Colorful flowers, an intoxicating scent and relatively easy to care for: it's not for nothing that the vanilla flower is one of the most popular balcony and garden flowers. In this article we have summarized many valuable care tips for you so that you can enjoy the plant throughout the summer and perhaps even beyond.
How do I properly care for the vanilla flower?
To properly care for the vanilla flower, you should water regularly, remove spent flowers, do not prune, maintain planting distances and pay attention to pests. The plant can overwinter in cool rooms and is sensitive to excessive dryness.
Adequate watering
The vanilla flower evaporates a lot of moisture through the leaf surface and the large flower umbels. That's why it's important to supply the flowering plant with water regularly, because heliotrope doesn't tolerate drought well. On hot days it may be necessary to water even twice a day. You can tell there is a lack of water by the leaves hanging limply. However, be sure to avoid waterlogging as this quickly leads to root rot. Excess liquid in the coaster should be tipped away after a short time.
Is pruning necessary?
In general, pruning is not necessary during the growing season. However, you should remove spent flowers regularly to stimulate the formation of new flowers.
When and how do you repot?
As long as you have not planted the vanilla flower too closely - the planting distance must not be less than twenty centimeters - repotting is not necessary in the summer season. Although heliotrope is usually cultivated as an annual in our latitudes, it is certainly possible to overwinter indoors. When there is a danger of frost in autumn, bedding plants are placed in pots with conventional potting soil and brought into the house.
Overwintering the vanilla flower
The solstice is very sensitive to frost. Be sure to bring specimens that you want to overwinter into the house before the first night frosts. A bright room in which the temperature does not fall below five degrees even at night is ideal. During the winter the plant sheds some of its foliage. This is normal and not a cause for concern.
Diseases and pests
The vanilla flower is very robust. Plant diseases usually only occur when there are care errors or when the solstice does not feel comfortable in its place.
Occasionally Heliotrope is infested by aphids or spider mites (€16.00 on Amazon). Common home remedies such as rinsing with a sharp jet or soap solution, natural predators and, in extreme cases, chemical sprays provide quick relief.
Tip
The flowers of the vanilla flower rotate with the sun, which has given the attractive plant the German name Solstice. But be careful if you want to show this natural phenomenon to children: Heliotrope is one of the poisonous plants.
