Growing heather (photo) planting and care, varieties
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HEATHER GARDEN WITH YOUR HANDS – PLANTING AND CARE
Unforgettable gift of autumn
When there are almost no flowering plants and green perennials on the flowerbeds, your garden can shine with colored paints of flowering heathers. This little shrub, covered with tiny bright flowers, will be the most unforgettable gift of autumn. And even in the beginning of winter, until the frosts hit, it will flaunt against the background of snow.
Despite the fact that Southeast Asia is considered his homeland, heather is widespread throughout the world. But while heather is rarely seen in our gardens. Perhaps gardeners find it difficult to grow. And in vain! The climate of the middle strip is quite suitable for heather. And he is unpretentious in leaving - you just need to create certain conditions for him.
Soil preparation
The main thing for heather is to prepare suitable soil. In nature, heather grows on infertile and poor lands with an acidic reaction. It is better to choose a place for it in an open area of the garden, but it is also possible in partial shade.
In advance I prepare soil-soil consisting of peat, coniferous earth and sawdust (3: 1: 1) with the addition of sand. Coniferous land I take in a pine forest. It is very good to add a mixture of peat turf and a little sulfur (70-100 g on 1 m3).
On the site chosen for planting, I remove the top layer of the soil (about 20-30 cm) and put the prepared soil mixture instead. The earth is compacted and spilled with acidified water (0,5 glass 9% vinegar per 10 l water or 1,5 tbsp citric acid per 10 l water).
See also: Plants of the heather family - growing on the site
Planting Heather
I dig out the volumetric holes in the prepared place at a distance of 30-40 cm. When I plant heather from containers, I pay special attention to the roots - there they are in a twisted state. I straighten the roots in a hole and sprinkle soil to the level of the root neck.
Then the soil is compacted and watered. On top of the planting I mulch peat or chopped pine bark. If the soil is clay, I put drainage on the bottom of the hole - stones or expanded clay.
By the way
With proper planting and proper care, heather bushes will grow well and can live very long - up to 50 years.
Heather: care
In the spring I loosen the soil under the bushes and at the same time I apply nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers. Further care consists of weeding and watering if there has been no rain for a long time. In mid-summer I feed it again with full mineral fertilizer.
In autumn, I trim branches on 7 cm below the faded inflorescences. For the winter, the plants are abundantly mulched with any organic material and covered with lapnik of coniferous plants.
Reproduction
Propagate heather seeds and vegetatively. The simplest way is to multiply by layers. Thus the heather reproduces itself: when its branches lodge and take root, a growth is formed. It is enough just to dig out the young plants and put them in a new place.
It is easy to propagate heather also by dividing rhizomes. In August, the bush is dug and cut the root so that on each part there are young sprouts.
One can propagate heather by cuttings. In August, the apical cuttings are cut from strong branches. Prepare pots with peat-sandy soil and plant cuttings in them. In winter, the pots are kept in a room with a temperature of 15-18°C. Occasionally feed with a weak urea solution. During the winter, the cuttings will take root, and in the spring they can be planted in the ground.
Heather in the Garden
The most suitable place for heather in the garden is near low conifers: junipers, dwarf pines and Christmas trees. Low rhododendrons go well with heather.
You can plant heather as a curb plant or arrange it in a rockery.
Reference by topic: Eric grassy - an evergreen plant: photo and care
Heather variety
Very beautiful Alba Plena, Alexander, Hammondi, Tib, Red Favorit, Dark Star, Anne Mari, Red Star, Mazurka. Some of them I grow on my site, and some just plan to buy.
But my most cherished dream is create a flowerbed with heather varieties with golden and silver foliage: Gold Hase, Boskop, Andrew Proudley, Silver Knight, Velvet Fascination.
Heather in our gardens. Varieties of heathers. Secrets of growing and care - great video
© Author: E. Bondar, Novosibirsk
Peculiarities of growing
- Plant the bushes in the spring, so that they have time to take root before the heat. Varieties choose early-flowering, undersized, then the heather will have enough time to prepare for the winter, and it will be better covered by snow.
- Do not transplant the wild heather into the garden from the forest. Their flowers are plain, and the bushes are sloppy.
