How to Care for Heather
The heather flower appears in midsummer to midfall on this low growing groundcover shrub. Heather plant care usually should not include pruning, as this may disturb the natural look of growing heather. Scotch heather plant care does not include heavy watering once the plant is established, usually after the first year. However, the shrub is not drought tolerant in all landscape situations. After being established, heather is picky about water requirements, needing about an inch (2.5 cm.) per week, including rainfall and supplemental irrigation. Too much water can cause roots to rot, but the soil should remain consistently moist. The heather flower is tolerant of sea spray and resistant to deer. Growing heather requires acidic, sandy, or loamy soil that is well drained and provides protection from damaging winds. The attractive, changing foliage of this specimen of the Ericaceae family is another reason for planting heather. Forms of foliage will vary with the type of heather you plant and with the age of the shrub. Many cultivars of heather offer changing, brilliant, and colorful foliage at different times of year. Some sources report that growing heather is limited to USDA plant hardiness zones 4 to 6, while others include zone 7. Any zones further south are said to be too hot for the heather shrub. Some sources find difficulties with the plant’s vigor and blame it on soil, moisture content, and wind. Yet, gardeners continue planting heather and experimenting with how to care for heather with enthusiasm for the attractive, long blooming groundcover shrub.
