How to Care for Vinca Vines

Vinca vines produce violet, trumpet-shaped blooms.

Vinca vines thrive when planted outdoors within USDA hardiness zones 5 through 11. Vinca vines produce beautiful trumpet-shaped violet flowers that complement the glossy green leaves of the plant. Vinca vines are fast-growing, and are perfect cultivars for areas that require ground cover. Despite the fact that vinca vines only grow to heights of 3 to 6 inches, the plant will spread. Vinca vines are low-maintenance, requiring little care once they are established.

Things You'll Need

• Soil pH testing kit
• Garden fork
• Lime or peat moss
• Mulch
• Soaker hose
• Fertilizer

Instructions

1. Prepare the soil for your vinca vines in a location that contains well-drained soil and receives partial sun. Vinca vines also prefer soil with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5, so it is helpful to test your soil to determine its pH. You can purchase a soil pH testing kit from a garden center or nursery.

2. Break up the soil in your chosen location, using a garden folk. Mix in the required amendment if a pH test deems it necessary. Add lime for a pH reading less than 6.0 or peat moss for a soil pH above 6.5. Add the lime or peat moss according to label instructions.

3. Dig the holes for the vinca vines equal to the size of their nursery containers. Space the holes 6 to 8 inches apart if you will be using the vinca vines for ground cover, or 8 to 12 inches apart for borders and edging.

4. Remove the vinca vines from their containers and plant them in the holes. Pat down the soil around the holes firmly to remove air pockets. Apply a 2-to-3-inch layer of straw or bark chip mulch around the vinca plants to reduce weed growth and assist in drainage.

5. Water the vinca vines with a soaker hose that will soak downward into the soil to nourish the roots. Keep the soil moist to a 1-inch depth at all times, watering at a rate of 1 inch per week. After the first growing season, the plants will require watering only during times of drought.

6. Fertilize the vinca vines with a water-soluble fertilizer. Apply the fertilizer according to manufacturer's directions. If you prefer, you can use a granular fertilizer applied according to label instructions.

Tips & Warnings

• Vinca vines also thrive in pots and window boxes. Plant the vincas in a sterile potting soil and keep the soil moist and fertilized throughout the growing season.

• It is not necessary to pick off spent foliage or blooms from the vinca vines. Vincas will drop their dead leaves and blooms on their own.

• Vincas can also function as household plants but because of their tendency to spread, indoor care can be quite messy. Plant young vincas in sterile potting soil in a 6-inch pot, upgrading the pot as the vinca vines grow. Care is the same for indoor vinca vines as those planted outdoor--some light, moist soil and fertilizer.

• Do not over-water vinca vines. The plants will die in standing water. Skip watering if the soil is moist at a 1-inch depth and check back in a few days.

References

• Colorado State University Extension: 2002: The Year of the Vinca
• Mountain States Plants: Plant Care Vinca
• About Vines: Vinca Vines

Resources

• Grow It: USDA Hardiness Zone Maps