We grow heather, planting and care features

Do not be upset if you got a summer cottage on poor acidified soils. Use heather for the design of the territory, planting and leaving will allow you to get wonderful decorative thickets that give the cottage a magical mysterious atmosphere. At the beginning of summer, the flower bed acquires an autumn flavor: among the shrub covered with dark green foliage, there are specimens in which white, yellowish and orange leaves cover low bushes.

In July, the air is filled with a heady aroma, and clusters of white, pink, purple flowers bloom on the branches. The cultivation of this evergreen shrub is possible even in areas where the owners come only on weekends.

The whims of a little bush

A small evergreen bush is not afraid of frosts: it can survive in the tundra. The plant is not afraid of a small shade, as it is used to growing in coniferous forests under tall pines. Although the complete absence of the sun, the bush is unlikely to like it. Heather loves acidic soils not rich in nutrients: sands, sphagnum bogs.

The plant cannot be called a long-liver; cultivation lasts no more than 30 years, adding 2 cm per year. During this time, a rounded decorative crown is formed. The height from the ground to the top is about 60 cm. Breeders have bred varieties with different flowering periods. If you skillfully combine them, you can arrange a recreation area on the site, drowning all summer in flowering thickets with a unique aroma.

The evergreen plant does not shed its leaves for the winter, it does not need to be covered, protected from frost. Such winter hardiness is characteristic of varieties that have retained their natural endurance and survival, elite varieties have paid for their beauty with resistance to natural conditions. They are weaker, do not tolerate severe frosts, and require shelter for the winter. For inexperienced growers, it is better to start growing with semi-wild varieties.

Where heather likes to live

In nature, this shrub grows in the penumbra of pine forests or in open meadows. Create the same conditions for him in the open field: let the shade of the tree foliage cover the flowering thickets at noon, and in the morning and evening they bask in cool rays. The heather will survive in the bright sun, but the flowers will be small and wither quickly. Planting heather in full shade is also undesirable: the bushes will not please you with lush flowering.

If you are setting up a decorative corner in a swampy lowland, be sure to arrange good drainage. Heather loves moist, but not wet soil; if there is an excess of water, it will die. In arid places, the bush will live, it will feel especially great in winter, only a lush crown will not develop in it and after a few years the buds will no longer form. If you want to create your pets in optimal conditions, place them on an alpine slide. The rocky coating will prevent moisture from completely evaporating, and excess water will drain down.

In order for the plants to develop well, the distance between them should be at least 50 cm. In order not to purchase extra planting material, make a calculation based on the area of ​​the flower bed. For every m² you can plant either 8 specimens of high varieties or 12 small bushes. With this arrangement, the bushes form a beautiful green carpet, and will not suffer from crowding.

How heather multiplies

You can purchase the planting material at flower shops. Please note that the shrub does not tolerate transplanting well.With the development of the root system, a mycelium is formed around it, thanks to this symbiosis, heather can grow on poor soils: underground fungi supply it with nutrients. If you buy a plant with clean roots, the bush will have to take root for a long time and create an appropriate environment around itself. It is better to purchase seedlings in containers that can be cut and placed in open ground, the root system along with a lump of soil and underground inhabitants.

You can buy a bush with green leaves, plant it according to all the rules, but after a while the plant will die. Perhaps you purchased an already dead seedling, this shrub does not immediately shed its foliage after death. You can choose a healthy plant for several reasons:

1. The twigs bend well.
2. New buds appear lighter in color than old ones.
3. The soil in the container is well moistened.

You can propagate heather by seed. To do this, put grains on a wet soil, sprinkle them with earth and cover with a film. Seedlings appear in a month, then the cultivation of seedlings at home continues for a year and a half. In summer, take out the pots to fresh air, there the plants will develop better. Grown up bushes can be planted in open ground.

It is much easier to obtain planting material by cuttings or dividing the bush. In the fall, cut off the tops of the flowering shoots and plant them in pots of soil. For better rooting, the slices can be dipped in a root stimulant. It is undesirable to dig and transplant the bushes, but if necessary, you can separate a part of the plant along with the root system with a shovel and transplant it to another place.

Planting young bushes

The best time to plant bushes in open ground is spring. By autumn, the plants will root well, get stronger and gain strength for wintering. It can be planted in autumn, but then there is no guarantee that the heather will tolerate the cold season well. Work in the late afternoon so that the hot sun does not prevent the seedlings from taking root.

Dig holes 25 cm deep and pour over them with slightly acidic water. Place the roots of the plant in the hole and spread them out so that the shoots are horizontal. Bury the plant and lightly shake the ground around it. Be sure to water the plantings so that the soil lies tightly without air spaces.

After planting, cover the ground under the plants. Can be used sawdust, peat, compost, just be sure to add to the forest soil mulch. It contains the mycelium, which heather needs to obtain nutrients. Cover the surface with fine gravel or pebbles, they will reduce the evaporation of moisture.

Caring for unpretentious bushes

Heather care consists of several simple operations:

• watering,
• spraying,
• pruning.

Plants have a dense but short root system. When the top layer of the soil dries out, the shrub begins to suffer from a lack of moisture. Moisten the soil under the plantings constantly so that they are not thirsty. Loves heather and humid air, spray it morning and evening and the bush will always look fresh.

Advice! Install a drip irrigation system under the heather bushes to ensure constant and even soil moisture.

Young bushes that have not yet released buds do not need to be trimmed. In adult specimens, prune old branches after flowering. To increase the decorativeness of the flower garden, give the crown a beautiful shape when pruning. Try to cut off young branches and preserve as much as possible those that have already become stiff: new branches will develop from them.

Heather is used to living in cold regions, winter frosts are not terrible for him. Only too much cold with strong winds and no snow cover can damage. If you experience this kind of weather, cover the bushes with spruce branches for the winter. Do not forget to remove the shelter in the spring so that the plants begin to develop with the first warmth.

Pests almost never attack heather, they do not like tough leaves. Plants rarely get sick, but if you notice a brown tint on the leaves, or wilting of the upper part of the shoots, the bush has been struck by a fungal infection. To prevent this from happening, make sure that moisture does not stagnate in the soil, and do not overfeed the plants with fertilizers. Treat diseased specimens with antifungal drugs. If parts of the bush begin to deform or change color, the bush is damaged by a virus. Dig up and burn diseased specimens, and treat the earth and healthy plants with disinfectants.

Output. If you like exotic, decor with a touch of mysticism, mystery - plant heather in the garden. Create an alpine slide with rhododendrons, ferns, low conifers and heather thickets, and you get an excellent corner for rest and relaxation. You can plant varieties with flowers of different shades and create a colorful arrangement. A wonderful scent will add its own touch to the perception of an exotic landscape.

When choosing varieties, one should take into account that the more the breeders have worked on the species, the more capricious the plant turned out to be. Varieties that are not much different from their wild ancestors do not require much maintenance, they only need moist soil. Bushes obtained by numerous crosses and cross-pollinations are more demanding both in care and in growing conditions. Start with simple specimens, they are also very beautiful and will help create a unique design for a summer cottage.