Heather has a reputation as an easy-care ornament for heather gardens and resting places. Annual pruning plays a key role in the expert care program. These cutting instructions explain in a comprehensible and practical way when and how to cut heather perfectly.
When and how should you cut heather?
To cut heather properly, the ideal time is after flowering or in February. Use secateurs or hedge trimmers and cut off dead shoots in the leafy area above the old wood to prevent senescence and to keep the plant blooming and compact.
Two genera – one name
Under the term heather, hobby gardeners are familiar with two popular genera of heather: summer heather (Calluna) and winter heather (Erica). For anyone who now fears a risk of confusion when cutting, the all-clear has been given. Both genera thrive as flower-rich dwarf shrubs that are subject to uniform pruning.
Why is cutting useful?
Heather remains at a maximum height of 50 centimeters, which ostensibly makes regular pruning unnecessary. However, it is not advisable to let the distinctive dwarf shrubs grow uncut. A characteristic feature of heather herbs is premature senescence with a reduced willingness to bloom. The more massive the degree of woodiness, the fewer flower buds the plant produces.
Furthermore, the mini-shrubs grow sprawling and take up space. During this process, new shoots become shorter and shorter, so that a dense carpet of flowers can no longer form. With annual pruning you can specifically counteract the disadvantageous growth.
Flowering time determines cutting time
The perfect time to cut heather depends on the flowering time. Some of the most beautiful varieties have bloomed at the end of January, others last until March. Furthermore, picturesque Erica hybrids delight with their distinctive flowers in early and late summer. It does not follow that home gardeners have to keep a special pruning calendar for their heather. These two rules of thumb have proven themselves in gardening practice for the ideal cutting date:
- End of flowering before St. John's Day (June 24th): cut after flowering
- End of flowering after St. John's Day: cut in February
Please don't be tempted to cut late summer heather in autumn. Pruning causes a stagnation of sap, which encourages previously inactive buds to sprout. Just before the start of the cold season, the proverbial winter hardiness of Erica and Calluna is significantly affected. The shoot tips that are still herbaceous freeze back and affect the entire heather.
Cutting instructions
The primary goal of pruning is to keep heather flowering and compact. For this purpose, annual pruning prevents the progressive lignification and encourages the sprouting of young shoots. How to cut correctly:
- Best cutting tool: secateurs (€14.00 at Amazon) for individual plants, hedge trimmers for extensive heather
- Cut off all dead shoots
- Select intersection point in the leafy area above the old wood
The lowest needle-like leaves indicate where you should place the scissor blades. Ideally, the pruning leaves only short stubs from which fresh, flowering shoots sprout.
Tip
The furious flower cushions belie the fact that heather is stingy with sleeping eyes. From old wood, the dwarf shrub usually only sprouts very sparsely or not at all. A rejuvenation cut on summer or winter heather only has a chance of success if you trim the leafy area or if the over-aged heather still has a few young, less woody ground shoots to offer for new growth.
