaoshu 2017-08-24 21:52)