The propagation of heatherallows you to get more of these lovely, delicate shrubs that decorate the garden in autumn. We advisehow to propagate heatherby apical cuttings, layering, division, mounds and sowing seeds. Which method is the easiest and possible to do yourself in your own garden? Here are 5 provenways to breed heather !
How to multiply heathers?
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1. Heather propagation by apical cuttings
The most popular method of propagating heatheris propagation by apical cuttings. Heather seedlings are harvested in the summer - in July and August. Take a semi-woody, apical part of the shoot, 5-8 cm long, remove the leaves from the lower part and, after immersing it in a rooting plant (optional), place the seedling 1 cm deep in a substrate which is a mixture of high peat and coarse sand in a ratio of 3: 1.
When rooting heather cuttings , the humidity of the air and the substrate is very important. To maintain the right conditions, you can cover the pots with foil, for example, but so that the cover does not touch the plants directly. Good ventilation and airing should be ensured, as plants under the foil are susceptible to fungal diseases. Therefore, do not sprinkle the seedlings, but only water the substrate.
Cut heather shoots for cuttings in summer
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If the conditions are right,the heather cuttings will take 1-2 months to take rootThe appearance of new growths is a sign that the seedling is taking root and is developing properly. Pinching out young plants will allow them to branch out more nicely. In winter, heather seedlings require a sheltered and bright room, because only in spring, in the second half of May, they can be planted permanently.
Well-rooted heather cuttings
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2. Heather propagation by layering
In amateur cultivation, it is especially recommendedpropagating heathers by horizontal layersconsisting in rooting the shoots without separating them from the mother plant. Thanks to this method, up to a dozen cuttings per plant can be obtained. It is a method of reproduction of heathers that requires little experience and effort, and the care of the heathers comes down to regular watering.
Heather seedlings in pots
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Heather deposits can be prepared in several ways.Horizontal heather deposits is nothing else than placing a shoot in a shallow hole and fixing it with appropriately bent pieces of wire (usually in the shape of the letter U). When shoots are taken out of it, they are sprinkled with soil. In this way, we get new, rooted plants in the fall.
A modification of this method are the arch layersconsisting in bending the shoot to the ground and filling the lower curve of the arch with soil, leaving the shoot end free and set vertically.During the year, roots will appear on the buried part of the shoot. preparation of heather dumps are the summer months
3. Heather propagation by mounds
Propagation of heathers by mounding , or vertical layering, is less absorbing, but also less frequently used. The shoots of the shrub are cut in early spring, approx. 8 cm above the ground, and then the young shoots, which have reached 15-20 cm, are covered with soil at the base. As the shoots grow, the soil is still piled up around them, creating a mound around the shrub.
Overgrown heathers can be divided into smaller plants
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The care of the multiplied heathersconsists in maintaining the constant moisture content of the substrate throughout the growing season. New plants start to take root after just a few weeks, but only in the spring of the following year you can open the mound and thenuse a sharp tool to cut the rooted heather cuttingsand plant them in their final place.
4. Heather propagation by division
Division of plants is the simplest method of reproduction. To propagate heathers by divisionit is enough to dig up the plant and divide it with a sharp tool. Parts with well-developed roots can be planted directly to the permanent site. The plants are planted at the same depth as they grew. Small and less rooted parts should be cultivated on the seedbed for the first year to make them grow.The best time to divide heather is late fall or early spring
Heather seedlings ready for planting in the garden
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Propagation of heather from seeds
Sowing heather seeds is troublesome in amateur conditions.Not all heathers form seeds, and if they do, they may not convey the characteristics of the mother plant. Especially when we obtain seeds from ornamental cultivars. On the other hand, we can successfully reproduce pure common heather from seeds.
Heather seeds are sownin a substrate which is a mixture of high peat and coarse sand (mixed in a ratio of 3: 1).The sprouts appear within 1-2 months at 20 ° C. The plants should remain under cover for the first winter. We will put them on permanent positions only in the spring of the following year.
MSc Eng. Anna Błaszczak
