The periwinkle is a plant that is easily hardy in this country and can be used to cultivate green carpets in shady garden areas with relative ease. The small periwinkle (Vinca minor) is particularly suitable for this purpose due to its specific growth characteristics.
Which fertilizer is suitable for evergreens?
The small periwinkle (Vinca minor) requires little fertilization when planted in average, nutrient-rich soil. If desired, some liquid fertilizer or seasoned compost can be used every four weeks as a long-term fertilizer from spring to autumn.
A subshrub with rather modest requirements
The small periwinkle is not very demanding when it comes to nutrient supply. In a location with an average nutrient-rich soil substrate, almost no fertilization is required. If you want particularly rapid growth and strong flowering, you can supply the plants sparingly with a little liquid fertilizer about every four weeks between spring and autumn. There are also special fertilizer variants available from garden retailers (€19.00 on Amazon) that are tailored precisely to the needs of evergreen plants. As a rule, it is also sufficient if you use seasoned compost as a long-term fertilizer for the small periwinkle.
Prepare the site well before planting
Careful site selection and preparation is more important than later application of fertilizer. A good location for the small evergreen should not be too sunny and should be in partial shade if possible. Suitable locations with a few hours of tanning per day are, for example:
- Garden areas under tall trees
- garden corners north of the house
- Locations on natural stone walls and slopes
Compacted and heavy soil should be dug up to loosen it up and enriched with some compost before planting. This also improves the soil's ability to store rainwater.
More important than fertilizer are the right amount of light and water
If the location is chosen appropriately and the soil is prepared accordingly, the small evergreen requires very little care. You can initially choose a slightly larger planting distance and loosen the soil between the plants a little to make vegetative propagation and spread easier.
Tip
The small periwinkle is known for extremely rarely producing seeds in Central Europe. Finally, the plant reproduces effortlessly in a vegetative manner, with lateral branches easily taking root when they hit the ground. Occasionally, however, Vinca minor does bear fruit, namely when it is particularly dry or the plant lives in karst soil.