How to Grow Potted Heath (Erica) and Points to Note

The most important thing in growing potted plants is to understand the plant's growth habits, and then, through daily care, to gradually build an intuitive feel for the plant's growth state. Of course, at the very beginning, what gives us confidence and support is still some written knowledge; it is the foundation for growing potted plants well, and also a kind of reference for practical operation.

How to grow potted heath (Erica)

Plants of the genus Erica differ from other kinds of potted plants in that they need a fairly long cultivation period. Erica should be cultivated starting from January to March; from June to July, move the cuttings into pots 5 to 8 cm in diameter filled with clay soil. From November to March of the following year, move the cuttings again into pots 11 cm in diameter. In the winter of the 1st to 2nd year of cultivation, Erica plants should be stored in a greenhouse at 3°C. In the following spring, when the weather warms up and Erica plants enter the development stage, prepare to put them outdoors. By then, Erica plants will go through 3 growth periods outdoors.

These 3 growth periods can be defined by accumulated temperature:

The 1st stage outdoors is the general growth period, requiring a total accumulated temperature of 810°C;

The 2nd stage is the development period, when the plant needs an accumulated temperature of 1210°C;

The 3rd stage is the flowering period, generally at the end of September, with an accumulated temperature of 1770°C.

Heath growing methods and points to note

1. Soil

For growing heath, fertile acidic soil is generally best; the soil should be loose, airy and well drained, and peat soil can be used.

2. Light and temperature

Heath likes a cool climate and requires ample light. It can tolerate cold but fears high temperatures; the growing temperature is between 15℃——35℃. In winter it should not be too cold, and in summer it is best not to exceed 35℃, so timely shading is needed. As for light, natural light is generally required, but it must be ample.

3. Watering and fertilizing

Heath has low requirements for fertilizer, which is generally applied together with watering. When watering, the water is best treated first, and the best time to water is in the morning. The demand for fertilizer is not high, but sufficient nutrients and a balance of various elements must be ensured. Fertilizing can promote flowering in heath, but generally after August, fertilizing should be stopped.

4. Heath propagation methods

Heath is generally propagated mainly by cuttings, carried out in November, and can also be done in summer. In addition, sowing propagation and layering propagation can also be used; for layering, the air layering method is generally adopted.

Heath cutting propagation method

Heath cutting propagation can be done in summer, though November is generally chosen for cuttings. Choose relatively robust branches and generally cut them to about 3——4 cm. Treat the cuttings for rooting and insert them into a seedling pot; the soil is best a mix of sand and peat.

After heath is cut, it needs to be kept in a shaded place for care, with the temperature maintained at 15℃——25℃; be careful not to let it get too high. Roots will form one month after cutting.

Once heath has rooted, normal care is all that is needed, but during the growth period the tips need to be pinched off in time. In April, the small heath seedlings can be transplanted into pots and kept in a greenhouse for care until the heath has grown enough roots.

The flower meaning of heath

Heath symbolizes lonely yet happy love, and its flower meaning is loneliness. Gazing at the wilderness covered with heath in Scotland, you can feel the sense of desolation that heath brings. In Bronte's novel Wuthering Heights, the lonely Heathcliff is buried in this land of Scotland. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the place where he hears the witches' prophecy is also a wilderness full of heath……

Heath's growth has three fairly distinct stages, very similar to human growth: one is the growth period, one is the development period, and another is the flowering period. So, to care well for heath, we need to start from the growth needs of these three stages and seek the correct growing methods for heath.