Heuchera: preparation for winter in autumn, types of shelters, pruning and care in spring

Heuchera is a representative of the Saxifrage family, a herbaceous plant with an original leaf color. The second name is mountain undergrowth. Homeland geyhera - Mexico and North America. In Russian natural and climatic conditions, the plant has confidently acclimatized and gained popularity among landscape designers. How to properly prepare Heuchera for a difficult Russian winter is a question that often worries gardeners.

When do you need to cover the plant for the winter

Heuchera refers to relatively frost-resistant plants. In the southern regions, there is no need to carry out any preparatory measures for the cold season. In central Russia, the bush should be closed. In winters with little snow, the root system may suffer and freeze.

Important! If in winter the air temperature drops below minus 10 degrees, then it is recommended to cover the geyher bushes.

With the onset of spring heat, additional shelters are removed, the geyher is cleaned of last year's dried leaves and mineral supplements are applied. Young bushes spud and mulch with peat or humus. It is not recommended to use fresh manure, the plant may get sick and get burned.

Pruning geyhera for the winter

Whether to prune a bush for the winter is a moot point. Gardeners are guided by personal experience. You should not remove the leaves of the plant, you need to cut off the flower-bearing stems. The remaining foliage will protect the bush in winter from frost. After the end of the flowering process, the remaining peduncles are no longer needed, they only take away strength, besides, the bush quickly loses its decorative shape. Heuchera pruning is necessary to maintain the exquisite beautiful appearance of the plantations and to save the strength of the North American beauty before winter.

Some species and varieties of flower stalks are pruned even before flowering. The buds and flowers of these plants do not always look attractive, and, according to landscape designers, spoil the bush.

The main advantage of the North American beauty is decorative expressive leaves of unusual color and shape.

Shelter for the winter

The root system does not go deep into the ground, it is located close to the surface, therefore, in order to avoid freezing, the plant is covered for the winter with various additional shelters:

dried forest moss;
fallen leaves;
straw;
sawdust;
polymer covering material.

The basic rule is that the bush must "breathe". Do not cover the roots with film covers, this can cause a rotting process or a fungal infection.

Sheltering bushes with sphagnum will preserve the root system and create additional antibacterial protection, in addition, the remains of dead moss serve as an excellent organic fertilizer. Before preparing for the winter bushes spud.

Features of wintering geyhera in different regions

The set of care measures depends on the place of planting and growth. In warm regions with a southern climate, it winters easily, without shelter. Natural protection - wilted leaves. In central Russia, in the Moscow region, Siberia, in areas with a difficult and harsh climate and winters with little snow, shelters as preparation for the cold are required. There are varieties with increased frost resistance that can withstand harsh frosts of -40 ^{С. For example, Forever Purple, Blood Red, Gooseberry and others.}

Further care after winter

The bushes awaken with the first rays of the spring sun. It is necessary to clean the bushes from last year's foliage, remove shelters for the winter, pour warm water and feed the awakened bushes. You should not abuse fertilizers; geyhera is used to growing on poor rocky soils. The concentration of mineral complexes can be underestimated twice.

Every spring, plants are sprayed against pests and fungal diseases, sprinkled with wood ash. Bushes can be mulched with humus and a mixture of peat and sand after hilling the plantations.

Powdery mildew is the main ailment of geucher. In April, preventive treatment of bushes with Bordeaux liquid is carried out. To improve the brightness of the leaves, the plants are sprayed with a solution of brilliant green in the ratio: 10 drops of the product per 10 liters of water. Heuchera is propagated by seeds, cuttings or by dividing an adult bush. Young seedlings are planted in the ground in the spring, when the temperature of the soil and air is above +12 ^{С and the threat of frost has passed.The plant is planted with seeds for seedlings in early March. It is not recommended to plant young bushes in the fall, before winter.}

Possible difficulties

Properly selected variety and systematic care reduce the risk of growing failures to zero. Plant care tips:

Planted on the western or eastern side of the garden plot. To improve the brightness of the leaves, good lighting of the bush is necessary.
Do not allow moisture to stagnate at the roots. It is better to skip watering than to overwater the plant.
Do not make unnecessary plant transplants, geuchera will hurt and grow for a long time, only adult bushes with a formed root system are transplanted.
Some varieties need to be shaded.
In the middle lane, plants should winter under shelters.
Soils are chosen with an alkaline reaction.
The best neighbors are shade-tolerant plants.

To make a geyhera a garden decoration, you need to choose the right place and choose a flower arrangement. Landscape designers often plant different varieties and types of geyher together, plants with different leaf colors are perfectly combined. The North American beauty decorates and complements the alpine slides, the geykhera looks elegant in a single landing.

Bright-colored varieties are suitable for decorating the edges of flower beds and borders, planting bushes along garden paths and decorating high vegetable beds.

By following the rules of care and listening to the advice of landscape designers, you can create unusually bright and beautiful flower beds in your area. Heuchera will not give beautiful flowers, but diversifies flower plantations with beautifully shaped leaves with an unusual color.