Fertilising guide

How to fertilise Lesser Periwinkle (Vinca minor)— schedule & NPK

Also called Lesser Periwinkle, Common Periwinkle, Dwarf Periwinkle, Running Myrtle.

More about lesser periwinkle

About Lesser Periwinkle

Vinca minor · also called Lesser Periwinkle, Common Periwinkle · flowering

Lesser Periwinkle is a tough, trailing evergreen groundcover producing small, glossy dark-green leaves and violet-blue pinwheel flowers from early spring through summer. Exceptionally shade-tolerant and low-maintenance, it suppresses weeds effectively under trees and on slopes. Its vigorous spreading habit makes it valuable for erosion control in difficult garden positions.

Growth habit: Trailing, mat-forming evergreen subshrub spreading by rooting stems

What fertiliser lesser periwinkle actually wants — and why

Lesser Periwinkle flowers best on poor soil — feed it and you get a lush leafy plant with very few blooms, the exact opposite of what you want.

Little or nothing. Rich, especially nitrogen-rich, soil pushes foliage at the expense of flowers in this plant — lean ground is the technique, not a deficiency.

For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for lesser periwinkle: match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.

How often to feed lesser periwinkle, and which months

Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For lesser periwinkle:

The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when lesser periwinkle is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.

What strength to mix for lesser periwinkle

None is the correct answer for lesser periwinkle. The flower-versus-foliage trade-off is the whole point: hold back and you get the display.

Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water lesser periwinkle first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the lesser periwinkle watering schedule.

Signs you are over-feeding lesser periwinkle

Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for lesser periwinkle:

Abundant leafy growth and very few flowers (the classic over-rich symptom).
Soft, floppy stems and a sprawling, leafy habit.
Scorched edges and salt crust if it has been fed in a container.

Signs you are under-feeding lesser periwinkle

Effectively never an issue — these plants flower on poverty.
Only on genuinely dead soil: weak, thin growth and few blooms.
A short-lived plant in completely spent container compost.

If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full lesser periwinkle care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.

Flushing and leaching the salts

If lesser periwinkle has accidentally been fed and is all leaf, a plain-water flush plus a move to leaner soil resets it; otherwise no flushing is needed because you are not feeding it.

Organic vs synthetic feeds for lesser periwinkle

Organic options

A thin compost mulch for soil structure is the absolute most; mostly, give it nothing. UK/US: leave it lean — no manure, no liquid feed. Poor soil is the active ingredient here.

Synthetic / liquid feeds

None. Synthetic feeds, particularly anything with appreciable nitrogen, directly suppress flowering in lesser periwinkle.

Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.

Fertilising lesser periwinkle — frequently asked questions

What fertiliser does lesser periwinkle need?

Little or nothing. Rich, especially nitrogen-rich, soil pushes foliage at the expense of flowers in this plant — lean ground is the technique, not a deficiency. Lesser Periwinkle flowers best on poor soil — feed it and you get a lush leafy plant with very few blooms, the exact opposite of what you want.

How often should I feed lesser periwinkle?

Generally self-sufficient — fertiliser is not required in average to fertile garden soil. A light balanced feed in early spring can improve flowering in very poor, sandy soils. Over-fertilising produces excessive leafy growth at the expense of flowers. Generally self-sufficient — fertiliser is not required in average to fertile garden soil. A light balanced feed in early spring can improve flowering in very poor, sandy soils. Over-fertilising produces excessive leafy growth at the expense of flowers. In practice: no routine feeding at all for lesser periwinkle — at most a thin compost mulch for soil structure, never a flowering or nitrogen feed.

What strength of feed for lesser periwinkle?