- The plot is better to choose sunlit at least half a day. Under the landing, it is necessary to bring in sour (red) peat (from 0,5 bucket per square meter), which is sold in stores. You can replace it with pinewood. Moreover, the more you add such a "sour", the better!
- The most important feature of heaths is the inability to consume water and nutrients from the soil independently, only with the help of forest mycelium. It is in every forest, in the upper layers of the soil. This "litter" should be scattered everywhere on the site under the heath.
Planting and care
- Buy seedlings better in pots - with a closed root system.
- When planting the land from them do not flush and shake, so as not to disrupt the symbiosis of roots and fungi. About the root neck is not buried - leave at the same level as in the pot.
- To quickly formed a heather carpet, the bushes should be planted at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other.
- These plants love sprinkling throughout the warm season. In top dressing do not need (only if necessary you can pour mulch from the needles).
- The first two years after plantingIt is advisable to cover the mouth for the winter with lutrasil with a density of 60 in two layers.
- Annually in the spring, as soon as the soil drifts off, the heathers need to trim the last year's faded inflorescences to the green part.
Ideally, the soil under the heaths should consist of sour peat and forest land with a mycelium in equal proportions with a small amount of light garden soil.
Legend
According to an old Scottish legend, heather was the only plant that agreed to grow on the open slopes of the hills, blown cold winds. In gratitude for this, the Almighty rewarded him with graceful flowers with a charming aroma. Until now, in Scotland heather is considered a symbol of ardent love and an appeal for romantic travel.
4 Design Board
To make the heath garden look like a small country of elves, follow the advice of master Nail Islamov.
- Heather is beautiful in mass and large patches of the same color, and not a motley mixture.
- Under it is desirable to allocate a plot of at least 7-10 square. m.
- From the varietal variety is very impressive looks V. ordinary JH Hamilton with double pink flowers. The bushes are winter-hardy, resistant to diseases and pests. Also worth paying attention to varieties with yellow and orange leaves.
- In the company to heather it is desirable to plant acidophilous plants (preferring acidic soils) - erica, blueberry, rhododendron. And that the heath glade was decorative, starting from early spring, planting can be "diluted" muscari, narcissus, violets, colchicum, dwarf conifers.
Growing Heather - Planting and Care, TIPS AND REVIEWS
HERESK - CAPRIZULA OR STILL NOT?
In the autumn, when basically all the flowers have already faded, the time of heathers comes. Its colorful bushes delight the eye even after the first frost. Growing this beautiful plant is not so difficult. You just need to know some of the features.
Heather is a small evergreen shrub. It grows slowly. In a natural habitat can propagate by seed.
Landing
The main thing to consider when landing is a properly selected soil. The plant feels better on acidic peat soils. The root system of the plant is shallow, so digging a hole will be enough to the depth of the bayonet bayonet. Then add the following composition: 3 parts of peat, 1 part of sand, 1 part of half-ripened needles, 1 part of sawdust.
An important condition when planting heather: if the plant is bought in a pot and the roots are spun around the earthen room, then they need to be broken a little, as there is a chance that the plant will not root and die.
After planting, it is better to mulch heather with needles or sawdust. Also, if the site is neutral or alkaline soil, it can be further acidified. For this, citric acid diluted in water is quite suitable (2 tbsp. Per bucket of water).
In care heather does not cause any particular problems. The only thing he does not tolerate is drought or an excess of moisture. It is good to use mulching. It protects against drying out, growth of weeds and frosts.
Heather feels well in the penumbra, because in its natural habitat it grows in coniferous forests under trees. In full shade the plant will bloom badly.
In conditions of central Russia, heather showed good winter resistance. But it should be noted that the varieties with bright colors, bred by breeders, have lower winter hardiness.
Heather does not tolerate transplant. You should buy plants with a closed root system. The fact is that on the roots of heather special mushrooms are formed - mycorrhiza. They supply the roots with nutrients. Therefore, a plant bought with an open root system takes root for a long time and builds up mycorrhiza around itself.
It may also be this situation. The plant is bought with green leaves, planted, and dies after a while. This may be due to the fact that it was already bought dead. Heather did not immediately discard foliage after death. It is possible to determine its viability by signs: the branches bend and do not break, the earthen room in the container has not dried up.
Reproduction
You can try to propagate the plant by cutting and dividing the bush.
