Geykhera - planting and care, a calendar of work for flowers. Easy planting of Heuchera in open ground

Growing Heuchera outdoors is not difficult at all, you just need to choose the right place for planting the plant. Many varieties grow and reproduce well even in mountainous areas. North America, therefore, caring for Heuchera in our latitudes is very simple, because it can grow even on rocky soil. In addition, its decorativeness and versatility will bring new shades into any landscape design.

Description of heuchera: varieties and varieties

So what is this miracle - Heuchera? An evergreen perennial plant with a height of 40-60 cm. The leaves are medium in size, round in shape, sit on long petioles and form a rosette at the root. Heuchera blooms from late May until autumn. The flowers form a panicle inflorescence about 20 cm long. After flowering, fruit-boxes with seeds are formed.

Heuchera decorative deciduous

The cultivated varieties of Heuchera can be conditionally divided into two categories:

decorative deciduous;
decorative blooming.

Heuchera is decorative with its foliage: no other plant has such a variety of palettes and leaf textures. Heuchera flowers noticeably lose to the leaves, but there are varieties that are valued precisely for the inflorescences, they create a great color contrast with the foliage of the plant.

To date, about 400 varieties of Heuchera have already been bred, their shades and varieties will satisfy the most refined taste and will find their place in any landscape design.

At the moment, cylindrical, American and blood-red varieties of Heuchera are especially popular. Now let's look at these varieties in more detail with a photo.

Planting a plant

Before planting, you need to choose a place and prepare the soil. Geykhera combines well with other perennials and is not aggressive towards them, so it can be safely planted in a company with other types of plants or lay a flower bed from different varieties geyher.

The plant feels great in any neighborhood

The plant prefers light and nutritious soils where water does not stagnate. Acidic soil does not suit her. Before planting, you need to add coarse river sand or pebbles to the soil. Seedlings should be planted in May at a distance of 20-25 cm and watered regularly, but not waterlogged, otherwise the plant may die. Plant Heuchera in open ground you can use seeds, cuttings or by separating the rosette of an adult bush.

Plant care

As for leaving, in this regard, Heuchera is very unpretentious. But there are some conditions, and these are:

diffused shadow;
deep drainage;
permeable soil.

Heuchera, planted in the shade of trees or in partial shade, will retain its decorative effect, since it needs the sun in the morning. It is worth planting varieties with red leaves on sunny areas, it is in the sun that they will turn red, but in the shade they will remain green. But many varieties adapt to the sun - the silvery mosaic of their foliage takes on a richer color, and the heuchera with purple foliage darkens.

In the shade, heuchera leaves will acquire rich shades.

The root system of Heuchera is shallow, so it is important to protect the roots from drying out. It is best to apply mulching. Mulch will retain moisture, the soil beneath it breathes and is structured by soil inhabitants. As mulch, you can use straw, sawdust, compost, tree bark, foliage, expanded clay screenings, gravel, peat.

The soil must be permeable - from stagnant water, the plant can get sick and die. Therefore, you should take care of drainage even when planting a plant.

Aging heuchera bushes lose their decorative effect - the middle of the bush is exposed. In this case, you need to rejuvenate the bush: dig up the plant, divide it into parts and plant it. This should be done in late summer after flowering or in spring before the leaves open. Heuchera tolerates these manipulations painlessly and immediately starts to grow.

Mulching the soil will help Heuchera maintain moisture balance

Dried foliage is not removed in the winter - it helps the plant to overwinter, covers the roots and retains heat. Remove only inflorescences with seeds - after flowering they spoil decorative view... In the future, the collected seeds can be used for propagation and cultivation of Heuchera in the open field. Varieties with light foliage and young bushes for the winter need to be additionally covered with foliage.

Advice. Water the plants early in the morning or in the evening, drops of water in the sun can burn the leaves.

Fertilization and feeding of Heuchera

Before being domesticated by humans, Heuchera grew in the mountains, where the soil is rather scarce. Modern varieties are still not far from their wild relatives, so they do not complain about the small amount of nutrients in the soil. Apply mineral fertilizers rarely. Better to limit yourself to one dressing in the spring in the first year after planting. If you did not do this in the spring, then feed Heuchera with mineral complex fertilizer for deciduous plants at the end of the growing season. After fertilizing, be sure to water the bushes.

There is no need for regular plant feeding

Important. When applying fertilizers, be sure to halve the dose recommended by the manufacturer on the package.

Plant propagation

Reproduction by dividing the bush is the simplest way, in which the decorative quality of the variety is preserved. This is done in early spring or autumn. Separate the rosette from the adult plant and transplant a little deeper than the mother plant was planted.

The second way is grafting. A 4-6 cm stalk is cut from the bush in the summer and rooted in a greenhouse. The process takes 3-4 weeks, after which the finished plant can be planted.

Dividing the heuchera bush

Diseases and pests

As for diseases, Heuchera is unique in that it practically does not get sick in the open field, and is rarely affected by pests. But sometimes it can suffer from powdery mildew, rust, gray mold or leaf blight. This can happen if the plant is frequently watered, or the soil is poorly drained and the water stagnates at the roots, creating an ideal environment for pathogens to thrive. From an excess of fertilizers, the plant "fattens", which leads to a weakening of the immune system. Powdery mildew can be defeated by spraying with a fungicide, after removing diseased leaves, and the Bordeaux mixture will cope with spotting and rust.

