Greetings, my dear readers. That's how it turns out: the cold is coming at us in full swing, and we have whims, more abruptly than those of pregnant ladies. Then give us conifers, but now we want honey plants. Looking at my indefatigable friend, who, it seems to me, does nothing else but her greens, I involuntarily recall the good old anecdote: “Monsieur knows a lot about perversions!” Is it possible to replace “monsieur” with “madame” - and yes.

Back to the origins of the plant. We find the first mention of it in ancient legends. According to legend, the Plants were invited to settle on the slopes of barren hills, which for some reason were not yet decorated with any vegetation. The plants responded to the Creator with a decisive refusal, and only heather dutifully agreed. And as a reward for humility, he was generously rewarded by God, having received as a gift a honey-bearing aroma, indescribable beauty and unpretentiousness. Especially valuable is heather honey, which, according to the assurances of old-timers, can prolong beauty and youth. I don’t presume to say how true this is, but the fact that it is heather honey in all its properties that is far superior to all other types and varieties of honey has been scientifically proven. In fairness, I note that, unfortunately, it tastes much more modest than other types of honey.

Heather refers to creeping perennial shrubs . Belongs to the heather family and is the only representative of the species. It has at least twenty decorative varieties. Designed for garden cultivation. Refers to healing honey plants. Erica can be considered a related plant, which also belongs to the heather family, being, however, a representative of a different species. By the way, Erica is often mistaken for heather, which is not entirely correct.

The height of the heather is relatively small and is only thirty to seventy centimeters. But the decorativeness of this plant simply cannot be compared with anything. Heather blooms with small and very fragrant flowers of small size. They are somewhat very similar to the bells collected from the inflorescence. The stems, very bushy, seem to be buried in a silk coverlet of delicate flowers. And even the leaves of this wonderful plant are not decorative. They seem to be rolled into small tubes. By the way, it is thanks to this small feature of heather that it is often confused with juniper until flowering begins. And it starts towards the end of summer. Heather is especially beautiful after the onset of the first frost - it is at these moments that heather foliage acquires yellowish-crimson hues.

And the inflorescences, even being slightly frostbitten, steadfastly hold on to the branches, as if not wanting to leave their native places - how beautiful and touching it is, my friends! The decorativeness of heather is truly difficult to overestimate. Well, a very exquisite plant. Landscape designers prefer to combine heather plantations with dwarf conifers, decorating them with garden paths, curbs and alpine slides.

Interesting fact: heather took so long to adapt to survival on the most seemingly infertile soils and places that it achieved symbiosis with the simplest fungal microorganisms. It is from them that he receives help in obtaining nutrients from depleted soil. In fact, if you look closely at the root system, you will see that it is simply located in the networks of mushroom threads. Fungi, in turn, are literally fed by the vital forces of the plant, so there is practically no need for heather fertilizer. That is how, thanks to the care of mother nature, heather survives without any problems in the most meager conditions.

Now let's go over briefly the features of the soil, which are preferred for the fastest and most effective growth heather. Heather grows well in climatic conditions middle lane our great and mighty country. And if the soil on your site is also acidic, weakly fertilized and loose, consider that ideal growing conditions for heather have been created. He loves to be in open sunny places, although he can tolerate a little shading. But heather is unlikely to endure alkaline or calcareous soil. If you are planting heather in flowerpots or garden containers, mix three parts peat moss, part sand, part softwood soil and part sawdust and mix well. Are you an idealist? We agreed, then go straight to the forest for coniferous land and dig it at a depth of at least five to six centimeters. If, by some miracle, you already have some high-moor peat, you can do without sand at all. Each cubic meter of earth can be additionally enriched with 70-80 grams of sulfur.

So, consider planting heather on the site

To begin with, arm yourself with a shovel and remove the top soil layer, after which it must be replaced with prepared soil mixture. After that, the soil is slightly trampled down - you can even just walk on it in small steps, the effect will be achieved. Next, the soil needs acidification - water it. For irrigation, you can use a solution of ten liters of water and one hundred grams of six percent apple cider vinegar.

And do not think that heather can only be planted in the spring. We knowingly bought it now, because landing before winter is also quite acceptable. Of course, when planted in the spring, it will be much easier for heather to take root, so it will be much easier for him to survive the winter. You can plant it in almost any way, except for seed. If you want to get by with little blood, don't take the seeds. After all, there are seedlings, layering, bush delenki, apical cuttings, after all.

