The small-leaved periwinkle (Vinca minor) is botanically considered a subshrub due to its woody shoots, but its low growth height of just 10 to 15 cm makes it an ideal ground cover. Not least because it spreads out like a carpet in the desired location within a very short time.
How do I plant Vinca minor as a ground cover?
The ground cover Vinca minor is ideal for sunny to shady locations and slightly moist, not too sandy soils. With a planting distance of 25-30 cm, you need around 5-8 plants per square meter. Vinca minor offers advantages over Vinca major, such as lower height and greater winter hardiness.
Choosing the right location for Vinca minor
The ideal location for Vinca minor meets the following criteria:
- sunny to shady (in this respect the periwinkle is relatively undemanding)
- slightly moist
- soil that is not too sandy (as it dries out more easily)
So that newly planted specimens can spread unhindered at the desired location, root weeds should first be removed from the soil as completely as possible. Possible locations in the garden are, for example:
- The edge around the garden pond
- Natural stone walls
- in shady plant troughs
When planting evergreens in planters, you should keep in mind the reduced winter hardiness and the increased watering effort. It is not advisable to use it as a border plant on raised beds for growing vegetables, as Vinca minor, like Vinca major, is poisonous.
Calculate the correct number of plants for a (soon) closed plant carpet
Some gardeners want to play it safe when planting ground cover plants and plant them as densely as possible. You can definitely save yourself this effort with the small periwinkle, as it reproduces very quickly through runners anyway. With a planting distance of around 25 to 30 cm between the plants, you will need around 5 to 8 plants (depending on the strength and number of shoots of the young plants) per square meter of the area to be covered.
Advantages of the ground cover Vinca minor compared to the larger-leaved Vinca major
The subspecies of Vinca minor not only have smaller leaves than Vinca major, they also lag significantly behind Vinca major in terms of height. In addition, they are slightly less vigorous in their growth, so that weakly growing neighboring plants cannot be so easily overgrown by evergreens. In locations with very harsh winters, Vinca minor can sometimes survive better at temperatures of up to -25 degrees Celsius than Vinca major, as the latter is only hardy down to around -15 degrees Celsius.
Tip
The small periwinkle is not only available with bluish-violet flowers, but also as a white-flowering plant variety Vinca minor alba. Mix different types of plants for a varied, structured carpet of flowers during the flowering period.