Rust on a Heuchera leaf

As for pests, the danger to the plant is posed by the beetle larvae, which can gnaw at the roots, grape snails, slugs, caterpillars and leaf nematodes, which can be removed with an insecticide.

Advice. Slugs hide in secluded places from the sun during the day, so you can put a board, slate, cardboard or a piece of old linoleum near the heuchera, and collect slugs under them in the morning.

Heuchera: combination with other plants

Thanks to the contrasting combination of heuchera leaves with the leaves of other plants, unique compositions can be created. Geuchera is planted with hosts, kupins, ferns, hellebores, daylilies, combined with decorative cereals, bruner, irises, barberries.

Heuchera will decorate your garden even in autumn, when other plants have faded

Heychera goes well with high conifers, acts as a supplement for short roses. In spring, it is good to place with tulips: after they have faded, the flower bed is not empty.

Geichera in landscape design

Do not be afraid to experiment with planting Heuchera in your area. How gems, Heuchera will decorate any flower garden, no other flower culture has such a rich palette with an abundance of colors and shades.

A huge advantage of Heuchera is its decorative effect during the entire growing season and ease of maintenance. Heuchera is grown both in single landings one species, and mixed, is used as a perennial ground cover plant. With its compact bush shape, Heuchera is an ideal companion to combine with other plants. This is a real find for those cases when you need to fill the space in the flower garden or highlight the dignity of another plant, highlight the planting of conifers.

Geichera in landscape design

Geykhera does not lose its decorative shape with age, therefore it will ideally fit into strict flower beds. geometric shapes, will mask unsightly areas. Geichera is suitable for creating alpine slides, rocky gardens, borders, decoration of terraces and gazebos. She can decorate garden sculptures, slides and fountains. Often used for planting in ceremonial flower beds.

In the first year after planting, it will be difficult to assess its merits in landscape design - just planted, it will not yet become such a magnificent beauty, but already in the next season you will be able to enjoy the density of colors.

Heuchera varieties and their cultivation: video

Geichera: photo

Heuchera is perennial plant and, concurrently, the favorite of many flower growers. Its value lies primarily in its elegant bloom, as well as in a very beautiful leaves painted in different tones. Heuchera can also be grown indoors, if enough effort is made. How to grow Heuchera from seeds will be discussed in this article.

There are no big difficulties or subtleties in the process of growing a plant, but still there are certain nuances that every gardener should know about.

Geichera is a decoration of any garden!

Geikher - a scattering of precious stones

Characteristic features of Heuchera:

the plant goes well with badan, astilba and;
initially young leaves have a bright color and are translucent, but in the process of development, the leaves become darker and denser;
the leaves growing in the lower part of the bush can fall off over time, as a result of which the plant looks rather untidy. Dig up the Heuchera even before the flowering period and transplant it into another hole, deeper. This will hide the bald trunk. It is necessary to transplant the plant together with the soil that has covered its root system;
immediately after flowering, flower stalks must be removed from flowering plant varieties;
when growing deciduous varieties, it is advisable to remove the peduncle immediately after its appearance (unless you plan to collect seed material in the fall). The fact is that the peduncles are not very pleasant appearance, they grow much higher than the plant itself, which causes irreparable damage to them, or rather, to their decorative properties.

Most popular varieties

There are many varieties of Heuchera bred by experts from different countries to decorate houses and suburban areas... But there are main types of plants from which all modern varieties were obtained.

Table. The most common varieties of Heuchera.

Name, photo	Description
	It has pointed leaves, somewhat reminiscent of maple and covered with silvery spots. The plant has small creamy pink flowers. The flowering period begins in the second half of May.
	A common type of heuchera that grows with heart-shaped green foliage. As the name suggests, the plant blooms with large cylindrical inflorescences of coral, beige or green.
	This type of heuchera grows with dense green foliage of a round toothed shape. Red inflorescences are bell-shaped. The flowering period lasts from mid June to August.
	A short plant that grows up to 20 centimeters. Possesses lilac-brown heart-shaped leaves. The flowers are yellow-green. The flowering period begins in June.
	This type of heuchera grows with velvety leaves and small creamy green flowers. The flowering period begins in June and lasts until the end of August.

Important! There are more than 400 varieties of Heuchera and this collection is constantly growing (by about 10-30 specimens annually). Thanks to crossing, breeders managed to develop new, brighter plant varieties. Such as Alba, Hercules, Regina, Citronelle, Marmelade, Black Bird, Purple Palace and others.

Seed preparation

The most common varieties include the specific blood-red Heuchera, but in addition to it, you can find others. For example, a purple castle or a combination of several varieties. Experienced gardeners looking for plant seeds not only in stores, but also from collectors. As a rule, they are only interested in those varietal plants that reproduce vegetatively.

Geicher "Comet"

If your neighbor's garden has a chic and interesting Heuchera, do not hesitate to take a moment and ask him for seeds. So you can get a good collection. It is recommended to collect seed material even before the onset of frost. After a cool and rainy summer, the seeds may not ripen, so after purchase / collection they need to be put in a cardboard box or paper bag for ripening.

The choice of capacity and preparation of the soil

Properly prepared soil for Heuchera is one of the main conditions for growing seedlings from seeds. For this purpose, a store-bought mixture may also work, but often gardeners prefer to use a substrate prepared with their own hands. The procedure is simple, but all proportions must be observed.

