Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
Fertilizing Vinca Ground Cover
Fertilizing Vinca Ground Cover. Problem spots in the garden can be transformed into an oasis of deep green, dotted with pale blue flowers in the spring when you plant a vinca ground cover. The trailing perennial, which spreads via runner, can quickly cover areas in either sun or shade and is particularly useful for slopes, shaded areas where grass...
Problem spots in the garden can be transformed into an oasis of deep green, dotted with pale blue flowers in the spring when you plant a vinca ground cover. The trailing perennial, which spreads via runner, can quickly cover areas in either sun or shade and is particularly useful for slopes, shaded areas where grass won't grow, and barren areas under trees. While the plant is vigorous, occasional fertilizer encourages lush growth.
Vinca Varieties
There are two varieties of vinca widely used as ground cover. Greater vinca, or big-leaf periwinkle (Vinca major), grows up to 18 inches tall with runners up to 3 feet long and blue flowers in the spring. It is perennial in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9. Lesser vinca (Vinca minor), also called creeping myrtle or common periwinkle, has slightly smaller, glossier leaves and grows only 6 inches tall in USDA zones 4 through 9. Care for the two is the same.
Why Fertilize
In many parts of the country, both varieties of ground cover vinca are considered invasive and need little help from fertilizer. If your soil is poor, you are just establishing a new ground cover and want to encourage fast growth or you've just pruned the plant to the ground, your vinca can benefit from fertilizer. If your vinca is deep green, thick and flowering well, save the fertilizer for other areas of the garden.
When to Fertilize
When you fertilize vinca ground cover, once a year is usually sufficient. It's best to fertilize in early spring, just as new growth is beginning. Following up annual pruning with an application of fertilizer not only helps the plant recover, but since you've just removed dead plant material and matted growth, the fertilizer can more readily reach the soil to start working.
Applying Fertilizer
A granular fertilizer is commonly recommended for vinca. Apply a balanced 10-10-10 product -- the numbers indicate the percentages of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium it contains -- at a rate of 6 to 8 pounds per 1,000 square feet, or approximately 3/4 to 1 pound for a 10- by-12-foot bed. Wait until the vinca plants are dry before broadcasting the fertilizer and knock it off the foliage and water it in well after application.
