Have you ever tried creating a heather garden to combat weeds? Such a garden has many advantages. Heather plants are the ideal plants for low-maintenance gardens and they add color to the garden all year round. There are both winter/spring and summer/autumn flowering varieties and many different foliage colors, e.g. B. red, orange, yellow and silver. And of course, heather plants suppress weeds, which is a benefit for every gardener.
Which plants are suitable?
Heather plants bloom in different colors and at different times, giving your garden a colorful look all year round. There are some typical types of heather that you can grow in the garden: gray heather (Erica cinera), English heather (Erica x darleyensis), Cornwall heather (Erica vagans), snow heather (Erica carnea), bell heather (Erica tetralix), broom heather (Calluna vulgaris ) and Irish heather (Daboecia cantabrica).
How do you plant heather?
Planting is very simple. Loosen the soil before planting. Dig holes twice as wide as each plant's root ball to allow the roots to spread. After removing each heather plant from itstook the pot, carefully pull out the roots and distribute them in the planting hole. Heather plants should be planted deep with the lower foliage on the soil surface.
Where to create a heather garden against weeds?
Heather is best planted in beds that are entirely dedicated to itself. Plant heather in open areas, along paths or on slopes. They are suitable for coastal gardens as they tolerate salt spray well, and for rock gardens as they require similarly acidic soils. Avoid planting in dry locations, under trees or in areas exposed to harsh winter winds, as heather, as an evergreen, suffers from desiccation.
How much sun do heather plants need?
You should create a heather garden against weeds so that it is in the shade all or most of the day. If possible, position your heather plants so that the main view is towards the south, as the deciduous heathers always come into their own on their south side. It is best to have heather plantsto plant in one place, where they stand in the sun for more than 6 hours a day and in warmer areas in the shade in the afternoon. Make sure they don't get too much shade or the flowers will be sparse.
What soil do the flowers need?
Erika needs acidic soil that is as moist as possible, but not too wet. They also tolerate very poor, stony soils, but acidity is important. Yellow leaves mean that the soil pH is not acidic enough for the plants.
If you have heavy clay soil, either double dig the soil (up to 2 spades deep) and incorporate plenty of peat or heather compost with a third of sand or grit to improve drainage. This creates a freely draining, acidic soil. Soil that is too acidic can lead to root and stem rot or fungal diseases.
Distances between plants
Air circulation is crucial for plant growth, so the spacing between heather plants must be chosen to allow good air circulation. A good trick is to multiply the square footage of the planting area by 0.44 to determine how many heather plants you need. If you are working in meters, you should plan for 5 plants per square meter. If you have heather as partof a rock garden, use no more than 1 conifer or shrub per 5 square meters.
What care does heather need?
The newly planted flowers will benefit from an initial pruning. This promotes bushy growth. Watering should be regular for the first 3 months to keep the soil moist.
Apply a layer of mulch of bark, peat or heather compost annually to suppress weeds. Fertilize once when planting with Erika plant fertilizer. After that, no further fertilization is usually necessary. Adding some non-flammable fertilizer mixed into the potting soil will encourage new root growth. After planting, mulch the base of the heather plants with acidic organic material such as fallen leaves, pine straw or peat moss. This is how you can take good care of your heather garden against weeds.