Mix ½ part river sand, 2 parts turf soil and 1 part peat to prepare Heuchera soil. You also need to add 200 g of ash for every 5 kg of soil mixture. If the ash cannot be reached, replace it dolomite flour... Only you will need not 200 g, but 2-3 tablespoons.

Important! If you did buy a store-bought soil, then you need to mix it with a small amount of washed coarse sand in a ratio of 10: 1.

In addition, gardeners use vermicompost as a soil mixture, which they mix with coconut fiber. The fiber should be twice as large as humus. Before use, the soil must be heated in the oven and filled with potassium permanganate or boiling water for disinfection. For this purpose, a fungicide solution or any other disinfectant can be used. This must be done, especially when using soil prepared at home. With a purchased potting soil mixture, it is also advisable to perform such an operation for prophylaxis.

Take care of the sand you need to cover the seeds you have sown. As in the case of the soil mixture, treat the sand as a preventive measure too. This will avoid unpleasant consequences.

There are no restrictions on the choice of containers for seedlings, so you can use anything. As a rule, when growing Heuchera, gardeners use plastic or wooden boxes, but special cassettes can also be used. The peculiarity of seedling cassettes is that they are seeding in portions. Before filling the soil, the containers must be rinsed, and several small holes must be made at the bottom for the liquid to drain. The bottom layer should be made of drainage material. It is better to use expanded clay for drainage, although other materials with similar properties can be used.

Sowing seeds

How to sow Heuchera seeds for seedlings correctly? There is nothing difficult in this process. The main thing is to adhere to the instructions given in the table below.

Table. Sowing Heuchera seeds.

Steps, photo	Description of actions
	Heuchera requires loose soil, which must be mixed with a small amount of sand. As noted earlier, before planting the seeds, you need to calcine the soil in the oven. 5-8 minutes will be enough. Place the soil in the seedling container quite tightly so that at least 1.5-2 cm remains to the edge.If you did not process the soil before filling the container, then fill it with a solution of potassium permanganate to protect the plant from infections.
	Remove the seeds carefully from the packaging and follow the preventive procedures. A fungicide can be used for treatment, but it is best to soak the seeds before planting.
	Moisten the soil slightly with a spray bottle and distribute the seeds evenly over the surface. For convenience, you can pour the seed onto a specially prepared paper hollow. Tilt the paper towards the soil and lightly taps the heuchera seeds into the ground. In this case, be sure to make notes on the container, thereby denoting the varieties.
	After sowing, the seeds do not need to be covered with earth. To do this, use treated sand, the layer thickness of which should not be more than 8 mm. Processed sand is needed to protect plants from the "black leg". The sand prevents the stems from getting wet as it cannot accumulate moisture.
	Cover the container after sowing with polyethylene or ordinary glass, and then transfer to a lighted place. If necessary, moisten the soil with a spray bottle. It is necessary to use this device so that small particles of sand are not washed out.
	Heuchera takes about 3 weeks to germinate. During this time, you need to periodically ventilate the room, just avoid drafts - the plant is afraid of them. After the shoots appear, make a few holes in the plastic. If you covered the seedling container with glass, but you need to raise it. Plant the plants 4-5 cm apart after 3 true leaves appear.

Follow-up care

Without dividing the plant can grow up to 5 years, after which it stretches, falls apart and becomes "liquid". This process does not make Heuchera attractive. In winter, in this state, the bush can freeze out completely. Also, the early spring sun, which awakens it, can create a particular danger to the plant. ahead of time... To protect the heuchera, you need to plant or mulch - this will extend the life of the bush. Put some compost under each bush in the fall. This will strengthen the plant and allow it to grow new roots.

Lighting requirements

For optimal growth, Heuchera needs a west or east side, since the plant feels comfortable in the shade under a tree or in the sun under a little shade from other horticultural crops. But you also need to take into account the specific features of Heuchera when choosing a place for growing. So, for example, for leaves painted in a bright color, more intense lighting is required - this will increase the brightness of the plant. Some species are able to change their color in the shade (from red to green).

Watering Heuchera

Heuchera should be watered regularly so that the soil does not dry out - about 3 times a week. In the case of this plant, it is better to skip one watering than to do it 2 times. Even a slight excess of moisture negatively affects the culture. When it comes to hot summer days, then during this period it is advisable to water twice a day - in the evening and in the morning. When watering, try not to get water on the stem and leaves of the bush, because this can lead to burns. Use a special watering can for watering.

Top dressing

V spring you need to feed the plants with extreme caution, especially after a harsh winter. At first, it is advisable to spray them with "Zircon" or "Epin" - this will help to strengthen the immune system. At the end of flowering, complex mineral fertilizers are applied. Also, this must be done before the flowering period.

Important! During the summer, the plant needs to be fed with ash once. If the flower stalks have grown tall, then it is advisable to tie them up, and at the end of the flowering period, cut them off.

Landing in the ground

Experienced gardeners will never transplant young heuchera bushes, because this can destroy the plant. It is advisable to transplant only mature and mature bushes. During the digging process, you need to try not to damage the root system, which is still too fragile, so you should be extremely careful. After you prepare a new planting hole, pour some ash into it first.

Only adults and healthy representatives can perfectly tolerate the transplant, who can take root without problems almost anywhere in the garden.

