How to Prune Vinca
Vinca (Vinca spp.) also called periwinkle or creeping myrtle, can save you plenty of time in a shady garden. The spreading ground cover forms a year-round mat of deep green or variegated foliage, accented by blue or purplish flowers in spring, blocking out weeds and barren soil in heavy shade where grass won't grow, or on slopes and banks that can be a chore to maintain otherwise. Pruning is optional when your plants look lush and are well-behaved, but when your vincas look sad and spindly, or threaten to take over the yard, it's time to break out some tools.
Step 1
Cut your entire bed of vinca down to 4 inches tall in late winter to early spring. A string trimmer is practical for large plantings, while you can hack back a small patch of vinca with pruning shears. You don't need to worry about making cuts at certain points on the plant -- it will grow in quickly to hide the cuts -- though you can cut to just above leaf if you only have a few plants and your neat-freak sensibilities get the better of you.
- also called periwinkle or creeping myrtle, can save you plenty of time in a shady garden.
- You don't need to worry about making cuts at certain points on the plant -- it will grow in quickly to hide the cuts -- though you can cut to just above leaf if you only have a few plants and your neat-freak sensibilities get the better of you.
Step 2
Pull out runners that are spreading into areas where you don't want them to go and cut long vines back with the string trimmer or shears to neaten the edges of your planting beds. Vincas send out long runners that root wherever they touch bare ground.
Step 3
Rake up and dispose of the clippings in the trash or the center of an active compost pile. The plant can be invasive and is often spread to open areas bordering yards and gardens when clippings are dumped, allowing the cuttings to root and spread.
Step 4
Clip back and pull out rooting runners from your vinca beds again in midsummer or whenever you notice them.
Tip
The two main species of vinca are used in the same way and have the same general habits. Lesser vinca (Vinca minor) has slightly smaller, glossier leaves and grows only 6 to 12 inches tall in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9. Greater vinca (Vinca major) can form a bed up to 18 inches tall, sending out runners up to 3 feet long, in USDA zones 7 through 11.
Tip
Periwinkles are considered invasive in some areas.
Tip
You can also cut back vinca with a lawn mower set to cut at 4 inches high, but the vines have a tendency to wrap around the blades, meaning you have to stop, shut the mower down and clean the blades frequently.
Warning
Keep vinca of either species away from wooded areas
Warning
Vincas cause mild stomach upset when eaten.
Warning
Operate string trimmers with caution. Wear long pants and shoes that fully cover your feet to avoid injury.
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Writer Bio
Patricia Hamilton Reed has written professionally since 1987. Reed was editor of the "Grand Ledge Independent" weekly newspaper and a Capitol Hill reporter for the national newsletter "Corporate & Foundation Grants Alert." She has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Michigan State University, is an avid gardener and volunteers at her local botanical garden.