Take at least layering, for example. Layering, so that you understand, heather is able to multiply without your intervention. Old heather trunks, including twigs, begin to lie down and take root on their own - this is how a new numerous growth appears. So in case you plan to allocate a specific area in your flower garden or garden for heather, you should enclose it for your own convenience with an artificial fence or build some kind of barrier. If, on the contrary, you also decided to help this wonderful plant a little, sprinkle the lodging shoots with at least a two-centimeter layer of peat. If you properly fix the resulting mound, a year later you will already have ready-made strong seedlings that are simply separated from the mother plant and planted in separate holes.

Now with regard to planting heather seedlings

Distance between planting holes should be at least half a meter apart. The landing hole itself should be at least twice the size of the root volume. Before you plant heather, there is one more important detail you should know: Their root system grows horizontally, but when you buy a ready-made container seedling, the roots look crowded towards the center. So: they need to be straightened! The seedling is dug only up to the level of the root collar. At the end of planting, the soil is slightly compacted - this can even be done by hand. Seedlings need abundant watering and subsequent mulching with peat. Peat may well be replaced by sawdust or chips of conifer bark. Exactly conifers accumulate in the bark mycorrhiza, which is necessary for heather, like air. If the soil in your area is clayey, be sure to take care of drainage. You can line the bottom of the landing hole with pebbles, rubble, broken bricks. The main thing is that the layer should not be thinner than two or three centimeters.

Well, if you still do not have enough extreme in life, go for the seeds. I'll warn you right now - this is not for the faint of heart. Forces and time you will kill a lot! Prepare the bowls, in which the seeds are poured with a two-centimeter layer, after which they must be moistened and cover the bowls with a glass lid. Seed germination begins only in the third week. That's when it's time for them to "move" into wooden boxes. We have already discussed the soil composition, as far as I remember.

You will receive a full-fledged seedling in about a month.. In order for it to develop in full force, it is necessary to maintain the temperature at a level of no more than 18-20 degrees. Also, the soil should be constantly slightly moistened. If the seedlings are driven out during the summer, take the boxes out at least occasionally to fresh air. And it's not over yet. So that you understand the full scale of the tragedy, plant heather in open ground earlier than two years, it is still impossible. In general, do you need it?

Let's dwell on this question so that you have the opportunity to carefully consider it from all sides. Goodbye my good ones.

PS: heather is easiest to propagate by dividing the rhizome. By the end of summer, you just need to dig up a bush of heather and cut it into pieces. root system, but we do not shake off the earth! On each division there should be young sprouts. We get rid of the old stems - everything is ready, you can plant it.

Heathers, planting and caring for which are of interest to many, are legendary plants. They grow in many countries of Europe and several myths are associated with them. By nature, this plant is hardy, unpretentious, and is also one of the best honey plants. Those who are fanatical about landscape design of their site, they simply must pay attention to the heathers. Planting and caring for them are simple, appearance very effective. And the flowering time is long. In addition, even after flowering, the heather shrub remains very decorative. Because after drying, his brushes do not lose their bright shade and shape.

Heathers. Planting and caring for flowers

This plant is not very tall - it never exceeds a meter. Heather foliage can be of various shades: in addition to green, it can be bronze, yellowish and even red. Flowers small, goblet. They are collected in medium-sized inflorescences resembling a brush. In nature, they most often have a lilac soft shade.

Ornamental heathers (planting and caring for them are simple) can bloom with white, crimson, cyclamine flowers. The first half of the year - until about August - the plants adorn the garden mainly with foliage. But after flowering and until late autumn, they delight with a palette of bright brushes. The gardener must take care of a number of conditions that will allow him to grow a bright and lush heather on his site. Moderate sun or partial shade, acidic soil, high humidity- part of them. But you don't need to feed the heather. For the winter, it would be good to insulate it with sawdust, humus, needles or shredded bark mulch. In addition to shelter, it also slightly acidifies the soil, and also retains moisture in it. Heather is propagated by aerial layering in the spring before pruning. The branch is bent to the ground, fixed and covered with earth. Layers will quickly develop the root system. You just need to carefully monitor the level of moisture. Heather is a plant that is very resistant to almost all pests, except late blight. Forming is carried out once a year, after flowering. This stimulates the formation of more lush brushes on next year. At the same time, it is necessary to avoid giving the shrub unnecessarily its charm in a kind of "shaggy".

Heather in the culture and life of different countries

The wastelands overgrown with this plant cover a significant part of Europe. It also exists in Siberia, in the northern part of Africa, in North America (immigrants from Great Britain brought it there). In Scotland, heather was widely used for the production of mattresses and brooms. And the dye, which is extracted from this plant, was used to decorate national clothes. Heather - honey plant. It is often planted near apiaries. Heather ale has been a traditional drink produced in Scotland since the second century AD. Dabetia and Andromeda are two more plants from the heather family that are similar to each other. They are more winter hardy. By the way, heather is used in homeopathy - it has the ability to lower blood pressure and a slight diuretic effect.