Flower garden "Bordeaux" with Heuchera. 1. Heuchera hybrid - Heuchera x hybrida ‘Neptune’. 2. Heuchera hybrid - Heuchera x hybrida ‘Chocolate Ruffles’. 3. Heuchera Hybrid - Heuchera x hybrida ‘Silver Scrolls’. 4. Dicentra beautiful - Dicentra formosa. 5. Dicentra magnificent - Dicentra spectabilis. 6. Zigadenus graceful - Zigadenus elegans. 7. Host hybrid - Hosta x hybrida ‘Wide Brim’. 8. Hybrid daylily - Hemerecallis x hybrida ‘Julie Newmar’. 9. Siberian Iris - Iris sibirica ‘Contrast in Styles’

Video - Features of growing heuchera

To give originality to flower beds, a plant with large leaves of various colors and shades is sometimes used - this is heuchera, which, therefore, has become widespread in landscape design. The plant came to us from North America and, thanks to the efforts of breeders, received a more exotic bright color and successful colonization in our beds.

Popular plant varieties

All modern varieties of Heuchera are derived from the main species:

Heuchera hairy (H. villosa)- a plant with gorgeous velvet leaves and nondescript green-creamy flowers.
American Heuchera (H. americana)- forest species with attractive leaves up to 20 cm high. The color of the leaves is brownish-lilac, round-heart-shaped with long petioles. American Heuchera blooms from June with yellow-green flowers.
Heuchera blood-red (H. sanguinea)- a plant with dense green foliage. The shape of the leaves is round toothed. Flowers in the form of red bells on peduncles up to 50 cm. The plant blooms from June to August.
Heuchera cylindrical (H. cylindrica)- a plant with green, rounded-heart-shaped foliage. Differs in large cylindrical inflorescences. Flowers can be green, beige or coral.
Heuchera small-flowered (H. micrantha)- the plant has leaves with gray-silvery spots, similar in shape to a maple leaf. Flowers are small with creamy pink flowers, placed on peduncles up to 60 cm high. It blooms from late May to late July.

Did you know? The complete collection of Heuchera varieties numbers more than 400 specimens and annually increases by several dozen.

Through crossing, breeders have developed brighter hybrid varieties of Heuchera :

With red foliage (Purple Palace, Black Bird, Cherry Cola);
With foliage yellow color("Marmelade", "Key Lime Pie", "Citronelle");
With silvery foliage (Mint Frost, Stormy Seas, Can Can, Regina);
With spotted foliage (Midnight Rose, Color Dream, Hercules);
With gorgeous red, white or lingonberry colors (Alba, Bressingham Hybrids, Robusta, Snowstorm, Splendens, Splish-Splash).

What conditions to create in your garden for Heuchera

Growing heuchera in the garden is not a laborious process. The plant will delight you if you exercise correct fit and minimal care for the heychera. When planting it, do not worry about neighboring plants on the site. Geykhera perfectly coexists with daylilies, primroses and ornamental cereals. Young leaves of the plant are translucent. But over time, they will thicken and darken. If the lower leaves have fallen off, and the stalk is bare, it is necessary to deepen the plant together with an earthen lump before flowering. By pruning the stems after flowering, you will give the plant a more aesthetic appearance. Observing simple tips, you will make your plant look great in the flower bed and in the garden.

Did you know? Heuchera was used by the Indians as medicinal plant for fever and diarrhea and as a wound healing agent.

Lighting and soil requirements

Geykhera feels great both in the sun in the partial shade of other plants, and under small tree in the shade, therefore the best place for her, the east or west side. But the specific features of the plant should also be taken into account: brightly colored leaves need higher lighting, this will give them a brighter color. For example, a plant with red leaves in the shade changes color to green.

Geichera is not picky about the choice of soil. But if you want to have on your site beautiful plant, then it is necessary to take into account some factors: firstly, Heuchera does not tolerate acidified soil. The optimum pH for it should be 5-6 units. Secondly, the plant does not tolerate stagnant water in the roots. Therefore, when planting Heuchera, take care of good drainage... The plant tolerates all other difficulties easily.

Did you know? The most capricious are yellow, red and light green geykhera.

Watering and fertilizing the soil

Watering the plant should be moderate, in hot weather - once a week, although heuchera can withstand a short dry period well. To prevent root rotting, it is necessary to sprinkle the roots with soil mixed with fine expanded clay, sand or perlite.

Since the plant in its homeland grows on rocky soil, and it does not have high fertility, it is necessary to apply fertilizers in moderation. Use universal fertilizers for decorative flowering or decorative deciduous plants, according to the type of plant. The dose of fertilizers must be halved from that recommended in the instructions.

Preparing the plant for winter

The withered and yellowed leaves of Heuchera envelop the roots of the plant and help to survive the winter. Heuchera wintering is better with additional shelter for the winter with the help of fallen leaves. And in the spring, having removed the shelter, it is necessary to cut off last year's leaves of the plant with a pruner.

Important! In no case, do not cut the leaves of heuchera for the winter.

Heuchera transplant

The question arises when is it better to transplant Heuchera - in spring or autumn? The plant must be transplanted in March or April.

The decorativeness of the plant lasts up to five years, in the future the plant needs a transplant. For this you need:

Autumn transplant

Important! Even the most beautiful geychera lose their decorative effect over time, therefore they need rejuvenation.

