Large leaved periwinkle, Vinca Major

As a compact ground cover, large-leaved evergreen can be used in a variety of ways in the garden. With its strong growth and star-shaped, decorative flowers in blue, white or reddish-purple, Vinca Major is recommended for rock gardens or borders. It is suitable for planting hanging gardens and hill beds and is also attractive in pots. Large evergreen grows into a beautiful subshrub within a short time. It effectively suppresses the weeds at its location.

Location

Choose a place for the plant wisely

Large-leaved evergreens need a bright place for thriving. However, the place where the plant should develop well should be chosen with a little thought. Even if the large evergreen prefers brightness, the plant reacts extremely sensitively to long-lasting and, above all, direct sunlight. A shady or partially shaded place is therefore ideal.

When choosing the planting location, the gardener therefore pays attention to the following features:

• bright, preferably all day
• little to no direct sun
• a few hours of sunshine in the evening or in the morning are tolerated

Large-leaved evergreen clearly shows when it does not like its planting location. Then the first thing you notice is its misshapen growth. If the leaves turn pale, this is also an unmistakable sign that the plant is not doing well in its place. But it is not only during growth that large evergreens remain in poorly chosen places.

care

An unfavorable location also makes the subshrub more susceptible to diseases and infestation with harmful insects. Incidentally, brightness is not the only condition for good growth. Some varieties of large-leaved evergreen also thrive in dark locations. Therefore, for example, the original form of the large evergreen is suitable as a ground cover for underplanting coniferous and deciduous trees.

Requirements for the soil

The garden soil around Vinca Major's roots should be well drained and rich in humus. A warm floor is an advantage. However, large-leaved evergreen also grows excellently on calcareous and sandy soil. Large evergreens do not tolerate dense, loamy soil only.

These floors tend to retain moisture. The standing moisture damages the roots of the impressive plant. The gardener can easily cope with overly compacted soil in just a few simple steps.

• Slightly loosen the soil with a rake or hoe
• subsequent enrichment of the soil with compost
• add pebbles or sand to very loamy soil

to water

Pour only when necessary

Large-leaved periwinkle doesn't need to be over-watered. Large evergreens only need water when the top layer of the soil is slightly dry but not yet completely dry. Too much water and, above all, stagnant moisture damage the plant permanently.

The roots of the plant then tend to develop root rot. Once infected, large-leaved evergreens have a hard time recovering from the fungal disease. In the worst case, the roots will die. You should also be careful when giving water, especially if the large evergreen is very dense.

• Carefully pour water under the leaves
• moisten the area around the roots directly
• no accumulation of water on leaves and flowers
• avoid watering in the midday heat

Fertilize

When it comes to fertilizing, less is more

Large evergreens tolerate a targeted but moderate application of organic fertilizers very well for their good development. However, the plant is not very wasteful and therefore needs few nutrients. In spring and late summer it is completely sufficient to work compost into the soil around the plant. This loosens the soil at the same time.

In spring the gardener can also rake together the withered leaves from last autumn around the plant. It rots and at the same time supplies the plant with the necessary nutrients. Immediately before winter and of course in the winter months themselves, fertilizers are completely avoided.

Planting is possible all year round

Large-leaved evergreen can be planted year-round. If large evergreens are to be grown outdoors, it is advisable to buy new plants in the spring and put them in the ground. This helps the plant to start developing strong roots at the beginning of the vegetation phase. If the gardener does not put large-leaved evergreens into the ground until late autumn, he should adequately protect the new plants.

A light layer of sticks or mulch is suitable for this. Before large evergreens are planted out, the planting site should undergo some preparation. This includes cleaning the soil around the planting areas, removing weeds, old plants and dead roots. This ensures that the plant grows quickly and holds its own against weeds and other plants.

Planting step by step:

• Loosen the soil properly
• Dig the planting hole sufficiently wide
• Rule of thumb: twice as deep and wide as the root ball of the plant
• Mix the soil with humus
• Put compost (half ripe) in the planting hole
• Use Vinca Major
• Return and press on excavated earth
• water properly

Half-ripe compost is recommended in the planting pit because the slow rotting process creates heat. This promotes the growth of the plant, especially in the first few weeks. In addition, the plant is supplied with numerous important nutrients for a few months. This step is not absolutely necessary. If you plant large evergreens in autumn, however, the measure makes sense.

It is best to leave a distance of about 35 centimeters between the individual plants. There is space for up to 6 young plants on one square meter of garden soil. Large-leaved evergreens also thrive extremely well on pots and tubs. In such containers, for example, the partially shaded areas on the terrace or balcony can be beautifully greened.

In order to thrive well, the plants need a sufficiently large container right from the start. In addition, drainage at the bottom of the containers is always recommended when planting pots and tubs. A couple of shards over the hole in the bottom of the pot or two to three centimeters of porous material will do just fine. It prevents waterlogging.

