Polka Dot Spring Flowers

Description

• Polka Dot takes its name from its flowers, with a bright red eye in the middle of white, overlapping petals. The largest vinca flowers available, they bloom in spring on a bushy plant that grows from 14 to 16 inches in height with a 10- to 12-inch spread. Flowers are 2 inches across and bloom throughout late spring to the first frost.

Use

• Polka Dot is a versatile plant and should be grown wherever you need a splash of color. The plant does well in baskets and containers as well as in borders and planting beds. If you’re looking for a flowering groundcover for sunny, low-use areas, Polka Dot is a suitable choice. Gardeners in areas with winter temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit can grow the plant in a container and overwinter it indoors as a houseplant. Just provide it with a sunny spot, and it will thrive.

Planting

• Start the Polka Dot seeds indoors 12 weeks prior to the last frost date in your area. If you are unsure of the date for your area, visit the National Climatic Data Center database, listed in the resources section. Plant the seeds in pots or cells filled with a sterile seed starting mix. The Park Seed company says the seeds should be at a depth that is four times their diameter. Polka Dot seeds require warm soil to germinate so place the containers on a heat mat set to 68 to 70 degrees. Keep the soil slightly moist and the seeds should germinate within 15 to 20 days. Turn off the heat mat when they do and allow the Polka Dot seedlings to grow in an area with bright, filtered sunlight.

Transplanting

• Transplant the Polka Dot seedlings as soon as possible after the last frost date. Choose the sunniest, hottest part of the garden in which to transplant the Polka Dot seedlings. There is no need to amend the soil because the Polka Dot thrives even in the poorest of media. Dig your planting holes the same depth as the pot in which the Polka Dot is growing and three times as wide. Space the seedlings 12 inches apart.

Care

• This is one of those plants that you can stick into the ground and ignore it and it will thrive. It loves the heat and requires little water. Allow the soil to dry out before watering it; overwatering may kill the plant. Keep an eye on the Polka Dot, however, when the weather heats up or during windy periods and water more frequently. Fertilize this vinca every two weeks with a balanced fertilizer, such as 10-10-10. Polka Dot branches well, so there is no need to pinch the stems as they grow.