Reproduction methods

Consider the methods of reproduction of Heuchera, their advantages and disadvantages.

Seeds

Propagation of Heuchera by seeds must be used to create a large amount planting material... Seeds are used only fresh, this will significantly increase their germination. Growing seedlings is carried out in containers in a greenhouse or on a windowsill. Sowing of seeds is superficial, carried out into the soil with the addition of perlite or vermiculite. Seedlings should be expected in 2-4 weeks. After the appearance of 2-3 leaves, it is necessary to dive into separate pots.

Since most varieties of Heuchera are hybrids, growing Heuchera from seeds at home will result in plants that in most cases do not resemble the mother plant. Only some of them will contain maternal signs.

Dividing the bush

This method breeding is best done in early May or August. To do this, you must have an adult (3-4 years old) plant bush. They dig out the Heuchera, wash the roots, with the help sharp knife divided into 3-4 parts. Each part should have 2-3 sockets. The sections are disinfected with charcoal or cinnamon. Reduce the number of leaves before planting to prevent moisture loss. Planting of plants is carried out in the same way as when transplanting heuchera. You can water the plant with Kornevin, this stimulates growth root system... As a rule, Heuchera tolerates bush division well, and as a result you will get several plants with fully preserved maternal characteristics.

Cuttings

This method is used in May - June, before the plant begins to bloom. To do this, a rosette without a root is cut off from the main bush and planted in a special mini-greenhouse - under a can or canister in the ground with the addition of perlite or peat and sand. Shading in this case is mandatory. Plant care is very important:pruning leaves to reduce evaporation, watering with rooting agents. Successful rooting is evidenced by the appearance of young leaves. This can happen in 3-4 weeks.

The use of heuchera in landscape design

In landscape design, heuchera is used for border planting or in the design of reservoirs on stones. Thanks to bright color Heuchera foliage is often placed as an accent plant against a green backdrop to create beautiful Heuchera compositions in the garden. This plant is compact and makes good friends with other, even not large plants. Now the work of breeders is focused on increasing the flowers of Heuchera, a bouquet of which will delight you for a month. The plant is often used to hide problem areas in the garden. It is lush and can fill the void between flowering of other plants. Due to its unpretentiousness, Heuchera is becoming more widespread.

This perennial plant fell in love with gardeners not only for the beauty of small and numerous flowers on each bush. Its leaves, which change their color several times during the season, make it possible to decorate the territory in the most bizarre way. And if we take into account the unpretentiousness of Heuchera, its adaptability to our conditions, ease of care and planting in open ground, then the desire of those who own "hundred parts" to plant it on their site is quite understandable.

Heuchera is represented by various varietal species (about 400) and hybrids. The height of the bushes ranges from 15 to 90 cm. But this is not the main thing. When creating any flower arrangements, experts advise paying attention to the shape, size, palette of shades of its leaves and the location of the veins. In terms of the variety of these indicators, a rare plant can be compared with Heuchera.

The flower develops normally up to 5 years of age. Then it must be replanted, divided by bushes or sown with seeds again. The reason is that it begins to grow intensively in all directions (including in height), as a result of which its plantings are rare, the plants become an obstacle to each other, and the flowerbed (lawn) loses its original attractiveness.
Heuchera does not belong to the group of cold-resistant plants. You should know this when determining the time of planting it and the list of measures that need to be taken in terms of its preparation for winter.
This flower is especially successfully combined with ornamental cereals, primrose, incense, astilba, daylily.

Seat selection

Geuchera stands out against the background of many ornamental plants in that it is absolutely undemanding to temperature and light. However, it should be borne in mind that direct sunlight can cause leaf burns, so you shouldn't abuse the unpretentiousness of this flower by planting it anywhere. If there is no natural shading of the site (fence, house wall, tall trees and shrubs), then it is worth worrying about the construction of an artificial structure. In landscape design, various types of such "shelters" are used - arches, pergolas, and so on - so it is not difficult to choose the best option... In addition, the problem with the need for frequent watering of the flower bed with Heuchera will be automatically solved.

What to consider

When choosing a place, one cannot but take into account the aesthetic component. Penumbra is preferable from the point of view of the development of heuchera and its care. But individual varieties, all the beauty of which is in the leaves, just need an abundance of light. Only under the rays of the sun shades of "green" become maximally saturated. Therefore, there is something to think about when choosing a place for planting Heuchera, and precise recommendations here will definitely be superfluous.

Priming. Typical for most garden plants - "light", good moisture and air permeability. But with acidity you need to be more careful. For geychera optimal value pH - slightly below normal (about 5.8). Or, as they say, low acidity. To reduce it, if required, before planting in the soil, it is recommended to add wood ash or crushed chalk, after which a deep digging of the soil is carried out.

On dense soils, there are two ways to provide drainage. The easiest one is to dig up the ground for the future flower bed, having previously sprinkled coarse sand over it. If it is heavy on the site, then it is advisable to specially prepare pits for planting heuchera.

Before pouring a substrate into them, you need to load a drainage layer - brick fight, large pebbles, crushed stone, and the like. The technology has long been known to most summer residents.

Boarding time

The main criterion is the climate of the region. If you focus on weather middle lane, then heuchera can be planted from the end of March. The main thing is that the soil on the site warms up well. And not only on the surface, but also to the depth; at least 5 cm.