Attention: All parts of the plant are poisonous! Therefore, children and pets should be kept away from the plantings as much as possible.

Cut

Pruning keeps the plants in check

The big evergreen is very popular with gardening enthusiasts because you can quickly green the bare areas in a garden with it. It is ideal for covering large areas in rock gardens and ornamental beds and closing gaps under deciduous and coniferous trees.

However, the vigorous budding of the plants is not limited to the designated areas. The plant tends to overgrow huge areas quickly, displacing other plants as well. In order to prevent this, regular pruning of the plant is often unavoidable. The cutting of the plant can begin as early as March.

Tips for easy and safe pruning:

• pruning close to the ground is possible
• fixed cutting times are not specified
• However, pruning in spring is recommended
• afterwards the plant sprouts bushy
• The plant tolerates radical cuts without any problems
• even a wrong cut does not damage it
• arising shoots are suitable for reproduction

Incidentally, the gardener does not need to make a topiary for the evergreen. However, regular pruning is recommended for plants that grow in pots. The best time for this is early spring. However, it is important to keep a few dormant buds (eyes). The plant later sprouts from these buds. Even a cut later is not a problem.

Overwinter

Overwinter plants without difficulty

Vinca Major has a reputation for being a fairly hardy plant. After all, the plant should withstand temperatures of down to -15 ° C. However, this is the original form of the evergreen. However, some of the cultivated forms tolerate extreme cold much more poorly and are only resistant to cold up to a single-digit minus degrees. It is therefore advisable to take a few precautionary measures in the winter, especially with ground cover.

• protective layer of mulch or brushwood
• warms and insulates
• slow decomposition of the material nourishes the plant

Large evergreens must be supplied with water even in winter. It is only poured on frost-free days. Then the soil can sufficiently absorb moisture.

Multiply

Once spread in a permanent place, the large leaved evergreen spreads almost by itself. If the plant feels good, it grows lush around the planting area. Of course, Vinca Major can also be increased in a targeted manner. With ground-covering evergreens, this is done by dividing the roots or, with the help of cuttings, via rooted side shoots, the plant can be propagated.

Propagation through root division:

• dig up older plants in spring
• Dissect fleshy rhizome
• roughly equal parts with a sharp ax or spade edge
• Immediately move the parts to the new planting site
• ideal: no further measures are required

Propagation via cuttings

• Cut shoots six inches long
• choose strong plants for it
• Defoliate cuttings completely except for four upper pairs of leaves
• Bring cuttings two-thirds into the ground
• Moisten the soil sufficiently and keep it moist

The successful development of roots can be recognized as soon as the cuttings start to develop new buds and shoots. Propagation via cuttings is not complicated. But not every attempt works immediately. Patience is required: Sometimes it takes several attempts to achieve the goal.

Propagate with offshoots

Vinca Major forms fast growing vine shoots. Lying on the ground, these tendrils usually also develop useful roots. To propagate the plant, you can cut it from the plant with a sharp knife. You should definitely pay attention to a clean, smooth cut. The tendril is then simply replanted in a different place. In this way, by the way, the bare areas within a cushion of the evergreen plants can also be refilled.

Diseases

Diseases on the robust plant are rare

Because large-leaved evergreen with all its plant parts is poisonous, it is largely spared from pests. So aphids can hardly be found on the leaves. The voracious nudibranchs cannot be made out in the vicinity of the plants either.

But the number of diseases has been increasing for a few years. Mostly it is fungal diseases. In order to protect the plant, prophylactic measures should be taken above all. This increases the resistance of the subshrub.

Rust disease

This disease can be recognized by dark brown pustules on the lower side of the leaves. Infested leaves later roll up. As the disease progresses, the pustules crack. They then secrete powdery fungal spores.

• Cut away infected parts of the plant over a large area
• also dispose of fallen leaves
• Disposal only in the household waste
• Warning: never add to the compost
• Rust fungus also spreads through dead leaves and shoots
• Fungicide is recommended for treatment
• in addition: nettle or horsetail broth

Stem and leaf rot

With this disease, the stems of the plant turn black. They later die. This plant disease is also triggered by a fungus. The leaves wither and mostly show black fruiting bodies. This is the mushroom. All infected parts of the plant must be removed immediately. The plant is then treated with fungicide, which can be bought in hardware stores and garden centers, as well as with nettle or horsetail broth.

sorts

The perennial plant Great Evergreen pleases in many different varieties. In Central Europe, Vinca Major occurs mainly in these species.

Vinca Major Alba

• flowers white, prefers partial shade

Vinca Major Hirsuta

• bright leaves and small blue flowers, height about 15 centimeters

Vinca Major Reticulata

• flowers blue, prefers partially shaded locations

Vinca Major Variegata

• variegated leaves and blue flowers