In the autumn, it is necessary to cut off the tops of the shoots and, dipping them in a root-growth stimulator, plant them in pots with soil. Replant the plant is undesirable.
So, if you want to add something unusual to your garden, plant heather. You can create a bright composition by planting its various shades. Or put him in the company of rhododendrons, conifers and other lovers of "sour."
THE VERESK GARDEN IS AVAILABLE AND SIMPLE
Today, flower shops offer seedlings of heathers of different varieties and colors. But many summer residents are still afraid to buy them - they say, they are difficult to care for. A common misconception ...
LANDING TIME: Spring, from the second half of April
SOIL: Sour
PLOT: Outdoor, sunny; for the southern regions - light partial shade
PIT: Width - about 30 cm, depth - two heights of the container in which the sapling grew; fill with a mixture of peat, sand and coniferous litter (3: 1: 2) or storefloor for azaleas
VERESK AND ERIKA
But first I want to draw attention: flower growers often sell Erica instead of heather. They are very similar and can decorate any area, but still they are two different plants. How to distinguish them? The first thing - in bloom: if they sell spring blooming "heather" to you, know that this is Erica. Heathers bloom exclusively in late summer and autumn.
Also, pay attention to the leaves: in heather, they look like scales pressed against the trunk. In Eric leaves resemble juniper needles.
“WET” QUESTION
Heather of many varieties is drought-resistant. However, on sandy and especially peaty soils without watering, the plants quickly dry out. Therefore, in a drought heather watering plentifully (especially young plantings).
The soil around the bushes is better to peat or pine bark. This technique inhibits the growth of weeds, retains moisture and soil looseness.
SUPPORTING THE VERESQUE
Heathers are fed once a year - in late April and early May. But be careful: not all fertilizer plants fit the plants! For example, they can not stand fresh manure. It is better to use a complete mineral fertilizer, for example, Kemira Universal (20-30 g per 1 m). Good effect gives a special fertilizer for rhododendrons and azaleas, only the dosage indicated on the package, slightly reduce and try not to fall on the leaves with a solution.
FACT: VERESKI, NOT LOOKING AT YOUR RELAXED SIZE (THE PLANTS REACH THE HEIGHT OF 10-40 CM), IS CONSIDERED THE BUSHES. THERE ARE ABOUT 500 VARIETIES VARESE.
Do heather cover the winter?
In late autumn, when the soil freezes, sprinkle peat or dry leaves around the bushes. Cover the spruce branches above the plant. Such a shelter in a snowless winter will protect the heathers from frost damage, and in the spring it will save from burning in the bright sun. In the middle of April, the lap branches will be removed, and the peat or leaves will be removed from the root collar.
NEED VERESKAM CUTTING?
The first two years after planting shoots do not cut. Later - moderate formative pruning in late autumn after flowering or in early spring. Shoots cut below inflorescences.
TIP: It is best to buy heather saplings with a closed root system (in containers). Adult bushes with open roots poorly tolerate transplant. Before planting, the root ball should be poured well, and even better - immerse the pots of plants in water to soak the ground completely.
You will get the maximum decorative effect if the heathers are planted not one by one, but a solid array consisting of several varieties with different colors of flowers and foliage. On 1 m2, plant 6-8 tall varieties and 12-15 undersized. Already after 2-3, the plants' crowns will close together - and you will get an elegant carpet, decorative from spring to autumn.
© Author: Alexey VOLODIHIN, agronomist, Moscow
VERESK - AROMA HEALER
DOSSIER
Common heather, or Scottish (Calluna vulgaris), is a relict shrub that has existed for more than 30 million years. The species is the only one of the genus Heather, but this plant has quite a lot of intraspecific forms. They are tall from 20 to 100 cm (on average about 50 cm). They live up to 45 years.
Heather in suitable conditions forms vast evergreen thickets with a marvelous honey aroma. Similar plants in the temperate zone once or twice and miscalculated. Take a closer look at this handsome man. In some forms of heather leaves can be of various colors and shades, including variegated. The curtains bloom profusely and for quite some time - from mid-July to mid-September.
Garden conditions
Heather loves a sunny location, in extreme cases, withstands partial shade.
