How to Grow the Vinca Pacifica Plant Mix
Also known as periwinkles, vincas, or Catharanthus roseus, are very tolerant plants that require little maintenance. The Vinca Pacifica Series consists of 10 different mixes, including Bold, Halo, Merlot and Strawberry Shake. Each vinca plant that grows from a Pacifica mix grows to mature heights of at least 10 inches with an average bloom window of five to seven days. These award winners grow from seed sown in moist soil with a preferred pH between 5.8 and 6.0. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Soil testing kit
- Agricultural lime or peat moss
- Garden rake
- Garden hose
- Fertilizer
Instructions
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Check the acidity of the soil in the desired planting location using a soil pH testing kit. The location should have six to eight hours of direct sunlight and the soil should have good drainage.
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Modify the soil if the pH is above 6.0 or below 5.8. Agricultural lime is a modifier that raises soil pH, while peat moss is successful at lowering it. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations when applying either to modify the soil.
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Sow the vinca seeds after the final frost when the soil temperatures reach a constant 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Sprinkle the seeds over the planting location, raking a thin layer of soil over the top afterward.
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Water the soil lightly with a garden hose, maintaining damp soil as the Vinca Pacifica seeds germinate. Germination normally occurs within the first three to five days of planting.
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Continue to keep the soil damp to 1 inch as the vincas grow. Begin applying fertilizer to the soil around the Vinca Pacifica plants approximately five weeks after germination. Choose a high-nitrate, low-phosphate fertilizer and apply according to label instructions.
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Tips & Warnings
Alternatively, sow the seeds in 4-inch pots filled with damp potting soil. Keep the soil warm by placing the pots on a plant-warming pad set to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the pots within filtered sunlight to germinate and grow, transplanting the vinca plants outdoors when they develop their second set of leaves.
Avoid soaking the soil during seed germination. Slightly damp soil is all that is necessary for germination. Soaked soil may rot vinca seeds.
