Watering, fertilizing, cutting and more

Does the adder head need fertilizer?

The adder's head basically prefers a rather nutrient-poor soil:

• do not fertilize
• Also do not mix in fertilizer when planting the earth
• too many nutrients make for a rich leaf mass, but a lack of flowering
• every 2 to 3 weeks for bucket culture fertilize (March to September)
• more conventional Flower fertilizer(€ 71.80 at Amazon *) is suitable

How often should you water this perennial?

You should only provide it with water regularly if your adder's head is growing in the bucket. This can be simple tap water. This plant tolerates lime very well. When the soil has dried well at the top, you can water.

If, on the other hand, the adder's head is in the open, it does not need to be watered. He can handle drought and heat well. It owes this to its deep tap root. Therefore, you are spared the constant watering here.

Even if you mean it well: Echium vulgare does not tolerate damp soil. In the worst case, this can cause its roots to rot. You should therefore only water in the early stages so that the plant can take root!

How do you cut the adder's head?

Here, too, there is no effort: the adder's head is simply cut back to the ground in the second year after flowering. He then comes in. Pulling the plant completely out of the ground is difficult due to the deep taproot. Warning: If you want to prevent the adder head from sowing itself, you should cut off the inflorescences as soon as they have withered.

Under which circumstances does it make sense to hibernate?

The common adder's head can tolerate frost without any problems. Species that come from warmer climes, on the other hand, should only be grown as potted plants and put in there in winter. You need a bright winter place.