Prefers well-drained acidic soils, calcareous - does not tolerate. When planting in the soil, it is advisable to make horse peat.
It does not need top dressing. But it responds with good growth to mulching with bark, sawdust, humus leaf.
It suffers very much from drying out of the soil, therefore it needs watering during drought. But she also does not like stagnation of water.
Heather pests are not scary.
Sometimes a plant may be ill with late blight, the leaves “turn gray”, the stem wilts, and the plant dies.
Heather pruning
Formative pruning is required. However, the geometrically symmetrical formation for heather is not suitable - it does not look in the landscape. Its branches should be shortened at different levels (in a natural style). You can trim only the leafy part of the plant, and then only partially. With excessive cutting, heather dies.
Cut off in September. This helps to maintain the splendor of the bushes, stimulates future flowering. Lost decorative (bare) stems and crooked shoots are completely removed. In spring, in April, only dried up last year's inflorescences can be removed.
BTW
Heather honey is often used for medicinal purposes. It is so thick that it is not pumped out of the honeycombs, which is why it is usually sold directly to them. Sweet, with a slightly bitter-tolerant aftertaste and a strong specific aroma. At first it is reddish-brown in color, crystallized becomes brown.
Propagation by layering. To do this, in the spring, lower branches are bent to the ground and pinned. After a few months, they can already be separated from the bush and planted. Green cuttings. In the summer (June-July) cuttings are cut from the growth of the current year, their length is up to 5 cm. Rooted in a greenhouse. It is difficult to plant heather seeds.
Useful properties of heather
The tops of the shoots are harvested during flowering. usually from mid-July to mid-September. Heather infusion is used in complex treatment for dry cough and other pulmonary diseases, including tuberculosis. The remedies are effective for nervous irritability, insomnia, kidney stone disease, cystitis, rheumatism, as well as gout, dysentery, inflammation of the renal pelvis, various diseases of the liver and spleen. Poultice from heather greens is applied for tumors, bruises, fractures, rheumatic pains, polyarthritis, eczema, and other skin diseases.
Infusion: 2 tablespoon raw materials are put in a thermos, pour 400 ml of boiling water, insist 30 min., filter. Drink 2 tablespoons 3 once daily before meals. The course of treatment is 10 days.
© Author: Vladimir STAROSTIN, Ph.D. Agricultural Sciences, St. Petersburg
CUTE HEATHER
It often happens - we buy pots with flowering heather for the winter, and in the spring, when the plant loses its decorative effect, we throw it away. Don't rush to do it. Better plant cute bushes in the garden.
CORRECT PLANTING OF HEATHER
- The main difficulty that can be encountered when growing heather is the acidity of the soil. The plant loves acidic soil, while in areas it has a mostly neutral reaction.
- It is better to plant curtains by adding a ready-made purchased substrate for azaleas and rhododendrons, which also belong to the Heather family and love acidic soil, to the planting pit. I am preparing a mixture of high-moor peat, sand and coniferous litter (in equal parts). I dig a hole according to the size of the root system of the seedling. I water the potted plant well before planting. The trunk circle after mulching with Pine bark or peat. This helps retain moisture and inhibits weed growth.
I plant heather in open ground in the spring, so that during the season the plant gets stronger and prepares for wintering. But you can also in the fall - from late September to mid-October. With such a planting in the first year, I cover the seedling with non-woven material until a good snow cover is formed, which will further protect the bush from frost.
Heather prefers open sunny areas in more northern regions and slightly shaded areas in the south. He will feel great under the branches of coniferous trees, hydrangeas, rhododendrons.
Heather is enough to feed once per season - in late April or early May - with complex mineral fertilizer or special for azaleas and rhododendrons, slightly reducing the dose indicated in the instructions. Fresh manure is contraindicated!
The bushes are frost-resistant: they can withstand temperatures up to -35 degrees. But still they need to be properly prepared for wintering. In late autumn, when frosts begin, I sprinkle the soil around the plants with peat or dry leaves, covering the top with spruce branches. This will help in a snowless winter to save them from frostbite, and in spring - from burns of the bright spring sun. In mid-April, I remove the spruce branches and rake the mulch from the bushes.
They grow slowly - 1-2 cm per year. I carry out a shaping haircut after flowering or in early spring. I do not prune young plantings for the first two years. Heather does not need frequent transplants.
