Planting, caring for and cutting snow heather

The snow heath (Erica carnea) is also known as winter heather in some regions and beautifies every garden or balcony with its early flowering between January and April.

If you want to look at flowering plants in winter, you can plant snow heather, also known as winter heather, on the balcony or in the garden. We will give you a brief profile of the snow heather and explain how to properly cultivate and care for this special plant and how to get it through the winter.

Snow heather: flowering time and properties

In almost all gardens numerous flowering plants can be admired during the summer, but in winter it usually looks a bit bare. The snow heather blooming in winter (

Erica carnea) offers a beautiful exception with its flowering splendor. Because of the winter flowering, the branched dwarf shrub is also called spring or winter heather. It belongs to the heather genus (erica) and is therefore part of the heather family (Ericaceae). The snow heath is native to western, central and southern Europe and parts of Morocco, where it can be found from lowlands to high alpine areas.

The arching, upright, evergreen branches of the dwarf shrub, which grows to a maximum height of 30 cm, are covered with needle-shaped leaves that remain on the plant all year round. The snow heather usually blooms from January to April and is therefore one of the snow and early bloomers. The flower buds are already formed in the autumn of the previous year. The multi-flowered, racemose inflorescences grow along only one side of the single branch, with the hermaphrodite flowers having a double sheath. In the wild form, they consist of a reddish sepal and a white, pink or reddish colored petal. Eight conspicuous dark stamens protrude from the interior. During later droughts during the summer, the lightweight seeds are released, which can be blown by the wind as granules.

Is the snow heather bee-friendly? Because of its early flowering time, the snow heather is an important bee pasture and provides nectar as soon as it swarms out. For the snow heather itself, the insects are necessary for pollination. It is also an important forage plant for the caterpillars of the heather owl (Anarta myrtilli) and the heather flower moth (Eupithecia nanata).

The most beautiful Erica carnea varieties

There are a number of decorative winter heather varieties that differ in their flower colour, flowering time, leaf shape and color. Here you will find a portrait of three of the most beautiful varieties:

• 'Isabelle': The sort Erica carnea 'Isabell' is a winter heather in white and flowers between February and April. It grows very flat with a maximum of 15 cm. The leaves of the 'Isabell' are light green in colour.
• 'Rosalie': The flowers of the variety Erica carnea 'Rosalie' are bright pink in color and bloom from January to May. The branches of the plant grow up to 30 cm high and are covered with lush green leaves.
• 'winter sun': The cultivar counts for its bright, dense, dark pink colored flowers Erica carnea 'Wintersonne' one of the most beautiful winter heather varieties. It blooms between February and May and grows short at around 15 cm. Its light green colored leaves are also extremely distinctive.

Planting winter heather: location, time and procedure

The winter heather comes into its own when it is planted in a larger group of eight to ten plants per square meter at a planting distance of 20 to 30 cm.

Winter heather is very tolerant of soil and does well in sandy, humus-rich, peaty soil with good drainage and an acidic to alkaline pH. The location should be moderately dry to fresh, because the winter heath unfortunately does not tolerate waterlogging and soil compaction. It likes to grow in sites similar to pine and other conifers, or along tree lines, preferring sunny locations. However, it also tolerates partially shaded locations. If you want to plant winter heather in the bed, you need permeable, preferably sandy and humus-rich soil. It is best to mix a good quality potting soil with about 1/3 sand and some compost or organic fertilizer or the improve existing garden soil by adding fresh soil and sand to create ideal growth conditions for the winter heather create. An ideal basis for the plant substrate is ours Plantura organic universal soil, which creates the best conditions for the winter heath thanks to its high nutrient content and the compost it contains. In addition, a high proportion of coconut pulp ensures good water storage capacity at the same time good aeration of the soil, which can prevent root rot, especially on heavy soils.

It is best to plant winter heather in the fall, between September and November. For this, the soil should be dug a little deeper than the root ball is high. The root ball can be briefly dipped in water before it is inserted and covered with soil about a finger's width. It is important not to remove the soil from the root ball as winter heather grows in symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi which could otherwise be destroyed. During the first few weeks you should ensure a constant water supply so that the plant can grow.

Winter heather on the balcony: The winter heather can be cultivated in the balcony box without any problems. It is important to use a hardy balcony box. The same soil-sand mixture is suitable for planting as for planting in beds. In addition, the plant in the box should be watered more frequently, as there is no supply from deeper soil layers.

Planting winter heather: summary

• Planting distance: 20 - 30 cm
• Soil: Sandy, humic, peaty, acidic to alkaline and with good drainage
• Location: Moderately dry to fresh, sunny to semi-shady
• Time: September – November

Care of the winter heath

The winter heather is a fairly undemanding plant that only needs a little care occasionally.

Water and fertilize winter heath

The most important care measure of the winter heath is regular watering, especially during dry periods. It is important not to water too much, as the winter heath does not tolerate waterlogged soil well. During the winter months you should only water the plant on frost-free days. Fertilization is not necessary for the winter heather, as the symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi provides it with a long-term supply of nutrients. Planting in a pot, however, can lead to an iron deficiency over a longer period of time. The potted plants should therefore be planted with a small amount every year hydrangea fertilizer be fertilized or regularly repotted in fresh soil. The addition of yellow sand, which naturally has iron on its surface, also helps prevent shortages.

Cut winter heather

In order to keep the winter heather vital, it is important to cut it regularly. An annual, moderate pruning immediately after flowering is best. After two to three years at the latest, the branches should be cut off just below the inflorescence. This prevents the plant from becoming bare on the inside and promotes flat growth.

tip: If you want to win the seeds of the winter heather and sow them again, you should not cut the flowers in a year, but harvest them after they have dried. The seeds can then be sown in a targeted manner. Of course, you can also leave the sowing to the plants themselves and watch where new winter heather plants sprout in your garden.

Maintain winter heather in summer

During the summer, especially when it is dry, care should be taken to ensure that the winter heath is well supplied with water. On lean locations and in older plants, moderate fertilization can increase the vitality of the plants increase, but is not mandatory due to the already mentioned symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi necessary. If the winter heather is cultivated in a pot, it can be gently fertilized or repotted during the summer months.

increase snow heather

The easiest way to propagate the snow heath is through cuttings. For this purpose, individual branches of the snow heath are cut off deeply in summer and stuck in the ground. It's important to keep the soil consistently moist for two to three weeks to encourage root growth. As soon as the snow heather has developed new roots, it can be planted in its new location.

Is the snow heather hardy?

The snow heath easily tolerates temperatures down to -30 °C and is therefore completely frost hardy. Nevertheless, freshly planted winter heather plants should be protected from too intense winter sun and strong winds, otherwise they can dry out.

Is the winter heather poisonous?

The winter heather is not poisonous, neither for cats, dogs, children nor adults. It is even used in folk and herbal medicine as an infusion or tea.

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