Determining specific days for planting is easy. It is only necessary to take into account all the features of the selected variety and the forecast of weather forecasters for the short term.

Planting Heuchera in open ground

The scheme is chosen independently, taking into account the characteristics of the territory. And there are several methods of planting this plant - by seeds, separated by bushes, cuttings. You can send a rose to the bayonet. But regardless of the chosen method, they have a lot in common.

The plant sometimes develops very intensively, but even in an adult specimen, the root system is "weak". Therefore, when planting a Heuchera, significant deepening is not required. If by seeds, then by a couple of centimeters, otherwise not all of them can germinate. The same goes for cuttings. But the formed bush is about 5 cm; in this case, it will gain stability after planting. Sometimes it is advisable even to remove part of the leaves, so that the "centering" of the plant is not disturbed and the heuchera does not begin to lean to the side.

It is advisable to choose the interval between the holes with the calculation, so that later you do not have to engage in a pick. For a weak root system, this is additional stress. At this point, you should pay attention to such moments.

First, what kind of variety is planted and what is the specificity of its development. First of all, to the sides.

Secondly, the role of heuchera in a particular flower bed. That is, is it its main decoration, which means that it will have to be somehow distinguished; or just a "nice addition" to other decorative vegetation.

Thirdly, it lands next to Heychera. This is compatibility, and the difference in the height of the shoots, and a number of other factors.

If it is necessary to plant the Heuchera densely enough (for example, along garden paths), then between the holes should be left about 20 cm. When the flower grows, it forms a solid solid "living tape".

Geyhera care

Mulching. It is advisable to do this immediately after planting. This will protect the soil from excessive drying out and not engage in daily watering of the flower bed. If we are talking about a suburban area where no one lives, more than a rational decision. To create such a protective layer, it is better to choose organic fertilizers (peat, rotted manure, compost). Thus, the nutrients necessary for Heuchera will be constantly introduced into the soil after precipitation or each watering of the flower bed. Perhaps additional soil fertilization is no longer needed.

Watering. Almost everything has already been said about him. To understand whether it is needed, it is enough to immerse your finger in the ground, on 2 phalanges. This is exactly the level below which there are no Heuchera roots. If the soil is moist, then no irrigation is required; and vice versa. Be sure in a couple of hours, as soon as a crust begins to form on the ground, the soil must be slightly loosened. This is the question of oxygen access to the root system of Heuchera.

... There are many opinions on this issue, but this prevails. If the soil was prepared correctly before planting, then no more additional dressing is required for the Heuchera. And if mulching is also carried out by organic matter, even more so. The only thing that needs to be added to the soil (approximately in mid-May, before the formation of inflorescences) is a nitrogen-containing composition. It will initiate the development of green mass and aid in the formation of leaves.

Disease and pest control. Heuchera must first of all be protected from slugs and snails. They are very much attracted by its leaves. After the visit of these uninvited guests, rot, powdery mildew appears, and the greens begin to wither, and after a while they fall off. You can learn something useful from this information for yourself.

Against these shellfish effective remedy- metal hydride. Sold in powder or granules. It is enough to scatter the geyher at the landing site, and the slugs with snails will quickly die. Plus to this - the obligatory cleaning of the territory and loosening. These "enemies" love dark, secluded places where they hide and lay their eggs. By the way, it is for this reason that it is not recommended to use sawdust, needles, shavings and similar "materials" for mulching the soil in areas with heuchera.

Self-prepared preparations (in shares) are no less effective:

Recipe 1 - freshly slaked lime (1) + (1).

Recipe 2 - bleach (1) + wood ash (4).

Recipe 3 - tobacco dust.

If there are a lot of shellfish on the site, then it is worthwhile to spend time and collect them by hand. And what to do then, you know - into the oven.

If the bush cannot be cured, then you should not dispose of it immediately. Such a plant, for example, can be used to obtain a cuttings, which are then planted on the site.

Preparing for winter. The technique is chosen depending on the climate of the region. It should be borne in mind that Heuchera does not like cold weather, therefore it is necessary to "open" it in the spring only after warm weather is established. And returnable short-term frosts are not scary to her - she tolerates them quite easily.

Some nuances of care

As noted, this flower is classified into many species, subspecies, and so on. Some varieties are appreciated by gardeners for the beauty of blossoming buds, while others have more attractive leaves with an original shade. In the latter case, the peduncle must be removed immediately after its appearance. The fact is that the stems are stretched so that they partially (and sometimes completely) cover the foliage. Consequently, all the charm of such a geykhera as flower bed decoration is leveled. An exception is made only for bushes from which it is planned to obtain seeds.

You still need to choose a specific variety (or hybrid) not for the beauty or originality of the foliage, but according to another criterion - how adapted this variety of heuchera is to local conditions... Only in this case it will develop well and really become a worthy decoration of the site.

I wish you success, amateur flower growers!

Geykhera is a perennial belonging to the Kamnelomkovy family. This plant is of North American origin; most of its species in wildlife grows in the USA, a small part of them - in Mexico. A distinctive feature of Heuchera is its decorative properties. The color of the foliage of a plant can be very diverse: from standard green to extreme colors - red or silver. But that's not all, since there are plants, the color of the leaves of which combines several multi-colored shades. Heuchers are very popular with designers, since they allow you to get the most varied colors of the lower level of flower beds and flower beds. Planting and caring for heuchera are discussed in detail below, as well as photos of some plant varieties. The plant retains its attractive appearance from the first months of spring to the end of autumn. Its application in landscape design is extremely wide - from continuous cover plantings to curb thickets on the sides of the paths.

