The garden moorcan be one of the loveliest corners of the garden, especially in the fall when the heathers are blooming. However, in order to enjoy the unusual colors of the moor, the plants that grow here must be provided with appropriate conditions. Seehow to set up a moorlandin the garden,what to plant on a moorlandto make it a decoration not only in autumn but throughout the year, as well ashow to care for a garden moorso that it becomes a decoration for many years.
Heath in the garden
What to plant on the moor
Undoubtedly the most importantplace on the mooris occupied by heathers and heaths. They are plants that are fairly easy to grow. They grow quickly and are suitable for turfing quite large areas. They bloom for a very long time, and when there are no flowers on them, they can decorate their leaves, which, depending on the variety, may be dark or light green, gray, lemon or yellow. The use of these plants can be manifold: they can be placed next to a group of other shrubs, they can be used for planting various types of containers. However, the large surfaces of these plants look the most beautiful. Glades overgrown with violet blooming heathers are among the most beautiful forest views.
Numerous advantages of these plants make it worthto establish a moorlandin your garden. This part of the garden should be natural. To achieve this, it is necessary to select the appropriate plants that will accompany the heathers on our heather - they must not only blend in nicely, but also have similar environmental requirements.
Heathers and heathers - differences
Both heathers and heaths are evergreen shrubs, 20-40 cm high. They are often confused with each other, although for a person with a minimum knowledge of these plants, distinguishing them should not be a problem. The main difference between these shrubs is the flowering period - heathers bloom from July to October, and heathers from late February to April. Heather flowers are chalice-shaped. Briar flowers, on the other hand, have the shape of jugs and are slightly smaller. Another difference is the arrangement of the leaves on the shoots. Heathers have small, scaly leaves set at an angle. On the other hand, briar leaves are needle-shaped and set perpendicular to the shoot.
Recommended heaths and heaths for the heath
How to start a moor in your garden
The best places forto set up a heather bedare sunny positions.We must prepare such a position properly. Plants planted in ordinary garden heavy soil stop growing and die. Therefore, where we planmoorland , we spread the acid peat, sand, composted bark and dig it to the depth of the spade. The soil should be light and well-drained, humus-rich and acidic (pH 3.5 to 5.0). Heathers in particular require acidic soil. Briar is a bit more tolerant.
Heathers and heathersare most often sold in plastic containers. They can be planted in the garden throughout the growing season, but it is best to do it in spring or September. 2 hours before planting, immerse the seedling and the pot in water for a few minutes. When planting plants, we must remember that the entire root system should be in the ground. Providing good conditions for development requires us to leave all the above-ground shoots uncovered. If we plant a plant purchased in a container, it is enough to remember that the surface of the substrate in the container is leveled with the surface of the garden substrate.
Heath in the garden
Assuminggarden heath , it is worth noting that maintaining a sufficiently acidic soil can be somewhat difficult. Therefore, it is worth taking advantage of the phenomenon of mycorrhiza. What is this? Mycorrhiza is a mutually beneficial coexistence of plants and specific symbiotic fungi that make direct contact with plant roots. You can introduce mycorrhiza through the use of special mycorrhizal vaccines for heather plants.It is precisely in the case of acidophilic plants, such as heather, that these vaccines bring amazing results. They are enough to prepare a suitable substrate for heathers, rhododendrons, magnolias or blueberries. The soil can be acidified by the traditional method by simply mixing it with peat. But the resulting acidification will be short lived. Meanwhile, thanks to the use of mycorrhiza vaccine, the effects will last for many years, and your heathers will be beautiful even with unfavorable soil pH.
Planting the moorland
For a good effect, heathers and heaths should be planted in large groups over a large area. The distance between the plants should be 30 to 40 cm. Single plants pushed between other shrubs look unnatural. After planting, the soil in the bed is mulched with a few centimeters of pine bark. Mulching the soil will prevent the soil from drying out and the growth of weeds. This is especially important as heathers and heaths are quite susceptible to dryness. They have a shallow root system with a delicate structure. In addition, pine bark has acidifying properties and helps keep the pH of the heather soil low.
How to care for a moor
In addition to mulching the soil, you should not forget about systematic watering.We water the heather rebateoften, but in small doses. During the growing season, plants also require a moderate supply with slow-acting fertilizers, eg Osmocote.
Another necessary procedure iscutting the shrubs on the moor , which will ensure abundant flowering and a compact and dense habit of these plants. During this procedure, we remove the faded inflorescences at their base. We prune the spring flowering broths after they have faded - in April or May. We don't cut autumn heathers until the early spring of the following year, because the flowering inflorescences and the untrimmed shoots are good protection against frost for the plants.
Plants on the moorlandmust also be additionally secured for the winter period. For this purpose, after the first frosts, the plants are covered with spruce branches or a fleece. Avoid covering heathers and heathers with straw or leaves, as these materials restrict the access of air, which will cause the bushes to rot in the heather bed.
The moor in the garden is beautiful all year round
To makethe moor in the gardenlook more natural and monotonous, it is worth enriching it with other plants that go well with heather and heather.We can choose from a number of plants that, like heathers and heaths, prefer acidic soils. Coniferous trees and shrubs are the most common in heather beds. Among deciduous shrubs, it is worth choosing evergreen squid and rhododendrons, or Japanese pieris. The natural and somewhat wild character of the moors is also emphasized by ornamental grasses such as Trzcinnik (Calamagrotis acutifolia) or Trzęślica (Molina). Interesting compositions can also be created by including perennials (e.g. asters or cloves) and bulbs in the heather composition. In the shaded places of the heather bed, we can plant berry bushes, which, apart from decoration, will give us tasty fruit. It will be like a natural forest moor, where you can find many plants with edible fruit - from low cover blueberries to large rowan trees.
Prepared on the basis of: Moje Ogród, Delta W-Z, Warsaw 1993, pp. 40-41; D. Węgłowska, Zakladamy wesosowisko, Dolnośląski Informator Rolniczy, no. 9/2001; A moor in the garden, My Beautiful Garden, no. 9/99, pp. 6 - 9.