© Author: Victoria EVGLEVSKAYA, Zaporozhye. Photo by Valentina BONDAR
TREAT YOURSELF WITH HEATHERS
In autumn, small flowering bushes of heather in pots appear on sale. How can one pass by such beauty? And what cute autumn compositions are obtained with them!
Having admired enough, I plant plants in the garden.
BUYING TIPS
For more northern regions, it is better to choose varieties with an early flowering period. Such specimens will have time to flourish and prepare for winter in time.
It is important that the earthen ball is not overdried. It is also worth looking under the bush: if there are any signs of rotting or warming.
RULE FOR LANDING HEATHER IN THE GROUND
The most successful period is spring. Autumn (September-first half of October) planting is less desirable, but possible, because it is at this time that heathers are at the peak of popularity and are found in almost every flower shop.
I choose a well-lit area.
In ordinary garden soil, flowers will not grow, unless it is a forest area. The fact is that plants extract nutrients from the ground only in the presence of the mycelium of the fungus, which, together with their roots, forms mycorrhiza (fungal root). Therefore, before planting, I prepare forest litter.
I also add riding (red) peat to the garden soil, which I buy in the store. By the way, it can be replaced with pine litter.
I add the indicated components in equal proportions to the landing pits.
When transplanting a plant from a pot into open ground, I try not to injure the earthen ball, so as not to disturb the symbiosis of roots and fungi. Heather is difficult to take root, especially if it has an open root system.
I do not deepen the root neck, leaving it at the same level as in the container.
I water if necessary.
In the garden, heathers look spectacular as a clearing or a large island. They can be combined with Erics, rhododendrons, large-fruited blueberries and dwarf conifers.
HEATHER CARE SECRETS
For the first two years, I cover the plants for the winter with lutrasil with a density of 60 g / sq.m in 2 layers.
In the spring I shade them from the sun. Also at this time I cut off last year's faded inflorescences to the green part.
I mulch the soil under the bushes of fallen needles.
Heathers are very fond of sprinkling. I spray them constantly throughout the summer.
© Author: Elena PARENT, Moscow. Photo by the author
PLANTING HEather: CORRECTING ERRORS
I never get tired of enjoying the blooming heathers. Probably because I waited a long time for them to truly show their beauty. And the reason, as it turned out, was just one. but an important mistake that I made when growing them.
The fact is that I always planted bushes in the fall. It is at this time that they bloom! - they go on sale. Planted in an open, sunny place protected from the wind. She carefully prepared the soil. Ours is heavy and clayey, so we had to create a peaty-sandy, light and acidic layer (30 cm) from sand, peat and pine litter (1: 3: 2, pH 4,5-5,5). Important do not bury the root collar when planting. But, despite my efforts, the plants did not always survive.
Now I already know that new plantings in the first years could have saved obligatory covering them with spunbond.
And I just lightly sprinkled dry leaves on them, not paying attention to the fact that heather has a superficial root system, so the roots, especially young ones, freeze. Now, even under mature bushes at the end of September, I add peat in case frost strikes early, but there is no snow cover yet. And I cover the heathers somewhere in mid-November, when the soil really begins to freeze.
MY CONCLUSION
Now I plant heathers only in spring. During the growing season, they take root well, build up a strong root system and, most importantly, sensing the approach of winter, manage to complete the ripening processes of the shoots in time. And this is a guarantee that the winter will be successful and next season I will admire the enchanting lilac-pink spectacle!
© Author: Nina ZAGORSKAYA, Minsk
HEather AT HOME - PLANTING AND CARE
How nice it is to see pots of bright, fragrant heather on sale during the cold, gray season. Plants are used to decorate open balconies, terraces, entrance lobbies, and windows outside the house. By planting several different varieties in long boxes, you get spectacular compositions. It is difficult to preserve this handsome creature indoors in winter. However, this does not stop flower growers. Biologist and collector Elena POTAPOVA (Tyumen) will tell you about the peculiarities of keeping and caring for the plant.
Dossier
There is only one type of heather - common heather. But many cultivars have been bred, selected for a variety of flower colors, foliage and growing characteristics.
