Vinca Scientific Name : Catharanthus roseus Common Name : Upright Vinca Blooming Season : Late Spring, Summer, Late Summer Plant Habit : Upright Spacing : 10 – 12″ (25 – 30cm) Height : 14 – 16″ (36 – 41cm) Width : 10 – 12″ (25 – 30cm) Exposure : Sun Vinca Grower Information : Seed supplied as: Raw. Plug crop time: 5 weeks Transplant to finish: 5 to 6 weeks Makes high-impact, all-season shows in Summer gardens and large planters. Bold colours show well at retail – ideal for patriotic red, white and blue combos. Durable and heat-tolerant for Summer-long performance. It includes the core, top-selling varieties that have been selected for consistent early flowering, a tight 5 to 7 day blooming window and a uniform upright plant habit across all colors. Flowers are large with overlapping petals that give a lush full look to the plants. Consumers enjoy the strong garden performance that this series is known for. Fill a 2-inch-deep nursery flat with fresh, sterile seedling compost. Leave a 1/4-inch gap between the compost and the top of the flat. Firm the compost with the palm of your hand to create a smooth, even surface. 2 Lay out the vinca seeds across the surface of the compost. Space the seeds 2 inches apart. Press them halfway into the compost. Cover the seeds with a 1/4-inch-thick layer of compost. 3 Mist the compost with a spray bottle to settle it. Spray the compost until it feels wet at a depth of 1 inch. Maintain a moderate level of moisture in the top inch of compost while the vinca seeds germinate. 4 Cover the nursery flat with a black plastic trash bag to create the dark, warm conditions vinca seeds require to germinate. Remove the trash bag during germination only to water the seeds. Replace the bag immediately after watering. 5 Apply bottom heat to the nursery flat using a heat mat. Set the temperature on the heat mat to between 75 and 77 Fahrenheit, if possible. Leave the heat mat on at night. 6 Watch for germination one to two weeks after sowing the vinca seeds. Decrease watering and remove the black bag after the seeds germinate. Allow the compost to dry out in the top 1/2 inch before adding more water. 7 Feed the vinca seedlings with a low-phosphorus fertilizer approximately one week after germination. Apply the fertilizer at half strength to avoid damaging the vinca seedlings’ fragile new roots. 8 Remove the weakest, least vigorous vinca seedlings from the flat. Transplant the remaining seedlings into individual 2-inch starter pots filled with potting soil once they develop three or four sets of healthy, mature leaves. 9 Move the vinca seedlings to a warm, bright location where they will receive six hours of bright, diffuse sunlight each day and temperatures above 65 F. Transplant them into the garden once outdoor temperatures reliably top 65 F during the day. Space the plants two feet apart.
