Keep vanilla flower on the balcony

Location on the balcony

Heliotrope needs a sunny or at least partially shaded one Location to prosper well. The non-winter-hardy flowering plant may only be put in the open when no more night frosts are to be expected.

The right substrate

You can the Vanilla flower as a mixed planting with other balcony flowers in commercially available Potting soil set. Since Heliotrope prefers very permeable soils, you have to pay attention to good drainage. A thin layer Expanded clay(€ 16.36 at Amazon *) in the planters is therefore recommended.

Pour enough

Never let the root ball dry out completely, because the vanilla flower is just as sensitive to this as it is to waterlogging. Always water when the top inches of the substrate feel dry (thumb sample).

How is fertilization done?

In contrast to many flowering plants, heliotrope requires little fertilizer. Dose half of the specified amount of a commercially available liquid fertilizer once a month. Also a low dose

Slow release fertilizer or Fertilizer stick(€ 9.82 at Amazon *) are well tolerated.

If you repot annually at the solstice, you can even dispense with additional fertilization altogether.

Clean regularly

Seed formation costs the plant a lot of strength. You should therefore remove the faded flower umbels at least once a week.

Overwinter

Heliotrope is not hardy and has to move into the house before the temperatures drop below five degrees. The ideal location during hibernation is:

• cool
• Frost free
• bright

Since the plant stops growing during this time, just enough water is poured so that the substrate does not dry out completely.

In the spring

Remove withered leaves and all dried up parts of the plant in spring. A pruning ensures that the solstice sprouts strong and richly branched.