Heather - an evergreen shrub plant, dotted with small flowers resembling bells, all kinds of shades of white, pink lilac, purple and violet. The most common species in nature is heather common, and for growing at home, two of its "close relatives" are best suited: heather slender and heather wintering.
Description
Heather slender is an elegant spreading shrub about 40 cm high. Leaflets are small, located on thin branches opposite. Flowers, 5-10 mm in size, of a bright red-pink color are located on 4 pieces at the tips of the side shoots. Heather hibernating a little higher, he reaches a half-meter tall, larger and his flowers are white, the length of which reaches 2 cm.
Growing conditions
Heather is extremely picky about the soil, best of all it feels in acid sandy and peaty substrata. The plant likes bright lighting and can not stand the heat, so for best results it is best to grow heather at home, creating a suitable microclimate and constantly ventilating the room. For the off-season period, you can take the heather in a pot on the street. The optimum temperature for shrubbery is 8-25 ° C in summer and 11-15 ° C in winter.
Heather room: planting and care
At home, heather, as a rule, is cultivated as an annual plant. You can save it for further cultivation - to do this, after the flowering, you should make a full cycle of fertilizing, and then - circumcision.
When choosing a planting material for heather growing at home, the following should be considered:
- the root system must be closed;
- shoots should be flexible, densely covered with foliage and end with a vegetative bud.
The depth of the heather pot must exceed the length of the roots. If the landing is carried out in large decorative containers or boxes, the distance between the shoots should be at least 30 cm. The root neck should be deepened to the ground
.Care for heather at home
The main care for heather, as well as for any other indoor plant, is watering. He is very sensitive to chlorine and other impurities, which are "rich" tap water, so it is better to defend water in advance, clean or collect rainwater.
Often, the root system of the heather is located on the surface, so the substrate can not be loosened, but the plant gratefully "responds" to regular mulching .
The basic principles of care for heather at home:
- regular fertilizing with special mineral fertilizers in the period of active growth - in autumn and summer, and after flowering;
- do not allow the substrate to dry out;
- In the warm season, regular spraying of leaves is required to prevent pest infestation;
- If the heather is grown as a perennial plant, then an annual transplant is required with preservation of the earth coma;
- heather loves fresh air, but is afraid of drafts;
- it is necessary to control the acidity of the soil and, if necessary, "acidify" it with sawdust ;
- To stimulate flowering, hemp pruning is used. Do it better after the end of flowering with the preservation of the shape of the bush, pruning the necrotic parts of the shoots.
Reproduction of heather
Heather reproduces by dividing the bush during transplant, cuttings and seeds. At home, the latter method is often used, since it is available at any time of the year. The main thing is to create a suitable microclimate - a temperature of 18-20 ° C, humidity and then in 3-4 weeks you can expect the appearance of the first shoots.