In a suitable location, the winter or snow heather (Erica carnea) is not one of the particularly high-care plants in the garden. Nevertheless, you should take some time to prune after the flowering period if you want to continue to enjoy your plants.
When and how should the winter heather be cut?
The winter heather should be cut back after flowering in spring to promote compact growth and avoid bare spots. Cut the plants back by about a third, being careful not to cut too much into the old wood.
Pruning promotes compact growth
Without regular pruning, the snow heather reaches a maximum height of around 30 cm. However, over the years, the perennial plants develop a rather gnarled appearance and can become bare from below. The winter heather specimens planted in groups are often intended to form a carpet that is as regular as possible with delicate flowers. For this purpose, it is essential to prune the plants every two years (better but annually). In addition, compactly grown plants are less likely to be damaged by a heavy blanket of snow.
Make sure you get the timing right
When pruning the winter heather, you should definitely pay attention to the right time and not confuse the plants with the similar-looking varieties of common heather. In order for the snow heather to bloom profusely in your garden the following year, numerous flower buds must be formed in autumn. However, this is only the case if a relatively vigorous pruning is carried out immediately after flowering in spring, thereby stimulating the growth of young plant shoots. Of course, this does not apply if the winter heather was only planted in the same spring and still has to take root properly in the ground.
Prevent the appearance of bald spots with targeted trimming
The winter heather is one of the subshrubs that can tend to become bald from the center of the plant without rejuvenating pruning. That's why it's important that regular pruning gives young shoots the chance of sufficient light and he althy growth. Even sparing fertilizer applications alone cannot combat the risk of baldness if the snow heath is not pruned. The following things should be taken into account when pruning:
- Use a clean cutting tool with sharp edges
- don't cut into the old wood too much
- shorten the plants by about a third
Tip
The winter heather can be propagated by division or cuttings. If you plan to propagate from cuttings, the spring pruning should be a little more subtle that year. Then in midsummer you can cut half-woody cuttings about 3 to 5 cm long, which you can root in evenly moist substrate.
