- Vinca major: the great periwinkle
- Vinca minor: the small periwinkle
- Dying of thirst instead of freezing to death: the right care in winter
By nature, periwinkle (e.g. Vinca minor and Vinca major) spreads relatively slowly over the surface without human intervention. Once planted in a suitable location, it forms veritable carpets of plants on the ground without much care.
Evergreen usually does not need winter protection
Vinca major: the great periwinkle
The large or large-leaved periwinkle Vinca major grows slightly taller than its "little brother" Vinca minor. Therefore, with Vinca major it can also happen that the plants climb a bit. This evergreen species is relatively hardy in most locations in Central Europe. Frost damage to Vinca major can only occur in very exposed locations with temperatures well below minus 15 degrees Celsius. However, some cultivars of Vinca major are also significantly less insensitive to freezing temperatures. But you can always play it safe by covering the periwinkle with a layer of fine brushwood in late fall. This has the pleasant side effect that the decomposition processes that start there also supply your ground cover with natural fertilizer.
Vinca minor: the small periwinkle
The small-leaved periwinkle Vinca minor is usually much less sensitive than Vinca major during the winter. The subspecies of the small periwinkle can easily withstand temperatures down to minus 25 degrees Celsius outdoors. Nevertheless, it does not harm the plants if you cover the small periwinkle with a thin layer of brushwood in winters with little snow. Alternatively, the following are also suitable for the cover:
- bark mulch
- shrub pruning
- fir branches
Dying of thirst instead of freezing to death: the right care in winter
During the summer months, it is a matter of course for most garden owners to water the plants in the garden according to their needs during extreme dry phases. However, many gardeners forget that the soil can also become dry in winters with frost and little precipitation. If there are frost-free days during a winter with little snow, you can water the periwinkle sparingly to prevent winter drought damage. Most of the time, however, the soil where periwinkle is located is relatively humus anyway and can store moisture well.
tips
If you plant periwinkle right next to the terrace, you should make sure that it does not attract your pets in winter for lack of alternatives: All periwinkle species are poisonous and should not be eaten by pets if possible.