Heather care: Ensuring vibrant blooms throughout autumn

Heather is rightly regarded as a symbol of autumn. After all, during this time of year, they captivate us with their beautiful inflorescence. How should we properly care for them? Just remember an essential rule after purchasing them. They will repay us with beautiful flowers.

They are easy to cultivate and look beautiful in gardens and on window sills. However, to bloom profusely, we need to provide them with the right conditions. Here are some tips on what to pay particular attention to.

Many people have already started looking for new autumn flowers. Heathers are incredibly popular for a good reason, as early varieties start blooming towards the end of August. By choosing them, we can be sure that when other plants have faded, they will continue to delight us with their flowers.

When bringing home a new seedling, it is best to replant it immediately into a new, slightly larger pot or put it in the garden. Unfortunately, few people realise that these flowers are often sold in too-small pots.

Plants purchased from a garden store or grower should be placed in a pot with a minimum diameter of 15 centimetres and equipped with drainage holes. The soil should have a pH between 3.5 and 5 and be acidic, humus-rich, and peat-based. It is worth spreading mulch on the surface, such as pine bark, sawdust, or pine needles.

Heather loves slightly moist soil, so do not let it dry out. However, do not overdo it, as their roots tend to rot. It's better to water them more frequently but not too heavily.

It is important to remember that heather is a perennial plant, so before the first significant frosts, it needs to be properly protected with winter agro textiles. It should also be watered abundantly before that. In the spring, the flowers should be pruned.