Tips on how to grow and care for vinca flowers

If it is a little time you have to tend to your garden vinca (Catharanthus roseus) is an excellent selection. This plant is useful in borders, flowerbeds, rock gardens and containers, this plant flower provides instant color wherever it grows. The round, flat blooms normally appear on top of the twelve to fifteen inch stems. Vinca flower is a drought-tolerant bedding plants that thrive in any soil type as long as it is fast draining and not overly fertile. This plant thrives in full sun and it requires temperatures no colder than 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The following are the tips on how to care for vinca flowers;

        1. Make sure you pull up any weeds growing around the vinca. Also clear any debris, such as fallen leaves, twigs or rocks from the ground. Make sure you spread a 1- to 2-inch layer of mulch around the plants with a trowel or garden fork. Also keep the mulch 2 to 3 inches away from the plants' stems to prevent the development of rot.

       2. Make sure you water the vinca only when the surrounding soil becomes completely dry. You can apply water from a garden hose directly to the soil surrounding the plants. Don’t splash the plants' foliage. You can wet the soil to a depth of six inches. Make sure you give the plants water only during in the morning to allow time for drops of moisture to dry before nightfall.

       3. Make sure you fertilize the plants once a month with a 10-10-10 nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium water-soluble fertilizer. You can mix one teaspoon of fertilizer with one gallon of water, or according to the instructions on the package. You can apply the fertilizer in place of watering.

      4. You can clip off the terminal end of the plant's main stem in other to encourage lateral branching if the plant becomes tall and leggy. You can make the cut 1/8 to 1/4 inch above the second set of leaves using a pair of pruning snips.

      5. Make sure you check the plant's leaves for aphids or mites when you water the plant. You can wash off the small insect populations with a steady stream of water in the morning. Also spray heavily infested plants with an insecticidal soap or horticultural oil to eradicate the pests.

Furthermore, the following are some of the things you will need; 

-         You need mulch

-         You need a trowel or garden fork

-         You need a garden hose

-         You need 10-10-10 water soluble fertilizer

-         You need a pruning snips

-         You need an insecticidal soap or horticultural oil

Advice and tips

Make sure you mix a 1-inch layer of compost into the top six inches of the soil before planting the vinca in the garden.

Make sure you purchase only vinca plants with healthy, green leaves to avoid introducing diseases into the garden. Also space the plants at least 8 inches apart to ensure adequate air circulation through the foliage, doing this will prevent fungal diseases from developing.