Recently, I noticed one of my vinca plants’ leaves turning yellow, and the shocking part is that my wife was in charge of taking care of that plant.
I have several vinca plants in my garden, and we do not fertilize them, nor water them. All of them are performing outstandingly except the one that has been taken care of.
In this article, I will tell you the most possible reasons why Vinca leaves are turning yellow.
I like to grow vinca in my garden, or you can say, vinca grows in my garden itself. Why am I saying so? Vinca does not demand attention or maintenance at all (if you are growing a vinca variety that is suitable for your location).
There are many different types of vinca plants, but the two main types are vinca minor and bedding vinca. The first one is for USDA zone 4-9, and the second one is for USDA zone 10 and 10+.
Why are my Vinca leaves turning yellow?
This section explains what causes vinca leaves to turn yellow.
Most possible reasons: Overwatering, lack of nitrogen, or soil acidity being off can cause this.
Overwatering
Vinca likes to grow in crappy sandy soil and will thrive on neglect, actually.
I don’t water or even pay attention to the ones I have. Mine started from one flower that randomly popped up and then seeded itself. I let them grow in one area of my yard, I don’t irrigate or do anything to and they thrive in the crappy sandy soil there.
If you are regularly watering them, I would stop.
The picture you are seeing at the top of this article: With the mulch there, it’s probably retaining too much water. The flowers are also shrinking.
If you are using that kind of mulch, stop mulching and avoid watering.
Only water when the soil is completely dry for at least 3 days.
Lack of nitrogen in the soil
Yes, I do not fertilize as my garden soil is fertile enough.
If you see smaller leaves and some yellow leaves at the same time, it's time to feed nitrogen.
No need to feed heavy chemical fertilizer.
You can follow the organic fertilizer mentioned below:
- Mix a handful of vermicompost into the soil. It will slowly release nitrogen to the soil.
- Well-rotted cow manure. Just spread the manure on the top soil and water when the soil is completely dry.
Soil acidity issue
Vinca grows best when it gets acidic to neutral soil (around pH 6–7).
If you are adding nutrients to the soil and the soil acidity is not in the proper range, Vinca can't absorb the nutrients. It's known as nutrient lockout.
These are the symptoms:
- Yellow leaves even after fertilizing
- Slow growth
- No clear overwatering issue
You can test your soil pH at home. Use cheap strips or a kit to test the soil pH.
Add a little time to the soil if the soil is too acidic. Or add compost, peat, or organic matter if the soil is too alkaline.
If you are seeing only that the lower, older leaves are turning yellow, no need to worry. It's natural and normal. Just close this page and enjoy your garden.
I hope this article helped you. I try to share what I know through my personal gardening experiences. If you want me to write more for you, subscribe to this site.
