Content
- Heather - perfect balcony planting in autumn and winter
- Location and substrate
- Maintain heather in the pot
- Heather in the pot over winter
- Tips
Heather brings color to the balcony in fall
Heather - perfect balcony planting in autumn and winter
While many balconies are lush green in the summer and the flowers bloom in the window boxes cheerfully in the bet, it looks in the fall and in the winter usually pretty bleak. But that does not have to be the case, because especially the snow heath, which blossoms in the winter, provides some color accents in the drab winter gray. The also very late flowering broom heath is very well suited for a balcony planting, in addition, both heather plants are winter hardy and can therefore well endure outdoors.
Location and substrate
Especially the summer or broom heath prefers a sunny as possible location, where she usually feels very well even in the light partial shade. Too shady or low-light balconies, however, are not suitable for planting with heathers, since the plants grow there only puny and hardly bloom. In addition to a sunny location, most heather plants also prefer a moist and acidic soil. For this purpose, you can use a mixture of commercially available flower and peat soil as potting soil, which may also be enriched with sand for loosening up.
Maintain heather in the pot
This point is important because heather needs moisture, but does not tolerate waterlogging at all. For this reason, you should ensure good drainage in the pot. This can be done by an admixture of sand to the substrate and a layer of expanded clay o. Ä. At the bottom of the planter. In addition, the pot should have a drain hole on the ground, but you do not have excess irrigation water left, but always have to drain again. Plant the heather plants either in a pot or at intervals of 10 to 15 centimeters in a balcony box. Fertilization takes place only during the growing season about two to three times with a good fertilizer for peat groves or horn shavings.
Heather in the pot over winter
Heather is very hardy and hardy even in pots. Nevertheless, you should the plants at temperatures from about minus 10 ° C - especially on sunny days, since the heather can dry out otherwise! - protect from the cold. To do this, place the planter on a piece of styrofoam in a sheltered corner, preferably on a heat radiating wall. The substrate can be covered with leaves or brushwood.
Tips
Cut the heather vigorously in the spring - about mid to end of April, then the plants repopulate and bloom all the more splendidly.