Since the periwinkle spreads by itself in suitable suitable locations, you can sometimes easily get offshoots from gardeners you know. The periwinkle can also be propagated from a certain stock of plants in the garden.

The small periwinkle propagates itself best via offshoots

The periwinkle as an easy-care ground cover

Many gardeners are familiar with the problem: the lawn often grows very poorly in shady areas under large treetops or in the shade of a house. The relatively low-growing small periwinkle (Vinca minor) is an alternative, as it also thrives in full shade. The practical thing about this plant is that a closed carpet of plants forms relatively quickly. In contrast to a lawn, this requires no regular mowing and otherwise very little maintenance. However, it depends on the planting distance and the number of shoots of the planted offshoots how quickly a closed cover of the ground cover forms.

Separate rooted shoots from mother plants

Cultivation from seeds does not really play a role in propagation, since the plants spread easily via foothills at their respective locations anyway. You can easily obtain numerous offshoots from an existing stock of periwinkles by pulling sporadically rooted shoots out of the ground and separating them from the mother plants with secateurs. Then plant the offshoots directly in the new location or in a pot so that the roots do not dry out.

Allow periwinkle cuttings to root

While the taller Vinca major grows too tall for some gardeners, the slightly more hardy Vinca minor stays very low. Therefore, there is actually no need for a pruning of the Vinca minor varieties. However, you can easily prune the plants in late spring to rejuvenate the plants and obtain cuttings at the same time. However, please note the following points:

  • do not cut too deep (there must be enough shoots and branches near the ground)
  • use good quality secateurs for clean cuts
  • pull the cuttings in full shade, otherwise they will dry out easily
  • keep the (preferably sandy) substrate evenly moist

tips

If the ground is hard, it can be very difficult to actually get rooted spurs of the periwinkle out of the ground together with the roots. Either wait for a rainy phase and then wait for the slightly softened soil, or do it yourself and let cut offshoots root.

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Herbs