If there are plants that brighten our days in winter, there is no doubt that Erica, or rather heather, is one of them. What you might not know is that there are different varieties: gracilis, arborea, cinerea and Erica vagans are just a few examples.
Although almost all have the same care, there are always peculiarities. For this reason, this time we will focus on the care of Erica Vagans, a lesser known but equally flowering variety in autumn and winter. Want to know more about her?
Erica vagans most important skincare
Erica vagans is also known as Erica multiflora and is characterized by having many more flowers than other species. These can be pink or purple and are combined with long, lance-shaped leaves.
But, What do you need to develop properly? Follow our recommendations with this plant and you will see that in a short time it adapts to its new home and you can see it grow much more until it becomes a shrub that gives color to your home.
Lightning
Like any other heather, the Erica vagans should be placed in full sun. It must receive the most light, and if it is direct, the better. That is why when located inside the house, you run the risk that the flowers will fall off very quickly and the plant will wilt.
In case you live in a temperate climate, or if the summers are too hot, you can place it in a semi-shaded place, at least the first year so that it adapts to the temperature that you usually have in an annual cycle.
Temperature
He’s usually not picky about temperature because Holds up well on both descents and climbs. It is true that if there are frosts it can suffer, especially if they are very intense or long lasting. But he is able to handle it.
As for high temperatures, he is much more able to tolerate them.
To land
The substrate of Erica vagans does not differ much from that of any Erica. In reality, It adapts to anything you throw at it, be it sand, clay, acidic soil…
Now, if you have it in a pot and you want it to be very healthy, it is best to mix it with a universal substrate and perlite (or similar) so that it can breathe and the soil does not not obstruct it.
If you are going to plant it in the ground, in principle you will have no problem with it taking any type and moving forward, sometimes even reproducing and covering more ground than where you planted it. .
Irrigation
Erica vagans is not a plant that requires moderate watering, but it should not stay dry either. Keep in mind that, being in direct sunlight, water evaporates quickly, so it would be wise to You will water it regularly but without the water accumulating (because it would harm its roots).
Despite everything, it can tolerate periods of drought without any problem.
With regard to irrigation, we recommend that you do it either first thing in the morning or last thing in the afternoon, especially in summer. Otherwise, the water drops could act as a magnifying glass for the sun and burn the leaves, flowers and even the whole plant.
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Erica vagans is a plant that does not require fertilizer planted in the ground, but it needs to be fertilized in a pot because its nutrients and freedom are more limited and it cannot find food. This is why we recommend that At least once a month You fertilize it a little to give it a vitamin supplement so that the flowering is more intense and prolific.
Size
In general, the Erica vagans is not a plant that needs pruning, although it is true that when spring arrives, if it still has its flowers, it is necessary to see if they have faded or not. If you have, maybe run your hand through the different rods so that they fall completely and can, during the summer, produce new flowers.
Plagues and diseases
We are not going to tell you that it is a delicate plant, because in reality it is not. But you should keep in mind that there are certain pests and diseases that can cause your plant to be in poor condition.
With regard to pests, special precautions must be taken with scale insects and mitesas these tend to suck sap from the stems or young shoots and will prevent the plant from growing.
To treat them, it is best to take a cotton ball soaked in alcohol and wash the entire plant and then spray an effective insecticide against these pests.
In the case of diseases, there are a few that you need to be very careful about. We are talking about powdery mildew and rustwhich will cause the leaves to wilt, the flowers to fall off and you will find it so weak that in the end it will only cause the plant to die.
you should too monitor watering and humidity because, if it is too humid, it can suffer from the attack of the fungus Verticillium sp. and contract verticillium wilt. This is a problem that completely rots the roots and you will only notice something happening when the leaves start to wilt and the stem turns black (as if necrotic).
Multiplication
Finally, we come to the reproduction of Erica vagans. In this case, the best way to multiply it is through the seeds that you can collect from the hundreds of flowers it has.
We recommend plant them at the end of winter (or the most stable temperature arrives), more or less around 10-18 degrees Celsius. In spring and summer, it will surely grow and flower in the same year it is planted. This already tells you that it is growing rapidly.
As you can see, the care of Erica vagans is not complicated to perform and in return you will have a very grateful plant that will offer you flowers that will last all winter with a colorful pastel that you will love to see in your garden or balcony. Would you dare to have it at home?