In a bucket, bed or on the balcony - heather is a plant that thrives almost anywhere. But only if you plant and care for them properly.
Some call it heather, others erika - heather can really be found all over the world, because it can cope with almost every climate. In our latitudes, too, the Erika is not only very popular as a grave decoration, it can also be used in many different ways in garden design. On top of that, you can even create a whole heather garden.
However, this plant is not only popular because of its appearance. It is probably more because the heather is very hardy, so that gardeners hardly have to reckon with losses in the cold season. There is now also a large variety of colors to choose from. In addition to the typical purple, there are also flowers in light green, white, purple and dusky pink.
Design the garden with heather
The design possibilities with heather are almost inexhaustible. For example, you can create an even bed with a single variety and color. However, it looks much more interesting if you combine different flower colors with each other. However, you should not mix the varieties at random, but plant individual groups, each with one variety and 10 to 12 specimens. If you then choose varieties with different flowering times, you will have flowering heather almost all year round.
You shouldn't make the arrangement too symmetrical, because a certain irregularity creates the great effects. In between you can place large stones or tree roots, or set accents with small hills. Incidentally, blueberries, rhododendrons and azaleas harmonize particularly well with heather, because they all like the same soil. Broom, various ornamental grasses and small conifers can also be used to design a heath garden.
The ideal location for the heather
➔ Location:
You can put the heather in full sun. Especially here they produce the most beautiful, most colorful flowers. But even if you choose a spot in semi-shade, the heather will thrive. Dark, shady locations arenot suitable, however, because then the plants hardly form any flowers and also remain slender.
➔ Soil condition:
Normally, the Erika thrives on any surface. But that doesn't mean that it grows equally luxuriantly in every soil and impresses with all its splendour. Acidic soil (pH value 4.5 to 6.5) that is well moistened is ideal for the heather. The soil should be as loose, humus-rich and nutritious as possible, ideally also a bit sandy.
If the garden soil is very calcareous, you can improve it with some bone meal for the heather. Many soils are also a bit too heavy for these plants. You should therefore loosen it up well before planting, enrich it with some peat soil, peat, gravel or sand and dig it up thoroughly. Deep digging is also good for removing weeds that could rob plants of nutrients and light. If you then apply a two centimeter thick layer of bark mulch to the soil, then you have created the best conditions for a splendidly growing Erika.
Planting heather correctly
➔ Planting time:
With heather, a distinction is made between winter heath and summer heath, i.e. depending on when they are in bloom. However, all species are perennial, survive the winter and can basically be planted all year round. However, fall and spring are best for planting. March/April/May or September/October/November are ideal planting times.
➔ Planting distance:
So that each plant gets enough light, you must not place them too close together. The distance between the individual plants should be at least 20 centimeters, better 30 centimeters. Depending on the size of the variety, you can roughly calculate 8 to 20 plants per square meter.
➔ Plant:
First you have to loosen up the area with a rake and then dig the appropriate planting holes. When planting, you must then ensure that the root ball is completely covered with soil up to the upper edge, even after the soil has been planted. Then fill the planting hole back up with soil, press it down firmly and water the plants generously. In order for rapid rooting to take place, you must water regularly, especially after planting, especially when it is very hot and dry in summer.
Proper care of heather
So that you can enjoy the heath for a long time and you can enjoy italways enchanted with their lush growth, you must of course also do something for the care, even if these are basically very easy-care plants.
➔ Cut:
It is best to cut the heather in spring. The summer heather will then sprout stronger again. But even when the flowering period is over, the heather can tolerate a strong pruning. The pruning not only stimulates growth, it also prevents the lower area from becoming bare. Of course, there are varieties that don't grow as luxuriantly, so the pruning of these is correspondingly weaker.
➔ casting:
You always have to keep the soil nice and moist. Even in winter it must never dry out completely. You can use a mulch layer of leaves for this purpose, or you can use a special bog substrate that moisturizes.
➔ Fertilize:
During growth, you should administer a mineral or organic fertilizer such as horn shavings. But you can also fertilize the heather for the first time when planting. Next time after the pruning. In the winter months, however, you should avoid fertilizing the heather.
➔ Fight honey fungus:
The heather is quite robust against pests and diseases. Only the honey fungus can cause great damage to the summer heath. If the white, fan-shaped fungus spreads on the bark of the plant, the heather usually dies. You must then remove the heather as soon as possible. You will also need to replace the soil at this point to prevent the fungus from spreading further.