Here's how to do it right

Time for pruning depends on the flowering time

So that the heather plants do not bare from below, but always sprout beautifully and bloom, you have to prune them vigorously at least once a year. The right time depends on the type and their heyday from, whereby spring as a cutting time is never wrong. Cut the plants to within a hand's breadth above the ground. You can also make an autumn cut on the summer heather, but you can do this on the It is better to refrain from winter heather - otherwise you cut off the flower buds and thus prevent one Blossom.

Cut cuttings

The heather family is great for spring increase by loweringHowever, cuttings are the fastest way to quickly obtain large numbers of young plants. Both the heather plants and the common heather are propagated by so-called cracks, which are cut in July.

What are "cracks"?

Strictly speaking, cracks are not cut, but torn from the plant. A tongue of bark remains, which is cut off except for a short remainder. The high concentration of growth hormones in the bark tongue has a beneficial effect on the rooting. If you do not want to be too brutal with your plants, you can of course also cut the cuttings.

Propagate heather by cuttings

The propagation of cuttings in heather plants works best using the following method:

• Remove young side shoots (approx. five to eight centimeters long) from the main shoot,
• by tearing them off at the bottom.
• A tongue of bark remains from the main shoot.
• Make sure to choose branches without flowers and flower buds if possible.
• Twigs with flower buds take root more slowly.
• Plant the cuttings in a mixture of equal parts sand, peat and bog soil.
• Cover them with a clear plastic wrap.
• After about three weeks you can gradually remove the plastic film.
• Don't forget to water regularly.
• Shading is necessary in very hot weather.