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Detailed Explanation of Periwinkle Planting Methods and Technical Points

Growing Techniques By Emily Carter 0 views
Shrubs

Periwinkle, scientific name: Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don, is a plant of the Apocynaceae family, Catharanthus genus. Other names include Calendula, Everlasting Spring, Daily Renewal, Wild Goose Head Red, and Thirty Thousand Flowers. Taiwan, China has bred multiple varieties, with the trend toward larger flowers. In Chinese herbal medicine, the whole plant can be used as medicine to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, aid sleep, relieve constipation, and promote urination. Some physicians also include it in compound formulas for treating cancer as one of the medicinal ingredients, possibly due to its antitumor components. The entire plant is toxic and requires careful attention. After accidental ingestion, it can cause symptoms such as decreased white blood cells, decreased platelets, muscle weakness, and limb paralysis. The alkaloids contained in its milky sap, such as vinblastine and vincristine, are extracted and used as chemotherapy drugs for various cancers such as leukemia and Hodgkin's disease.

Cultivation Techniques:

Transplanting/Potting

For those raised in plug trays, they should be transplanted and potted when they grow to 2~3 pairs of true leaves. Use 12 cm diameter nutrient pots, potting in place in one step without a second repotting. If sowing and raising seedlings in open seedling trays, it is best to transplant seedlings once into 72 or 128 plug trays at 1~2 pairs of true leaves, and then transplant into pots.

Soil

Fertile and well-drained soil is suitable. It tolerates poor soil, but must absolutely not be alkaline. In compacted, poorly aerated clay soil, the result is poor plant growth, yellowing leaves, and no flowering. 

Light Regulation
Periwinkle is a sun-loving plant. Both growth and flowering require ample sunlight, and sufficient light also helps prevent the plant from becoming leggy. In winter, insufficient sunlight and lower temperatures are not conducive to growth.
Temperature Control

Periwinkle is relatively sensitive to low temperatures, so temperature control is very important. In the Yangtze River basin, protected cultivation must be used in winter. Growth stops below 15°C, and frost damage occurs below 5°C. Because periwinkle is relatively tolerant of high temperatures, it is often used in summer and during high-temperature seasons such as National Day in the Yangtze River basin and South China region.

Water and Fertilizer Management

Periwinkle plants easily rot after being exposed to rain, so areas with heavy rainfall require greenhouse cultivation, and the growing medium must be well-drained. For those grown entirely under artificial cultivation, fertilization should use water-soluble fertilizers 20-10-20 and 14-0-14, applied alternately at a concentration of 200~250 ppm once every 7~10 days. When winter temperatures are lower, reduce the amount of 20-10-20 fertilizer used. If ordinary soil is used as the medium, a compound fertilizer can be mixed in as a base fertilizer in appropriate amounts before potting. When fertility is insufficient, apply additional water-soluble fertilizer.

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, among others. In addition, prevent fertilizer burn and pesticide damage during the seedling stage. If these occur, immediately water thoroughly with clean water, increase ventilation, and minimize the damage. 

Pruning

Periwinkle is an herbaceous plant and is quite suitable for pot cultivation, but care must be taken not to let the plant grow too tall, which would affect indoor decoration and ornamental value. Therefore, after potting and establishment, pinch the tips several times to promote more branching and more flowering. After flowering, remove spent flowers. 



Cultivation Management

In addition to normal fertilizer and water management, the key points for periwinkle are pinching and the prevention and control of stem and leaf rot during the rainy season. The purpose of pinching is to promote branching and control the flowering period. Generally, pinching begins at 4~6 true leaves (8~10 cm). When new shoots grow 4~6 leaves (15~20 days after the first pinching), carry out the second pinching. It is best not to pinch more than 3 times (pinching more than 3 times will affect flowering quality). The last pinching of periwinkle directly affects the flowering period. Generally, in autumn (for National Day flowering), the last pinching is 25 days before the beginning of flowering; in summer, the last pinching is 3~5 days earlier than in autumn.
Periwinkle can be left un-pinched, but to obtain a good plant shape, it needs to be pinched once or twice. The first time is at 3~4 pairs of true leaves; the second time, leave 1~2 pairs of true leaves on new branches. Periwinkle is a perennial herbaceous plant, so if finished plants cannot be sold, they can be re-pruned, and when customers need them, they can be grown to the ideal height and plant shape. During cultivation, growth regulators can generally be used, but paclobutrazol must not be applied.



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