A Detailed Guide to the Planting Methods and Key Technical Points for Heliotrope

Heliotrope, also known as cherry pie plant. Its leaves are deep green, thick and plump, and wrinkled. The flowers are small, gathered into fuzzy ball-like clusters, violet or purple in color, with a special alluring fragrance that is refreshing and delightful. When the temperature is suitable, flowers can be enjoyed all year round, but blooming is most abundant from April to June. The flowers contain aromatic oil, which can be extracted for making floral-fragrance cosmetics.

How to grow heliotrope

1. Its physiological cycle is very stable. Other plants need sunlight to bloom, but heliotrope will bloom even in the dark. It needs plenty of fertilizer; apply fertilizer about every ten days. Its root system is very well developed and its absorption capacity is also very strong, and it grows quickly. During the seedling stage, pinch off the growing tips so that its plant shape becomes fuller.

2. Heliotrope can be propagated by cuttings throughout all four seasons, but spring and autumn are the best times for cuttings. If propagating indoors, do it in March; for softwood cuttings, do it in May. From cutting to flowering takes only two months. If we sow heliotrope seeds, choose the autumn period, because its seeds have a very short lifespan and can be stored for at most one year. So the seeds we harvest must be sown promptly, which gives a better germination rate; they will sprout in one month.

3. For heliotrope, choose fertile, loose soil with good drainage. Mix four parts garden soil, three parts compost, two parts sandy soil and one part plant ash. From seedling raising to flowering takes about three months. Its root system is well developed, and its fibrous roots also grow vigorously, so during this period we should repot it twice, which allows its root system to develop better.

4. After we move heliotrope into a pot, we should start pinching off the growing tips from the seedling stage, which allows it to branch more and bloom more. However, plants that need to be repotted for cultivation should also have their tips pinched, which allows them to form a dense and rounded plant shape. If we want to cultivate a large plant shape, we can prop it up with a support, then pinch off all the side buds, which allows the branches to grow outward. After its stems grow taller, pinch the tips once more, so that it grows into an umbrella-shaped plant.

5. Heliotrope likes to grow in places with some air humidity. Spring is when it grows vigorously. At this time we should keep its potting soil moist, neither very dry nor too wet, otherwise its leaves will turn yellow. In spring and autumn, water it once a day; in summer it grows relatively slowly, so we water it twice a day; in winter, do not water it too much, water it once every four days.

6. We should fertilize heliotrope generously. One week after potting, we can apply fertilizer once. During its growth, apply decomposed cake fertilizer water once a week, or fermented chicken manure liquid, and apply a compound fertilizer once every half month. In winter, indoor temperatures are low, and in summer the temperature is relatively hot, so fertilization can be stopped in these two seasons.

7. In summer, when the temperature exceeds 30 degrees, heliotrope will enter a dormant state. If it is exposed to strong sunlight, its leaves will turn yellow and wither. So in summer we should move it to a shady place to grow it. The suitable temperature for its growth is between 15 degrees and 25 degrees. In winter, if the indoor temperature is kept above 13 degrees, it will still bloom. Grown in a greenhouse, it will bloom throughout the year. In winter the temperature must not be lower than 7 degrees; when the temperature reaches 0 degrees, it will suffer cold damage.

Propagation methods

The propagation methods for heliotrope are mainly sowing and cuttings; the commonly used one is cutting propagation.

Notes on growing heliotrope

Pruning and shaping: After heliotrope is transplanted into a pot, pinch off the growing tips in time, which can increase branching and blooming. You can also pinch the tips multiple times to control the plant shape of heliotrope.

Pests and diseases: As heliotrope grows, the plant may show signs of aging, and there may be damage from scale insects.