The British say: “Heather in the house means happiness for the whole year,” and every year, closer to Christmas and New Year, heather wreaths, which are usually used to decorate homes for the holiday, begin to be sold on all corners.
LOVER OF SOUR
Due to its symbiosis with soil fungi, heather does not tolerate transplantation well. Therefore, the procedure is carried out as necessary, preserving the earthen lump as much as possible. The bush is not buried, since the root system is poorly developed.
The substrate must be water- and breathable, and must be acidic (pH = 3,5-5,5). For example, a mixture of coniferous soil, peat, river sand (1:2:1). Drainage is made of expanded clay. The soil surface can be mulched with pieces of pine bark and butcher's broom.
MORE CHANCES
Heather varieties are frost-resistant, on average down to -20-23 degrees. Therefore, if there is a plot, it is better for container specimens to overwinter by digging containers with plants into the ground and covering the top with spruce branches or a structure made of arcs and spunbond. This will help save them from frost in a snowless winter, and from the burns of the bright sun in the spring.
KEEPING HEather IN THE HOUSE
World | bright diffused |
Temperature | In summer - + 18-20 degrees, in winter - + 7-12 degrees (coolness prolongs flowering). Do not place near heat sources as this will kill the plant. He is more comfortable, for example, in an insulated unheated loggia |
Watering | After the top layer of soil dries. Heather does not tolerate excess moisture. At low temperatures, watering is reduced, without allowing the earthen clod to dry out, otherwise the flowers and leaves will fall off. When water gets on the leaves, diseases develop |
Air humidity | Heather does not tolerate dry air. To increase humidity, place the pot on a tray with wet expanded clay or moss or sand. Ventilate the room without allowing drafts |
Feeding | A couple of times during active growth and flowering - 1/2 the dose indicated in the instructions. Suitable fertilizers for azaleas and rhododendrons |
Trimming | If necessary, after flowering, to stimulate branching and return to shape. |
Diseases and pests | Heather is resistant to damage, but in unfavorable conditions (high air humidity, waterlogging) there is a high probability of gray rot, powdery mildew, and rust. |
Reproduction | Semi-lignified cuttings, seeds, layering, dividing the bush |
VERESK - LANDING AND CARE: VIDEO
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The heathers came out of winter badly last spring. Young shoots stood blackened, without leaves, covered with a gray bloom. How can I avoid trouble this time?
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- Most likely, it was gray rot, it often affects heathers. The reason is primarily in the increased humidity of the air and soil. Plants planted in places where snow lies for a long time suffer, water accumulates in spring. Often specimens that were improperly covered for the winter get sick. They need to be covered when not only the air temperature, but also the soil becomes negative.
Otherwise, the heat coming from it will heat the air under the covering material. This will create exactly the conditions that pathogens love so much.
In the spring, at the first signs of the disease, treat the plants with Topaz (according to the instructions).
With severe lesions, it is effective to use a 1% solution of copper sulfate. It is necessary to process 2-3 times with an interval of 5-7 days.
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What is the difference between heather and erica? Which flower is less capricious in care?
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These plants are similar in appearance. Their main difference is the timing of budding. If in the spring you are offered a flowering bush in a pot - this is Erica. In heather, buds appear in late summer or early autumn. Even after the end of flowering, they retain their former appearance, so the bushes delight gardeners until spring, until last year's inflorescences are cut.
If you have to make a choice between two cultures, then keep in mind that heather is less capricious. It does not require shelter in frosts, it grows well on acidic soil. But Erica often drops out. This is due to the fact that supermarkets mainly sell specimens that do not winter well in the middle lane.
Heathers of different varieties have been living in my garden for five years now. I successfully propagated them and got a small heather garden. Bought Erica did not survive the second winter.
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I purchased a heather seedling in a container two years ago at the end of winter. I checked the roots - they were alive, not dry. I added fresh soil, watered it and put it on a cool, light windowsill. Within a month, she only moistened the substrate as needed. In April, when the weather was warm, she planted heather in the garden in a sunny place with well-drained soil.
I added a mixture of peat, sand and well-rotted coniferous compost (3: 1: 1) to the hole, which I took in the forest under a spruce from a depth of 5-8 cm. When planting, I left the root collar at the soil level.
