2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Among the numerous species of evergreens of the Erica genus, which prefer to grow in open spaces, there are small shrubs that grow well in indoor conditions and give abundant flowering during the period when winter is fierce outside the windows
Rod Eric
Numerous genus
Erika (Erica) is part of the legendary plant family -
Heather, from school years firmly associated in memory with the ballad "Heather Honey" by Robert Louis Stevenson, translated by Samuel Marshak.
Since then, the modest heather bushes and the heroism of the "little" man have become firmly intertwined, making it difficult to find the truth: which of them is more primary. Although the geologists who determined the age of Eric's plants claim that they are from 20 to 2 million years old.
Some species of plants of the Erica genus have firmly settled in human dwellings, giving surprisingly picturesque and abundant flowering with the onset of cold weather.
Popular varieties
* Erica is graceful (Erica gracilis) is an evergreen dwarf shrub with bright green needle-like tiny leaves and bell-shaped flowers, often purple (sometimes white), adorning the plant from autumn to spring.
* Erica meat-red (Erica carnea) - ground cover dwarf, unlike most related species, tolerates slightly alkaline soils. As in the previous species, the leaves are needle-like, and the flowers are bell-shaped, less often white, more often reddish-pink. In nature, cluster inflorescences appear at the end of winter directly from under the snow.
* Erica tree (Erica arborea) - prized for its golden-green soft leaves that delight the eye all year round. Although it grows slowly, in nature it reaches 4 meters in height. Indoors, thanks to periodic haircuts, it is a compact bush. It blooms with white or red flowers with a light aroma.
* Erica darleyen (Erica darleyensis) - a hybrid up to 50 cm high, blooming profusely from February to May with lilac-pink flowers. Grows faster than other species. When grown outdoors in Moscow, it needs shelter for the winter.
* Erica Eriugena (Erica erigena) - evergreen compact bush with fragile leaves grows up to 75 cm high in nature. Winter-spring dark pink bloom exudes a honey aroma. Dislikes alkaline soils. Requires a sunny location and good drainage.
Growing
In room conditions, for Erica, they choose the most illuminated place, but without direct sunlight. In the open field, partial shade is preferable. The coolness of the room is important for the plant, because for abundant long flowering, a temperature of from plus 7 to 15 degrees is required.
Most species prefer acidic peaty soil, because under natural conditions Erica often grows in swampy areas. Only a few members of the genus tolerate calcareous soils. The top layer of soil is carefully tamped.
Water the plant frequently using soft water. Foliage requires high humidity, and therefore spraying the plant is encouraged. Periodically, watering is combined with top dressing by adding liquid fertilizer to the irrigation water. If you allowed the soil to dry out in a flower pot, you should arrange for the plant to "dive" by immersing the pot completely in water for about an hour.
To maintain the appearance, dried flowers are removed, for which the plant is turned upside down and the bush is shaved off. Often, after flowering, the plant is thrown away and a new one is started.
Reproduction
In the spring, you can propagate by layering, adding branches, which are separated after rooting.
At the end of summer, they are propagated by apical cuttings, which are planted in a wet mixture of peat and sand in a ratio (2: 1) and provide a temperature of plus 18 degrees.
Enemies
The lack of moisture in the soil, like its excess, has a negative effect on the plant. The first provokes leaf fall, and the second - root decay. Therefore, a combination of good drainage with abundant watering is required.
Of insects, ticks and worms like to visit.
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