How to encourage your annual flowers to bloom the most - Vinca

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It's mid-October here at The Tropical Paradise, and most of the annuals, like this Vinca, are doing well. And the best thing that you can do for your annuals that have been in the ground for a week or two, is to cut their heads off. Really.

Yes, trim the top inch or so down. Yes, that will trim away the flower blooms, but it will also make the plant bushier so that there will be more blooms. This plant is coming back so strongly that I can't even see where I did the cut a few days ago.

I've tried cutting the heads off as I planted, but in my opinion that just stresses the plant. So I give them a week or so, make sure that they're growing, and then, chop! Off with their heads!

Phoenix has had a lot of rain this season, so the annual flowers should be more spectacular this year than they've ever been. Don't be afraid to cut them back. They'll grow!

Vincas, like this one, will bloom continuously all winter, and through the early spring, until they complete their natural lifecycle. Give them plenty of water, some fertilizer, and a serious haircut.

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