BECAUSE THE HEATHER LOVES ACID SOIL, SUPPLEMENTED IT WITH A LITERAL ACID SOLUTION (1 CHL. / 5-7L WATER), WELL SPILLING THE SOIL AROUND.
The first flowers (purple hue) appeared at the end of July. Thanks to the unusual scaly leaves, the twigs remained decorative in late autumn. For the winter, as a safety net, I poured small chips to the seedling and covered it with spruce branches from frost. In early spring, I removed the shelter, slightly trimmed the branches (cut off the asymmetrical and weak ones) so that the bush would grow compact.
Last summer I admired a more lush bloom, which attracted many bees to the garden. And so that the heather would not be lonely, in August I acquired another container specimen (only with white flowers) and planted it at a distance of 0,5 m from the first one using the same technology, but watered it more often, since it was still quite hot in the garden. For the winter I covered it with a light spruce "fur coat". In the new season, I plan to propagate my pets by layering or root cuttings, since I really want to create a heather garden on my site.
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When can and how to plant heathers from pots in open ground? What formula should I prepare for them?
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- Container heathers are planted in August-early September or in spring (seedlings with open roots are undesirable). The plant is preliminarily placed in water for 1 hour.
The hole should be twice the size of the root ball, in depth - 25-35 cm + 5-8 cm for laying drainage (broken brick, gravel, expanded clay). Remember, a lowland with stagnant water will instantly destroy plants, and this is not immediately noticeable: heathers retain leaves and flowers for a long time, although the bushes are already lifeless.
FOR LANDING, IT IS NECESSARY IN ADVANCE TO MIX THE CONIFEROUS DUMP, PEAT SAND (2: 3: 1).
Instead of litter, a well-rotted (3-4 years old) straw-manure bedding from the barn is also used. With it, they also lay a special compost with sour peat and sand (2: 2: 1), which is then poured under the bushes after planting.
The planting mixture is poured onto the drainage, 1 tsp is added. AVA granules and mix. The seedling, along with the lump, is placed in the hole and water is poured. Then sprinkle with soil and squeeze carefully. The root collar should remain at ground level. Mulch with peat, crushed bark or chips of coniferous trees.
Elena MARASANOVA, agronomist
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At the end of March, when heather comes out of hibernation, I put the plants in order - I cut the bushes to the height of faded peduncles, each branch separately, and not “along the line”. It is important to do this procedure before the growth of the shoots begins, otherwise pruning will not benefit, but harm. At the same time, I remove all broken and dried branches.
If during the winter the soil sank and the root neck rose, add a mixture of compost, sand and peat (in equal parts). I mulch the bushes with a shallow pine bark with a layer of 2 cm.
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Please tell us about the features of growing heather. I know that he manifests his beauty in the fall, when most of the plants fade in the garden.
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To grow heather, you should follow some rules. First of all, the plant will gratefully accept the relocation to a sunny place, but can easily transfer light penumbra, which will allow planting it in various parts of the garden.
The first. This plant will feel great in the sour high-moor peat. And transplanting heathers, strive to find just such a soil. If there is none, prepare yourself a mixture of regular peat with sawdust, fallen needles and sand (any proportions, the main thing is that the pH of the mixture should be 4-5). On 1 apt. m area is also desirable to make 80-100 g of sulfur.
The second. Before planting seedlings prepared soil should be shed with acidified water. On 1 apt. m planting spend 3 liters of solution (1 tsp. of citric acid or 30 ml of apple or alcohol 9% vinegar). After that, immediately begin landing.
Third. From the pots they take out saplings and knead the root ball with their hands. In this case, the roots, if they are intertwined in a dense lump, it is desirable to divide. Plant should be at a distance 40-50 cm between the bushes. After planting, the ground around them is compacted, and the plants themselves are watered.
I want to note that heathers with golden leaf color may suffer from low temperatures, so before starting the onset of these cold weather plantings, it is necessary to cover the 1-2 layer with nonwoven material, and root root system with peat, sawdust, fallen needles or bark with a layer of 3-5 see
Fourth. Heather care is watering, top dressing, weeding and pruning.
It should be noted that this plant looks great next to rhododendrons and conifers. At the same time, the needles, which will fall off, will begin to acidify the soil and create the natural layer of mulch needed by the heather, and will also serve as a natural insulant of the root system.