Botanical description

See also: Poppy is a bright ornamental plant: a description of perennial and annual flowers, planting and care, methods of reproduction, possible diseases (70 Photos & Videos) + Reviews

Heychera is herbaceous plant about half a meter high... The central stem is absent as such; the leaves are mostly basal. The length of the petioles can reach 30-40 cm.The leaves consist of five accrete lobes, their size is about 5 by 10 cm.

Root system the plant has a core structure. Central root rather large and fleshy. Sometimes there can be several roots on one bush, as a rule, this is obtained by natural budding of additional roots from a larger one. The root can be up to 50 cm long.

Flowers the plants are small, mostly inconspicuous. However, some species are quite bright. Their color can vary from white and green to bright red or pink. There are practically no single flowers, mostly they are collected in "panicle" type inflorescences.

Fruit plants are capsules containing several thousand seeds. The seeds are extremely small, slightly smaller than a poppy seed. One gram contains up to 20 thousand seeds.

The modern classification of Heuchera does not have a single standard. In fact, there are two classifications of a plant: according to one, the genus has 58 species, according to the other - more than 70. Varietal variety the plants are large enough. For several decades, about 400 varieties and hybrids of the plant were obtained, differing in the color of the leaves and their sizes.

Some species of Heuchera are able to interbreed with related plants of the same family of Saxos... An example of such a cross is a hybrid of Heuchera and Tiarella. His distinctive feature, is a plant with colorful foliage and fairly large inflorescences.

Heuchera is very unpretentious and can grow even on rocky soils, completely devoid of soil. Several species are found in the wild, native to the deserts of California and Arizona.

The plant reproduces by all possible ways- from vegetative to seed.

Landing

Choosing a landing site

Is very important issue, since there is no definite answer to it. Adult plants do not tolerate life in sunny areas, preferring shade and partial shade, but this situation is contraindicated for young plants. Growth rates in shaded areas in young animals are very low and you will have to wait a relatively long time to get beautiful bushes.

Since the plant tolerates transplanting and root separation well, it is recommended to plant the plants in the sun at the beginning of the cultivation, and then to plant the mature plants in shaded areas. Therefore, if a plant with a developed root system is acquired, it sits in the shade. When planting young animals or seed propagation of heuchera, planting should be carried out in a sunny area.

Moreover, young animals do not tolerate the cold wind, therefore, the place of its landing should be protected at least from the northern side.

All varieties of Heuchera are very negative about waterlogging of the root system, therefore, grow them in lowlands and any places with high level groundwater Not recommended.

There is another recommendation for choosing a place for a plant, based on the color of its foliage. Varieties with light colored leaves (eg yellow, white or silver) will do well in sunny areas. While the darker ones (green, burgundy, crimson and blue) grow much better when shaded.

Plant soil

Geichera comes from mountainous and rocky terrain, where the soil has a predominantly neutral or slightly alkaline environment. Most of the soils of the European continent, if they differ from neutral, then in the direction of oxidation. Therefore, the soil under the Heuchera requires liming. Depending on the acidity, liming with ash or dolomite flour can be used.

The plant does not like too heavy soils; light and well water and air permeable soils are more preferable. The plant also needs drainage. It is made from broken bricks or large rubble; the thickness of the drainage layer must be at least 5 cm.

Planting seedlings

It is most preferable to plant seedlings in the middle of spring.... Seedlings can be purchased or obtained by vegetative propagation of the plant. In both cases, the arrangements for their planting are absolutely identical.

The order of planting seedlings is as follows:

The stems of the plant must be trimmed to a young growth, and the shoots that may have dried out should be trimmed to the level of living brood buds, which are usually located in the axils of the foliage.
The preparation of the root system consists in the removal of diseased, damaged or fungal-infected areas. Such parts of the root should be completely removed, and the cuts should be treated with crushed charcoal.
Landing is done in squares or staggered. Distances between plants in a row and between rows are 50-60 cm.
A hole with a diameter and depth of 30 cm should be dug under each bush. At its bottom, it is necessary to place a drainage, which is covered from above with a layer of soil about 5 cm. Further, mineral or organic fertilizers are introduced into the soil. As a mineral, you can use nitroammofoska (no more than 15 g per plant). Organic matter can be a layer of humus or compost (about 3-4 cm).
A young seedling is set in the center of the hole and covered with soil. The soil is slightly compacted and watered with 3-5 liters of water.
For the first 2-3 days, it is advisable to shade the plant, after which the protection from direct sunlight is removed.

Full rooting occurs approximately 40-45 days after planting. It was during this period that the plant can already be transplanted to permanent place... However, you should not rush - the transplant is best done at the beginning of the next season.

Planting by seeds

Heuchera seeds

This is not the most common planting method, however, with its help, you can get a much larger amount of seed for less material costs. Growing heuchera through seedlings is quite simple and not burdensome. Moreover, its seeds, subject to storage conditions, have a germination rate close to 90%.

