What if heathers dry?
Even with proper planting and painstaking care of the crop, they sometimes disappear. When dry heathers, it becomes several times more offensive, because they are planted in group compositions. To contemplate the mass extinction of a species is not a good picture. Therefore, it is necessary to reanimate them in time, as well as to understand the reasons for drying.
Most often, this phenomenon is observed after winter. Many gardeners decide that their shrubs are completely gone. In fact, nothing is lost for them, because they begin to bloom on the shoots of last year.
Found a reason why heathers dry
The stores sell winter-hardy varieties that adapt to the weather conditions of the middle lane. However, due to the non-standard spring, even they may suffer. This is especially true when the thaw begins in February. During the day, temperatures are unusually warm. Nevertheless, at night it sinks, which leads to freezing of the earth. In the morning, the cycle repeats again. This play of contrast between moisture and temperature weakens the culture. After all, heathers dry for the reason that:
- green leaves, hearing warmth, begin to evaporate;
- frozen soil is not able to saturate the rhizomes with nutritious moisture;
- as a result, the liquid does not reach the top, so the branches dry out.
It turns out that the bushes simply burn out in the sun. Therefore, if such climatic anomalies have yet to return, then it is important to make a canopy for the flower bed. It is made of dense mesh, spunbond or burlap. At the same time, there must be excellent ventilation under it, otherwise the shelter will float and mold will appear on the branches.
When constructing a hut for a flower bed, it is worth considering that a lot of snow can settle on it. He, in turn, will strangle and break the bush. For this reason, many advise to first close the heathers with a box, and then lay the material on it.
Among other things, you can rehabilitate a plant from such a spring with a regular haircut. Only prune the bush not too short. Remove dried shoots that are visible from under the snow. It is important to understand that young buds are concentrated in the upper part of the stem. They are not afraid to do the procedure, because in the same season they will drive out branches 5 times more than the previous ones.
For a note
Older specimens do not tolerate any pruning well. In this regard, they will need more time to restore their decorative effect. Abundant watering will help to speed up the process. Depending on the type of soil, the water is diluted with lemon juice or vinegar. Acid fertilizers are periodically applied, intended for azaleas or blueberries.
The next time the heathers begin to dry, the gardener will know it's important to keep an eye on the spring and shade them in time. But most importantly, they are not afraid to cut off damaged bushes. This is the only way to preserve the beauty and health of your plants.