| Every year I spend a lot of money purchasing the varigated vinca vine for my flower boxes. This year I am going to need 30 or more plants. I would like to start growing my own. How do all the greenhouses produce them and how can I? I have tried to winter them over as a house plant and they die. |
| The plants may not flourish indoors, but rather just stay alive long enough to carry them through until next spring. Place them in a spot where they receive good light and at least some sun. They should be kept moist but NOT soggy! Keep a close eye out for insects--especially spider mites (look for fine webbing on leaves). I'd cut them back to 6 to 8 inches. Or, what you could do is buy a Vinca major in early spring from a nursery or flower shop. Then I would propogate it by making softwood cuttings. Select new side shoots and remove them with a clean, sharp knife. Dip the base of each stem in hormone rooting powder and using a pencil, insert several cuttings into a pot of damp, standard soil mix. Make sure their leaves do not touch. Cover the pot(s) with a plastic bag to reduce water loss--holding the plastic away from the leaves as well. Leave the pot in a warm, bright place out of direct sunlight. Check them every day to be sure it's not too wet. Wipe off any water inside the plastic. In about 4-6 weeks you should have rooted vinca major. When you can see new, young growth you can transfer the cuttings to individual pots. Keep them in a warm, slightly shaded place until they are well established. |