It is believed that the viability of seeds stored outdoors or in a paper bag is six months. The use of sealed packages or foil packages that prevent access to seeds not only moisture, but also light, extends this period up to one and a half years. After these deadlines, almost all seeds become unusable, therefore it is recommended to carefully check the dates of collection and packing of seeds.

Sowing seedlings usually occurs in late March or early April. Therefore, you should check the consistency of the expiration dates of the purchased seeds with the planting dates.

The seedlings are planted in a box with drainage holes. The height of the box should be at least 5 cm. Any plastic container can be used as a container for growing, even the cut-off bottoms of large plastic bottles. The main thing is to make drainage holes in them. It is also allowed to grow a plant using peat tablets with a diameter of 27 or 36 mm.

Seedlings after germination

Loose soil is required for seedlings. Its composition is of no fundamental importance. It can even be ordinary garden soil, or a mixture of equal proportions of peat, garden soil and sand.

The soil must be thermally treated in order to kill the fungi that are in it. To do this, it should either be poured with boiling water, or it should be placed in an oven with a temperature of + 110 ° C for half an hour. After that, the soil must be dried within 24 hours and only then start planting seeds.

Heuchera seeds are very small, sometimes it is recommended to mix them with sand when planting. The small size of the seeds does not imply that they are buried in the ground. Therefore, after preliminary preparation of the soil, its surface should be leveled and the top layer should be moistened with a spray bottle. Sowing is carried out directly on the soil surface. After that, the box with seeds should be covered with glass or foil.

Seeds require a lot of light for germination, so it is recommended to immediately put the box with them on the sill of the south window. At the same time, it is necessary that the temperature in this place be in the region of + 18-20 ° С and there are no drafts.

The box with seeds should be ventilated daily by removing the foil or glass for 15 minutes. Watering should not be carried out daily, but as the soil dries out. After about 15-20 days, the seeds will sprout.

The film or glass should not be removed in this case. They need to be slightly raised; in some cases, several small holes are made in the film.

Seedlings are picked when three real leaves appear on it.... Seedlings dive at a distance of 4 to 6 cm between them. All this time, you should maintain a moderately moist soil condition.

Further, there are two options for further growing seedlings. Continuation of growing plants indoors or transplanting them into open ground in a sunny area. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Since a normal rosette takes about one year to develop in a Heuchera, it is best to continue growing indoors. At the same time, around June-July, seedlings should be transplanted into larger boxes.

In the summer, they can be carried out on open air, or even stay there continuously until the end of the season, but with the onset of cold weather again to be placed in room conditions. The final planting of seedlings in open ground is carried out in the spring. next year... This growing method is applicable in areas with harsh winters.

If the cultivation takes place in more soft conditions, you can already in the middle of summer, corresponding year planting, planting plants in a sunny area in the garden. In this case, the plants will be better adapted to further cultivation.However, in this case, they will need to be covered for the winter with a layer of mulch about 10 cm thick. Peat, sawdust or compost should be used as mulch material.

Mulched heychera bushes

Directly maintaining geychera in a healthy form does not require practically any action from the owner, since the flower, accustomed to growing in desert conditions, perfectly tolerates both summer and winter in a temperate climate.

Watering should be seriously limited, since in fact, even the level of natural precipitation in a temperate climate is excessive for Heuchera.

To maintain the required moisture level in the soil for a long time, it is recommended to mulch the soil around the plant with sawdust or needles with a layer of 3 to 5 cm. For mulched plants in the shade, the amount of natural precipitation will be quite enough. Watering should only be done if the soil is excessively dry.

Plants in open, sunny areas should be watered 1-2 times a week on average. For the preservation of soil moisture, mulching of such plants is mandatory.

Even poor soils for mature plants have a sufficient level of fertility. However, you should not completely ignore feeding: once a year, at the end of the plant season after autumn pruning it is recommended to mulch with a layer of peat or a mixture of peat and humus in a 1 to 1 ratio.

The above applies to decorative leafy varieties of heuchera. There are also several dozen decorative and flowering varieties. They require fertilizing with complex fertilizers for flowers before and after the flowering period.

Of all the procedures for caring for a plant, the most relevant are the procedures for pruning and loosening the soil. The need for pruning in temperate climates increases significantly as the abundant growing season causes the leaves to grow rapidly. This leads to a strong thickening of the bushes and the plant becomes corny.

Pruning is usually done at the beginning and end of the season. The plant is actually evergreen and many leaves that have appeared in the second half of summer can easily survive the winter.

End-of-season pruning consists of removing diseased and damaged parts of the plant., as well as cutting off excess lateral shoots and petioles that have lost leaves. But at the same time, even old leaves are not removed during autumn pruning.

Removal of too old, as well as diseased and injured leaves is performed in early spring... Also at this time, a formative and stimulating pruning of the bush is performed.

Loosening the soil is important because the plant's root system needs a lot of air. The stony soils of the plant's homeland allow this process to proceed without problems, but in heavy soils of the temperate zone, the plant may have certain problems.

Usually, loosening is done every 2-3 weeks. At the same time, the soil in the area with geychers is watered with a very small amount of water (to moisten only a layer of 2-3 cm at the surface) and loosened to the same depth.

Simultaneously with loosening, it is imperative to carry out the procedure for hilling the bushes, since the core of the bush is constantly bulging out of the ground. However, you shouldn't be too zealous in this either.

The main thing in hilling is to cover the outlets to prevent them from drying out or frostbite.